A 1914 First War Canadian Field Artillery Veterans Group

A 1914 First War Canadian Grouping - 1914-15 Star (42579 GNR: J. ROPER. CAN: FD: ART:); British War and Victory Medals (42579 CPL. J. ROPER. C.F.A.). Naming is officially impressed. Crisp detail, original ribbons, edge wear on BWM, mounted to suspension with swing bar pinback, very fine. Accompanied by his Canadian Pay Book for Use on Active Service; his Permanent Pass from Staff Division, Woodcote Park (stamped and dated April 29, 1917); a Canadian Field Artillery Cap Badge (bronze, 51.3 mm x 63.7 mm); a 9th Battalion Canadian Field Artillery Shoulder Title (bronze, 36.2 mm x 44.8 mm); two Artillery Collar Tabs (bronze, 18 mm x 30.5 mm each); a Battalion Patch (red chevron on a navy blue wool field, 44 mm x 71 mm); an Armband inscribed "1914" (black numbering on a red field, placed upon a full length brown wool armband); his CEF For Service At The Front Badge (bronze and enamels, numbered "159686", 22.7 mm); his For King and Empire, Services Rendered War Badge (silver, numbered "C63807", 32.7 mm) with Certificate; his British Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth (dated November 24, 1938); a British Empire Service League Canadian Legion Bullion Insignia (73 mm x 103 mm); a British Empire Service League Canadian Legion Beret; his Loyal Orange Lodge #2438, Toronto, Masonic Medal (silver and bronze gilt, engraved "Presented to JOHN ROPER term 1929" and maker marked "DOM.REG.CO." on the reverse, 64 mm x 130 mm, in leather case of issue); seven assorted pins; a 1910 Ten Cent Coin; a Letter From the Department of National Defence (dated June 30, 1932); a Pension Tribunal Report (dated October 14, 1932); and two Death Notices. Footnote: John Roper was born on January 8, 1886 in London, England. He signed his Attestation Paper on September 22, 1914 at Valcartier, Quebec, stating that he had four years previous service with the 9th Battalion C.F.G., that he was married and that his trade was that of Iron Moulder. Roper served in the French theatre, returning to Canada via Halifax in January 1919 and was discharged from active service upon demobilization on February 10, 1919. He later developed pulmonary tuberculosis with a lung abscess and was determined at Pension Tribunal in 1932 that it was not attributable to his Military Service, even though he claimed that while serving in France for nineteen months with the Canadian Field Artillery, he suffered a haemorrhage in 1915 but could not remember the name of the Medical Officer he was seen by. Roper had been treated for Myalgia in January 1916, accidental injury to his ankle in August 1916, in addition to appendicitis and sciatica but was never hospitalized for any such abnormality with his lungs, nor was there anything recorded in his Medical Records. There was existing documentation that there was a "previous history of haemorrage from the throat in 1907, and further trouble with the throat in 1922 it would seem more likely that the bleeding was from some part other than his lungs", with the Tribune denying his request for compensation. It was possibly due to his pre-war and post-war employment as an Iron Moulder. Roper passed away on November 26, 1970 at St. Catharines, Ontario, a widower of Alice Louise Roper.