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Oct 20, 1889
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Born in Guernsey,
Channel Islands, England
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Mar 6, 1916
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Attested into the
168th Battalion CEF in Tavistock, Ontario
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Number 675719
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Next of kin given
as Mrs. Joseph Le Ruez, wife, Tavistock, Ontario
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Previous
occupation given as Farmer
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Previous military
experience given as 3 years in the Royal Guernsey Militia, England
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Religion given as
Church of England
The battalion
initially trained in Camp Francis, near London, Ontario before moving
to Camp Borden to continue training
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Oct 1, 1916
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Shown on the
payroll with the rank of Corporal
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Oct 30, 1916
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Embarked the SS
Lapland in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Nov 10, 1916
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Reduced to the
rank of Lance Corporal
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Nov 11, 1916
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Disembarked in
Liverpool, England and the battalion proceeded to the West Sandling
Camp, near Hythe, to continue training
Rank changed to read Acting Lance Corporal
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Dec 5, 1916
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Transferred to the
39th Reserve Battalion in West Sandling to
continue his training
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Jan 4, 1917
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Transferred to the
newly formed 6th Reserve Battalion in West
Sandling. Shortly
after the formation of the battalion, it was moved to Seaford to train
troops for the front
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Dec 6, 1917
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Reverted to the
rank of Private at his own request in order to proceed to a fighting
battalion in France
Transferred to the 21st Battalion
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Dec 7, 1917
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Arrived at the No.
2 CIBD (Canadian Infantry Base Depot) in Etaples, France as part of a
draft of 21 reinforcements from England and TOS (Taken On Strength) the
21st Battalion
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Dec 11, 1917
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After leaving the
base depot, Private Le Ruez joined the CC Rein C (Canadian Corps
Reinforcement Camp) in Calonne Ricouart
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Dec 14, 1917
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After leaving the
reinforcement camp he joined the 21st Battalion
in the front lines west of Neuville St. Vaast and was assigned to
“B” Company
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Feb 20, 1918
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While the
battalion was in billets in the Alberta Camp in Carency, France Private
Le Ruez was sent out on a work party and received a slight wound. He was admitted to the
nearby No. 7 Field Ambulance for treatment
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Feb 25, 1918
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Discharged to duty
from the field ambulance and rejoined the battalion
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Mar 17, 1918
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Appointed to the
rank of Acting Lance Corporal with pay to replace L/Cpl Ament 675617 who had
been wounded and invalided to England
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May 6, 1918
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Appointed to the
rank of Acting Corporal with pay to replace A/Cpl Gill 210371 who had
been admitted to hospital
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Jul 24, 1918
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Promoted to the
rank of Corporal to replace Cpl Gill who had been invalided to England
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Aug 28, 1918
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During the 21st
Battalion’s advance on the Sensee River, south east of
Vis-en-Artois, Cpl Le Ruez received wounds to both his legs and right
arm. He was given
first aid at the nearby field ambulance then transported to the
casualty clearing station for further treatment
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Aug 31, 1918
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Transferred to the
2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital in Abbeville,
France with a shrapnel wound to his right leg that caused a compound
fracture. His right
arm and left leg were severely infected and septic
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Sep 2, 1918
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Invalided to
England aboard the Hospital Ship St. David
On arrival in
England he was admitted to the Whipps Cross War Hospital, Leytonstone
Posted to the EORD
(Eastern Ontario Regimental Depot) for pay purposes while in hospital
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Sep 6, 1918
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Corporal Le
Ruez’s right leg was amputated above the knee in an effort to
reduce infection
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Sep 13, 1918
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Corporal Joseph Le
Ruez died at 4.30 pm while in the Whipps Cross War Hospital,
Leytonstone and was buried in the nearby Brookwood Military Cemetery,
Surrey, England
Following the war
the British War Medal, Victory Medal, Plaque (Dead Man’s
Penny), Scroll and Memorial Cross were sent to his widow, Mrs. F.
Smith, 23 Hawthorne Ave., Hamilton, Ontario (she had remarried)
A second Memorial
Cross was sent to his mother, Mrs. J. Le Ruez, Waterdown, Ontario
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Dec 6, 1919
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His widow,
Florence, remarried in Hamilton, Ontario to Samuel John Smith
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