Puterbaugh, Alfred Frederick: Service no. 53378

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Digitized Service Record

Source: July 1917 Casualty.

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DIED OF WOUNDS

Pte. Alfred Puterbaugh, of 36 Geary avenue, was wounded by a gunshot in the head December 24 last, and after several moths of suffering died July 30 in the Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington, England. He was 26 years of age and was employed for a while with J.B. Smith and Sons, lumber merchants, where his father is employed.

Toronto Star. August 7, 1917.

Summary of Service[i] for Private Alfred Puterbaugh, reg. no. 53378

Notes: This soldier does not appear to have assigned any of his pay to a family member or other. This is unusual and may simply reflect that those records did not make it into his service record docket.

Date	Event	Remarks
May 1, 1889	Born	Born at Toronto, Ontario to Alf Puterbaugh.
November 3, 1914	Enlisted	Enlisted at London, Ontario with the 18th Battalion. He was a machine had standing 5’7” and had a red complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. He had no prior military experience and was 25-years and 5-months old. He was Presbyterian. His next-of-kin was Alfred Puterbaugh, father, care of J.B. Smith Lumber Company, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
November 10, 1914	Inoculated	Typhoid.
November 20, 1914	Inoculated	Typhoid.
December 17, 1914	Vaccinated
March 25, 1915	Pay Mutch	Pay of 6-days withheld. Reason unknown. Reference DO 137-25-3-15.
April 18, 1915	Unit Sailed	The 18th Battalion sails for England from Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the S.S. Grampian.
April 29, 1915	Unit Arrives	Unit arrives at Avonmouth, takes train to Shorncliffe and is stationed at West Sandling Camp.
September 14, 1915	Embarks Overseas	The 18th Battalion is transferred to action with the 2nd Canadian Division to Belgium. He is a member of “B” Company.
October 18, 1915	Appointed Cook	Appointed cook in the field. As Pte. J. Douglass, reg. no. 53448 returned to duty. Working pay of $0.50 per day instituted.
October 31, 1915	Returned to Duty	Returned to duty and ceases to draw working pay.
December 7, 1915	Wounded, Accidental. Admitted	Admitted No. 6 British Red Cross Hospital, Etaples, France. Wounded light to leg, accidental. The War Diary states, “LA CLYTTE – Companies practice Smoke Helmet drill. “B”-“D” Coy paid.” The cause of the wounds are not recorded and there is no inquiry on record for the incident. Soldiers accidentally injured usually had an inquiry done by a board of 3 offices to determine cause and assign blame. If the wounding was through negligence the soldier could be charged. It appears that the wounding was of no direct cause of negligence as Private Puterbaugh’s service record shows no action against him.
December 10, 1915	Transported to England	Transported by H.S. Stad Antwerpen.
December 10, 1915	Admitted	Admitted to Military Hospital, Shornecliffe.
December 13, 1915	Transferred	Transferred to 36th Battalion.
December 31, 1915	Discharged	Discharged to light duty at Shornecliffe.
February 22, 1916	Field Punishment No. 2	Awarded 5-days FP No. 2 for drunkenness by Officer Commanding, 36th Battalion.
March 1, 1916	Boarded	Medical Board convened for assessment of G.S.W. left thigh and chronic tonsilitis. Recommended further treatment at West-Cliff Canadian Eye and Ear Hospital.
March 24, 1916	Admitted	Moore Barracks Hospital, Shornecliffe, Kent, England.
March 23, to March 30, 1916	Admitted	To West Cliff. Condition listed as quinsy.
March 31 to April 22, 1916	Admitted	Admitted to West Cliff Canadian Eye and Ear Hospital. Tonsils removed.
April 1, 1916	Admitted	West-Cliff Canadian Eye and Ear Hospital.
April 22, 1916	Discharged	Discharged from hospital and treatment at Folkestone, Kent, England.
April 28, 1916	Bacteriological Report	Negative test for diphtheria.
April 25, 1916	Taken on Strength	TOS with the 39th Battalion.
June 8, 1916	Admitted	Admitted to Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bromley.
June 19, 1916	Discharged	Discharged to 39th Battalion.
