|
May 18, 1870
|
Born in Baltimore, Ontario to Benjamin and Eliza
(nee Billings) Spicer
|
|
Nov 11, 1914
|
Attested into the 21st Battalion in Kingston, Ontario
Ø Number 59903 (temporary number 352)
Ø Next of kin given as Charles Spicer, brother, Garden Hill,
Ontario
Ø previous occupation given as Farmer
Ø no previous military experience given
Ø religion given as Church of England
Ø posted to “C” Company
o this was later reorganized into “B” Company
On attesting, he lied about his age, stating that he had been
born in 1874, not his actual birth year of 1870. It appears that he could not read or write
as he signed his attestation with an X and it is noted as “his X”.
The 21st Battalion trained in the Kingston, Ontario
area through the winter of 1914-15.
|
|
May 6, 1915
|
Embarked the RMS Metagama in Montreal, Quebec
|
|
May 15, 1915
|
Disembarked in Devonport, England and the battalion
proceeded to the West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, Kent to continue training
|
|
Sep 14, 1915
|
Embarked the St. Seiriol in Folkestone
|
|
Sep 15, 1915
|
Disembarked in Boulogne, France and the battalion
proceeded to St. Omer
|
|
Dec 20, 1915
|
While the battalion was in the front line trench
near Voormezeele, Belgium, Private Spicer was shot in the right leg below the
knee by a machine gun bullet. He was
evacuated to a field ambulance for first aid before being transported to a
casualty clearing station
|
|
Dec 24, 1915
|
Transferred to the No. 1 Canadian General
Hospital in Etaples, France
|
|
Dec 27, 1915
|
Invalided to England and was admitted to the High
Beach Annex Hospital in Westgate
Transferred to the 39th Reserve
Battalion for pay purposes while in hospital
|
|
Feb 15, 1916
|
Transferred to the CCAC (Canadian Casualty
Assembly Centre) for pay purposes while in hospital
|
|
Feb 21, 1916
|
Transferred to the Monks Horton Convalescent
Hospital in Hythe
|
|
May 9, 1916
|
Transferred to the Shorncliffe Military Hospital
|
|
May 30, 1916
|
Transferred to the Granville Canadian Special
Hospital in Ramsgate
|
|
Aug 10, 1916
|
Discharged from hospital and reported to the Canadian Casualty Assembly
Centre in Folkestone
|
|
Aug 12, 1916
|
Attached to the CDD (Canadian Discharge Depot) in
Bath pending return to Canada
|
|
Sep 5, 1916
|
Embarked the SS Olympic in Liverpool
|
|
Sep 11, 1916
|
Disembarked in Halifax, Nova Scotia and proceeded
to Quebec City, Quebec
|
|
Sep 15, 1916
|
Medical Board in Quebec City notes
Ø has weakness in right leg and
foot from bullet wound
Ø walks with a slight limp
Ø the examiner’s opinion was
that the patient was exaggerating his condition
Ø he was determined to be unfit
for further military service
|
|
Sep 19, 1916
|
Admitted to the Elmhurst Convalescent Hospital in
Kingston, Ontario
|
|
Oct 30, 1916
|
Medical exam notes
Ø man is overage
Ø suffers from pain in right
foot due to a slight flat foot
Ø his bullet wound has fully
healed and shows no disability
Ø man has no disability other
than age
|
|
Nov 14, 1916
|
Discharged from hospital and discharged from the
CEF in Kingston, Ontario
Following his discharge, the 1914-15 Star,
British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at Box 63, Cobourg,
Ontario
|
|
Jan 11, 1936
|
George Spicer died while a patient of the Cobourg
General Hospital of Broncho Pneumonia and was buried in the St. Peter’s
Cemetery, Cobourg, Ontario. His grave
lay unmarked until Peter Gower contacted the Last Post Fund and arranged for
a grave marker to be installed in 2008.
|
|