Maj WJ Sharp

William Jackson Small Sharp

Apr 26, 1886	Born at Dundee Scotland
Nov 5, 1914	Sworn into the 21^st Battalion at Kingston Ontario Ø Given rank of Lieutenant Ø Next of kin given as Mrs WJ (Jessie Kirk) Sharp (wife) of 274 Flora Street Ottawa Ontario o Later changed to 135 William Street, Kingston Ontario Ø Previous occupation given as Civil Servant Ø Previous military occupation given as 59^th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment Ø Religion given as Presbyterian Ø Assigned to “B” Company
Feb 12, 1915	Promoted to rank of Captain Granted leave until February 16, 1915
May 6, 1915	Embarked the RMS Metagama at Montreal Quebec
May 15, 1915	Disembarked at Devonport England and proceeded to West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, Kent
Sep 14, 1915	Embarked at Folkestone
Sep 15, 1915	Disembarked at Boulogne France
Nov 8, 1915	Proceeded on course at Bombing School
Nov 14, 1915	At duty from course
Nov 19, 1915	Admitted to No 5 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) then transferred to the Officer’s Rest Station at Mt Noir, with an anal abscess
Dec 2, 1915	Discharged to duty from Officer’s Rest Station, and sent to No 4 Stationary Hospital at Arques for eye exam for Astigmatism. Returned to duty.
Jan 24, 1916	Admitted to No 8 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) then transferred to No 1 British Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet with a gun shot wound to right hand
Jan 25, 1916	Transferred to Duchess of Westminster Hospital
Feb 5, 1916	Invalided aboard the Hospital Ship Brighton to England Admitted to Miss Pollocks Convalescent Hospital
Feb 26, 1916	Discharged from hospital and granted leave to Canada at own expense until April 25, 1916 Embarked the SS Sicilian
Apr 26, 1916	SOS (Struck Off Strength) the OMFC (Overseas Military Force of Canada) on being retained in Canada
Jun 10, 1917	To be employed in the Instructional Cadre of MD 3 at Kingston Ontario
Nov 4, 1917	Appointed as Casualty Officer for MD 3 at Kingston
May 17, 1918	Granted rank of Major while employed as Casualty Officer
Aug 4, 1918	Reported AWL (Absent Without Leave) from the Armouries at Kingston Transcriber’s Note: There is no mention of him being arrested but newspaper accounts reveal that he was arrested in New York City and returned to custody in Kingston to await Court Martial.
Mar 15, 1919	Letter in file signed by Major Sharp requesting that further medical treatment be discontinued. He states that he is willing to continue any treatment at home at his own expense and that he is fit to stand trial to face his charges and punishment.
Mar 18, 1919	Letter from the Medical Officer at Queen’s University Military Hospital states that Major Sharp is suffering from Chronic Parenchymatous Nephritis (kidney infection) and from Hepatic Cirrhosis (liver disease). He is also anemic. It goes on to say that although he is presently in fair condition, he needs strict supervision of diet and exposure, as the disease is progressive and “sooner or later will lead to a fatal termination”.
Mar 26, 1919	Found Guilty at Court Martial on charge of Desertion While on Active Service Sentenced to be cashiered (discharged from the military) and imprisonment for 1 year without hard labour.
	Medals Card in file indicates that the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal were “Forfeited”.

On the night of Aug 2, 1918, his story took a bizzare turn. His uniform was found on the shore of Lake Ontario in downtown Kingston, near the train station, and it first appeared that he was a drowning victim. The newspaper clippings on the pages listed below pick up the story.

Aug 8, 1918

Aug 9, 1918

Kingston Daily British Whig
August 10, 1918

In Effort to Locate Body of Major W. J. S. Sharp

The Authorities Trying to ‘ascertain if the Missing Casualties Officer has Really Been Drowned.

Lieut. Askwith said “We are doing our best to ascertain whether or not Major Sharp’s body is in the water an we have made a thorough search in the water for a considerable distance around the spot where the clothing was found.”

The military police are rendering assistance in the solution of the mystery and a special agent is also employed. The work will be carried on unremittingly and every clue will be traced in an effort to account for Major Sharp’s disappearance.

Major W.J. S. Sharp was a native of Dundee Scotland. For five years before he enlisted to go overseas with the 21^st Battalion, he was employed in the Timber and Grazing Branch of the Department of Interior, Ottawa. He was born April 26^th 1886 and came to Canada about 10 years ago.

Kingston Daily British Whig
August 12, 1918

Has Identified Towel Found
Mrs. W. J. S. Sharp Says that it is Her Property

His Discharge Button Found at His Home

Dominion Police Detective Making Enquiries --- Military Enquiry Merely as to Major Sharp’s Absence.

What Mrs. Sharp Says

Mrs. Sharpe states that the towel found near the spot with the clothing is her property. When asked her views respecting the disappearance, she stated that she believed her husband was drowned while bathing, but she is unable to account for him going to bathe at the point indicated. When he left home on Friday evening he said he was going to the office to work and did not take a towel with him from the house. Yet this towel is her own and is quite different from the towels used in the offices at the armouries. She is positive on this pint because she hemmed it herself. She had heard him say that he missed the opportunities for bathing he enjoyed when on duty at the camp.

