LITTLE CURRENT—An official book launch was held at the NEMI Public Library last week featuring the final volume in a series relaying the lives of those who served in the two world wars. ‘Remember Me Manitoulin Military’ was a labour of love by members of the Manitoulin Genealogy Club. Its authors include Joanne Pilon, who acted as master of ceremonies at the book launch, Norma Hughson and Bev Morphet.
The members scoured the archives of The Manitoulin Expositor and The Recorder to uncover the details of the lives of Manitoulin servicemen and their families, as well as soliciting stories and memories from Island families.
“In 2012 the Manitoulin Genealogy Club posted advertisements in local papers requesting information from families that had relatives or friends who served in the military,” said Ms. Pilon. “Volume one of our book ‘Remember Me Manitoulin Military,’ which has the identical cover to this one, was published in July 2015. It had 175 biographies and excerpts from The Manitoulin Expositor from 1914 and 1915. Volume Two was published this July with 110 biographies and Expositor excerpts only, a total of 112 pages from 1916 to 1917. The rest of The Expositor editions for the war years are not available, they are all lost unfortunately.”
Ms. Pilon noted that The Expositor excerpts were transcribed by Norma Hughson.
ANAVETS member Roy Eaton read an excerpt from the book relating the experience of Captain R. L. Graham, a veteran of the Northwest Rebellion, the Boer War and a volunteer in the First World War.
Capt. Graham was a successful lumber entrepreneur who owned LaCloche Island who commenced service in 1885 with the Lorne Rifles, which saw service in the Northwest Rebellion. “A Colonel Jones recognized he was a valuable man and the best possible man to lead the Manitoulin company,” read Mr. Eaton. “At the commencement of the war, Capt. Graham immediately placed his services at the disposal of the Minister of Militia. He offered to fight or to raise men. He was appointed as recruiting officer of the 119th Manitoulin Battalion.” Captain Graham later was seconded to the 227th Battalion.
A crack shot, Captain Graham qualified twice a member of the Canadian Army marksman team, today known as the Bisley CAF Combat Shooting Team.
Captain Graham established his headquarters in Little Current, necessary to main establishing platoons at Little Current, Providence Bay, Manitowaning and Gore Bay to draw in from the surrounding townships to fill those platoons. “There is lots of good material to be found on the Island,” read Mr. Eaton. “In fact, none can find better than Island men.”
The Manitoulin Company was to be led by a Manitoulin man and Manitoulin would be on their badges, relayed Mr. Eaton. The company served overseas following training at Camp Borden, sailing in 1917 for France where they joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as part of the 8th Reserve Battalion. Throughout its history, the Manitoulin Battalion was commanded by Lieut-Colonel C. H. Jones, the same man who had recruited Captain Graham.
Following the reading by Mr. Eaton, other readings took place by descendants of the individuals chronicled within ‘Remember Me Manitoulin Military Volume 2.’
Both volumes can be purchased from the bookstore located in the Little Current offices of The Expositor on Water Street. The cost is $25 and provides a wonderful compendium of those Islanders who served our nation overseas.
Lest we forget.
