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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Valcartier


paul guthrie

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There must be a large cemetery in this lovely part of Quebec. Any information? This is where the CEF trained.

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Guest Hill 60

Paul - In Edward Wigney's book, The C.E.F. Roll of Honour, there is a list of cemeteries all over the world where CEF dead are buried.

Amongst them there is mention of:

Canadian Forces Base (Valcartier) Military Cemetery.

Nothing more specific, sorry.

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Paul

Yes, there is...

Canadian Forces Base Military Cemetery Québec.

Surprisingly, it only contains nine war graves. No doubt there are military burials from other periods though.

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Hi All:

As a footnote to this thread, CFB Valcartier is still an active training base. The base was originally built in 1912 for training the Canadian Militia. In 1914 Sir Sam Hughes (Minister of Militia) had the base expanded by an additional 12,428 acres.

Paul, you're right on the mark. This area is absolutely beautiful in the fall when the leaves on the maple trees turn red, gold, and orange.

Garth

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Surprisingly, it only contains nine war graves.

I find this quite a low figure, considering the numbers of men who passed through Valcartier. Terry, I don't suppose you have name, number, and battalion of the men, by any chance?? Just out of curiousity . . .

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Your wish is my command......!

WW1

Pte A.BECK 14 Bty, Canadian Field Artillery Died 12.09.14

Pte Alfred BOUCHARD 889974 189 Bn, Canadian Infantry 17.08.16

Pte J.P.DESALES Canadian Militia 08.09.14

Pte B.A.EACHUS Canadian Infantry 28.08.14

Pte Gregoriell S.HOMICK 684687 171 Bn, Canadian Infantry 10.08.16

Pte John N.STEVENS 19 Bn, Canadian Infantry 15.09.14

WW2

Pte Romeo CHAMBERLAND D/57405 Le Regiment de Maisonneuve 28.09.41

Pte Thomas MOSS H/94307 Canadian Forestry Corps 05.01.42

Pte Lorimer SHELDRAKE K/76275 Canadian Forestry Corps 08.02.42

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Well I sort of hate to post a reply just expressing surprise for fear of accusations I am trying to promote myself but I thought there would be hundreds considering so many were here, in close quarters, training can be dangerous etc.

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Paul

Would the Canadian Government or relatives not have paid for the bodies of those who died at Valcartier to be shipped back to their home towns for burial? That was the case in the UK was it not? How many men from the UK are buried next to the camps they died in? I think most would be buried in their home-towns.

Cheers

adam

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Adam is right

The 'You can take him home' rule applied to all casualties who died in their home country - Canada, Oz etc.

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I hope someone with the actual numbers will correct me, but it seems to me that, in addition to what has already been said above, Valcartier may not have had a huge number of troops in training after the first contingent left. Most battalions from the West that I have looked at embarked by train from their home areas and proceded to Halifax to catch a boat. Valcartier seems to have been used mostly by some of the Quebec units.

Of course, I will defer to someone with better information.

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Jim I think you are right. All the militia trained there though and there were several thousand of them, did PPCLI train there? I really do not know what others trained there but had the impression it was a pretty big camp.

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