Source: Reported to be the last Commonwealth soldier to die during Word War 1
Digitized Service Record is under Briggs, Nassan Service no. 466681.
Notes: Some confusion regarding his actual first name. Several different spellings in the service record.
“The last of Canada’s First World War dead was 40-year-old Nassau Briggs, a labourer during peacetime who served as a sergeant with the Canadian Infantry’s 18th Battalion and is buried in Hamilton, Ont. Briggs’s death, on Aug. 31, 1921 of complications resulting from having been gassed, came almost three years after Armistice Day 1918, but as it coincided with the ratification of the peace treaty between Britain and Hungary — the last between Britain and its wartime antagonists — it is considered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to be the last death of a Canadian during the Great War. Nov. 11, 1918, in essence, was a truce, a temporary suspension of hostilities. The war didn’t end until its combatants agreed it was over and signed on the dotted line.”
Source: Grave matters article.
Sergeant Briggs and family, circa 1915-1919. He is with his wife Florence, daughter Elsie and son Ernest. Source: Karen Lucas.
Summary of Service[i] for Sergeant Nassau Briggs, reg. no. 406681.
| Date | Event | Remarks |
| June 12, 1881 | Born | Born at Leeds, Yorkshire, England. |
| March 22, 1915 | Enlists | Enlists with the 36th Battalion at Hamilton, Ontario. He is a 33-year old labourer and is married to Florence Briggs, residing at 35 Ardvollien[ii] Street, Hamilton. He has no prior military experience. |
| April 1915 | Assigns Pay | $20.00 per month to his wife Mrs. Florrie Briggs. |
| May 1915 | Separation Allowance | $20.00 per month to his wife Mrs. Florrie Briggs. |
| August 28, 1915 | Arrives England | |
| November 1, 1915 | Transferred | Transferred to 18th Battalion. |
| November 2, 1915 | Taken On Strength | T.O.S. in the field with the 18th Battalion. At this time the Battalion had been in active operations since September 25, 1915. The War Diary relates on this date as it was in the front line in Flanders, Belgium:
“Battalion relived 19th Bn. In trenches and at Vierstraat – “B” + “D” Coys in Trenches.” |
| December 21, 1915 | Admitted | Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance. Carbuncle. |
| December 30, 1915 | Admitted | To a Casualty Clearing Station. |
| January 8, 1916 | Discharged | Discharged to duty and rejoined unit. |
| February 19, 1916 | Admitted | Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance. |
| February 20, 1916 | Admitted | Divisional Rest Station at Goderwaerovelde. |
| February 27, 1916 | Discharged | |
| March 7, 1916 | Admitted | Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance. |
| March 8, 1916 | Admitted | Divisional Rest Station at Goderwaerovelde. |
| March 13, 1916 | Admitted | Nor. Med. Divisional Casualty Clearing Station. |
| March 15, 1916 | Discharged | Discharged for duty. |
| March 31, 1916 | Admitted | No. 14 General Hospital, Wimereaux, France. |
| April 16, 1916 | Admitted | Admitted No. 5 Convalescent Depot, Wimereaux, France. |
| April 26, 1916 | Discharged | Discharged to Base Depot. |
| May 4, 1916 | Proceeds to Unit | |
| May 5, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives with 18th Battalion “In the Field”. |
| December 29, 1916 | Leave | Granted 10 days leave. |
| November 18, 1917 | Admitted | Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance for impetigo. |
| November 27, 1917 | Discharged | Discharged to duty. |
| December 8, 1917 | Granted Leave | 14 days leave to England. |
| October 14, 1918 | Admitted | No. 4 Canadian Field Ambulance the to Casualty Clearing Station. Inflamed glands. |
| October 21, 1918 | Admitted | Admitted to No. 18 General Hospital. |
| October 23, 1918 | Invalided to England | Invalided to England, sick. |
| October 21, 1918 | Taken On Strength | T.O.S. with the Western Ontario Regimental Depot at Witley, England. |
| November 20, 1918 | On Command | On Command with No. 1 C.C.D. |
| March 31, 1919 | Ceases on Command | |
| April 1, 1919 | Taken On Strength | T.O.S. “P Cadre”. |
| March 9, 1919 | Admitted | Admitted for synovitis of the knee at 1st C.C.D. |
| March 24, 1919 | Discharged | |
| June 9, 1919 | Appointed | Appointed Acting/Corporal with pay. |
| June 29, 1919 | Medical Exam | Medical exam in preparation for return to Canada. |
| June 30, 1919 | Dental Exam | Dental exam in preparation for return to Canada. |
| August 9, 1919 | Appointed | Appointed Acting/Sergeant with pay. |
| September 9, 1919 | Taken On Strength | T.O.S. “R. Wing” at Witley. |
| September 20, 1919 | Struck Off Strength | S.O.S. to Canada. |
| October 6, 1919 | Discharged | Discharged at No. 2 Military District, Toronto, Ontario. Eligible for War Service Badge, Class A. |
| October 20, 1920 | Change of Address | Change of address for Mrs. N. Briggs to 315 Mary Street, Hamilton, Ontario. |
| August 31, 1921 | Dies | Dies due to service. Buried at Hamilton Cemetery. He is officially the last Canadian soldier of the Great War to die according to the standards invoked by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. |
| April 26, 1926 | Scroll Despatched | Scroll no. 2135 despatched to Mrs. F. Biggs. |
| January 20, 1927 | Plaque Despatched | Plaque no. 2890 despatched to Mrs. F. Biggs. |
[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] No reference to this street found.
Source: CVWM via Marika Pirie.
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