February 6, 2021 · Harry Purdy( retired CD MWO RCEME). Served in CFB Lahr ( third tour NATO). The 70/ 80 era: where became known for his contributing volunteer work for the Canadian Forces Network ( CFN). On retirement of The Military; he became a full time radio broadcaster; with CFN. Having the opportunity to represent the Canadian Forces abroad. He did the radio shows such as Country Sunup; the Western Express.
He interviewed so many Artists such as: Dolly Parton; Johnny Cash; Dick Dameron( too many to mention). After Lahr closed in 1994: he came back to Canada( Carleton Place : Ont). He passed at Almonte Gen Hospital; Ont: on the 1 Feb 2020.But never forgotten.he did the circle of life. He passed it on; so I could carry on. As: a Third Generation Soldier: I pass it on to the next generation. Rip. Dad.Respect and gratitude! ( too many to mention).
I was just about to add this to our Carleton Place Military page ” Photos of Those we Remember” on Facebook but decided it needed to be documented and then I will post it..-Linda S
This is my mother and father at their rental house behind the museum in Carleton Place. I am not sure of the year. Their names were Francis and Isobel (Warren)Robertson. All photos from Gail McDowell- thank you!
In 1908 my grandfather was the main salesperson for mount forest company here in mount forest ontario.He was a long time resident of Carleton Place.his name was W.J.Warren.
My uncle was killed in action and i have photos of him. His name was James (Jim) Warren from Carleton Place.
Son of William James Warren and Isobel Snedden (nee Cochrane) Warren of Carleton Place, Ontario; husband of Ordelia Giles (nee West) Warren of Ottawa, Ontario. Brother of Isobel, Jack and William, predeceased brother David. On Wednesday, September 17, 1941, Miss Hilda Cram’s class held a remembrance service in Memorial Park in Carleton Place, Ontario. All of the pupils placed flowers at the base of the cenotaph’s single shaft. Prayers were said and the oath of remembrance prayer was recited. Leonard Baird sounded ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’ on the trumpet. The class was the students taught by Jimmy Warren before his enlistment for overseas service. The Town of Carleton Place remembered Sergeant Warren by naming a street in his honour.
Commemorated on Page 47 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page.
Ordelia Giles West Early 1950s —Renfrew, Ontario, Canada- Wife
Ordelia Giles West lived in Carleton Place, Ontario, in April 1941. Ordelia Giles West married James Snedden Warren in Ottawa, Ontario, on March 18, 1941, when she was 24 years old. Her husband James Snedden passed away on June 17, 1941, in Devon, England, at the age of 28. They had been married 3 months.
This was my grandmother,also a CP resident Isobel Robertson
When Isobel Cochrane Snedden was born on August 4, 1883, in Lanark, Ontario, her father, David, was 28, and her mother, Ellen, was 25. She married William James Warren on August 16, 1911, in her hometown. They had five children during their marriage. She died in 1983 in Ontario at the age of 100, and was buried in Almonte, Ontario. Her son James Snedden passed away on June 17, 1941, in Devon, England, at the age of 28. (see above)
If you’ve ever wondered what War really looks in the faces of the men and women fighting it, meet my 3rd Cousin Robert Andrew Augustine Kane, he shipped out June 1st 1915, he was killed in action December 12, 1915 after 194 days in hell. This is how 6 months 11 days of war ages the face of a 26 year old kid. (Photo 1) Roberts death was officially classified as “Wastage” by the Government of Canada because he wasn’t Frontline KIA, he was shot in the chest by the enemy while digging trenches for the front lines.
Hi Linda, I’m sending a pic of Pt Norman Turner, from Almonte who had emigrated from England with his family in 1912.
He was brother of Edna Fraser who with her husband, Gordon, ran Fraser’s Snack Bar. (see Community Comments — Memories of 46 Queen Street.) Norman enlisted at Montreal with his best friend, Leslie Owrid was also from Almonte. Norman was shot and Les killed during the horrendous gas raid March 1917.
Les’ name is on the Vimy Memorial. Norman was shipped from the field hospital to Aldershot, then sent to Kingston War Hospital where he met and married his nurse.
