Robert Brunton
Personal History
There were several families from Port Dalhousie who offered more than one son to the war effort. The Rooneys sent three, the Reillys sent three, and in the Brunton family there were two, Robert and David. They lived in near-by Louth Township, an area of fruit farms. In a recent letter (2015) David's daughter, 89 year old Ms. Madeline Friesen writes: " Uncle Robert, Uncle Charles, Aunt Christina and my father all lived in RR #3 on what was called Burdy's Island on the 15 Mile Creek off of Gregory Rd., south of what is now the Queen Elizabeth Highway and probably very near or next to Gregory's farm. " (Philip Gregory 1895-1918)
"My father, David Brunton, told me he was born Oct 12th, 1891, but his military records show 1892, which could be a misprint. He joined the military at age 24 or 25. (March 19, 1916) Dad arrived in Canada 30th of July, 1912 on the Athenia in Quebec. He joined A Company of the 176th Overseas Battalion CEF and left with them from St. Catharines."
He sailed from Halifax on April 29th 1917, his second trans-Atlantic voyage in less than five years. His service record shows that he was taken to hospital on Nov 1st, 1917…..
"Dad was in Passchaendale or the Ypres area and he was wounded when a shell exploded near the trench he was in and he ended up back in Canada at Christie St. Hospital in Toronto for two years." The record shows that he was, in fact, transferred to eight different hospitals in England and Canada before his discharge. " He had a middle finger on his hand amputated, and a steel plate in his left leg. His leg was shorter than the right leg causing him to wear a built-up boot as a result."
"Dad married Louise Ruddle, also from the same farming area on February 18th, 1925, and he passed away in his 69th year in 1959."
Robert Brunton had arrived in Canada the year before his brother on March 31, 1911 on the Empress of Ireland at St. John, New Brunswick. He had already served two years and eight months with the Welland Canal Force when he was attested on July 1, 1918. On the same day he was promoted to Corporal. Shortly after being assigned to B Company of the 2nd Battalion Canadian Garrison Regiment on October 29th, he was taken to the Military Wing of Toronto General on November 1st. Sadly he died of influenza and pneumonia on Nov 11, 1918.
He is buried at Louth Cemetery and remembered on the Port Dalhousie Cenotaph.
Thanks to Madeline Friesen who now lives in Port Dalhousie.
Personal Information
Birth date: December 7 1888
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Parents: Mrs. Christina and the late Robert Brunton, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Occupation: Farmer
Military Information
Service Number: 2692744
Rank: Pte.
Regiment: 2nd Battalion, Can. Garrison Regiment
Theater of Service: n/a
Date of Death: November 11 1918
Age: 30
Length of Service: 3 years
Last Battle: Toronto General Hospital
Burial Details: Louth (Maple Lawn) United Church Cemetery - St. Catharines, Ontario
Other Details
Commemorations: Commemorated on Page 376 in the Book of Remembrance
Photos:
Cenotaph
There were several families from Port Dalhousie who offered more than one son to the war effort. The Rooneys sent three, the Reillys sent three, and in the Brunton family there were two, Robert and David. They lived in near-by Louth Township, an area of fruit farms. In a recent letter (2015) David's daughter, 89 year old Ms. Madeline Friesen writes: " Uncle Robert, Uncle Charles, Aunt Christina and my father all lived in RR #3 on what was called Burdy's Island on the 15 Mile Creek off of Gregory Rd., south of what is now the Queen Elizabeth Highway and probably very near or next to Gregory's farm. " (Philip Gregory 1895-1918)
"My father, David Brunton, told me he was born Oct 12th, 1891, but his military records show 1892, which could be a misprint. He joined the military at age 24 or 25. (March 19, 1916) Dad arrived in Canada 30th of July, 1912 on the Athenia in Quebec. He joined A Company of the 176th Overseas Battalion CEF and left with them from St. Catharines."
He sailed from Halifax on April 29th 1917, his second trans-Atlantic voyage in less than five years. His service record shows that he was taken to hospital on Nov 1st, 1917…..
"Dad was in Passchaendale or the Ypres area and he was wounded when a shell exploded near the trench he was in and he ended up back in Canada at Christie St. Hospital in Toronto for two years." The record shows that he was, in fact, transferred to eight different hospitals in England and Canada before his discharge. " He had a middle finger on his hand amputated, and a steel plate in his left leg. His leg was shorter than the right leg causing him to wear a built-up boot as a result."
"Dad married Louise Ruddle, also from the same farming area on February 18th, 1925, and he passed away in his 69th year in 1959."
Robert Brunton had arrived in Canada the year before his brother on March 31, 1911 on the Empress of Ireland at St. John, New Brunswick. He had already served two years and eight months with the Welland Canal Force when he was attested on July 1, 1918. On the same day he was promoted to Corporal. Shortly after being assigned to B Company of the 2nd Battalion Canadian Garrison Regiment on October 29th, he was taken to the Military Wing of Toronto General on November 1st. Sadly he died of influenza and pneumonia on Nov 11, 1918.
He is buried at Louth Cemetery and remembered on the Port Dalhousie Cenotaph.
Thanks to Madeline Friesen who now lives in Port Dalhousie.
Personal Information
Birth date: December 7 1888
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Parents: Mrs. Christina and the late Robert Brunton, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Occupation: Farmer
Military Information
Service Number: 2692744
Rank: Pte.
Regiment: 2nd Battalion, Can. Garrison Regiment
Theater of Service: n/a
Date of Death: November 11 1918
Age: 30
Length of Service: 3 years
Last Battle: Toronto General Hospital
Burial Details: Louth (Maple Lawn) United Church Cemetery - St. Catharines, Ontario
Other Details
Commemorations: Commemorated on Page 376 in the Book of Remembrance
Photos:
Cenotaph