|
Jan 17, 1889
|
Born in Picton, Ontario to
Charles and Emma (nee Gillespie) Widdifield
Charles Russell Widdifield
graduated from the Osgoode Hall Law School in 1914
|
|
Jun 7, 1915
|
Qualified for the rank of
Lieutenant in Lindsay, Ontario with the 57th Regiment,
Peterborough Rangers
|
|
Sep 2, 1915
|
Transferred to the 59th
Battalion in Kingston
|
|
Sep 17, 1915
|
Transferred to the 80th
Battalion in Kingston
|
|
Oct 22, 1915
|
Officer’s Declaration on enlistment into the 80th
Battalion CEF in Barriefield, Ontario
Ø Rank Lieutenant
Ø Next of kin given as Marion Widdifield, wife,
Peterborough, Ontario
Ø Previous occupation given as Barrister
Ø Previous military experience given as 57th
Regiment in Peterborough, Ontario
Ø Religion given as Episcopalian
|
|
Nov 1, 1915
|
Transferred to the 93rd
Battalion CEF in Peterborough, Ontario
|
|
Dec 24, 1915
|
Married to Maron Denne in
Peterborough, Ontario
|
|
Jan 14, 1916
|
Promoted to the rank of Captain
|
|
Mar 4, 1916
|
Qualified for the rank of
Captain at the School of Infantry in Kingston, Ontario
|
|
Mar 16, 1916
|
Qualified for the rank of
Field Officer at the School of Infantry in Kingston, Ontario
|
|
Apr 1, 1916
|
Granted leave until April 4,
1916
|
|
May 29, 1916
|
The battalion boarded a train
and proceeded to Kingston, Ontario to continue training at the Barriefield
Camp
|
|
Jul 15, 1916
|
Embarked the Empress of
Britain in Halifax, Nova Scotia
|
|
Jul 25, 1916
|
Disembarked in Liverpool,
England and proceeded to the Otterpool Camp
|
|
Sep 20, 1916
|
Posted to the General List of
Officers and attached to the 93rd Battalion
|
|
Oct 6, 1916
|
The 93rd Battalion
was absorbed by the 39th Reserve Battalion
|
|
Nov 27, 1916
|
Admitted to the Helena Military
Hospital in Shorncliffe with a diagnosis that reads Influenza
|
|
Dec 8, 1916
|
Transferred to the West Cliff
Eye and Ear Hospital in Folkestone and the diagnosis was changed to read
Indocyclitis, an eye infection
|
|
Dec 28, 1916
|
Discharged from hospital and granted
sick leave until January 28, 1917
|
|
Jan 4, 1917
|
Attached to the newly formed 6th
Reserve Battalion in East Sandling
|
|
Jan 31, 1917
|
Transferred to the 6th
Reserve Battalion
|
|
Mar 2, 1917
|
The 6th Reserve
Battalion moved to Seaford to train reinforcements for the front
|
|
Apr 27, 1917
|
Reverted to the rank of
Lieutenant and transferred to the 21st Battalion
|
|
May 1, 1917
|
Arrived at the CBD (Canadian
Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France and Taken On Strength of the
21st Battalion
After leaving the base depot,
he joined the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion
|
|
Jun 8, 1917
|
After leaving the entrenching
Battalion, Lieutenant Widdifield joined the 21st Battalion in
Coupigny, France and was posted to “B” Company
|
|
Aug 18, 1917
|
During a German counter attack
on the battalion at Hill 70 near Lens, France, Lieutenant Widdifield received
multiple shrapnel wounds to his legs, hands and feet. He was evacuated to a field ambulance for
first aid before being transported to a casualty clearing station
|
|
Aug 19, 1917
|
Transferred to the No. 20
General Hospital in Camiers, France
|
|
Aug 21, 1917
|
Invalided to England aboard
the Hospital Ship Princess Elizabeth
On arrival in England, he was
admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester
Transferred to the EORD
(Eastern Ontario Regimental Depot) for pay purposes while in hospital
|
|
Sep 3, 1917
|
Discharged from hospital and granted
30 days leave
|
|
Oct 5, 1917
|
Transferred to the 6th
Reserve Battalion in Seaford on completion of leave
|
|
Aug 27, 1918
|
Admitted to the No. 13 General
Hospital in Hastings for treatment of his wounds. Surgery was performed to remove a small
piece of shrapnel from his left heel, but it could not be located
|
|
Sep 25, 1918
|
Transferred to the Eastern
Ontario Regimental Depot for pay purposes while in hospital
|
|
Oct 2, 1918
|
Discharged from hospital
|
|
Oct 4, 1918
|
Discharged from hospital and
attached to the Headquarters OMFC (Overseas Military Force of Canada) pending
return to Canada on Special Compassionate Leave
|
|
Oct 5, 1918
|
Embarked the SS Minnekahda in
Liverpool
|
|
Oct 19, 1918
|
Disembarked in New York City,
New York, USA and proceeded to Kingston, Ontario where he was Taken on
Strength of Military District No. 3 Casualty Company and granted leave
|
|
Nov 11, 1918
|
Discharged from the CEF in
Kingston, Ontario
Ø Rank on discharge
Ø Entitled to War
Service Badge Class “A”
Ø Proposed residence
on discharge not given
His discharge was originally
dated December 20, 1918, but later corrected to November 11, 1918
Following his discharge, the
British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at Peterborough,
Ontario
|
|
Oct 29, 1961
|
Charles Russell Widdifield
died while a patient of the Prince Edward County Hospital in Picton, Ontario
and was buried in the Glenwood Cemetery in Picton
|
|
