DOUGALL, Harry Imrie

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Regimental Number
859467
Rank
Sergeant
Date of Death
Age at Death
27 years 6 months
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        1st Canadian Infantry Division
                                             1st Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps
SERVICE NO:                   859467
RESIDENCE:                    Whitewater – Manitoba .
DATE OF BIRTH:            September 16, 1892
                                             Hensall – Hay Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           March 27, 1920                    27 years     6 months
CEMETERY:                     Hensall Union Cemetery – Hensall – 
                                             County of Huron – Ontario
PARENTS:                         Mr. Henry and Catherine Dougall – Hensall – Ontario-
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Presbyterian
Enlistment:                         Winnipeg – Manitoba – December 4, 1915
Enlistment Age:                 23 years     3 months

While at East Sandling - Kent he transferred to the Canadian Machine Gun Depot based at Risboro - Buckinghamshire and this was on October 21, 1916.
Private Dougall arrived in France on November 15, 1917 and transferred to the 3rd Canadian Machine Gun Company four days later on November 19th. Then when the 5th Canadian Infantry Division was disbanded in England in the spring of 1918, he was absorbed into the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps which was part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. In February he was promoted to Corporal followed by another promotion to Sergeant in May of 1918.
Sergeant Dougall served with his unit on the front lines until August of 1918. He was then admitted to No. 11 Canadian Field Hospital and then to No. 49 Casualty Clearing Station on the 21st of the month. His condition was diagnosed as ICT (inflamed connective tissue) feet. He was then taken to No. 6 General Hospital on August 23, 1918 with an infection affecting the tissue of the feet – most likely “trench foot.” A short period later he was admitted to No. 2 Convalescent Depot in Rouen on August 25th.
He was discharged from medical care on September 24, 1918.
He departed France following the Armistice for England on March 25, 1919.
Then on April 26, 1919 he sailed from England for Canada on The Empress of Britain, and on May 7, 1919 he was discharged from service in the Canadian Military. This was in Toronto at No. 2 Discharge Depot.
His intended residence was going to be Mountainside in Manitoba. From our research, we cannot determine if he went back to Mountainside and passed away there with his remains brought back to Hensall or if he is resting in Mountainside with a marker there and at Hensall or if he went back to Hensall and passed away there.
Trench foot is caused from cold, wet and unsanitary conditions. This is exactly what a trench was. Men stood in the wet trenches for hours without being able to remove their wet socks or boots. The prevention was for a man to dry his feet on a regular basis during the day and to put on dry socks and boots. Not possible with the conditions in the trenches during the war. The feet gradually went numb and the skin would either turn red or blue and if untreated the foot could turn gangrenous with amputation being the solution. As the war was nearing its end soldiers began to cover their feet with a grease that was made from whale-oil.