Joseph Edward Laplante

 

Feb 20, 1887

Born at Pembroke Ontario 

His name on the registration of his birth reads Joseph Aldeman Leplante

 

Nov 9, 1914

Attested into the 21st Battalion at Kingston Ontario 

Ø      Number 59566 (temporary number 887)

Ø      Next of kin given as Minnie Laplante (mother) of Pembroke Ontario

o       This was later changed to Edith May Laplante (wife)

Ø      Previous occupation given as clerk

Ø      No previous military experience given

Ø      Religion given as Roman Catholic

Ø      Assigned to “H” Company

o       This was later reorganized into “D” Company

 

May 6, 1915

Embarked the RMS Metagama at Montreal Quebec

  

 

May 15, 1915

Disembarked at Devonport England and proceeded to the 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

 

Nov 17, 1915

Admitted to No 8 Stationary Hospital with Trench Feet

 

Nov 18, 1915

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship St Denis

  

 

Nov 19, 1915

Admitted to Duchess of Connaught Convalescent Hospital at Taplow with Trench Feet 

Transferred to the 39th Reserve Battalion while in hospital

 

Jan 8, 1916

Transferred to Hillingdon House Convalescent Hospital at Uxbridge

 

Feb 12, 1916

Transferred to Granville Canadian Hospital at Ramsgate

 

Feb 15, 1916

TOS (Taken On Strength) CCAC (Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre) at Bath while in hospital

 

Jun 6, 1916

Discharged from hospital and reported to CCAC at Folkestone

 

Jun 7, 1916

Attached to the 1st CCD (Canadian Convalescent Depot) at Monks Horton for 4 weeks PT (Physical Training)

 

Jun 10, 1916

Granted leave until midnight, June 18, 1916

 

Jul 11, 1916

Ceases to be attached and transferred to the 39th Reserve Battalion at West Sandling Camp for duty

 

Aug 17, 1916

Appointed to rank of Lance Cpl to replace L/Cpl AW May, 59674, who had proceeded to England for a Commission

 

Sep 10, 1916

Transferred to the 21st Battalion

 

Sep 11, 1916

Arrived at CBD (Canadian Base Depot) at Havre France and TOS the 21st Battalion

 

Oct 1, 1916

Left CBD for the 2nd Entrenching Battalion

 

Oct 4, 1916

Joined the 2nd Entrenching Battalion

 

Oct 6, 1916

Joined the 21st Battalion in the field 

The Battalion had just been relieved by the 1st Canadian Battalion and proceeded to the Transport lines in the Brickfields at Albert

 

Dec 18, 1916

Attached to 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers for duty

 

Jan 17, 1917

Ceased to be attached and returned to the 21st Battalion

 

Feb 24, 1917

Appointed to rank of Acting Cpl with pay to replace Cpl Walsh, 60024, who proceeded to Corps HQ for employment

 

May 9, 1917

Appointed to rank of Lance Sgt to replace L/Sgt PF Pirie, 59802, who had been promoted

 

May 24, 1917

Appointed to rank of Acting Sgt with pay to replace Sgt Wallace, 60023, who had proceeded to 4th Bde HQ for employment

 

Sep 29, 1917

Admitted to No 58 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) diagnosed with PUO (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin) which is a fever of unknown cause

 

Sep 30, 1917

Transferred to No 57 General Hospital at Boulogne and diagnosis changed to read Trench Fever

 

Oct 7, 1917

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen

  

Posted to the EORD (Eastern Ontario Regimental Depot) while in hospital 

Reverts to rank of L/Sgt on evacuation to England

 

Oct 9, 1917

Admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital at Birmingham and diagnosis changed to read Myalgia

 

Oct 23, 1917

Transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Woodcote Park

 

Nov 23, 1917

Granted permission to marry

 

Jan 1, 1918

Pay assignment made out to wife, Mrs Edith May Laplante (wife) of 87 Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, London England 

No date is shown for the actual wedding.  However, note the marriage dated April 25, 1918, at Pembroke Ontario

 

Mar 16, 1918

Placed On Command to the 6th Reserve Battalion at Seaford

 

Mar 21, 1918

On Command to CDD (Canadian Discharge Depot) at Buxton pending return to Canada

 

Apr 8, 1918

Embarked for SS Mauretania at Liverpool

  

His wife is listed on the ship’s manifest as returning with him

 

Apr 15, 1918

Disembarked at Halifax Nova Scotia and proceeded to Kingston Ontario

 

Apr 25, 1918

Married in the Bishop’s Chapel of St Columba’s Cathedral, Pembroke Ontario, to Miss Edith May Gill.

 

  

Her religion is recorded as Church of England on the ship’s manifest.  It is possible that they were initially married in an Anglican Church in England, and to satisfy the Catholic Church, they were required to be remarried by a Catholic Priest

 

May 28, 1918

Transferred to No 3 AMC (Army Medical Corps) Training Depot at Kingston

 

Jun 15, 1918

Transferred to the CAMC at the Petawawa Camp

 

Apr 22, 1919

TOS District Depot No 3 and posted to the Casualty Company at Fort Henry, Kingston Ontario

 

May 22, 1919

Transferred to the strength of Queen’s Military Hospital at Kingston

 

Dec 31, 1919

Discharged from the CEF at Kingston Ontario as Medically Unfit 

Rank on discharge – Sgt 

Proposed residence on discharge – Kingston Ontario

 

Aug 10, 1921

British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914-15 Star sent to Kingston Ontario

 

Above photos of medals reproduced with permission of current owner (2011)

 

Nov 28, 1939 Killed near St Anne Manitoba



Buried at St Mary's Cemetery, Winnipeg Manitoba,  along with his mother

 

 


Upon further investigation, another theory was presented the following day



The article goes on to say that he was killed by a stray bullet and that the hunter who fired the bullet most likely did not know that he had struck and killed someone.  Below is an excerpt from the Coroner's report

The Coroner's report also notes that he had been living in Manitoba for the past 19 years and that he was married to Edith May (nee Gill) Laplante living at 91 Matheson Ave, Winnipeg.  His occupation is listed being a Stationary Engineer employed at the Fort Gary Hotel, Winnipeg.  His son, George Edward Laplante, supplied the family information for the report

I want to thank Jim Busby for doing the research into Joseph Laplante's untimely death, and for tracking down his burial location and roaming the cemetery with wet snow falling to take the headstone photos.


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