Joseph Edward Laplante

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 21^st 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 39^th 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 1^st 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 39^th 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 21^st Battalion
Sep 11, 1916	Arrived at CBD (Canadian Base Depot) at Havre France and TOS the 21^st Battalion
Oct 1, 1916	Left CBD for the 2^nd Entrenching Battalion
Oct 4, 1916	Joined the 2^nd Entrenching Battalion
Oct 6, 1916	Joined the 21^st Battalion in the field The Battalion had just been relieved by the 1^st Canadian Battalion and proceeded to the Transport lines in the Brickfields at Albert
Dec 18, 1916	Attached to 4^th Field Company, Canadian Engineers for duty
Jan 17, 1917	Ceased to be attached and returned to the 21^st 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 4^th 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 1^st 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 6^th 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.