249424 Cpl. George McLachlan Brown Canadian Expeditionary Force 3rd Battalion from:Toronto, Ontario, Canada George Brown was my Scottish born grandfather who was sent to Canada as a Home Child in the 1890's. He enlisted at Valcartier, Quebec on 22nd of September 1914 at the age of 28 with the Queen's Own Rifles, 3rd Canadian Battalion. George sailed to England on 15 October 1914 and was promoted to Lance-Corporal on 6th of November 1914. He went to France on 8th of February 1915 and his Canadian military records state that he was subsequently subjected to heavy shell-fire before he experienced a scalp wound at Festubert somewhere between 20th and 24th of May 1915. He was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital Birmingham on 27th of May 1915 due a shrapnel head wound. According to records he was unconscious in the field for 6 to 8 hours due to the wound. He spent time recovering at Shorncliffe from 20th of August 1915 until he was discharged and declared Fit for Duty to a Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Monk's Horton on 1st of November 1915. After this George spent time serving the balance of his time serving in military offices in London until he was demobbed as a Sergeant back to Canada on 4 February 1918, having been given a medical discharge due to traumatic neurasthenia. While recovering in London, England in 1916, he married my grandmother and subsequently raised four children in Canada. As a child I never remembered him speaking of his war experiences nor did his children. However in reading his military service records and the details of the Battle of Festubert I am amazed at the courage of the troops who fought this battle, were injured, and yet wanted to return. My grandfather died in the 1960's in a small town in Ontario, Canada yet to this day he lives on in our thoughts and memories, the service he gave, and the inspiration provided. We look at his service record and it entices us to investigate history further and see how we might honour those who fought for freedom and peace. Thank-you Grandpa. I pray that we can honour the sacrifice that you and so many others made. May you and they rest in peace and rise in glory as the poppies blow row on row.
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