Jan 14, 1888

Born in Bridgeworth, Shropshire, England

Nov 6, 1914

Attested into the 21^st Battalion in Kingston, Ontario 

Ø      Number 59312 (temporary number 294)

Ø      Next of kin given as George Farmer, father, 57 Lowe St., Wolverhampton, England

Ø      Previous occupation given as Moulder

Ø      Previous military experience given as 3^rd South Staffords (UK Militia)

Ø      Religion given as Church of England

Ø      Assigned to “C” Company

o       This was later reorganized into “B” Company

May 6, 1915

Embarked the RMS Metagama in Montreal, Quebec

May 15, 1915

Disembarked in Devonport, England and proceeded to West Sandling, near Hythe, Kent

Jul 18, 1915

Declared to be AWL (Absent Without Leave)

Jul 23, 1915

Reported for duty from being AWL and forfeited 6 days pay.  In addition his pay was restricted to half pay for one month.

Aug 19, 1915

Fined $2.00 and pay restricted to half pay for one month for drunkenness and misconduct.

Aug 21, 1915

Transferred to the Depot Company.

Sep 9, 1915

Transferred back to “B” Company.

Sep 14, 1915

Embarked the St. Seiriol in Folkestone

Sep 15, 1915

Disembarked in Boulogne, France and proceeded to St. Omer.

Oct 15, 1915

He was absent from the 9.30 am and the 1.45 pm parades, along with 2 other soldiers and each of them was sentenced to 5 days Field Punishment #2.

Dec 16, 1915

Admitted to the No. 8 British Red Cross Hospital at Paris Plage diagnosed with Otitis Media, an inflammation of the middle ear.

Dec 23, 1915

Discharged to the Convalescent Camp.

Jan 9, 1916

Left the Convalescent Camp to join the battalion.

Jan 12, 1916

Rejoined the 21^st Battalion in the front line N & O trenches.

Apr 23, 1916

The 21^st Battalion was in the front lines at Voormezeele Belgium and suffered some severe German shelling.  The following day, the 24^th, the battalion was relieved and proceeded to billets in Dickebusch.

At some point between the 23^rd and the 29^th, Private Farmer was buried by exploding shells 4 times, the last rendering him unconscious for several days.  The file is unclear as to the exact date that he was buried and subsequently dug out by his comrades, but one thing is very clear, he suffered severe shell shock from the episode.

Apr 24, 1916

The 21^st Battalion was removed from the front line and moved into billets in Dickebusch where they supplied men for working parties to assist the engineers in their work of repairing the trenches.

Apr 29, 1916

Pte Farmer was admitted to the No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, diagnosed with Shell Shock.  He was still unconscious when admitted.

May 2, 1916

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship Newhaven

Posted to the CCAC (Canadian Corps Assembly Centre) while in hospital.

Admitted to Queen Mary’s Royal Naval Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, England where he regained consciousness.  He was noted as suffering from “very marked muscular tremors, so marked that he could not walk.”  Also noted that he suffered from “jerky speech”.

Jul 14, 1916

Transferred to the Woodcote Park Convalescent Hospital, Epsom.

Aug 24, 1916

On Command to the 2^nd CCD (Canadian Convalescent Depot), Shoreham.

Sep 7, 1916

Granted permission to marry.

Jan 8, 1917

The Medical Board at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea Hospital made note of the circumstances that caused his condition.  The report states “very nervous, unable to control nervous twitching of hands, knees and jaw.”  It goes on to state “suffers from insomnia and headaches……..heart action extremely rapid.”

Jan 17, 1917

Admitted to No. 8 Stationary Hospital, Hastings suffering from shell shock.

Jan 31, 1917

Discharged from hospital.

Feb 1, 1917

Ceased to be On Command to No. 2 CCD.

Feb 5, 1917

On Command to the CDD (Canadian Discharge Depot), Buxton, pending discharge.

The Pensions Board made the following recommendations:

1. That he not be discharged until he has received the first payment of his pension.
2. That he be granted a pension of $480 per annum for 6 months
3. That his daughter, Kathleen Downing, born December 30, 1914, be granted a pension of $6.00 per month for 6 months.

Mar 2, 1917

Discharged from the CEF in England.

Address on discharge 14 Linton St., Islington, London, England.

Following the war the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at 24 Arlington Square, Islington, London, England.

Note that these are replacement medals as the originals were lost in a fire

Feb 1, 1919

Reported sick and admitted to the Granville Canadian Special Hospital, Buxton, suffering from his shell shock.  He was complaining of poor memory, unsteady gait, easily excited, tremulousness, precordial pain (chest pain) and poor sleep, averaging only 2 hours per night.

Apr 19, 1919

The Medical Officer in charge of the gymnasium at the Granville Canadian Special Hospital notes that his condition is improving and his tremor seems to have disappeared, and he was discharged from hospital.

Dec 31, 1967

Died in Margate, Kent and buried in the St. John’s Cemetery, Manston Rd., Margate, England.