Toronto University Schools Hocky Club
Canada
Photo : Marika Pine.
For further photographs of the War Memorial for Cornwall (Ontario, Canada) select here.
The above memorial plaque is for the University of Toronto Schools Hockey Club, and commemorates 63 names who lost their lives in the First World War.
The University of Toronto Schools is an independent secondary day school affiliated with the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school follows a specialised academic curriculum, and admission is determined by competitive examination.
A young Canadian who had studied at the University of Toronto Schools was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment directly from the Royal Military College, Canada. He was only just 18 years old when commissioned, which makes him very young to have become an Officer in the Yorkshire Regiment (although there are several examples of Officers of a similar age who both served and lost their lives in action).
Officially, a man had to be 18 years old in order to be commissioned as an Officer, and 19 years old to serve overseas. However, the enormous losses in Officers in the early years of the war meant that this rule was often bypassed.
2nd Lieutenant John Buchan Freeland
2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Son of Edward Buchan Freeland and Annie Louisa Freeland (nee Stark), of 1159, Bay St., Toronto, Canada. Killed 26 July 1917. Aged 19.
Commemorated on Panel 33, YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL.
The following biography of John Buchan Freeland is found in "Officers of the Green Howards 1688 -1931" by M L Ferrar;-
Born at Toronto, 7 November 1897, son of Edward B Freeland, of Chestnut Park, Toronto.
2nd Lieut., 18 January 1916.
Was commissioned from the Royal Military College, Canada, and joined the 2nd Battalion on 21 June 1916.
Took part in the fighting on the Somme, and was wounded at Trones Wood on 8 July 1916. Rejoined the battalion 10 May 1917.
Killed at Sanctuary Wood, Ypres, on 26 July 1917. His father received the following letter from Lieutenant Colonel C V Edwards, commanding the 2nd Battalion:
“I write with great regret to inform you of the death in action of your son yesterday afternoon. He was taking part in an attack on the German lines, and was behaving with great gallantry at the time of his death. We are all extremely sorry to lose him. He had only been under my command for a few months, but in that time I was able to grasp what a good, sound fellow he was. He was the best working subaltern I had. In particular, his men came first in everything he did. His keynote was, I think, Thoroughness. The attack we carried out was successful, many Germans were killed and some few captured. Your son’s platoon was in the thick of it, and was responsible for especially good work. I understand that he had moved forward to look for a machine gun which was commencing to fire from very close quarters when he fell. If he had come back I would have recommended for a Military Cross. We can ill afford to lose such men at a time like this. We know however, that he had done his work well, and that his life was not wasted.
I find it hard to write at all cases like this; a man ready and willing to give his life need, I think, have little said about him. We remember them all the same.”
Additional details of Lieutenant Freeland's death in action are provided by Robert Coulson.
Photo : Copyright University of Toronto Schools and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Photo : Tim Laye.
Photo : Pearl Crasto.