I have a letter also that was sent from Norman after he was shot, from the field hospital. Edna, his sister, was my grandmother. Another soldier had to rewrite it for him because it was near illegible, writing with his wrong hand. He was shot from behind, went through his arm, which severed the main nerve so he lost the use of his arm permanently.
The Turners emigrated from Yorkshire, England a month before the Titanic sank. Edna was chosen to recite the Sinking of the Titanic to a packed Almonte Town Hall. If you’re interested, I can send you a copy of the letter. It describes in-depth the the day, much like the chapter in Pierre Burton’s book. Thanks very much for posting the pics tomorrow. Norman never got over losing Les. He died at 45 in Kingston from malnutrition.
Canada’s most impressive tribute overseas to those Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the First World War is the majestic and inspiring Vimy Memorial, which overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge, about eight kilometres northeast of Arras on the N17 towards Lens. The Memorial is signposted from this road to the left, just before you enter the village of Vimy from the south. The memorial itself is someway inside the memorial park, but again it is well signposted. At the base of the memorial, these words appear in French and in English:TO THE VALOUR OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN IN THE GREAT WAR AND IN MEMORY OF THEIR SIXTY THOUSAND DEAD THIS MONUMENT IS RAISED BY THE PEOPLE OF CANADA
Inscribed on the ramparts of the Vimy Memorial are the names of over 11,000 Canadian soldiers who were posted as ‘missing, presumed dead’ in France. A plaque at the entrance to the memorial states that the land for the battlefield park, 91.18 hectares in extent, was ‘the free gift in perpetuity of the French nation to the people of Canada’. Construction of the massive work began in 1925, and 11 years later, on July 26, 1936, the monument was unveiled by King Edward VIII. The park surrounding the Vimy Memorial was created by horticultural experts. Canadian trees and shrubs were planted in great masses to resemble the woods and forests of Canada. Wooded parklands surround the grassy slopes of the approaches around the Vimy Memorial. Trenches and tunnels have been restored and preserved and the visitor can picture the magnitude of the task that faced the Canadian Corps on that distant dawn when history was made. On April 3, 2003, the Government of Canada designated April 9th of each year as a national day of remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.-Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Charles Harwood McKimm. – Photo courtesy of Veterans Affairs Canada
Hi Linda,
I thought I would share this story about my uncle written by school kids A Smiths Falls Collegiate Institute back in 2014. Might be a nice story with Remembrance Day not far away.
Cheers,
Graeme Hoatson Beattie
The following is part of a series of research papers completed by Grade 10 History students at Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute as part of the Lest We Forget program. The features focus on residents of Smiths Falls who made the supreme sacrifice for their country during World War II.
Charles Harwood McKimm, Sergeant–NEWS Jul 10, 2014 by Josh Vincent Smiths Falls Record News
March 5th, 1924 – September 28th, 1943 Charles Harwood McKimm was a 19-year-old soldier who died during the Second World War.
He was born on March 5th, 1924 in Smiths Falls, Ontario to his mother Anita Warden McKimm and his father Charles McKimm. Charles had two brothers: George Frederick McKimm and Robert Warden McKimm. He also had three sisters: Barbara McKimm, Joan McKimm, and Sheila McKimm. He was never married and had no children.
Charles McKimm completed elementary school at Smiths Falls Public School in 1937. He attended Smiths Falls Collegiate Institute, from which he graduated in 1941. Charles was employed at Clark and Lewis Company in Smiths Falls, Ontario as a clerk from 1942 until the time of enlistment. He lived in Smiths Falls.
Charles McKimm signed up for the Royal Canadian Air Force on August 24th, 1942 in Montréal, Quebec. He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Sergeant. Charles was in an accidental plane crash that occurred on September 24th, 1943. He was killed instantly, as a result of several burns and multiple injuries.
In Charles McKimm’s Certificate of Medical Examination, it is seen that he had no diseases listed on the form. Charles was five feet eight inches and weighed 145 pounds. His eyesight and hearing were perfect. Charles McKimm’s complexion was fair and his development was good. His hair was fair and he had blue eyes. His religion was Protestant and he was a member of the United Church.
