Jul 10, 1888
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Born at Montreal
Quebec to Alphones and Almire Desautels
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Aug 8, 1915
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Attested into
the 59th Battalion at the Barriefield Camp, Kingston Ontario
Ø Number 455230
Ø Next of kin given as Alphones Desautels, father, of Nort Viau, Laval
des Rapides, Montreal Quebec
Ø Previous occupation given as Labourer
Ø No previous military experience given
Ø Religion given as Roman Catholic
Ø Assigned to “B” Company
The Battalion
trained at the Barriefield Camp, Kingston
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Oct 19, 1915
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Admitted to the
Barriefield Camp Hospital diagnosed with a Hernia
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Oct 22, 1915
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Transferred to
the Kingston Military Hospital
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Nov 4, 1915
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Sentenced to 5
days detention and forfeits 5 days pay. The
reason for this is not recorded in the file
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Nov 18, 1915
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Transferred to
the Queen St Military Hospital, Kingston
The file is
unclear as to whether he served his detention in hospital or not. It is also not recorded when he was discharged
from hospital
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Feb 28, 1916
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Awarded a fine
of 5 days pay. The reason for this is not
recorded in the file
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Mar 28, 1916
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Fined $6.00 for
Drunkenness
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Apr 1, 1916
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Embarked the RMS
Olympic at Halifax Nova Scotia
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Apr 11, 1916
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Disembarked at
Liverpool England and proceeded to the Caesar’s Camp
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Apr 12, 1916
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Awarded 14 days
CB (Confined to Barracks) for using abusive language to an NCO
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Apr 13, 1916
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Sentenced to 14
days CB (Confined to Barracks) for using obscene language
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Apr 16, 1916
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Absent from the
Defaulter’s Roll Call and was discovered drunk in the barracks. For this he was awarded 3 days Field Punishment #2
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Jun 19, 1916
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Placed under
arrest for “striking his Superior Officer in the execution of his duties” at the
Caesars Camp.
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Jul 3, 1916
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Sentenced to 112
days in Detention With Hard Labour by District Court Martial
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Jul 6, 1916
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Pte Desautels
was absorbed into the 39th Reserve Battalion at West Sandling, near Hythe, Kent
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Jul 7, 1916
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The sentence was
promulgated and he was taken to the Detention Centre
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Sep 10, 1916
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Posted to the 21st
Battalion and released from Detention in order to proceed to France
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Sep 11, 1916
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Arrived at the
CBD (Canadian Base Depot) at the Rouelles Camp, Havre as part of a reinforcement draft of
48 Other Ranks and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21st Battalion
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Oct 1, 1916
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Left the CBD for
the 2nd Entrenching Battalion
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Oct 4, 1916
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Joined the 2nd
Entrenching Battalion at Hersin
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Oct 5, 1916
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Left the 2nd
Entrenching Battalion with 45 other reinforcements destined for the 21st
Battalion
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Oct 6, 1916
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Joined the 21st
Battalion who had just moved into billets at Bouzencourt
The
“Superior Officer” that Pte Desautels assaulted in June was Lance Corporal William Gordon 454640, who joined the 21st
Battalion in September. Imagine his
surprise when Pte Desautels showed up in the Battalion in October!
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Nov 25, 1916
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Found to be
drunk on duty at 3.00 pm
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Nov 26, 1916
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Sentenced to 14
days Field Punishment #1 for being drunk the previous day
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Apr 9, 1917
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Pte Desautels
was killed during the advance on Vimy Ridge
Because his
body was either never found, or if so, was never identified, he is commemorated on the
Vimy Ridge Memorial
Post war, the
following were sent to his mother, Mrs E Desautels, at Laval Quebec
British War
Medal
Victory Medal
Memorial
Cross
The Plaque
(Dead Man’s Penny) and Scroll were sent to his father, Mr A Desautels, at the same
address
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