July 6, 1916	Pay Restricted	Pay restricted to $0.20 per day. Reason unknown. Privates earned $1.10 per day when on active duty.
September 24, 1916	Stuck on Strength	SOS to the 18th Battalion.
September 28, 1916	Taken on Strength	TOS in the field. Arrives at Canadian Base Depot, Etaples, France.
October 8, 1916	Proceeds to Unit	Proceeds to 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion.
October 16, 1916	Joins Unit	Joins 18th Battalion.
December 24, 1916	Wounded and Admitted	Wounded. Admitted 6 Casualty Clearing Station. Dangerously Wounded per Officer Commanding. The Battalion was stationed a Calonne II in France and the War Diary notes, “Position as yesterday. 2 o.r. reported wounded. Patrols covered Battalion frontage and reported all quiet.”
December 27, 1916	Update	Slight improvement.
January 3, 1917	Update	Slight improvement.
January 5, 1917	Admitted	General Hospital, Camiers, France. Seriously ill.
January 7, 1917	General Hospital, Camiers	Still seriously ill.
January 19, 1917	General Hospital, Camiers	Improved.
January 22, 1917	Admitted	University College Hospital, London, England. Gunshot Wound, head.
February 3, 1917	Operation
March 15, 1917	Taken of Strength	TOS from Canadian Convalescent Assembly Corp to Western Ontario Regimental Depot at Bramshott.
June 6, 1916	Admitted	Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bromley, for tonsillitis and sciatica.
June 8, 1917	Operation	Wound was discharging. Removed a foreign object.
July 5, 1917	Admitted	Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bromley.
July 7, 1917	Admitted	Orpington.
July 16, to 31, 1917	Chart of temperature, pulse, and respiration	Operated on on July 24, 1917, at 5:00 PM. Temperature erratic and running a fever of up to 102 degrees.
July 23, 1917	Ontario Military Hospital	Private Puterbaugh is in Ward 2, bed 36.
July 24, 1917	Report of X-Ray Examination	“Fracture of the skull extending from the median line 2.5” to the right and from the apex forward 2”. Small portions excised at the median and lateral borders of the fracture.
July 24, 1917	Updated	Dangerously ill.
July 30, 1917	Died of Wounds	Died of wounds related to GSW to head.
June 9, 1917	Made Out Will	Will leave $100 to his Aunt, Mrs. P. Gillie of 2418 Dundas Street, West, Toronto and the same amount to his sister Miss Dorothy Puterbaugh, No. 5 Gladstone Place, Toronto. The remainder is designated to his other sister, Agnes of 53 Howland, Toronto.
June 10, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bromley.
June, to 31, 1917	Chart of temperature, pulse, and respiration	Operated on July 24, 1917, at 5:00 PM. Temperature erratic and running a fever of up to 102 degrees.
June 23, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to Ontario Military Hospital, Orpinton.
June 25, 1917	Classified as Dangerously Ill	There may have been a telegram generated to next of kin about his condition. Medical records indicate a broad infection.
June 30, 1917	Died of Wounds	Patient notes: “Patient had two convulsions. Operation: Old wound in head opened. Duro thickened but no pus found. Developed a meningitis – staphylococci found. Patient died 30-7-17 following G.S.W. in head. A. Cerebral abscess. Iii Pulmonary oedema. Private Puterbaugh died at 1:00 AM.
	Buried	Buried at Orpington All Saints Churchyard Extension. He was later joined by Private G.M. Clark, reg. no. 651472 who died of wounds on September 20, 1918. They lie with 84 other Canadians who are buried there. His inscription reads: A LOVING SON, TRUE AND KIND A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY LEFT BEHIND FATHER
Spring 1921	Medals and Decoration	Medals and Decorations directed to Miss Agnes Puterbaugh, 53 Howland Road, Toronto, Ontario.
May 26, 1921	Memorial Scroll	Scroll sent to Mr. Alfred Puterbaugh, 36 Geary Street, Toronto, Ontario. Scroll requisition no. 244883.
December 31, 1921	Memorial Plaque	Plaque sent to Mr. Alfred Puterbaugh, 36 Geary Street, Toronto, Ontario. Plaque requisition no. P23123.
No Date	Memorial Cross	Nil. Only issued to a surviving mother or wife.
No Date	Eligible for…	14-15 Start, Victory Medal,

[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.