Pte. Alfred Gratton 4022007

Alfred Gratton was born in May 1883 in Dummer Township, Ontario to parents William and Mary Gratton.

Gratton was working as a farmer in Norwood when he was called up for a medical inspection under the Military Service Act on November 9, 1917.  He was 34 years old, single and had no previous military service.  He stood 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed 165 pounds.  He had a dark complexion, hazel eyes and black hair.  He indicated that his religion was Methodist.  Medical examiners rated him A.2 which considered him fit for overseas service.

Gratton reported to the Eastern Ontario Regiment Depot at Barriefield Camp on November 21^st 1917.  He trained there unitl embarking at St. John’s aboard the H.M.T. Scotian on January 22^nd 1918, arriving at Liverpool 15 days later.  Gratton was posted to the 6^th Reserve Battalion at Seaford Camp upon arriving.

Alfred’s service at Seaford was marked predominantly by illness.  During 18 months in England he spent over six of them in hospital.   A month after landing in England, Gratton incurred a severe case of measles and pleurisy which confined him to 2 British hospitals for over five months from February 11 to August 23, 1918.  He returned to hospital in on December 8, 1918 and stayed for another 18 days with a case of mumps.

His third trip to hospital was 22 day stay that began when he entered the No. 14 Canadian General Hospital on April 1, 1919 complaining of myalgia, a severe backache and tenderness over the lumbar region.  He recovered and later  left England aboard the S.S. Belgic on June 23, 1919 and arrived in Canada on the first of July 4^th 1919.

Sources:

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1891. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2009.  Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough East, Ontario; Roll: T-6363; Family No: 137. P.15.

 Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2004.  Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page: 7; Family No: 79.

Canadian Expeditionary Force. CEF Personnel File of Alfred Gratton, 1914-1918. Accession 1992-93/166. Reference: RG 150; Volume: Box 3742 - 15. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.