Pte. Jacob Quackenbush 5th C.M.R. Sept. 27, 1918

Pte. Jacob Quackenbush  195936

 

Jacob Quackenbush jr. was born somewhere in Middlesex County, possibly Zurick Ontario, on June 12, 1894 to Jacob Sr. and Martha Quackenbush.  At this time his father was employed as a groomsman.  By 1911, the Canadian census records show that the family, recorded as being of German heritage, was living in the city of London, Ontario.  It is not sure as to what connection Jacob had to Dummer township, but it is most likely that he took up residence there between 1911 and 1916.

On April 25^th 1916, a 22 year-old, Jacob enlisted in the 93^rd Peterboro Battalion in Peterborough, Ontario.    He listed his occupation as farm labourer, and that he had no previous military experience.  He was 5 ft. 7, had a ruddy complexion, blue eyes, and dark brown hair.  He listed his religion as Presbyterian.

The 93^rd Battalion sailed to England in October of 1916 and was soon broken up and its ranks used to reinforce fighting battalions already at the front.  Along with a small group of his 93^rd comrades, Pte. Quackenbush was reassigned to the 5^th Canadian Mounted Rifles, an infantry battalion that had already seen hard fighting for over a year.  Private Quackenbush probably saw much action during his time at the front.   He was killed on September 27, 1918, most likely during the first day of the attack known as Canal du Nord.

He was buried in Quent Road Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.  He is also commemorated on the Dummer township cenotaph in Warsaw, Ontario.

 

Sources :

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. MS 929, reels 1-245. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Archives of Ontario.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2004. <http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1901/index-e.html>. Series RG31-C-1. Statistics Canada Fonds. Microfilm reels: T-6428 to T-6556.

Canada. "Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)." Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4930 - 35. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa.

War Graves Registry: Circumstances of Death Records; (RG150, 1992-1993/314, Boxes 39-144); Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.