Robert Joseph Deegan

Robert Joseph "Buts" Deegan

May 8, 1891	Born at Brockville Ontario
Nov 9, 1914	Attested into the 21^st Battalion at Kingston Ontario Ø Number 59250 (temporary number 59) Ø Next of kin given as Mrs Rachel Deegan (mother) of 77 Pearl St West, Brockville Ontario Ø Previous occupation given as Brakeman Ø No previous military experience given Ø Religion given as Roman Catholic
May 6, 1915	Embarked the RMS Metagama at Montreal Quebec
May 15, 1915	Disembarked at Devonport England and proceeded to West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, Kent
Sep 14, 1915	Embarked the St Seiriol at Folkestone
Sep 15, 1915	Disembarked at Boulogne France and proceeded to St Omer Although I could not determine the date, he was eventually assigned to the Machine Gun Section with HW McBride and is listed in the dedication to his book A Rifleman Went to War
Oct 30, 1915	Killed by shell explosion while cleaning his rifle. Ridge Wood Cemetery Voormezeele Belgium

Although the letter above states that he was killed on October 29th, and the War Diary excerpt below indicates the same, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists his date of death as October 30th.