Sgt. Robert John Webster 145058 Canadian Forestry Corps.

 

Sgt. Robert J. Webster
77^th Battalion/136^th Battalion/Canadian Forestry Corps.
Regimental Number 145058

Robert John Webster was born on March 26^th, 1895 in Warsaw, Ontario. He was the son of Thomas Webster and Mary Anne Finnie.   

As a young man, Robert enlisted and served for several years in the U.S. Army, seeing action in both the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Rebellion (1899-1902).  By 1901, Robert was back in Dummer Township, living with his parents and siblings on their farm.  On October 10, 1906, Robert married Effie McGowan in Hastings, Ontario, and they would later make their home in nearby Lakefield, Ontario at 6 Reid Street. 

Robert was residing with Effie and his four children in Lakefield, when he enlisted in the 77^th Battalion in Rockcliffe, Ottawa, Ontario on September 14^th 1915.  Webster was 41 years old at the time and listed his 7 years of previous military experience, and that he was a Wesleyan.   Robert stood 6 feet tall, sported a fresh complexion, gray eyes and light brown hair.  After being inspected by a medical board, he was declared fit for overseas service.

Little is recorded of Robert’s time with the 77^th Battalion or why he enlisted with an Ottawa area battalion rather than one recruiting closer to home.  The answer to this might be that the 77^th recruited Webster for his experience.  For though he entered the battalion with the rank of private, he was very quickly promoted (within 2 days) to the rank of Master Sergeant within a couple of days and to Company Sergeant Major by the end of October. Webster’s extensive experience in soldiering and military routine while in the United States Army, would have been essential for this position, which was the senior non-commissioned officer, largely responsible for administration, standards and discipline for the entire battalion. 

Webster served with the 77^th until February 1^st 1916, at which time he was transferred to the 136^th “Durham” Battalion.  He would continue to serve as the Company Sergeant Major in that battalion, until it sailed for overseas on September 25^th. 

Upon arriving in England, Webster and his battalion were placed in West Sandling Camp, where it became apparent that, like many other Canadian battalions, they would be broken up and their ranks used to reinforce the battalions already fighting at the front.  As was common practice, Robert reverted his rank to Private at his own request when he was transferred to the 39^th Reserve Battalion stationed at Shoreham, England on October 6^th.

After a little over a month with the 39^th, Robert was then assigned to the 37^th Battalion and taken on command with the 1^st Canadian Training Battalion at Hastings on December 17^th and then to the 1^st Canadian Labour Battalion a day later.  As this move coincided with a promotion to Acting Sergeant, it is likely that he was assuming a role of training troops during this time.   

Another month would pass before Webster would proceed to France with the 1^st Canadian Labour Battalion on January 9^th, 1917.  This battalion was, as its name implies, predominantly used to provide manpower to the Engineers in the construction of railway lines, road building, tunneling, trench work, excavations, etc., freeing up the younger more fit men to serve on the front.  He arrived in La Havre on January 9^th, 1917. 

By mid-February Webster was back in England, his service file shows that he was taken on strength to the 2^nd Canadian Convalescent Depot at Hastings, though this was likely as a service role as there is no records showing that he was wounded or ill during this time. He transferred to the 3^rd Canadian Casualty Depot at St. Leonard’s on June 14^th.

Webster’s next move came on September 18^th when he was attached to the
Eastern Ontario Regiment.   A week later he transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps at Sunningdale Camp, Berkshire.  Acting Sergeant Webster would return to France, this time with the 78^th Company of the Canadian Forestry Corp on October 1917.  He served in this capacity for the remainder of the war until returning to England in December of 1918.

He sailed for Canada on May 2, 1919.  Webster later returned to Lakefield and returned to his role as Chief of police.

Sources

Canada. "Military Service File of Robert John Webster." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 10194 - 33. Item Number 623061.

John Robert Webster. Lakefield War Veterans [webpage]. https://lakefieldwarvets.ca/webster-robert-john/.  Accessed December 12 2021.