Person

One of the nine children of Darlington couple, Arthur and Elizabeth Jane Elgie, John was born on 26 December 1898 and baptised in St. Hilda’s church two weeks later. Arthur and Elizabeth had married in May 1894 and the 1901 census shows that Arthur was working as a greengrocer and living in Coburg Street with Elizabeth, John and his three sisters. Just before his thirteenth birthday John sailed to Canada, presumably to stay with his father.

When Arthur enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in December 1915, so did young John, although he lied about his date of birth to make himself two years older than he actually was. He became Private 178037 of “A” Company 87th Battalion together with his father and they both embarked for England in April 1916. On arrival they were transferred to a camp in Hampshire. John was one of the 280 men of the 87th who were sent as reinforcements to the 1st Battalion joining them in France in mid-June.

Just a week after his father had been injured, John had his left elbow fractured by shrapnel during fighting at the Somme. After an operation to remove the shrapnel in France, John was invalided to England. After time spent in hospital waiting for the wound to heal, John was sent to Granville Specialist Hospital in Ramsgate where he remained until February 1917 when a medical Board recommended that he be returned to Canada for further treatment and then discharged from the CEF. He was treated as an outpatient at Spadina Hospital in Toronto at the same time as his father. John was discharged in mid-March 1917.

John Elgie was living and working across the US border in New Jersey when he received his US draft papers. 19 April 1918 saw him back in Toronto re-enlisting in the CEF, where Gunner 178037, now fully fit, was posted to the 71st Battery Canadian Field Artillery. Seven weeks later John was struck off as a deserter after going missing from Petawawa Camp, Ontario. A year later, in August 1919, John returned to the USA, after which nothing more is known of him.

Civil Parish: Darlington

Birth date: 28-Dec-1898

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 7 Coburg Street, Darlington (1901 census)
19 Hargreave Terrace, Darlington (1911 census)
301 Logan Avenue, Toronto, Canada (enlistment papers)
Schumacher, Ontario, Canada (1921 Canadian census)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Miner (enlistment papers)
Labourer (1921 Canadian census)

Family: Parents: Arthur Elgie, Elizabeth Jane Elgie, nee Ross
Siblings: Mary H Elgie, Lilian Elgie, Elizabeth Elgie, Arthur Elgie, Emily Elgie, Robert Elgie, Thomas Elgie, James Elgie

Military service:

178037
Private
87th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
1st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Gunner
71st Battery Canadian Field Artillery

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham