The Hard Luck Allens

On 5 April 1912 at Chatham, Ontario a young couple began their life together. The former bachelor was 21 years old, and his new bride was all of 19. The former was of the Presbyterian faith while the latter was Methodist. Both resided in Chatham at the time of their betrothal and would make their home there.

The husband was recorded with the trade of carpenter upon his enlistment with the 186^th Overseas Battalion at Chatham on 1 March 1916. Four years had transpired since his marriage and the now Private of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces had greater responsibilities than the care and support of his wife as one month prior to the declaration of war between the British and German Empire a son, Glenn Woodrow Allen, was born on 4 July 1914.

Our husband, now with limited experience in the raising of a family, felt the pull of enlisting for King and Country and forsaking the sacrifice in the time away from his family and the possibility of death so strongly that he was compelled to present himself for His Majesty’s service on that day in March.

Private Roy Lyman Allen was from a large family, certainly by today’s standards. He had three brothers and sisters. The eldest, Glen Butler Allen born in 1888 and the youngest Jessie Anne Allen born in 1907. All the members of his family, including his parents, were alive at this time and one wonders about the feelings they held towards his decision to join the colours.

Though he was leaving his wife and son, his wife could count on the support of her in-laws as they were residents in Chatham.  Her father, sadly, had passed in 1910 and her mother in 1901. Her siblings, five sisters and two brothers, all were alive, and some would have lived in the area to act as support for her and her young son. Between the two families Florence and little Glenn would be well cared for.

By 1921 they all would be dead.

The first to die was the mother. On the 23 of February 1917 after suffering for 7-weeks Florence Irene “Flossie” (Arnold) Allen died of septic peritonitis, a condition that can be caused by bacterial infection or due to a rupture or hole from an organ inside the abdomen. The death certificate was not specific and it appears that she died at the Allen home as the informant was her husband.

He, and her 3-year-old son did not have much time to mourn as Private Allen was slated to leave for active duty overseas and on 25 March 1917 had embarked for England aboard the SS Lapland with the rest of the 186th. He had left his son under the guardianship of Mrs. Lena Oldershaw, his sister-in-law, and had also assigned his will to her as his beneficiary. Thus, little Glenn moved from his home near Chatham to Walkerville, Ontario. His aunt was the oldest sister and appears to have not had any children.

Now that Glenn was established with family Private Allen could focus on his role as an infantry man. He arrived at Liverpool on 7 April 1917 and after just over 4-months was transferred to active combat duty with the 18^th Battalion arriving “in the field” on 5 September 1917.

Having missed the maw that was Lens, he served with the 18^th Battalion until he was “Killed instantly by enemy shell fire at Passchendaele.”

From the description of this Circumstances of Death Card Private Allen did not stand a chance. The family could take little consolation in his sudden death as his body was never identified, and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate.

One does not want for the reason of connecting the text of the Circumstances of Death Card to the fact he had no identifiable remains.

The “luck” of this family would be completed with one final tragedy. Fatherless Glenn would not become a precocious and precious 7-year-old boy with skinned knees and a curiosity about insects of the other things little boys love and obsess over.

The Windsor Star reported on 26 August 1920 the death of this boy in his sixth year.

A combination of green grapes and ice cream were blamed as the cause of his death from septic poisoning. The article reviews the tragic circumstances of the family leading to the orphaning of Glenn and the pain of his death for his extended family is sharpened by the milestone of Glenn having completed kindergarten in the past school year.

When one looks at the photograph of this family certain characteristics stand out. Florence has a quiet confident demeanour, and her expression evokes an expression of a quiet assured confidence, as if she is content with her life made complete by her husband and son and she is prepared for the challenges and rewards of parenting. Roy matches his wife’s beauty with his handsome looks. He too, appears quietly confident and content and they look like their arms are locked behind each other’s waists maintaining an intimate contact that symbolizes their love for each other. Glenn stands centred between them, the focus of their lives. His facial features are an amalgam of is parents’ facial characteristics combining the best features of them. His features are not strongly defined as his parents as he has that slightly physical rounding of one’s features at that age.

This photograph was taken between Private Allen’s enlistment and his wife’s death. This moment captured reflects their physical and mental state prior to Florence’s death. Private Allen may have had an opportunity to resign from the army but he had the support of his family and with Glenn cared for by Lena Private Allen could continue his commitment to his Sovereign.

Glenn was probably too small to fully comprehend the loss of his mother and his father. One hopes that his aunt was as loving and caring as his mother, but his life was cut short during the late summer of 1920 and he would never be able to come to fully appreciate his parents’ lives and the sacrifice of his father.

The photograph is a timeless witness to a family that were bonded by marriage, blood, and tragically, death.