A British War Medal to the Canadian Pioneer Battalion CEF

A British War Medal to the Canadian Pioneer Battalion CEF- (1078288 A.L. SJT. P. GRINDROD. CAN. PNR. BN). Naming is officially impressed. Light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Service Records, Medical Records, Pay Records, Discharge Certificates and Statement of Service in the Canadian Armed Forces, along with assorted research papers.   Footnote: Percy Grindrod was born on December 31, 1872 (later determined to be 1865) in Stretford, Manchester, Lancashire, England, the son of Edwin Grindrod and Mary Grindrod. He married Elizabeth Jane Hutchison in 1899 and they had six children: two boys (Edwin and Donald) and four girls (Mary, Evelyn, Alice and Marjorie). He signed his Attestation Paper with the 5th Pioneer Battalion, on June 16, 1916 in Montreal, Quebec, at the age of 51 (which would have made him too old for military service, explaining the seven year difference on his Attestation), naming his next-of-kin as his wife, Elizabeth Grindrod of Montreal, stating that he had previous military service with the Victoria Rifles and the 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, that he was Married and that his trades were that of Carpenter and Clerk. He is also on record as being a Commercial Traveller. In his Medical History of an Invalid, dated June 24, 1916 at Montreal, he was documented as having "Varicose Veins" for the past twenty years, exhibiting "multiple varicosity of both lower limbs" and determined unfit for service but was somehow accepted for service. In October 1916, while at Valcartier Camp, he was diagnosed with "Chronic Bronchitis". Grindrod embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the S.S. Metagama on November 27, 1916, arriving in England on December 6th. He was appointed Acting Lance Sergeant on January 1, 1917, then transferred to the Canadian Railway Construction Corps at the Canadian Railway Troops Depot on February 5th, reverting to the ranks at his own request on the 16th but was soon appointed Acting Sergeant onFebruary 24th. He proceeded on command to the Canadian Army Postal Corps, London Command, Paymaster for the London Area on September 6, 1917, then placed with the Canadian Forestry Corps at Sunningdale on April 18, 1918, for duty in the office and reverted to Private. After eighteen months in England, Grindrod was placed on command at the Canadian Discharge Depot at Buxton on June 14th, for return to Canada. He embarked Liverpool, England aboard the H.M.T. Llanstephen Castle on September 22, 1918, arriving at District Depot No. 4 in Montreal on October 8th. In his Medical History of an Invalid, dated October 22, 1918 at Montreal, it was noted that Grindrod had "Arteriosclerosis" (hardening of the arteries), along with "Varicose Veins" (twisted and enlarged veins near the surface of the skin) in both legs, with much swelling and pain in those legs. Grindrod was discharged as a Private on November 6, 1918, at the age of 53, as "Medically Unfit". He was declared "Category "E" (unfit for service in Categories A (general service), B (service abroad, not general service) and C (home service (Canada only). He was entitled only to the British War Medal, as his service was in the United Kingdom and died on June 3, 1943 at St. Anne de Bellevue, Montreal, Quebec.