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Aug 20, 1897
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Born at Belfast
Ireland to Robert and Eliza (nee McCutchen) Russell
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Oct 25, 1914
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Attested into
the 21st Battalion at Kingston Ontario
Ø Number 59859 (temporary number 223)
Ø Next of kin given as Mrs Elizabeth Russell (mother) of Belfast Ireland
o This was later changed to Miss Sarah Russell (sister) of RR#4
Warkworth Ontario
Ø Previous occupation given as On Farm
Ø Previous military experience given as 4 months in PWOR (Princess of
Wales’ Own Regiment) at Kingston
Ø Religion given as Wesleyan
Ø Assigned to “B” Company
o This was later reorganized into “A” Company
o Later he was assigned to the Machine Gun Section
Robert lied about his age on attesting, stating that he had been born
a year earlier as he was too young to enlist
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May 6, 1915
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Embarked the RMS
Metagama at Montreal Quebec
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May 15, 1915
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Disembarked at
Devonport England and proceeded to the West Sandling Camp, near Hythe Kent
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May 28, 1915
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Admitted to the
Moore Barracks Canadian Military Hospital at Shorncliffe diagnosed with Influenza
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Jun 28, 1915
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Transferred to
Monks Horton Hospital at Kent and diagnosis changed to read Pleurisy
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Jul 25, 1915
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Discharged to
duty from hospital
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Sep 1, 1915
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Reported to be
AWL (Absent Without Leave)
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Sep 3, 1915
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Reported for
duty from being AWL
Forfeits 3
days pay and sentenced to 20 days Detention
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Sep 8, 1915
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Granted 10 days
remission of his 20 day Detention sentence
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Sep 14, 1915
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Embarked the St
Seiriol at Folkestone
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Sep 15, 1915
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Disembarked at
Boulogne France and proceeded to St Omer
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Apr 25,
1916 A letter written home to his mother
On
Active Service
Somewhere
in Belgium
April
25, 1916
Dear Mother
Just a few lines to you to let you know I
am still in the land of the living and am lucky to be in it to. We have had a hard time Mother over here but I am
in the best of health only for my nerves are a little shaken. I hope this finds you all in the best of health. I am in the trenches now and expect to get a rest
soon. I am hungry now Mother. Have had nothing to eat for 24 hours. We can only get out at dark so the German snipers
can’t get us. It has been raining for
the last few days here. Well Mother I
haven’t much to say so I guess I will close hoping to hear from you soon.
From your loving Son
Robert
59859
R Russell
Machine Gun Section
21 Batt Canadians BEF
(undecipherable)
London England
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Aug 10, 1916
A letter written home to his mother
On
Active Service
Aug
10th, 1916
Dear Mother
Just a few lines to you to let you know I
am alive and well yet. I guess you were
wondering why I have not wrote to you before now. I
had a letter wrote to you three weeks ago and did not get it away. I am in the best of health and hope this finds you
all the same. Well Mother the war is going
on fine, the allies are doing fine in the drive on this front. The Germans are getting badly beaten and I
don’t think the war will last any longer than Christmas and hope not. We will soon be out here a year now and we
don’t care how soon it is over. I had a
letter from Sarah and she is getting along fine. Well
Mother ten more days and it will be my birthday and I will have to spend it here hoping
not to spend another one here. Well mother
there is no news here much so I guess I will close hoping to hear from you soon. Best regards to all. I will try and write soon again.
From your loving son
Robert
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Oct 25, 1916
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Awarded the Good
Conduct Badge
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Nov 25, 1916
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Granted 10 days
leave
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Dec 8, 1916
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At duty from
leave
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Mar 15, 1917
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Admitted to No 2
CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) diagnosis reads Influenza
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Mar 16, 1917
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Transferred to
No 6 CFA and diagnosis changed to read PUO (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin) which is a fever of
unknown cause
On the same
day was transferred to the CCRS (Canadian Corps Rest Station)
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Mar 22, 1917
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Transferred to
No 13 CFA
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Mar 27, 1917
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Transferred via
No 18 AT (Ambulance Train)
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Mar 28, 1917
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Admitted to No
26 General Hospital at Etaples
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Apr 6, 1917
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Transferred to
No 6 Convalescent Hospital at Etaples
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Apr 7, 1917
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Transferred to
No 5 Convalescent Depot at Cayeux
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Apr 30, 1917
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Discharged to
the CBD (Canadian Base Depot) at Havre
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May 14, 1917
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Rejoined the 21st
Battalion from hospital
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Jun 30, 1917
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Appointed to
rank of Acting Lance Cpl without pay
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Aug 18, 1917
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Promoted to rank
of Cpl to replace Cpl Glover 636120 who had been
appointed to rank of L/Sgt
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Nov 26, 1917
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Granted 14 days
leave
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Dec 13, 1917
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Rejoined the
Battalion from leave
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Jun 20, 1918 Killed
in Action
Bellacourt Military Cemetery
Riviere France
Above is from the 21st Battalion War Diary
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Oct 13, 1920
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1914-15 Star,
British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to his sister, Miss Sarah Russell at
Campbellford Ontario
The Death
Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny), Scroll and Memorial Cross were sent to his mother (now
remarried) Mrs Chambers, Tillysburn Strandtown, Co Doron, Ireland
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