Pte. Harry W. Blewett M.M. 93rd Battalion 195337

Harry Webster Blewett 195337

Harry Webster Blewett was born in Warsaw Ontario on April 17^th, 1893 to parents Jonathan S. and Clara Blewett.  By 1901, the family had moved to Smith Township near Lakefield where John was employed as a carpenter.  Harry seems to have stayed in Lakefield, and was employed as a clerk at the time of his enlistment.

Blewett enlisted on November 11^th 1915 into the 93^rd Peterborough Battalion for Overseas Service.  Harry had previously served 1 year in the 46^th Durham regiment, a permanent militia force based in Port Hope, Ontario. On November 11^th.  He was 22 years old, stood 5 foot 4 inches tall, weighed, 153 lbs, had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair.  He was a Methodist.   The medical examiner upon inspection noted good physical development, but slightly defective eyesight.  The 93^rd spent the winter in the city, trying to recruit up to full strength, while training those ranks that they had already secured.  During this time it is noted that Pte. Blewett  was widely known as the right winger on the 93^rd Battalion O.H.A. hockey team and a member of the signalling section of the Battalion.

Harry Blewett in 93rd Hockey Uniform 1916

The 93^rd Battalion disembarked for England on June 15, 1916 and arrived in Portsmouth ten days later.  Upon arriving in England the 93^rd was broken up and its ranks fed into existing battalions already fighting at the front. Pte. Blewett was reassigned to the 20^th Battalion on September 15, and after a short sojourn with the 2^nd Canadian Engineers, he joined them in the field on October 8^th 1916.  Blewett would pass through some of the Canadians most difficult battles such as the attacks on Courcellette 1916, and Vimy Ridge 1917 and Passchendaele 1917.  In a letter home to Lakefield in January of 1917, Blewett describes the general horror of the battlefield and the small respite his position as a signaller offers:

“‘France, Jan. 18^th, 1917.

Dear Mother,- Here I am once more on phone duty and everything is quiet at present. It was noisy enough yesterday to make up for the past months quietness.

Our battalion and the battalion Squib Webster is in, made a raid on Heiney and the men went down as far as his third line trench and then came back.  Altogether in the raid a hundred and fourteen Heineys were captured. Our battalion captured sixty prisoners, one being an officer. We also captured two machine guns and a trench mortar. On the whole it was one of the most successful raids made on the western front. Sorry to say we had quite a few wounded and several killed.

There were some awful sights to be seen, but I didn’t see much as I was on phone duty in the support trench and did not go over. But it was quite hot enough for me around our dug-out. I only saw one wounded man and he had been hit with a piece of shell in the chest.  He was bleeding considerably when I saw him and his steel helmet was covered with blood, but nevertheless he was quite cheerful. A young fellow by the name of Brown, whom I met since I came out here, and was killed. He usually chummed with Norman Patterson. Bill Lemay and I when we were out for a rest. Poor fellow, he went over to Heiney’s third line and bayoneted a sergeant and a couple of privates, and brought back the S.M.’s cap as a souvenir. Just before he reached our trench he was hit and died about half an hour after.  He sure did die game. His last words to the officer were ‘not many die like this sir,’ and died with a smile. All the Lakefield boys came out without a scratch.

The corporal of our section got hit in the right hand, but it is not serious. He may be down the line for a few days. It is just about breakfast time so I shall finish your letter to-morrow.

I didn’t do as I promised to do. I have let your letter that all our 93^rd boys were O.K. well, I am sorry to say they are not. The Lakefield boys came out alright without any wounds. A man by the name of Miller, of the 93^rd, was wounded.

The reason I did not finish by letter before was that I was coming out for a rest, and I would not be able to tell you in the letter so I thought it better to wait a while. We expect to be here for some little time. We are almost out of the sound of the guns, at least we are out of their range. I shall close for this time with heaps of love and best wishes to all.

Your loving son. Harry.’”

News of Blewett's Military Medal in the Evening Examiner

On November 19, 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field as well as the good conduct badge.  He was in the trenches throughout 1918 for the Battle of Amiens where he was wounded from a gun- shot wound to the neck on August 12, 1918.  He was evacuated from the frontlines and hospitalized until September 18th.  He returned to his unit in the field on 20^th September, 1918, but was sent back to England on the 9^th of October for a General Training Course.  He was still in England when the Armistice was signed and the fighting stopped. He returned to France on November 16^th and stayed on the Continent until April 3rd 1919.  He returned to England with a promotion to Lance. Corporal (received in Feb. 1919) and sailed for Canada on May 14 1919.  He was discharged on May 25^th 1919.

Blewett's Grave in Lakefield, Ontario

Harry Blewett returned to Lakefield, married Clara Kidd in 1923, and operated as a grocer.  He died in Lakefield, Ontario on April 22^nd, 1973.

Sources:

Library and Archives Canada online: (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), Census of 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2004.

Ontario, Canada, Select Marriage, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

Library and Archives Canada online: (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), “Complete Service File: Blewett, Harry  Webster, Blewett”. Accessed November 29, 2014.

Peterborough Evening Examiner.  “ 93^rd Boys Were In Successful  Raid on German Trench.” February 26, 1917. P.12. 1919 p.12.

Peterborough Evening Examiner.  “Military Medal For Blewett” January 05 1918. Pg.12