His Parents Must Have Known…

Percy Scanlan enlisted with the 91^st Battalion at Chatham, Ontario on December 6, 1915. He was one of many eager recruits joining the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the second year of the war. Even the news of the Canadian experience at 2^nd Ypres and the use of gas by the Germans did not dissuade him from enlisting. Perhaps his job as a “book keeper” was not in keeping with the ideals of an young man of 19-years.

On February 28, 1916 he was transferred to the 186^th Battalion and then in May to the Machine Gun Section. A Medical Officer considered in June 1916 that is “habits” were “good”. Perhaps explaining why he was slotted to be a member of the Machine Gun Section. The Battalion trained extensively in Canada and sailed for England on March 28, 1917.

After arriving in England at Liverpool he began the process of a soldier being prepared for combat on the Continent. After being transferred to the 4^th Reserve Battalion in Bramshott he must have known that in relatively short order he would be going to an active service unit. Four months of training transpired, and he was assigned to the 18^th Battalion August 24, 1917 and joined the Battalion in the field on September 5, 1917, just before Passchendaele. Only two months passed and on November 19, 1917, after the worst of the fighting the Battalion experienced at Passchendaele, Private Scanlan was struck of strength and sent to the Western Ontario Regimental Depot, for trench foot. He was admitted to the Bath War Hospital on November 20, 1917 and released January 21, 1918 “In good condition. No evidence of disability.” There is a chance that this reason was masking another issue.

Private Scanlan was under age. He was only 17-years old when he arrived in Belgium when he joined the 18^th Battalion in active service.

It is not clear from his service records how the Canadian Military found this out and it is likely he had the tacit approval of his parents, Virgil and Maud Scanlan of Chatham, Ontario. He was in the service for almost two years before this was discovered giving the family plenty of time to inform the appropriate authorities about the status of Percy Scanlan’s date of birth, which he conveniently attached four years to stating he had been born on April 12, 1896 when, in fact, the birth year was 1900, making him 15 years, and 7 months old at the time of enlistment. In addition, starting in April 1917 Private Scanlan had assigned $15.00 of his pay per month to his mother, Maude. There is no doubt they were aware of his enlistment and service.

What ever the case, his age was discovered, and the military authorities determined that he was to be transported back to Canada and discharged. He embarked for Canada from Liverpool and was taken on strength with the 1^st Canadian Garrison Regiment on June 21, 1918. This unit had been organized in Military District 1 (London, Ontario) April 20, 1918 and was under the command of Lieut.-Col. H.L. Milligan, who had commanded the 18^th Battalion on the Continent.

On August 21, 1918 at London, Ontario, Private Scanlan’s 2 years 228 days of service ended with a discharge due to being a minor. His character was rated as “Very Good” though there is a curious document in his service record certifying that he had “no wife residing in the British Isles.” He did marry Kathleen Scanlan and she is his listed next-of-kin on his Veterans Death Card indicating he died in London, Ontario on August 25, 1956 thirty-eight years after his discharge.

Private Scanlan is only one of the many men that make up the tapestry of the 18^th Battalion experience. As it was he was not a man as he had not obtained his age of majority or by military regulation as he was not eligible to enlist until 1918. Yet, three years prior to this date he did enlist, and he must have had the consent and knowledge of his parents. He suffered from trench foot and was treated but not assigned to a “Boys Battalion” to await his age of majority so he could rejoin an active duty unit. He was sent home and served with the Canadian Army with a garrison unit, close to his home.

One wonders what he could speak of from his short experience at the front.