May 8, 1894

Born in Odessa, Ontario to Warren and Lavina (nee Emmons) Gurnsey

Mar 1, 1911

Married to Annie Bristow in Kingston, Ontario

Sep 26, 1914

Volunteered with the PWOR (Princess of Wales’ Own Rifles) in Kingston with the service number 2010 and posted to “H” Company

Nov 11, 1914

TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21^st Battalion in Kingston

Dec 18, 1914

Appointed to the provisional rank of Corporal

Jan 5, 1915

Attested into the 21^st Battalion in Kingston, Ontario

Ø  Number 59403 (temporary number 760)

Ø  Next of kin given as Annie Gurnsey, wife, 108 Montreal St., Kingston, Ontario

Ø  Previous occupation given as Cook

Ø  Previous military experience given as 14^th Princess of Wales’ Own Rifles, “B” Battery RCHA for 3 years, 47^th Regiment Brockville Rifles for 3 years and the 4^th Hussars

Ø  Religion given as Wesleyan

Ø  Posted to “G” Company

o   This was later reorganized into “D” Company

On attesting he gave his birth year as 1891, not the actual year of 1894

The 21^st Battalion trained in the Kingston, Ontario area through the winter of 1914-15.

May 6, 1915

Embarked the RMS Metagama in Montreal, Quebec

May 15, 1915

Disembarked in Devonport, England and the battalion proceeded to the West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, Kent to continue training

Jun 23, 1915

Admitted to the St. Martin’s Plain Tent Hospital with a diagnosis that reads Gonorrhea

Jun 25, 1915

Reverted to the rank of Private at his own request

Jul 12, 1915

Discharged from hospital

Jul 30, 1915

Admitted to the St. Martin’s Plain Tent Hospital for continuing treatment of his Gonorrhea infection

Aug 27, 1915

Discharged to duty from hospital

Sep 2, 1915

Posted to the Depot Company

Sep 14, 1915

The 21^st Battalion embarked for France however Private Gurnsey remained behind receiving outpatient treatment for his Gonorrhea infection

Sep 25, 1915

Transferred to the 39^th Reserve Battalion in West Sandling

Oct 7, 1915

Forfeited 1 day’s pay for being absent

Nov 5, 1915

Embarked the SS Metagama in Liverpool

Nov 14, 1915

Disembarked in Quebec City, Quebec

Nov 19, 1915

Medical Board in Quebec City notes

Ø  Man suffers from a Varicocele

Ø  Claims he first noticed it in December of 1914 when it became painful after marching

Ø  Board determines the condition is caused by his service

Ø  Man wears a suspensory bandage to relieve pain

Ø  Patient refuses surgery to correct the problem

Ø  Board recommends that he be discharged as Medically Unfit

Nov 21, 1915

Discharged from the CEF in Quebec City, Quebec

Ø  Rank on discharge Private

Ø  Entitled to War Service Badge Class “B”

Ø  No residence was given on discharge

On discharge proceeded to Kingston, Ontario where he was admitted to the Elmhurst Convalescent Home with a diagnosis that reads Rheumatism

Jan 13, 1916

Discharged from the convalescent home

Jan 25, 1916

Volunteered with the Princess of Wales’ Own Rifles with the number 3389

Feb 10, 1916

Transferred to and attested into the 59^th Battalion CEF in Gananoque, Ontario

Ø  Number 455904

Ø  Next of kin given as Mrs. Annie Gurnsey, wife, 185 Wellington St., Kingston, Ontario

Ø  Previous occupation given as Cook

Ø  Previous military experience given as 1 month in the 14^th Regiment PWOR, 3 years in the RCHA and 12 months in the 21^st Battalion CEF

Ø  Religion given as Methodist

The 59^th Battalion trained in the Kingston, Ontario area

Apr 1, 1916

Embarked the SS Olympic in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Apr 11, 1916

Disembarked in Liverpool, England and proceeded to the Bordon Camp

Jun 6, 1916

Transferred to the 18^th Battalion

Jun 8, 1916

Arrived at the CBD (Canadian Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France as part of a draft of 2757 reinforcements from England and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 18^th Battalion

Jun 11, 1916

After leaving the base depot, Private Gurnsey joined the 18^th Battalion resting in Dickebusch, Belgium as part of a draft of 40 reinforcements from the base depot

Feb 7, 1917

Admitted to the No. 5 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) with a diagnosis that reads PUO (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin), sometimes referred to as Trench Fever

Feb 28, 1917

Transferred to the No. 22 General Hospital in Camiers, France

Mar 9, 1917

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen

On arrival in England he was admitted to the Fort Pitt Military Hospital in Chatham and the diagnosis was changed to read DAH (Disordered Activity of the Heart)

Transferred to the WORD (Western Ontario Regimental Depot) for pay purposes while in hospital

Mar 24, 1917

Transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Woodcote Park, Epsom

Apr 4, 1917

Transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Bearwood Park, Wokingham

May 10, 1917

Transferred to the King’s Canadian Red Cross Hospital in Bushey Park

Jun 14, 1917

Discharged from hospital with sick leave and instructions to report to the Western Ontario Regimental Depot on completion of leave

Jun 21, 1917

Reported to the Western Ontario Regimental Depot in Bramshott

Jul 10, 1917

Attached to the 4^th Reserve Battalion in Bramshott

Jul 19, 1917

Appointed to the rank of Acting Lance Corporal with pay

Aug 6, 1917

Ceased to be attached and transferred to the 4^th Reserve Battalion

Oct 31, 1917

Posted to the Western Ontario Regimental Depot in Bramshott

Nov 8, 1917

Reduced to the rank of Private as punishment for being absent

Nov 11, 1917

Attached to the CDD (Canadian Discharge Depot) in Buxton pending return to Canada

Nov 17, 1917

Embarked the SS Saxonia in Liverpool

Nov 30, 1917

Disembarked in Halifax, Nova Scotia and proceeded to Quebec City, Quebec

Dec 14, 1917

Medical Board at Quebec City notes

Ø  Patient diagnosed with Disordered Activity of the Heart

Ø  Complains of having fainting spells and chest pain

Ø  Man is slightly Anemic

Ø  Disability determined to be 25% decreasing in 6 months

Feb 23, 1918

Transferred to the Military District #3 Military Police Detachment in Kingston

Nov 1, 1918

Transferred to the No. 3 Battalion Garrison Regiment in Kingston

Dec 3, 1918

Convicted of an unrecorded crime in Civil Court and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in a Kingston jail

Dec 12, 1918

The 6 month jail sentence was remitted by the Governor General and William Gurnsey was released from jail

Jan 6, 1919

Discharged from the CEF in Kingston, Ontario

Ø  Rank on discharge Corporal

Ø  Entitled to War Service Badge Class “A”

Ø  Proposed residence on discharge 21 Balaclava St., Kingston, Ontario

Following his discharge, the British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at the Kingston General Hospital

In October of 1919 William Gurnsey ran into trouble with the law again

Sep 22, 1939

William Albert Gurnsey died at his home, 6 Corrigan St., Kingston, Ontario of a Coronary Thrombosis and was buried in the Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston