For many years in Port Coquitlam, beginning in 1946, William Tuohey, one of our most distinguished citizens, called the roll at the War Memorial Cenotaph on Remembrance Day.
Mr. Tuohey was born in England in 1881 and immigrated to Canada in 1903, whereupon he began working for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He served overseas during the First World War with the 54th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and later came to Port Coquitlam in 1929, retiring from the railway in 1946.
He was a past president and lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion, and was involved with the Earl Haig Society, which helped build seniors housing locally.
In recognition of his many outstanding volunteer achievements, William Tuohey was presented with the Citizen of the Year Award for 1965.
Although well into his eighties, he would stand tall in the sometimes bitter cold and rain at the cenotaph and recite the names of the WWI soldiers inscribed there. He was assisted by Malcolm Rae, a decorated Second World War veteran, who would call the names of those who died in service to their country during the second war to end all wars.
In a previous Your History column in 2012, we learned of the background and lives of the men whose names are on the PoCo cenotaph, who paid the ultimate sacrifice in WWII. The following is a short biography of the 25 men from WWI whose names were to be read aloud by the Royal Canadian Legion at Veterans Park in Port Coquitlam yesterday (Tuesday, Nov. 11).
THE NAMES
David Edmond Baird. Born Quebec PQ, May 14, 1895. Enlisted Nov. 11, 1914. Served 29th Battalion CEF. Killed In Action Aug. 13, 1916. Age 21. John MacDonald. Born Kirkmichael, Perthshire, Scotland Aug. 5, 1886. Enlisted Sept. 23, 1914. Served with the 5th Battalion. Died of wounds Ypres April 27, 1915. Age 29.
John Bruce. Born Renton, Dumbpartonshire, Scotland July 11, 1889. Played for local Black and Gold football team. Enlisted Feb. 11, 1916 with 131st Battalion. KIA Aug. 22, 1917. Age 28.
George Reid. Born Greenock, Scotland April 28,1885. Enlisted Sept. 14,1915 72nd Battalion. KIA Vimy Ridge April 9,1917. Age 31. Duncan James McDonnell. Born North Bay, Ont. Dec. 24, 1888. Enlisted Sept. 23, 1914 16th Battalion. KIA March 7, 1915 Age 26.
James Taylor. Born Lancashire, England Dec. 12, 1877 Enlisted Jan. 15, 1916. Spent 4 years previous with 104th Westminster Battalion. Served with 4th Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps. Died of wounds Jan. 19, 1918. Age 38.
William Henry Oatway. Born Bristol, England Oct. 10, 1889. Enlisted Nov. 1, 1915 72nd Battalion. KIA Vimy Ridge April 9 1917. Age 27.
Thomas Arthur Smith. Born Eastbourne, Sussex England July 13, 1884. Was a Police Constable in Port Coquitlam prior to enlistment Nov. 9, 1914 with 29th Battalion. KIA Oct. 22, 1918. Age 34.
William Johnstone Hunter. Born Jan. 11, 1889 Edinburgh, Scotland. Enlisted Sept. 23, 1914, served prior with 31st BC Horse Militia Port Coquitlam. KIA with 5th Battalion Sept. 27, 1916. Age 27.
George Bates. Born Toronto, Ont. Aug. 22, 1887. Enlisted Nov. 12, 1914 29th Battalion. Died in hospital of peritonitis Schorncliffe, England Aug. 31, 1915. Age 28.
John Eustace St. Pierre. Born Clapton, London, Eng. Oct. 11, 1885. Operated Scott and St. Pierre Decorators in Port Coquitlam prior to war. Enlisted 158th Battalion Oct. 7, 1916 and died Nov. 10, 1917. Age 32.
James Bean Redpath. Born Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland May 10, 1888. Enlisted with 72nd Battalion Feb. 29,1916. KIA Sept. 9, 1916. Age 27.
Walter John Wigmore. Born Laskey, Ont. June 15, 1884. Enlisted with 131st Battalion New Westminster Jan. 28, 1916. KIA 47th Battalion Nov. 15, 1917. Age 33.
Thomas MacQueen. Born London, England Feb. 10, 1883. Served with local 104th Battalion Militia before war. Enlisted with the 131st Battalion Dec. 6, 1915. KIA with 47th Battalion Hill 70 Aug. 21, 1917. Age 34.
Walter Livingstone Raynes. Born Fairville, N.B. Nov. 3, 1881. Was Reverend of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Port Coquitlam prior to the war. Enlisted with the 11th Reserve Battalion Dec. 6, 1915. Chaplain with the (PPCLI) Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Killed by enemy sniper at front Oct. 30, 1917. Age 35.
Benjamin Minter Seaborne. Born Thamesford, Ont. Oct. 18, 1886. Was storekeeper of Seaborne Toggeries in Port Coquitlam, and was with the 31st Regiment B.C. Horse, prior to the war. Enlisted with the 47th Battalion New Westminster Nov. 4, 1915. KIA Nov. 11, 1916. Age 30.
Alexander James Masson. Born Edinburgh, Scotland March 24, 1887. Served with the 31st Regiment BC Horse prior to the war. Enlisted 5th Battalion Lord Strathcona's Horse Sept. 23, 1914. Transferred to the British Army promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. KIA Second Battle of the Somme March 23, 1918. Age 30.
Daniel Judd. Born Essex, England Dec. 20, 1876. Served with the 104th Westminster Regiment prior to the war. Played in the Coquitlam City Band. Enlisted with the 131st Battalion March 24, 1916. KIA with the 29th Battalion Aug. 21, 1917. Age 40.
Herbert Bradley. Born Dover, England Jan. 2, 1902. Enlisted with 11th Cdn. Mounted Rifles April 29, 1916. Transferred 72nd Battalion and suffered poison gas inhalation March 1, 1917 Vimy Ridge. Discharged from service Oct. 30, 1917 account underage. Died Dec. 26, 1918 of the Spanish Influenza. Age 16.
Frank Vint. Born Kent, England Feb. 3, 1876. Served with 104th Westminster Militia prior to war. Enlisted with 47th Battalion Sept. 29, 1915. KIA Nov.11, 1916 Age 40.
Frank Upham. Served in the British Expeditionary Force with the Somerset Light Infantry. No other information known of his fate.
William Roderick Allison. Born New Westminster May 17, 1897. Nephew of BC Premier Sir Richard McBride. Enlisted with 68th Battery Reserve Artillery April 3, 1917. Seriously injured in Motor Vehicle accident Sept. 28, 1918. Died of Pneumonia Feb. 25, 1919. Age 21.
James Russell Middleton. Born Toronto, Ont. Jan. 26, 1888. Enlisted Lord Strathcona's Horse Sept. 22, 1914. Left for Commission British Imperial Army Dec. 13, 1915 and later joined the Royal Flying Corps and died in June 1917.
Alfred Charles Hartree. Born Aldershot, England Dec. 27, 1881. Served with 104th Westminster Fusiliers Militia prior to war. Enlisted with the 7th Battalion CEF. KIA Oct. 16, 1916 Age 34.
Reginald George Marshall. Born Dorset, Dorchester, England April 7, 1884. Served in 104th Westminster Militia and was a Police Constable in Port Coquitlam prior to the war. Enlisted 47th Battalion March 11, 1915. Died of wounds Aug. 22, 1917. Age 33.
May their name liveth forevermore.
A special thank you to Riverside secondary school teacher John Perry and his former students from 2007 for their research on the WWI names.
Your History is a column in which representatives of the Tri-Cities' heritage groups write about local history. Bryan Ness is with the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society.
