George Dwyer 195555
George Dwyer was born on December 15
1881 in the city of Peterborough to parents William and Matilda Dwyer. He was one of 11 children and the oldest of
three brothers who enlisted and served overseas during the First World
War. William and Matilda moved their
growing family to farm in Dummer sometime before 1901, as they appear in the
township on that year’s census. George
appears living with them at the age of 21 and most likely lived with his family
unitl he was married to Ellen “Norah” Ellis in Dummer on January 31 1906.
By 1911, George and Norah were living
in Peterborough at 2 ½ Lock Street in Peterborough with three children. He was working as a labourer at Mills
Landing.
By 1916, George was living in the city
of Peterborough at 38 Stewart Street and working as a lumberman. He enlisted on January 21st of
that year into B Company of the 93rd Peterborough Battalion. He was 34 years old, stood 5 feet 7 ½ inches
tall and weighed 146 pounds. He had a
fair complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. He was a Roman Catholic. He was examined by the medical officer of the
93rd Battalion and considered fit for service. He had 6 children at the time. Unit sailed out of Halifax aboard the S.S. Empress
of Britain on July 1915
Dwyer was among a small draft of 93rd
men transferred to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles on September 07
1916. He landed in France and joined his
unit on October 2nd.
Dwyer spent 6 months in the trenches
until he entered the No.9 Canadian Field Ambulance (C.F.A.) on February 26 1917
suffering from Myalgia. He spent time in
various other Field Ambulance stations for his condition and was finally
returned to the 5th Mounted Rifles on March 12 1917. He was at the front for 2 days before he was
again sent to the Canadian Brigade Depot in the rear as “unfit”.
By April 15th 1917 he was
transferred to the 2nd Quebec Regimental Depot in Shoreham, England.
Efforts were made to get Dwyer out of
the trenches but still put his skills as a lumberman to use. He was posted to the Canadian Forestry Corp
on May 4th 1917. He arrived
in France to join the “37th Company” of the Forestry Battalion,
on May 18, 1917. With this transfer came a promotion to Sergeant, a rank that
he would wear for the duration of the War.
Dwyer served in this position, though still suffering from myalgia. He was granted a 14 day leave to Paris on September
16 1918. Two days before his leave was
up he entered No.11 Stationary hospital with a fever. He was twelve days in bed and 2 weeks in the
before he returned to the Brigade Depot on October 15 1918. Later he claimed that
he left the hospital with a chronic cough that he carried until leaving
England. He rejoined the foresters on the 22nd October.
Sgt. Dwyer continued to serve with
that unit until after the Armistice when on December 13, he went before a
Medical Board Hearing at the Canadian base at Etaples, France. Dwyer was found to still suffer from myalgia
and chronic bronchitis. The medial board
found that his condition was largely exacerbated by exposure and cold
experiences from his service in France.
Dwyer stated at the time that he “could do as good days work as ever,
though handicapped when pains are present.”
He was given a 5% disability pension
for the duration of six months, at which time the board determined that under
proper living conditions, the existing ailments would disappear. He was given orders to return to Canada and
returned to Halifax aboard the Olympic on January 17, 1919. Upon arriving in Canada he made his way to
the Casualty Company at the Exhibition Camp in Toronto unitl being discharged
on February 06 1919.
George Dwyer died on January
22, 1948 in the city of Peterborough. He
was residing at the House of Providence and was 87 years old.
Sources:
Library and Archives Canada. 1891 Census of
Canada. Ottawa, Ontario. RG31, T-6290 to T-6427
Library and Archives Canada. 1901 Census of
Canada. Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough East, Ontario, Page 01, Family no.09.
Library and Archives Canada. 1911 Census of
Canada. RG 31-C-1; Folder Number 81,
Census Place 22: Dummer Township, Peterborough East, Ontario. Family No. 67.
Page 07.
Library and Archives Canada. 1921 Census of
Canada. Census Place: Dummer (Township),
Peterborough East, Ontario. Series RG31. Folder No.81 Statistics Canada Fonds.
Page 3
Library and Archives Canada online. The Complete Military Service File of George
Dwyer. Accessed November 27 2015. RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4930-35.
<www.bac-lac.gc.ca>
Archives of Ontario, Canada, Select
Marriages. Archives of Ontario, Series MS932; Reel 15
Archives of Ontario, Canada, Deaths,
1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947. Series: MS935, Reel 491.
Peterborough Evening Examiner. “Three
Brothers Who Are In the Ranks of the 93rd Battalion”. July 26 1916.
P.5
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