Looking for Cemetery Photos - NB, NS, PQ

[Mike Blais]

Then Korea... 

One thing I would like to see one day is a delegation from the RCR Association go to Cyprus to conduct a memorial service for those RCRs who are buried there. Somewhat like the Korean veterans who return at no cost. Do you have any pictures of there graves? Or where they are? I may very well use my contacts at the legion level to seek funding for such a project.


PACHINO DAY NIAGARA  ---  11 JULY  2009  ---  ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION 479  --- NIAGARA FALLS ONTARIO  --- PACHINO DAY NIAGARA  ---  11 JULY 2009 --- NIAGARA FALLS ONTARIO

[Michael OLeary]

Entries in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial that I can find for deaths in Cyprus include (there could be others I did not find):

Private THEODORE JOSEPH  HALL
Private STEPHEN JOSEPH  KOHLMAN
Captain IAN EDWARD  PATTEN
Corporal OTTO JERRETT  REDMOND
Corporal ALOYSIUS  ROACH

My own personal project on the Regiment in the First World War certainly doesn't stop anyone from executing similar projects for other periods.

[Kip Hannigan]

Sir

I will get you the ones from Kentville, and I should be able to get the others from the surrounding areas before I deploy in July

Kip

[Michael OLeary]

KIp, thanks.

Deploying again?  If you spend any more time out of the country you're going to have to reapply for citizenship.

Cheers.

[Michael OLeary]

I managed to get to St Catherine's today to photograph the grave of Private William Robert Brix in St. Catharine's (Victoria Lawn) Cemetery. This complete Ontario and only leaves four cemeteries in Canada to complete this side of the pond.

The Canadian cemeteries I'm still looking for photos from follow:

New Brunswick

Black River Cemetery (2)

Nova Scotia

Bear River (Mount Hope) Cemetery (1)
Lower Wood Harbour (Greenwood) Cemetery (1)

Quebec

Montreal (Mount Royal) Cemetery (1 of 4 remaining to be photographed (and the other three could be improved))

Thanks to all who have had the time to help to date.

Michael

[Mike Blais]

How did you do that? I have been to the Victoria lawns office twice, they kept saying they have no record of any Brix?

[Michael OLeary]

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission data says that Brix is in the "C. of E." (Church of England) section of the cemetery.  I found a walking tour map of the cemetery that placed that section in the corner where Queenston St and Emmett Road meet.  So I started with that section and found him almost at the junction, backed up against Emmett Road.  



While walking up to Brix's stone, which my wife spotted first, I saw a surname engraved on the back of another gravestone that caught my eye: Borland. There was a Dave Borland who had long service in the Regiment in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was the RSM of the 2nd (Special Service Battalion) in South Africa, and was commissioned towards the end of his service. I don't think it's a common surname, so I took a look.  It may be him, I will have to see if I can track down an obituary to confirm.

[Mike Blais]

Geez, that is great. The woman I spoke with looked through papers for a good half hour and she could not find him. I will put a poppy and a note on behalf of The Regiment on his grave site this year for remembrance day. Let me know how you make out with Borland please so I can include him as well.   

[Michael OLeary]

I don't have an obituary for Borland yet, and didn't see a mention of his death in the Connecting Files I have for that year. But I do have the following:

At the time of the 1911 census there are only two David Borland's in Ontario. One is too old (at 56), the other, at 47 in 1911 is listed as follows:

Borland, David
Sex - M
Position - Searg. Maj
Married/Single - M
Date of birth (month/year) - Feb 1864 (This matches the birth date on the headstone.)
Age - 47 (This matches the age on the headstone.)

He's listed in the census after Capt Geoffrey Chrysler and Lieut Hugh Griffith.

Borland's wife is listed in the 1911 census, on the next page, as: Borland, Mary A.E.; F; Wife; M; Jul 1861; 49 (This matches the wife's birth date on the gravestone, although it appears she went by Elizabeth, her third given name and not Mary as recorded in the census.)

Borland can also be found in the Attestation Paper for the First World War (front) (back).

The Attestation Paper shows the following:

• He has prior service of 25 years with The RCR. - The attested Borland is most probably the ex-RSM Borland.
• His next of kin, wife "Lizzie" is living in St Catherine's when he attested on 9 Oct 1915. - This matches the headstone.
• His birth date on the attestation paper is 29 Feb 1968 - this matches the headstone for date, but shows him to be 4 years younger so that he can join the army again in 1915 (claiming to be 48 instead of 52 to sign up).

It appears to be a very good case for it being the right Borland, final confirmation may require a visit to the St Catherine's library to look for a his obituary in the 1937 newspapers.

[Mike Blais]

This is very interesting, Mike. I will be up in St Kits for a beer call next week, I think I will go early and stop by the library first. See what I can find out for you.