Source: Re. George Cruickshank’s service records record of promotion per Conlin’s death due to illness.
Family Search: When Corporal Henry Ross Conlin was born on 26 August 1892, in Stormont Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario, Canada, his father, Thomas Conlin, was 39 and his mother, Elizabeth Ross, was 29. He married Jessie May McQuarrie on 4 November 1916, in Guelph, Wellington, Ontario, Canada. He lived in Wellington, Ontario, Canada in 1901 and Orton, Wellington, Ontario, Canada in 1915. He registered for military service in 1916. In 1915, at the age of 23, his occupation is listed as farmer in Orton, Wellington, Ontario, Canada. He died on 29 November 1918, in Tournay, Luxembourg, Belgium, at the age of 26, and was buried in Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium.
153rd Website: Trade listed as Farmer. DOB 26-8-92, born Township of East Garafraxa, Grey County. 6 foot. Blue eyes, dark hair. Methodist. NOK Thomas Conlin, father. Elizabeth Conlin, mother. Enlisted Fergus 16-12-15 (age 23 years 4 months). On 153rd Nominal Roll 5-2-16, no transfer noted. On 153rd Nominal Roll as published Guelph Mercury 10-6-16. On 153rd Battalion Nominal Roll as published Guelph Mercury 1-12-16. Embarked with 153rd Halifax N.S. SS Olympic 29-4-17. Arrived Liverpool 7-5-17. Assigned 25th Reserve for Training and Administration. Taken on Strength 18th Battalion in the field 9-2-18. Hospitalized 16-11-18, influenza. Died of influenza, bronchial pneumnia 29-11-18, buried Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Belgium. Grave Reference: IV.G.2
Military Medal Authorized 4-12-18. L.G. 31430 3-7-19.
Name inscribed on Fergus Cenotaph.
Circumstances of Death Register by Library & Archives Canada: Died Broncho Pneumonia) at No.51 Casualty Clearing Station. Next of Kin: Mrs. Mae Conlin, Box 208, Elora, Ontario. Memorial Tombstone McKee Cemetery, Belwood. Photo courtesy Billion Graves. Headstone photo courtesy War Graves Photographic Project.
File: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 1908 – 3, courtesy Library & Archives Canada.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial courtesy Veteran Affairs Canada.
Earned Military Medal. London Gazette. No. 31340. June 3, 1919.
News article about the Conlin Brothers.
Harry Ross Conlin, commemorative scroll, 1918.
Commemorated at the Fergus War Memorial.
“Died” (Bronche Pneumonia) at No. 51. Casualty Clearing Station.
This 23-year old farmer enlisted with the 153rd Battalion at Fergus, Ontario on December 16, 1915. His father Thomas was listed as his next of kin.
6′ tall, he was approximately 6″ taller than the average soldier in the CEF during the war and his physical development was considered “excellent”.
He was appointed a Lance-Corporal before the battalion left Canada.
He boarded ship at Halifax aboard the MHT Olympic on April 25, 1917, and arrived at Liverpool on May 7, 1917. That very same day he was TOS with the 25th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott and was reverted to the rank of private.
On November 25, 1917, he was to be an acting Lance-Corporal and was reverted to private on December 14, 1917, in expectation of being transferred to active service.
The next day he arrived at No. 2 Canadian Infantry Base Depot, Etaples, and then moved on to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp 3-days later.
He stayed at the CCRC until February 7, 1918, when he was transferred to the 18th Battalion and arrived in the field with that unit.
He served with the 18th and was appointed an Acting Lance-Corporal on June 22, 1918, and then promoted to Corporal on August 25, 1918.
Having survived the 100 Days Campaign and the war he was to be felled by bronchial pneumonia, possibly Spanish Flu, on November 29, 1918.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 