Armstrong William 247th Battalion 1063036 2583302

William James Armstrong       1063036     2583302

William James Armstrong was born in Dummer Township on May 25, 1876 to Charles Armstrong and Mary Koeghan.  Charles was a farmer in the township.  By 1911, William was living with and working for his brother Charlie, who was operated a hotel on 35 Ottawa street in Havelock, Ontario.  William, then age 35, married Catherine Terrion, age 22, on October 3^rd, 1912 in Trenton Ontario.

 William enlisted mid-war in D Company of the 177^th Battalion on June 10, 1916 in Penetanguishene, Ontario.  He incorrectly listed his birth year as 1875, and he was recorded as 41 years of age, which put him at the extreme end of acceptable enlistment age.  He was recorded as 5 feet nine inches tall, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and dark hair.  He recorded his occupation as a labourer, and his religion as Roman Catholic.   He indicated that he had no previous military service.   At the time of enlistment his physical development was described as “vigorous” by the medical doctor examining him.  However, after 3 months of training with the 177th Battalion at Camp Borden, Pte. Armstrong was found medically unfit and discharged on September 11, 1916.   The medical records declare that Armstrong was epileptic and prone to taking convulsions frequently.  Six instances of such convulsions were noted since he arrived with the battalion at Camp Borden.  It was also noted by the medical officer that William exhibited an “order of intelligence below par” and “is never able to hold his own with the other men.”  The medical officer also records that William’s epilepsy had originated in 1909 while in Illinois, U.S.A, and that Armstrong attributed it to sunstroke at that time.

Armstrong made a second attempt to enlist on November 18, 1916, this time with the 247^th Peterborough Overseas Battalion.  He falsely gave his birth date as 1877, making him a year younger than he actually was (and 2 years younger than his previous attempt at enlisting).  He indicated his home address was in Havelock and that he was employed as a painter.  He indicated no previous service (including his short term with the 177^th battalion).  He was again passed by a military examiner and rated as having good physical development.  In a medical examination on November 27^th, Armstrong declared that he had been previously diagnosed as epileptic at Camp Borden some 2 months earlier attributing his “fits” to the intense heat.  The medical officer noted that he appeared to be fine at that time but he was still declared medically unfit for service. However, Armstrong stayed with the battalion until December 13 1916, when at which time he was struck off strength of the 247^th battalion. 

Armstrong was still determined to enlist a third time; and he did so on March 22^nd 1917 with the Forestry Reinforcement.  He was later transferred to the 230^th Battalion on the first of July 1917.  The 230^th was a battalion that sent regular drafts of men to France to work behind to lines supplying the army with vital wood products.  Surprisingly, Armstrong never reported to the 230^th, he was declared a deserter on the 18^th of May 1917.

Armstrong appears to have deserted because a dislike of his posting in a non-combative role such as the Forestry Battalion.  He showed his determination to get to the fighting , as he enlisted a fourth time on July 5^th 1917, with the 2^nd battalion Reinforcing Draft in Lindsay, Ontario.  The charge of desertion seems to have been overlooked as he is never mentioned as being charged or punished for doing so.  This time while enlisting, William tried a new tactic, indicating his true age and birth date, he added that he had previously served in the military and that he had been discharged due to muscular rheumatism. At this point in the war, the need for manpower overseas was so great that Armstrong’s age and previous discharge was overlooked,  as apparently so was his desertion and he was declared fit for service. 

He was sent to the 1^st Eastern Ontario Depot Battalion at Barriefield to await assignment.  Armstrong was again declared medically unfit, due to epilepsy, on August 8^th 1917.  In a medical hearing on August 31^st 1917 a medical board at Barriefield camp described William Armstrong as follows:  “On examination man is in good physical condition. There is no certificate of true epilepsy, but man has scars on face and on tongue which he says are results of falling down and biting his tongue while in fits.”  He was discharged as medically unfit and given a category “B” rating.  It seems he never tried to enlist again.  After the war he worked for the Canadian Pacific railroad in the Cobourg/Toronto area.  He died on March 27, 1951 at the age of 75.

Sources:

Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), Complete Service File: Armstrong, William James. Accessed November 29 2014.

Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), Census of 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2007

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

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