Collacutt, Jack Harland: Service no. 745052

Digitized Service Record

Source: Canadian Expeditionary Force Research Group post at their Facebook Group.

Find-A-Grave

Family Search: Jack Harland Collacutt 745052 was born in Port Perry, Ontario on 20 March 1900. He attested on 28 November 1915, at Uxbridge, Ontario, with the 116th Overseas Battalion, claiming he was born on 20 March 1897. This lie would catch up with him in 1917. Being only 15 years old at the time, Jack already stood 6′ tall, 135 pounds, with dark complexion, brown eyes and hair. His mother was Tina (Hanck) Collacutt, also of Port Perry. His father was a horse dealer, Herbert Callacutt.

Enlisted under-aged with the 116th Battalion.

Jack Harland Collacutt 745052 was born in Port Perry, Ontario on 20 March 1900. He attested on 28 November 1915, at Uxbridge, Ontario, with the 116th Overseas Battalion, claiming he was born on 20 March 1897. This lie would catch up with him in 1917. Being only 15 years old at the time, Jack already stood 6′ tall, 135 pounds, with dark complexion, brown eyes and hair. His mother was Tina (Hanck) Collacutt, also of Port Perry. His father was a horse dealer, Herbert Callacutt.

Sailed for England, from Halifax, 23 July 1916, arriving 31 July 1916 at Liverpool. Went to France August 1916. Served with 18th Battalion from 5 October 1916, Jack joined his unit in the field, 22 October 1916 with 81 other recruits in reserve billets at Bully-Grenay. Only two days later, Jack was in the front lines when three of his comrades were killed. After a week in the front lines, Jack’s unit is relieved by the 20th Battalion. After five days back in billets at Bully, the 18th Battalion return for another tour of duty, after which they returned to Calonne in Brigade support. On 18 November 1916, the unit is back in the front lines in front of Calonne. In Brigade Reserve at Bully on 23 November 1916, the routine continues, finding the unit in the front lines at Calonne on Christmas Day.

In January of 1917 Jack’s unit, ‘A’ Company, is in the front lines at Maroc, and upon being relieved by ‘C’ Company on 17 January 1917, Jack was immediately was transferred by Field Ambulance to hospital, rejoining his unit at Haillicourt on 28 January 1917. Now at Auchel for training, Jack is admitted again to Canadian Hospital, Havre with Influenza on 9 February 1917, and discharged four days later. Jack won’t spend much more time with the 18th Battalion, leaving them behind at Thélus on 23 February 1917, as Jack is transferred to Can. Div. Train, Shorncliffe, for discharge – it was determined he is underage.

Jack is placed in the 4th Reserve Battalion, 25 February 1917. On 14 November 1917, Jack is T.O.S. by C.A.M.C. at Bramshott Camp, and eventually spends the remainder of the war with the Medical Corps at Shorncliffe. Admitted to Bramshott Hopsital with Bronchitis, 26 November 1917, and discharged 4 December 1917.

Admitted again for Influenza, 25 July 1918, and discharged 11 July 1917 at No. 11 Canadian General Hospital, Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe. Admitted Canadian Special Hospital, Witley, 2 October 1918, Gonorrhea, and discharged 1 November 1918.

Jack managed to get back home fairly early after the Armistice, and was discharged 27 December 1918 in Toronto. He went on to live in Oregon and joined the SeaBees in 1940.

Source: Canadian Expeditionary Force Research Group post at their Facebook Group.

Summary of Service[i] for Private Jack Harland Collacutt, reg. no. 745052.

Date	Event	Remarks
March 20, 1897 [March 20, 1900]	Born	Born (1900) but listed 1897. Therefore, underage. Born at Port Perry, Ontario, Canada to Mr. Herbert and Mrs. Tina Collacutt.
November 28, 1915	Enlists	Enlists at Port Perry with the 116th Battalion. Assigned to “A” Company. He is a “18”-year old student standing 5’11” tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and hair. He weighs 135 lbs. He has no distinguishing marks and his next of kin is his mother, Tina Collacutt of Port Perry.
March 1916	Forfeits Pay	Forfeits 1-days pay per Daily Order 110.
June 1916	Assigns Pay	Assigns $15.00 per month to his mother, Mrs. H.S. Collacutt.
June 23, 1916	Embarked	Embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia.
June 31, 1916	Arrived	Arrived in Liverpool, England.
October 5, 1916	Transferred	Transferred for overseas service to the 18th Battalion.
October 6, 1916	Arrives	Arrives Canadian Base Depot, Etaples, France.
October 22, 1916	Arrives	Arrives “In the Field” with the 18th Battalion at Hersin, France. Battalion in the rear at Bully Grenay.
December 13, 1916	Return of Birth Issued	Return of Birth issued to establish the true age of this man. It indicates he was born March 20, 1900 to Herbert and Lena Collacutt of Port Perry. His father is a horse dealer and the attending physician to the birth was Dr. Mellow. Registration of the birth, April 25, 1900 by J.M. Yarnold.
January 17, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance for PUO.
February 9, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Le Havre, France.
February 13, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 4 Convalescent Depot, Le Havre, France.
February 13, 1917	Discharged	Discharged from 4 Convalescent Depot, Le Havre, France. About this time, it was discovered he was under-age.
February 23, 1917	Transferred	Transferred to Canadian Training Division, Shornecliffe for discharge, under-age. SOS from 18th Battalion.
November 14, 1917	SOS	SOS 4th Reserve Battalion to CAMC, Bramshott.
November 26, 1917	TOS	TOS Bramshott.
December 4, 1917	Discharged	From above.
December 8, 1917	Ceases to be Attached	Ceases to be attached to No. 12 Canadian General Hospital on return to CAMC Depot, Shorncliffe.
February 2, 1918	SOS	SOS to No. 11 Canadian General Hospital.
July 11, 1918	Admitted	Admitted No. 11 Canadian General Hospital, Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe for influenza.
July 31, 1918	SOS	SOS to CAMC Depot being surplus to establishment.
August 1, 1918	TOS	TOS CAMC Depot, Shorncliffe.
October 2, 1918	Admitted	Admitted Canadian Special Hospital, Witley, Surrey.
October 1, 1918	SOS	TOS to Y.S. Battalion, Shorncliffe.
November 1, 1918	Discharged	From above.
November 16, 1918	Medical Exam for Discharge	Medical exam at Kinmel Park Camp.
November 22, 1918	Embarked	Embarked England to Canada aboard the S.S. Aquitania.
November 29, 1918	Arrived	Arrived Canada.
December 2, 1918	Medical Exam for Discharge	Medical exam at Toronto Exhibition Camp, No. 2 MD, Toronto.
December 24, 1918	Last Pay Certificate
December 27, 1918	Discharged	Discharged at Military District 2 (Toronto) due to demobilization. Later to be determined to be influenza.
1919	Immigrates	Immigrates to the United States
Circa 1920	Marries	Marries Laveda Marguerite Wright of Illinois.
1930	Record of Residence	Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States. . Owner of an advertising agency. US Census.
1940	Record of Residence	As above. Precinct 115.
November 15, 1986	Dies	Dies while residing at Mcminnville, Yamhill, Oregon. Interned at Willamette National Cemetery Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA. PLOT: Section COL-1 ROW K Site 313. Joined by his wife, Laveda Marguerite Wright Collacutt (died October 29, 1986).

Acronyms

CAMC	Canadian Army Medical Corp
CFA	Canadian Field Ambulance
MD	Military Discrict
PUO	Pyrexia of Unknown Origin
SOS	Struck Off Strength
TOS	Taken On Strength

[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.

Documents indicating this soldier’s true age.