Source: The Trafalgar Township Historical Society
769184, b. Scotland 26 Aug 1894, Tile Setter in Toronto, son of Sarah Baird of Toronto Private, 124th Bn, enlisted Toronto, 27 December 1915. 18th Bn. Killed in Action 11 November 1917. Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. George’s Square.
(Center) Peter Baird 1081861 1st Battalion Canadian Railway Troops (survived the war) Baird, James Henderson, reg. no. 769184. (Right) Baird, James Henderson, reg. no. 769184. Contributed by Jason Couper via post at 18th Battalion Facebook Group.
Summary of Service[i] for Private James Baird, reg. no. 769184
| Date | Event | Remarks |
| August 26, 1894 | Born | Dundas, Scotland. |
| December 27, 1915 | Enlisted | Enlisted in Toronto, Ontario with the 124th Battalion, 9th Mississauga Horse. He was a 21-year old tile-setter with no prior military experience. He lived at 23 Mansfield Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. He listed his next-of-kin as his mother, Sarah Baird who resided at 121 Manning Place in Toronto. He was assigned to “B” Company. |
| March 1, 1916 | Inoculated | Anti-typhoid at the Toronto Recruiting Depot. |
| April 2, 1916 | Inoculated | Anti-typhoid at the Toronto Recruiting Depot. |
| June 9, 1916 | Married | Married to Margaret Baird. |
| June 1916 | Assigned Pay | Assigned pay to Mrs. Margaret Baird, his wife, in the amount of $20.00 per month. |
| July 30, 1916 | Makes Will | Assigns his real and personal estate to his wife, Margaret Baird, residing at 121 Manning Avenue, Toronto. |
| August 2, 1916 | Vaccinated | At the Toronto Recruiting Depot. |
| August 7, 1916 | Embarks | Embarks the S.S. Cameronia in Halifax, Nova Scotia. |
| October 10, 1916 | Transferred | Transferred for overseas service. |
| October 11, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives Canadian Base Depot, Etaples, France. Taken On Strength with the 18th Battalion. |
| November 5, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives for assignment with 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion. The battalion is stationed at Hersin, France and he is part of a group of 20 other ranks who are assigned as replacements for the 18th Battalion. |
| November 5, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives 5th Field Company, Canadian Engineers. |
| November 26, 1916 | Returns | Returns to 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion. |
| August 18, 1916 | Debarks | Arrives Liverpool. |
| September 2, 1916 | Inoculated | Anti-typhoid at the Toronto Recruiting Depot. |
| October 10, 1916 | Transferred | Transferred for overseas service. |
| October 11, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives Canadian Base Depot, Etaples, France. Taken On Strength with the 18th Battalion. |
| November 5, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives for assignment with 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion. The battalion is stationed at Hersin, France and he is part of a group of 20 other ranks who are assigned as replacements for the 18th Battalion. |
| November 5, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives 5th Field Company, Canadian Engineers. |
| November 26, 1916 | Returns | Returns to 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion. |
| April 16, 1917 | Arrives | Arrives and joins the 18th Battalion “in the field”. At this time the Battalion had been engaged in the action at Vimy Ridge. The Battalion was resting at Bois-Des-Alleux and the War Diary relates that day:
“Battalion resting. Church service and Muster Parade. 22 o.rs. rejoined from Divisional Training coy.” |
| May 28, 1917 | Injured | Injured his right ankle (sprain) during a ration-carrying party.
The Battalion was in the Mount Foret Quarries sector and the Battalion War Diary relates that day: “On the right frontage wiring was in progress and a N.C.O. and 6 men were well out front of our wire, when the barrage opened the N.C.O., Cpl. L. Skilton, gave orders for the party to retire. Immediately after the raiding party were seen and dispersed by our fire. As soon as all quietened down a search party went out but failed to find the three men of the protecting patrol who were found not to have returned. Two rifles were found in a shell-hole but no other trace of them. The night raiding party came on the road and immediately to the right of it. The left party about 250 yards from the road. At daybreak Huns were seen carrying in casualties and stretchers were seen during the day on the BOUVRY ROAD also our observers report seeing 10 or 12 dead lying in no-man’s land today at T.18.c.6.5. Our casualties during the raid were 3 men Missing, 1 man Killed and 1 man wounded.”
