Veteran Cpl. Henry Boates

    My local veteran is Cpl. Henry Boates, he was born in the year 1794 in Alcester, Warwickshire England. He served in the 1st Battalion 52nd Regiment, Foot in the battle of Waterloo which was fought June 18th, 1815, near the village of Waterloo, a few miles from Brussells. The battle started at sunrise and lasted till nightfall. After the battle 60,000 man lay dead on the field within an area of three square miles - 40,000 French, 15,000 British and 5,000 Prussians. 
   The commander of the Regiment was the Duke of Wellington. He received the waterloo medal for bravery at 18 years. Sometime after the battle the remaining members of the regiment were sent to Charlottetown for garrison duty. Cpl. Boates served his time in the army there. 
   Later he settled on St. Peters Island where he farmed and fished. He married Ann Clarke on February 24th, 1842 and they had six children; Joseph, William Henry, Thomas, Elizabeth Jane, Mary Jane and Margaret. In 1849 he developed pneumonia and died at the age of 52. His death resulted from a search for William Henry, whom he feared was lost in a storm while traveling the ice from Charlottetown. Cpl. Boates grave is marked with a fieldstone on St. Peters Island. His Waterloo medal was lost on the island for 40 years. It was plowed up by a farmer who was living there at the time and returned it to the Boates family. The medal was handed down to Henry Burton, youngest son of Joseph, named after his grandfather. Cpl. Boates Waterloo musket and sword went to his sons William Henry and Tom.


       My Vimy veteran James Caldwell Noble was born October 29th,1897,  He was the son of TJ and Elizabeth Noble. His occupation before the war was a clerk.  Caldwell Noble died August 21st, 1917. He served in the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba regiment) 27th Battalion. James didn't survive the war, he died August 21st, 1917 at the age of 20  Since he was very young when he died he wasn't married and had no children.


       My Thelus veteran is Private A. Bowerman. His service number is 201553. He was part of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 1st/4th Battalion. He died on April 4th, 1917.


Megan Gunning