GRACE UNITED CHURCH
Harold John Dennis
Dennis, John Harold 419185
Born: June 6, 1896
Died: October 30, 1917
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Service Number: 419185, 408063
Force: Army
Unit: Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment)
Division: 42nd Bn.
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When a civilian chose to enlist in World War One, they went to the local recruiting office and was asked a collection of questions that were then entered onto a document called, Attestation Papers.
What is your Name
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In What Town, Township or Parish and Country were you born
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What is the name of your next of kin?
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What is the address of your next of kin?
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What is your date of birth?
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What is your Trade or Calling?
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Are you married?
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Do you now belong to the Active Militia?
Harold Dennis
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Brampton Ont.
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S. Stephen Dennis
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Box 200 David Sq, Brampton Ont
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June 6th 1896
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Printer
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No
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yes 36th 6 mos
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​A soldier’s Attestation Papers were filled in on the day they walked in to join the military. They show family information at the time of enlistment and were signed by the soldier. These have been digitized by Library and Archives Canada.
He lists his profession as printer and that he has six months of training with the 36th Bttn before enlisting. He is initially placed with “B” Company of the 37th Bttn.
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He is 5 foot, 6.5 inches in height, with a 33.5 inch chest. The doctors described him as having dark hair, brown eyes and having a dark complexion. He lists himself as Methodist. He is considered fit by the medical officer at the Niagara Camp on June 10th, so that is where her enlisted. I will assume he was training with the 36th in the same camp.
​He is commemorated on Page 227 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. The history of his battalion and of the other from Peel who served during World War One is covered in detail in the book by William Perkins Bull. "From Brock to Currie: the Military Development and Exploits of Canadians in General and of the Men of Peel in particular, 1791 to 1930." Toronto, 1935.
The Canada War Graves Registers – Circumstances of Casualty provides the information about how he died during the war. He was a private with the 42th Bttn. Canadian Infantry during the battle of Passchendaele, fighting on the Bellevue Spur when at “About 11 o’clock on the morning of October 30th 1917, together with a comrade he was splicing and in the act of insulating telephone wires, when an enemy high explosive shell burst with a few feet of them, instantly killing both.”
The Canada War Graves Registers – Burial Return (Concentration of Graves) shows that “419185 DENNIS.H/42CDN” was moved from where he had been buried on the battlefield, to Tynecot Cemetery on March 12, 1920. He is located in Plot 30, Row D, Grave 4. He was found with his tags, which were returned to his next of kin. He was found at D9 D80.80 which may mean he was buried in another cemetery before being moved to Tynecot.
The Imperial War Graves Commission Comprehensive report of Headstone Inscriptions shows that stone #1904 was of the 1202/1A design as shown here. Schedule B shows that there was no request by the family for any personal inscription to be included on the stone. So there is no additional text behind the plants covering the lower part of the gravestone.
The slideshow displayed above includes all of the documents that I have found related to this soldier’s death. Click on the arrows on either side of the picture to move to the next picture or wait as it will change on its own. This slideshow may include a copy of his page in the Canadian Book of Remembrance; a page from the Brampton Book of Remembrance; from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission you may find a picture of this soldier’s CWGC Headstone, CWGC Certificate, CWGC War Graves Registry, CWGC Circumstance of Causality, and photos of the cemetery where he is commemorated.