“Good physique, wants to be a pilot. Borderline C.T. score. However, has completed both Jr. and Sr. Matric. He is successfully, at the age of 18 years, mechanically inclined. He likes mathematics, should have no difficulty.” – Medical Officer’s assessment on Charles McKimm.
“He has driven a car for 2 years. Mechanically able, has done a lot of work on boat engines. He plays all sports extensively. He has lived in Smiths Falls all his life. Very good type of lad. Just turned 18. Keen, active and enterprising.” – Interviewing Officer’s assessment of Charles McKimm.
In the afternoon of September 28th, 1943 at approximately 1:50 p.m., Charles McKimm (the pilot of the aircraft) and a passenger were killed in a plane crash. He was flying a Harvard II three miles east of Lake Saint Germain prior to crashing. Over the time of almost one year, he has had over 225 hours of flight experience.
Charles was killed instantly, as a result of several burns and multiple injuries.
After Charles Harwood McKimm’s death, his medals were entitled to his mother, Anita Warden McKimm. Anita was given Charles McKimm’s War Medal (awarded if a soldier worked full time for 28 days in the armed forces and merchant marines from 1939 to 1945) and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp (awarded to any soldier who volunteered in World War II for 18 months).
He is buried at the Smiths Falls Maple Vale Cemetery located in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Charles McKimm’s grave reference is Plot 14 and Sector 6.
Citation(s):
1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
Additional Information
Born:
July 9, 1915
Carleton Place, Ontario
Enlistment:
February 1, 1941
Ottawa, Ontario
Son of James Henry and Sarah Anne (nee Beach) Prendergast of Carleton Place, Ontario. Brother of Wilfred, James, William, Harold, Helen, Ivy, Norah and Margaret. The ‘Canadian’ wrote: He was a fine type of young Canadian manhood, honest and upright, pleasant and courteous, and highly respected by his elders. When the call for duty came, Bert gave his services voluntarily to his King and country and last week gave his life for freedom. The ‘Canadian’ wrote: He was a fine type of young Canadian manhood, honest and upright, pleasant and courteous, and highly respected by his elders. When the call for duty came, Bert gave his services voluntarily to his King and country and last week gave his life for freedom.
Ocotber 30–1942
Cemetery:
BECK ROW (ST. JOHN) CHURCHYARD
Suffolk, United Kingdom
Good Day Linda !! Still out here in Vancouver trying to build the McEwan Family tree. John Max Enos McEwan was a Cpl in the forces during WWII. He had an Uncle, Ernest Evan McEwan, who served in WWI according to this newspaper clipping. I was wondering if you have heard of him before and if you know whether or not what was written … that he spent the longest time in the trenches of any Canadian Soldier … is actually true.
08 Jan 1935, Tue
Here is his death certificate. Notice that he died of self-administered overdose. Such a horrible end for an outstanding war hero if what they said in his obit is true. And here we are 85 years later and it seems not much has improved for the lives of our vets.
The Ottawa Valley seems to be rich in women and men, past and present, who gave of themselves in service to our Armed Forces so that we all can have and enjoy what we have and enjoy !! I was struck by the juxtaposition of Ernest in that his obit makes reference to the fact that no Canadian spent more time in the trenches than he did … and then his death certificate says he died of a self-administered overdose of pain killers. I just have a feeling that there is an incredible story here somewhere … if one can only find it !!
This is a photo of my Nanny Shail’s nephew, Gerald Whyte. He was killed during World War II and is buried in France. His Mom, my Great Aunt Bertha, was able to visit her son’s grave a couple of times before she died. He lied about his age when he enlisted – he was only 17.
Gerrie DrydenThanks for sharing this picture Debbie. He was only 18, I was named after him. (I was supposed to be a boy)!!
Thanks to Hazel Stewart Huneault we now have a record of Private Gordon Willard Stewart World War 2 Veteran. Her Dad was from Carleton Place and with the Cameron Highlanders of the Ottawa Unit.
Hazel has sent her father’s picture, his soldiers pay book and a letter home. (1944)
( too many to mention).
lindaseccaspina 