John Benjamin French CEF

[paul guthrie]

Terry Denham sent me the register for Commonwealth dead in the USA. In Kentucky there was James Henry Hartley in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery Louisville. I wrote an article about him called Machine Gun Corps in Kentucky which was published in our US Branch WFA journal, I think it's on WFA wab site.

Here in Lexington was a man I did not know about, French, I knew of Hartley.

He was a black man born here in 1896, single, had worked as a shoe shiner and jockey. He was literate, parents were George and Lula Ash French.

In May 1918 facing the draft here he joined the Canadians as did Alexander McClintock DCM also buried here, see below. He served in France with the Forestry Corps. This is similar to the kind of duty he likely would have had in US Army but treatment had to be better.

He was discharged in Montreal in May 1919 apparently healthy and remained there and died ot TB a year later.

In August 1931 it was ruled his death was the result of service and in May 1932 IWGC placed a headstone in a local cemetery where he was buried.

CWGC Ottawa visited the grave in 1990 and noted the headstone had sunk t the base of the cross obscuring the family inscription of Rest In Peace. they hired corrective work done and when I visited I saw they had excavated far below where they should have and much of the base was exposed and the headstone was poor otherwise. Ottawa agreed with me a new one was needed, it was shipped to a friend of mine in the monument business and installed this week.

I have sent Beppo a picture of the old one and asked him to post it in this thread, it's beyond me to do it no matter how easy. Will get a digital done of the new one next week and ask him to post it too. No, I don't have a digital camera but secretary does!

[BeppoSapone]

Terry Denham sent me the register for Commonwealth dead in the USA. In Kentucky there was James Henry Hartley in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery Louisville. I wrote an article about him called Machine Gun Corps in Kentucky which was published in our US Branch WFA journal, I think it's on WFA wab site.

Here in Lexington was a man I did not know about, French, I knew of Hartley.

He was a black man born here in 1896, single, had worked as a shoe shiner and jockey. He was literate, parents were married and a good family.

In May 1918 facing the draft here he joined the Canadians as did Alexander McClintock DCM also buried here, see below. He served in France with the Forestry Corps.

He was discharged in Montreal in May 1919 apparently healthy and remained there and died ot TB a year later.

In August 1931 it was ruled his death was the result of service and in May 1932 IWGC placed a headstone in a local cemetery where he was buried.

CWGC Ottawa visited the grave in 1990 and noted the headstone had sunk t the base of the cross obscuring the family inscription of Rest In Peace. they hired corrective work done and when I visited I saw they had excavated far below where they should have and much of the base was exposed and the headstone was poor otherwise. Ottawa agreed with me a new one was needed, it was shipped to a friend of mine in the monument business and installed this week.

I have sent Beppo a picture of the old one and asked him to post it in this thread, it's beyond me to do it no matter how easy. Will get a digital done of the new one next week and ask him to post it too. No, I don't have a digital camera but secretary does!

Here you are Paul.

I will post the second one as soon as I get it

[Terry Denham]

Well done, Paul.

A good result for all your efforts.

[paul guthrie]

Thanks Tony, ( Beppo). Terry this one took very little effort, a few trips to the cemetery and a bit of research which to us isn't work at all.

If any of you looked for the article on Hartley on WFA site it's under discussion room then technology instead of individuals, have asked Martin Hornsby to change that, Michelle I had his email and not yours.

[mordac]

Excellent job Paul. Thanks for your time and effort in seeing this member of the CEF is properly honoured.

Here's to you and Private French.

Garth

[BeppoSapone]

I have sent Beppo a picture of the old one and asked him to post it in this thread, it's beyond me to do it no matter how easy. Will get a digital done of the new one next week and ask him to post it too. No, I don't have a digital camera but secretary does!

Here is the first of the photo's Paul promised

[BeppoSapone]

I have sent Beppo a picture of the old one and asked him to post it in this thread, it's beyond me to do it no matter how easy. Will get a digital done of the new one next week and ask him to post it too. No, I don't have a digital camera but secretary does!

Here is the first of the photo's Paul promised

Sorry, it didn't work.

Here it is!

[BeppoSapone]

I have sent Beppo a picture of the old one and asked him to post it in this thread, it's beyond me to do it no matter how easy. Will get a digital done of the new one next week and ask him to post it too. No, I don't have a digital camera but secretary does!

And here is the second