Canada, CEF. A Medal Pair to the No.1 Construction Battalion

 

Footnote: William Alexander Brown was born on July 10, 1897 in Buttonville, Ontario. He signed his Attestation Paper as a Private (778410) with the 127th Infantry Battalion "12th York Rangers", on January 15, 1916 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, at the age of 18, naming his next-of-kin as his father, William Brown of Buttonville, stating that he was with an active militia, the 12th Regiment York Rangers, that he had never served with a military force, that he was Single and that his trade was that of Farmer. His religion was Presbyterian. The Battalion was raised in the County of York, Ontario with mobilization headquarters at Toronto, under the authority of G.O. 151, December 22, 1915. The Battalion sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on August 21, 1916, aboard the S.S. Olympic, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel F.F. Clarke with a strength of 32 officers and 972 other ranks, arriving in Liverpool, England on the 30th. Two months later, Private Brown was transferred as a Sapper to No. 1 Construction Battalion on October 21, 1916, embarking for service in the French theatre four days hence, on October 25th, arriving in Le Havre, France on the 26th. Early the following year, his unit, No. 1 Construction Battalion, was re-designated as the 1st Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops on February 10, 1917. Late that Summer, Sapper Brown was admitted to No. 87 Field Ambulance with "P.U.O." (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin = fever) on August 9, 1917 and was transferred to No. 63 Casualty Clearing Station the same day. After two days, he was transferred to No. 14 Casualty Clearing Station on the 11th, where he would be treated for the next three days, before returning to duty on the 14th. He was awarded one Good Conduct Badge on February 14, 1918. Ten and a half months after his first hospitalization, Sapper Brown was admitted to No. 19 Casualty Clearing Station, again with "P.U.O." (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin = fever) on June 28, 1918. After eight days treatment, he returned to duty on July 6th. Upon the ceasing of hostilities, he was transferred to England for demobilization and posted to the Canadian Railway Troops Depot at Witley on January 18, 1919. He was medically examined at Knotty Ash Camp in Liverpool on February 11th, then attached to the Canadian Concentration Camp at Kinmel Park, for return to Canada, on March 11th. He departed Liverpool aboard H.M.T. Caronia on March 29th and arrived in Halifax on April 5th. Sapper William Alexander Brown, Canadian Railway Troops was discharged upon demobilization at No. 2 District Depot in Toronto, Ontario, on April 8, 1919, entitled to wear the War Service Badge, Class "A", number 152615 and credited with having served in Canada, England and France. For his First World War service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.