Jun 12, 1896

Born in Stormont County, Ontario to Stephen and Annie (nee Hart) Tyo

Jul 15, 1915

His brother Arthur Tyo attested into the 59^th Battalion in Cornwall

Dec 21, 1915

His brother Leonard George Tyo attested into the 154^th Battalion in Cornwall

Dec 22, 1915

His brother Edward Francis Tyo attested into the 154^th Battalion in Cornwall

Jan 11, 1916

James Henry Tyo married Bertha Bernadette Montpetit in Cornwall, Ontario

Mar 6, 1916

His brother William Frank Tyo attested into the 154^th Battalion in Cornwall

Mar 20, 1916

His brother Peter Alexander Tyo attested into the 154^th Battalion in Martintown, Ontario

Mar 29, 1916

James Henry Tyo attested into the 154^th Battalion CEF in Cornwall, Ontario

Ø  Number 633937

Ø  Next of kin given as Mrs. James Tyo, wife, Cornwall, Ontario

Ø  Previous occupation given as Labourer

Ø  Previous occupation given as 14 months in the 59^th Regiment, Canadian Militia

Ø  Religion given as Roman Catholic

 
The battalion trained in the Barriefield Camp, Kingston, Ontario

Oct 25, 1916

Embarked the SS Mauretania in Halifax, Nova Scotia

 
Also onboard were battalion members Edward, Frank, Leonard and Peter Tyo

Oct 31, 1916

Disembarked in Liverpool, England and the battalion proceeded to Bramshott to continue training

 
In early 1917 Privates Leonard and James Tyo were transferred to the 6^th Reserve Battalion in Seaford to continue training

Jan 29, 1917

John Benjamin Tyo attested into the 253^rd Battalion in Kingston

Apr 17, 1917

Leonard and James Tyo were both transferred to the 21^st Battalion

Apr 18, 1917

Privates Leonard and James Tyo arrived at the CBD (Canadian Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21^st Battalion

 
After a short stay at the base depot, the Tyo brothers joined the 21^st Battalion at the front

Aug 15, 1917

The 21^st Battalion participated in the attack on, and capture of Hill 70, near Lens, France.  The fighting was fierce, and at times involved hand to hand combat with bayonets.  Private James Henry Tyo was killed on the first day of the battle and was buried in a mass grave near the jumping off point.  In 1924 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission exhumed Private Tyo and 5 others from that mass grave and reburied them in the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France.  It was an effort to recover the battlefield burials and concentrate them into proper cemeteries.  Initially the other 5 were unidentified, however in 1992 Norm Christie identified one of those 5,  Captain GD Mowat, who is buried next to Private Tyo.  The remaining 4 are still identified as “Unknown Canadian Soldiers”.

Following the war, the British War Medal, Victory Medal, Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny), Scroll and Memorial Cross were sent to the Tyo family

Aug 17, 1917

Arthur Tyo was killed in action while serving with the 24^th Battalion and was buried in the Bruay Communal Cemetery extension, Bruay, France

Oct 10, 1917

Leonard Tyo became ill and was invalided to hospital in England aboard the Hospital Ship Princess Elizabeth for treatment

Following his recovery, Leonard Tyo was returned to Canada for discharge

Aug 26, 1918

Frank Tyo was killed in action while serving with the Princess Patricia Light Infantry and was buried in the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Vis-en-Artois, France

Dec 17, 1958

Leonard Tyo died suddenly in Cornwall, Ontario

The Tyo family members that were lost during World War 1
are honoured on the War Memorial in Cornwall, Ontario

On November 7, 2012 the Seaway News in Cornwall, Ontario published
a story about the sacrifice of the Tyo family.  This photo appeared with the story