Melville Roy Crowe 3056573

Drafted/1^st Depot Battalion Eastern Ontario Regiment

Regimental Number 3056573

Melville Crowe was born in Dummer Township, Ontario on April, 19^th 1897 to parents William Crowe and Mildred “Millie” Watley.   The family lived on Lot 17, Concession 2, where William was employed as a butcher.

Melville continued to live in Dummer and work as a farmer into his twenties. 

He was drafted under the Military Service Act and reported to Barriefield Camp in Kingston on February 8^th 1918 for a medical inspection.  He was neatly 21 years old, stood 5 feet 6 inches tall, and weighed 145 pounds.   He had a fair complexion, grey coloured eyes and fair hair.  He was a Methodist and a farmer by occupation. He was single, had no previous military experience and was living in Warsaw at the time. He was considered class C.1, or acceptable for home service, probably because of being flagged for Tachycardia, an abnormally rapid heart rate. 

Crowe was assigned to the 1^st Depot Battalion Eastern Ontario Regiment at Barriefield Camp, Kingston.  He was most likely given time to arrange his affairs, as only days after being drafted, Melville married Rhoda Reed of Young’s Point, at Lakefield Ontario on February 20^th.  He later returned to Barriefield and trained there until being granted a month’s leave on August 8^th without pay on account of his low ability rating. When he returned to Barriefield on September 8^th, he was given a full discharged. 

Melville returned to Dummer and with his wife, continued to live in the family home on the 2^nd concession.  He died on April 2^nd 1981 and is buried in Lakefield Cemetery, Lakefield Ontario.

Sources

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. Series: MS929;   Reel: 139.   Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Archives of Ontario. P.17.

Archives of Ontario Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928;  Series: MS932; Reel: 462  P.81.

Library & Archives Canada The Military Service File of Melville R. Crowe.  Ottawa, Ontario. RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 1557-36. NO.91649.

LAC. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: 2004. Census  Place: Dummer,  Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page:11; Family No: 109.

LAC. Census of Canada, 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: 2007. Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough East, Ontario; Page: 7; Family No: 91.

LAC. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives   Canada, 2013. Series RG31. Statistics Canada Fonds.  Reference Number: RG 31;   Folder Number: 81; Census Place: Dummer (Township), Peterborough East, Ontario;  Page Number: 9.

Allan Clysdale Bell 3058872

Drafted/1^st Depot Battalion Eastern Ontario Regiment

Regimental Number 3058872

Allan C. Bell was born in Warsaw, Ontario on January 5, 1896 to parents Nathan Bell and Harriet “Hattie” Clysdale.   The family farmed on Lot 11, Concession 3 in Dummer Township.  Allan grew up in Warsaw and eventually married Janet Nelson there in 1917.

He was living and farming in Warsaw when he was conscripted for service under the Military Service Act on May 9^th 1918.  He traveled to Barriefield camp in Kingston, Ontario where he underwent a medical examination and was deemed category A.2, and fit for overseas service.  At the time he was 22 years old, stood 5 and a half feet tall, and weighed 145 pounds.   He had hazel eyes, brown hair and a medium complexion.  The medical examiner noted that Allan had eczema, but that he was considered as having good physical development and fit for overseas service. 

Pte. Bell was given the remainder of May to settle his affairs at home, after which he returned to Barriefield and join the 1^st Depot Battalion Eastern Regiment for training.  Allan remained in camp for seven months and the remainder of the war.  He never made it overseas and was formally discharged on December 30, 1918.

He returned to his wife and continued to farm in Dummer for a short time before moving to Monaghan Township west of Peterborough where the couple had two sons.  Allan died on February 5^th 1968 and is buried in Rosemount Memorial Gardens in Springville, Ontario.

Sources

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. Series: MS929;

     Reel: 134.   Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Archives of Ontario. P.60.

LAC. 1901 Census of Canada.  Year: 1901; Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page: 10; Family No: 91 P.35.

LAC. 1911 Census of Canada. Year: 1911; Census Place: 19 - Dummer Township, Warsaw

     Village, Peterborough East, Ontario; Page: 12; Family No: 139.

LAC. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives

      Canada, 2013. Series RG31. Statistics Canada Fonds.  Reference Number: RG 31;

      Folder Number: 81; Census Place: Monaghan South (Township), Peterborough West, Ontario; Page Number: 3

LAC. “Military Service File for Vincent Patrick Leahy”. Ottawa, Ontario. RG 150, Accession 1992- 93/166, Box 607 - 1.   Item No. 391733.