WorldWar I
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
Page 20
GORDONDAVIDWINSTON
928055Private
Born:
27 June 1897 inGuelph, Ontario
PreviousOccupation:
Farming
Enlisted:
4December 1915 inGuelph, Ontario
Died:
29September 1918 at theageof 21
Buried:
DrummondCemetery inNord, France
GordonWinstonwas born inGuelph on27 June 1897 toEphram andElsie (neeWatt)Wilson. He
was theolder of their two children (Agnes b.1905). Both of his parentswere of Scottish descent.
The family lived in theCity of GuelphwithElsie’s parents, Lawrence and JessieWatt. Sometime
after 1911, the familymoved toRR#3Rockwoodwhere, after his education, Gordonwas employed
in farming.
Hewas only 18 years and 7months oldwhen he volunteered for overseas service inGuelph on
4December 1915. Col. JohnMutrie signed hisAttestationPapers. PrivateWinstonwas initially
assigned to the 153rdBattalion (WesternOntarioRegiment). After basic training, he departed from
Halifax on29 June 1917 aboardHMTOlympic, arriving in Liverpool 5 July 1917. He remained in
England for additional training until hewas sent toFrance inMarch 1918. InAugust 1918 hewas
transferred to the 2ndCanadianMountedRifles - BritishColumbiaRegiment (2CMR). Hewas
reportedKilled inAction on 29September 1918. DuringGordon’s service overseas, his parents
movedback toGuelph and there they learned that their son had died overseas at the age of 21
years and 3months.
PrivateGordonDavidWinston is buriedat theDrummondCemetery inNord, France and his name
is alsomemorialized in theBooks of Remembrance, in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament
Buildings, Ottawa. His name is also inscribed on his parents’ headstone inWoodlawnCemetery,
Guelph.
TheMemorial Crosswas presented to hismother.
DrummondCemetery
I
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
1
JAMESALFRE (“Alf”) EDWARDS
B1496 0Private/Gunner
orn:
9May 1916 inRockwood, Ontario
revious ccupations:
CraneOperator andTruckDriver
nlisted:
23 July 1943 at theage of 27 inToronto, Ontario
ied:
8March 1945 at the age of 28
uried:
CanadianMilitaryCemetery, Nijmegen, Holland
JamesAlfredEd ardswas bornon 9May 1916 toWilliam J. andAlice
Maude (neeMurley) Edwards of MainStreet, Rockwood. Hewas
the youngest of their nine children (William b.1898, Thomas Lenton
b.1899, Edward b.1901, Fredrick b.1903, Flora b.1904, Constanc
b.1907, Geraldine b.1908,Alexander b.1910). His older brother
Thomaswas killed duringWWI and is alsomemorialized on the
Rockwo dCenotaph.
In June 1930,Alf graduated fromGrade 10 at the ockwoodContinuationSchool. During this time,
hewas a leader in theBoyScouts and enjoyedplayi
the guitar. Hewent towork for theAtlas
Steel Company inPort Colborneas a 5TonCraneOperator and aTruckDriver. He served as an
ActingS rgeant in the “Non-PermanentActiv Military” 63rdBattery of theRoyal CanadianArtillery
from 1935 to 1939. Henext served in the 2ndBattalion Lincoln andWellandRegiment from June
1940 to July 1943. InToronto on23 July 1943,Alf enlisted for overseas service in t Army and
interestingly, gave his nationality as “Newfoundlander”. Before joiningCanada as aProvince in
1949, Newfoundlandwas aBritishDominion and after 1933, was directly ruled from London.
After enlisting,Alf was sent toShil , Manitoba fromAugust toDecemb r for training, followed by
onea d ahalf months of additional spe ialized training inRedDeer,Alberta t become aQualified
Driver andMotorman. He then returned toShilo until embarking for a seven day voyage toEngland
on21November 1944. Upon arrival inEngland, hewas transferred to theCanadian InfantryCorps.
On 28 January 1945, hewas transferred to the 1st BattalionRoyal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI)
andembarked for theEuropeanFront. On 21February, hewas re-classified as an InfantryPrivate/
Gunner.
Less than onemonth later, PrivateEdwardswas killed in action as part of OperationBlockbuster on
8March1945, near theGerman town of Xanten, just inside the pre-1939GermanBorder with the
Netherlands. BothPrivate JamesAlfredEdwards’ andPrivateCharlesHumphreyWilson’s names
are on theRockwoodCenotaphand bothwere killedon the sameday, within 10 kms of each other,
inGermany. Private/Gunner JamesAlfredEdwardswas initially buried on the outskirts of Xanten,
Germany. Shortly after theendof theWar inEurope, his bodywas exhumed and reburied in the
CanadianMilitaryCemetery, Nijmegen, Holland. His name is alsomemorialized in theBooks of
Remembrance in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament Buildings, Ottawa.
Many exhumations occurred post war asGeneral GuySimmons decreed that noCanadian soldier
or airmanwould be left inGerman soil.