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| May 30, 1917 | Report | “Report on Wounds or Other Injuries Received Otherwise from Action” completed with witness statements from Lieutenant G.E. Lucas[ii], Sergeant R.E. Rouse[iii], and Private H.G. Hill[iv]. This incident was deemed accidental. |
| May 30, 1917 | Admitted | Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance for a sprained right ankle. |
| June 8, 1917 | Discharged and Admitted | Discharged from above and admitted to No. 23 Casualty Clearing Station. |
| July 2, 1917 | Discharged | Discharged and returned to unit. |
| November 11, 1917 | Killed in Action | The hell at Passchendaele. The War Diary expresses the conditions and intensity of battle by combining this entry for November 9, 10, 11, and 12:
“During the whole of this tour the Officers and men held this part of the line under the most severe conditions possible. Great difficulty was experienced in the evacuating of casualties from the front line to R.A.P.s and dressing stations. Front line trenches were subjected to frequent barrages and the rear country [area] was also heavily shelled and bombed. The supports on this front were reached by a series of tracks, being trench mat walks, and rations had to be carried by mules up these tracks. Each track being subjected to continual shellfire, the transport and ration parties where fortunate in escaping with the loss of 3 men killed and 1 mule which fell off the duckboard track and owing to the depth of the mud had to be shot. Splendid work was done by the Battalion Stretcher bearers in tending and evacuating the wounded.” His body is not recovered or identified and he is commemorated at the Menin Gate. The inscription resides on Panel 10-26-28 and he is one of 51 members of the 18th Battalion to be so memorialized. |
| July 21, 1920 | War Service Gratuity | $100.00 paid to Margaret Baird. |
| April 13, 1921 | Memorial Cross Despatched | Memorial Cross no. 11927 despatched to Mrs. S. Baird (Mother), 106 [Margueritta] Street, Toronto, Ontario. |
| May 20, 1921 | Scroll Despatched | Scroll no. Z44396 despatched to Mrs. M. Baird, P.O., Oakville, Ontario. |
| January 14, 1922 | Plaque Despatched | Plaque no. P42994 despatched to Mrs. M. Baird, P.O., Oakville, Ontario. |
[i] The Summary of Service for this soldier is meant as just that, a summary of his service. It is not intended to be an exhaustive biographical relation of his life or his war service. Some information may be deliberately suppressed by the author out of sensitivity to the soldier. Readers are encouraged to reference the actual service records available at the Library and Archives Canada in PDF format if they wish to learn more about this soldier. Such additional information (i.e. hyperlinks etc.) are for informational purpose only and no claim to verification or accuracy is made by the author of this summary.
[ii] Lieutenant Lucas’ statement reads: “ On the night of May 28, 1917 I detailed Pte. Baird to go out on an ration-carrying party.
Shortly after, Pte. Baird returned limping, and reported that he had sprained his ankle by falling over the barbed wire in front of the Trench. As soon as possible I sent him out to the aid post.
In my opinion the injury was purely accidental.”
[iii] Sergeant Rouse’s statement is as follows: “On the night of the 28/5/17 triped [sic] over Barbed wire and fell groaning. I being in charge of the party sent him bac to report to [Lieut.] Lucas who sent him out. I believe the accident was accidental.”
[iv] Private Baird’s statement is a follows: “On the night of the 28th I saw him trip in the wire and sprain his ankle [illegible] near the support line.
Suffered a sprained ankle during his duties. Documentation below:
War Diary of the 18th Battalion CEF 
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