Clysdale Milton Noble 1063089

Milton Noble Clysdale 1063089

Milton Noble Clysdale was born in Warsaw Ontario, on August 17, 1899 to parents William Clysdale and Elizabeth Borland.   The family farmed on Lot 15, Concession 4 of Dummer Township.

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Milton attested into the 247^th Overseas Battalion in Peterborough, Ontario on January 13^th, 1917.  At the time he indicated that he was living in Norwood. He falsely indicated his birth year as 1898, which made him seem a year older than his actual 17 and a half years.  Being a year older allowed him to meet the minimum allowable age for enlisting.  He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 145 lbs., had a fair complexion, blue eyes, and fair hair.  He was single, no previous military service, and a Methodist.  He listed his father, William, who was living in Norwood as the next of kin.

The 247^th Battalion arrived in England on May 14, 1917, under strength.  Its men were immediately transferred as reinforcements to other fighting battalions.   Pte. Milton Clysdale was taken on strength to the 3^rd Reserve Battalion at Otterpool Camp the day he arrived in England.  A week later he contracted measles and was transferred to medical care at Moore Barracks, Shornecliffe until June 06th. He returned to his unit until he was transferred to the Canadian Corp Reinforcement Depot in France on November 16, 1917.

 After arriving at the Depot, he was immediately assigned to the 4^th Battalion and went to the front. By March 21, 1918, four months later, he was reassigned to 1^st Battalion’s Machine Gun Corps.  On June 17th 1918, he entered the hospital in France with Influenza, and stayed until June 24^th when he was discharged to duty.  He returned to the front with the 1^st Battalion Machine Gunners.

Clysdale appears to have attended the  7^th Course Canadian Corps Infantry School from July 09-August 12, 1918.  He returned to duty but was again side-lined to the No.2 Stationary Hospital in Abbeville France on September 08 1918 with Impetigo.  He recovered from this infectious disease by November 14, two days after the Armistice was signed and the War ended.   During the next couple of months, Clysdale, like many enlisted men started the long road to demobilization.  A service record notes that during leave before Christmas of 1918, he overstayed his leave by 5 days, from December 23rd-28^th.  He officially arrived in England on the first of January, 1919 when he reported to the Machine Gun Depot.  While waiting for demobilization there, he entered Kimmel Park Military Hospital with mumps and stayed from February 2nd to 22nd 1919.  He was discharged on March 20, 1919, and sailed for Canada.

In the 1921 census, Milton Clysdale was recorded as a student and living with widowed mother and sister in Peterborough at 197 Dublin Street. 

Source:

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 online: (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), “Complete Service File: Clysdale, Milton Noble”. Accessed November 29, 2014.

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

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

Library and Archives Canada online: (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2013.