CANTELON, Harry Ray

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Regimental Number
411073
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
26 years 6 months
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             7th Infantry Brigade
                                             Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   411073
RESIDENCES:                  Saskatoon – Sasketchewan      
                                             Victoria - British Columbia   
DATE OF BIRTH:            June 6, 1893
                                             Clinton – Goderich Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           December 7, 1919                26 years     6 months
CEMETERY:                     Clinton Cemetery – Clinton – 
                                             County of Huron – Ontario 
                                                    E
PARENTS:                         Mr. David and Mary Ann Cantelon – Clinton – Ontario
Occupation:                        Student                                 Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Saskatoon – Saskatchewan – June 15, 1915 into the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light    
                                                                                            Infantry.
Enlistment Age:                  22 years                                             
Enlistment:                         Esquimalt – British Columbia – March 5, 1918
Enlistment Age:                 24 years     9 months

Private Cantelon and his comrades of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry departed from Canada at Levis, Quebec on the SS Royal George. Their departure took place on September 27, 1915 and arrived in England on October 18, 1915. They were first stationed at Camp Bustard – Wiltshire on the Salisbury Plain and in mid November of 1916 joined the 80th Brigade of the British Expeditionary Force. They went overseas into France on December 21, 1915 and at this time were the only Canadian unit in France. Between late 1915 until October of 1916 the PPCLI took part in the battles at Ypres, Frezenburg, Bellewaarde Ridge, Mount Sorrel, Somme and at Flers-Courcelett.
Private Cantelon in the beginning of November 1916 he is admitted to King George Hospital in London and then on November 18, 1916 until December 9, 1916 he is a patient at the Pinewood Sanitorium located in Wokingham – Hastings where he is diagnosed with tubercle of the lungs. He then is moved to a Military Hospital at Shorncliffe in the middle of December 1916 where the diagnosis is updated to pulmonary tuberculosis. The military board declares him permanently incapacitated.
He leaves England on the S.S. Scandinavian arriving at St. John, New Brunswick. From there he went Lake Edward Sanitorium in Quebec and is admitted on January 19, 1917.  He leaves this facility on August 19, 1917. This is the first time he is discharged from the Canadian Corps due to illness.
There are attestation papers showing Private Cantelon again enlisted into the Canadian Corps on March 5, 1918.
He goes to Esquimalt to “J” unit on March 9, 1918 in British Columbia where he is retested at a facility on Kootenay Lake called the Balfour Sanitorium and this is the facility where Private Cantelom spent his last days.
During this month of April 1918 it is suggested that Private Cantelon be discharged to the Invalided.Soldiers Commission for further treatment. Then in July of 1918 he is fully discharged from the services of the Canadian Corps.
Private Cantelon enlisted twice because he became ill with pulmonary tuberculosis following his first enlistment but enlisted again in the last year of the war.
In our research we came across a will that every soldier was required to make and this was dated June 15, 1915. So we can gather from this information that Private Cantelon first enlisted into the Canadian Corp and the service of Canada in the first half of 1915. Further there are attestation papers saying he enlisted in March in Saskatoon. That makes at least two times this man enlisted.
This man knew he was ill and knowing this he still enlisted into the Canadian Corps. He stood up and volunteered as most of the men did before him.