A TIMELINE FOR MY GRANDFATHERS
My grandparents lived during WW1, the Spanish Flu and the Great Depression and WW2. I think it is safe to say that these challenging worldwide events had a significant impact on their lives.
[Both my grandparents served in WW1. Here is the link to the blog post about my maternal grandfather Albert Dallaire and WW1.]
The whole world has faced war before. Not an invisible war like the COVID 19 virus. And not like the Star Wars movies, that my grandchildren have started to watch. These previous wars were not fought amongst the stars. During the 20th century there were two world wars. They were fought on the ground, on the seas and in the sky overhead.
My grandchildren’s parents were not born yet. AND neither were their grandparents. But their great grandparents and their great-great grandparents lived during these world wars.
This is the story of how my grandchildren’s great-great grandfathers (MY GRANDFATHERS) contributed to WWI.
[That is not to say that their great-great grandmothers did not play their part during these difficult years. However, there are no specific historical records available to highlight the war effort that non-military women completed by working and supporting many previously male dominated occupations.]
WORLD WAR I -EDOIRE (EDDIE) JOLICOEUR
The military records for my paternal grandfather “Eddie” Jolicoeur indicate that he was drafted late in World War 1.
EDOIRE JOLICOEUR WAS A FARM LABORER AT GRAVELBOURG, SASKATCHEWAN
Just prior to being drafted for military service my Grandpa Jolicoeur was a farm laborer living in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. Family folklore suggests that he jumped on the train from Quebec to Saskatchewan for free. The fact is that there was widespread recognition that many “would be” farm labourers would not have the money for train fare due to harsh economic times. Some farm owners would therefore advance the train fare and then later recoup the cost of the ticket from a farm laborers’ wages. We will never know the true story about his train journey….
It is no surprise that my grandfather was drawn to the francophone community of Gravelbourg. The town was named for Father Louis Pierre Gravel, an early French settler. Prior to the depression Gravelbourg had 9 grain elevators attesting to the prosperity and importance of this Prairie wheat growing community.
During World War I there was push and pull for farmers and soldiers. The slogan “Farm or Fight” was used to portray this internal strife within Canada. The Canadian government encouraged Canadian farmers to greatly increase their wheat production to supply both domestic and war front needs. The British government pressed Canada for many supplies, particularly wheat. And there was increasing pressure for Canada to provide additional soldiers.
During the early years of World War I, farmers were exempt from military service. But as the war continued and many more casualties occurred things changed. On March 21, 2018, the Germans broke through the French-British lines on the western war front. On April 20, 2018, exemptions from military service for farmers and farm laborers were lifted.
Due to labor shortages on Canadian farms, my grandfather made good wages as a farm laborer. During 1917 and 1918 he would have made about $4 per day. As a private in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces his pay was $1.10 per day.
This picture depicts a threshing scene in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan during the years from 1904 to 1918. As you can see manual labour was largely used in those days. My grandfather would have been a member of this typically large crew required during the wheat harvest.
EDOIRE JOLICOEUR'S DRAFT PAPERS
1.”Eddie” Jolicoeur was drafted under the Military Service Act of 1917.
2.The Jolicoeur surname was misspelt throughout these documents.
3.Actual place of birth is St Jovite, Quebec (not Ontario).
4.Name of next of kin is for his mother, not his father.
5.Address of next of kin, should be Mont Laurier, Quebec not Ontario.
6.Eddie was examined at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on January 25, 1918.
Reference page 1 of the military record for Edoire Jolicoeur available on the Canadian Government website (see Sources at the end of this article)
Although he was examined in January, 1918, Eddie was not actually called into military service until April 12,1918 at Regina, Saskatchewan.
At the time of his call-up he was described as age 23, 5 feet and 3″ tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.
Above left: Private “Eddie” Jolicoeur in 1918.
Above right: During WWI the SS Cassandra served as a troop transport ship. My grandfather Jolicoeur sailed across the Atlantic on this ship. The ship left Montreal, Quebec on July 28, 1918 and arrived in Liverpool, England on August 15, 1918.
EDOIRE JOLICOEUR'S ACTIVE SERVICE RECORD
Here is the Active Service Record for Edoire Jolicoeur. (Reference page 11 of his Military Service Record.) On the third line of this record, you will note that Edoire was assigned to the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) at the 5th Canadian General Hospital located in Liverpool, England.
Here is a map of the Canadian Army Medical Units located in England, during the first World War. The enlarged portion of the map on the right, shows the location of the 5th Canadian General Hospital in Liverpool. By 1918, the Canadian Medical Corps operated 16 general hospitals, 10 stationary hospitals and four casualty clearing stations.
EDOIRE JOLICOEUR’S DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE
Reference for this document is page 15 of the military record.
Edoire Jolicoeur served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in England. He did not have formal medical training so he would have served in a support role.
His discharge date was August 26, 1919.
My grandfather sailed home from Liverpool in August 2019 on the SS Belgic. (Reference page 14 of his military record.)
MILITARY MEDALS AWARDED FOR WWI SERVICE
SOURCES:
CANADIAN WWI HISTORY
“Fight or Farm”: Canadian Farmers and the Dilemma of the War Effort in World War I (1914-1918)” Journal article by Mourad Djebabla available at http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vol13/no2/page57-eng.asp Accessed 4 March 2023.
Location Map for Canadian Hospitals located in England during WWI: available at https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/ledgers/medical/location-of-canadian-hospitals-in-england-map.jpg Accessed 6 March 2023.
GRAVELBOURG IMAGES:
The image of the “Gravelbourg Grain Elevators” and the “Threshing Scene” are available at http://www.prairie-towns.com/gravelbourg-images.html Accessed 5 March 2023.
MILITARY RECORDS:
Edoire Jolicoeur https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=338316 A Digital File (28 pages) is available for download. Accessed 13 March 2021.
MEDAL IMAGES: available at https://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/life-at-the-front/trench-conditions/medals-and-decorations/ Accessed 6 March 2023.
SHIP IMAGES:
SS BELGIC: available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Belgenland_(1914)#/media/File:Belgic_1917-1922.jpg Accessed 4 March 2023
SS CASANDRA: available at http://www.gwpda.org/naval/cassndr1.jpg Accessed 15 March 2021