Regarding the possibility of foul play, she had heard his orderly hint at it. He thought some discharged soldier might have harbored resentment over his discharge and brooded over it till he found an opportunity to take revenge. The idea of desertion is repugnant to her and is not at all acceptable. To her knowledge he had formed no intimacies. She is strongly of the opinion that he is dead and had considered communicating with the family lawyer about a settlement of the estate, but had been to upset to do so. She was the beneficiary in two life insurance policies. Sharp’s civilian clothing is all at home.

There is a growing opinion that there was a row, that Major Sharp received fatal injury, that his body was disposed, of and that a plan was conceived of.

Kingston Daily British Whig
August 14, 1918

The Sharp Case.

Detective Carroll, of the Dominion Police, has left the city again and his subordinates are still working on the Major Sharp case. A search has been made of some buildings in the vicinity where the clothes were left, but nothing was found beyond a couple of bottles of whiskey which some bootlegger had apparently left there. These were promptly broken on the rocks nearby by the police.

Aug 14, 1918

Aug 31, 1918

Dec 19, 1918

Apr 17, 1919

Apr 30, 1919

Apr 18, 1919

The following information is reproduced with the permission of Victor Streckfuss who lives in Australia and related to William Sharp's new family

Dec 3, 1921	Following his sentence, his wife, Jessie Kirk Smart, filed for divorce and it became finalized on this date per the Quebec Gazette
May 24, 1923	Embarked in London, England with a proposed destination of Freemantle, Western Australia. His previous address was given as Westview Handlegh, United Kingdom. Sometime after his arrival in Australia, he married Zellah Kathleen McPherson
Jun 4, 1940	Attested into the Australian Military Forces Headquarters S.C. Signals, in South Melbourne, Australia Ø Number V84522 with the rank of Private Ø Next of kin given as Catherine (Kathleen) Sharp, wife, 9 Charlotte Pl., St. Kilda, Australia Ø Previous occupation given as Salesman Ø Previous military service given as 4 years with the 21^st Battalion CEF o His actual service with the 21^st Battalion was only 1 year, 3 months. However he did go on to serve in Canada as shown above for another 2 ½ years with Military District #3 before deserting Ø Religion given as Presbyterian His medical category was recorded as Class II because of his age and slight vision defect.
Jun 5, 1940	TOS (Taken On Strength) 8^th Communication Signals, Melbourne, and appointed as Operator Signals Specialist, Group II
Jun 9, 1940	Detached to Balcombe for duty
Jul 5, 1940	Promoted to rank of Lance Corporal
Jul 19, 1940	Promoted to the rank of Corporal
Aug 10, 1940	Transferred to the Area Signals detachment at Melbourne and detached to the 4^th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Balcombe and promoted to the rank of Sergeant
Aug 13, 1940	Returned to Area Signals and then detached to Signals S/Com (SC Sigs)
Aug 30, 1940	To draw subsistence allowance
Sep 2, 1940	Rejoined Area Signals from Signals S/Com
Sep 7, 1940	Detached to SC Sigs for duty
Sep 14, 1940	Rejoined Area Signals from Signals S/Com
Dec 6, 1940	Promoted to rank of Staff Sergeant
Mar 24, 1941	Granted 6 days leave
May 22, 1941	Ceased drawing subsistence allowance
Jun 2, 1941	To draw subsistence allowance
Jun 9, 1941	Granted 12 days leave
Jul 11, 1941	Appointed to the temporary rank of Warrant Officer Class II
Aug 29, 1941	Ceased drawing subsistence allowance
Apr 13, 1942	Reverted to the rank of Sergeant at his own request
Apr 20, 1942	Detached for duty
Apr 25, 1942	Rejoined Area Signals from being detached
Apr 28, 1942	Address for his wife was changed to read 11 Ocean St., Hampton
May 4, 1942	Detached for duty
May 7, 1942	Rejoined Area Signals from being detached
1942	The Electoral Roll shows his address as Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
Feb 3, 1943	Medical Classification changed to “D” with a diagnosis of Chronic Nephritis (kidney disease) and Hyperpiesis (high blood pressure)
Feb 12, 1943	Transferred to the GDD (General Details Depot) pending discharge
Mar 8, 1943	Discharged from the Australian Forces as Medically Unfit
1949	The Electoral Roll shows his address as Richmond, Victoria, Australia
Aug 13, 1950	The Truth newspaper from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia dated August 13, 1950 indicates that he was in court for tax evation
1954	The Electoral Roll shows his address as Prahran, Victoria, Australia
Apr 11, 1955	William Jackson Small Sharp died just short of his 69th birthday
Apr 14, 1955	A burial service was held in the Springvale Cemetery, Victoria, Australia and his cremated ashes were scattered there.