Pte. Lawrence McCracken 3057160

Pte. Lawrence McCracken 

1^st Eastern Ontario Depot Battalion/ Machine Gun Corps.               Regimental Number 3057160

Lawrence Edgar McCracken was born in Dummer Township on October 22^nd 1890. He was the son of James and Mary “Annie” McCracken.  The family farmed on Lot 20 on the 2nd Concession, near where Bethel Church was located.

Lawrence was one of the thousands of young Canadian men who were drafted into service under conscription.  On November 19^th 1917 the 27 year old was called into Peterborough to undergo a medical inspection to assess his eligibility for overseas service.   McCracken was unmarried and listed his occupation as farmer.  He had no previous military service.  He was described by doctors as having a ruddy complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.  He stood 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds.   The medical inspection designated him a category A.2 having found Lawrence fit for overseas service.

Having completed the first step of conscription, Lawrence headed home to Lakefield to await a further summons to report to a military training camp.  That reality came on March 6^th 1918 as Lawrence reported to Barriefield Camp, Kingston and joined the 1^st Ontario Depot Battalion.  He trained there with the infantry for close to a month before being transferred into the 205^th Battalion, Machine Gun Depot at Camp Niagara, Hamilton on March 31^st 1918.  He continued training, as a machine gunner.

Near the end of Summer Lawrence was selected among a draft of Machine Gunners to make their way overseas.  He entrained for Halifax and sailed overseas arriving in England on August 17^th 1918.  He was assigned to the Canadian Machine Gun Depot at Seaford Camp where he received further instruction in gunning and awaited posting to a fighting unit at the front. 

Lawrence McCracken 

He was sent to the Machine Gun Pool in France on November 9^th 1918.  He had barely arrived when the war ended two days later.  He never saw action but remained in France until January 23^rd 1919, when he was sent back to England for demobilization.   Lawrence sailed back to Canada on July 2^nd, and was discharged from military service in Toronto, Ontario nine days later.

Lawrence went back to the family farm in Dummer and worked as a linesman.  He was later married there on November 24^th 1921 to Ida Jory.  He passed away in Warsaw in 1982 and is buried there in St. Mark’s Cemetery.

Sources

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Series: 101 Reel: MS929; P.9.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Year: 1901; Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page: 11; Family No: 104. P.36.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Year: 1911; Census Place: 19 - Dummer Township, Warsaw Village, Peterborough East, Ontario; Page: 9; Family No: 107.

Archives Canada. "Military Service File of Lawrence Edgar McCracken." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 6665-37. Item Number 142133.

Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 585.

Library and Archives Canada. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: RG 31; Folder Number: 81; Census Place: Dummer (Township), Peterborough East, Ontario; Page Number: 9.