Source: Per record of promotion for George Stronach, reg. no. 424427.
This soldier enlisted with the 18th Battalion on 23. October 1914. He was a 39.5 year old painter married to Martha Campbell. He claimed he had 14 years with the Royal Irish Rifles when he enlisted at Galt, Ontario.
Joining the 18th Battalion as an “original” he was granted the rank of Company Sergeant Major until he reverted to the rank of private on March 23, 1915. This would be so he could ensure that he was sent overseas to France, instead of being possibly allocated to training duties in England.
He was assigned to “D” Company and set his Assigned Pay for his wife at $15.00 per month. She was residing at 42 Robert Street, Newtownards, County Down, Ireland.
The 18th Battalion sailed for England on 18 April 1915, arriving at Avonmouth aboard the SS Grampian on 29 April 1915.
On 7 June 1915 he received 3rd Class Cook’s working pay and then 2nd Class Cook’s pay on 10 August 1915.
Going overseas to Belgium with the 18th he arrived in France in transit to the front on 14 September 1915 and served there until granted 9-days leave on 13 March 1916.
Just over a year later, on 6 April 1917 he was promoted to Sergeant though he had been acting as a Company Sergeant Major effective 20 March 1917. Bureaucratically he promoted to Company Sergeant Major and then Warrant Officer Class II on this date.
He was wounded on 4 November 1917 and stayed with his unit until the 14th when he was sent to No. 11 Canadian Field Ambulance for treatment and then discharged on the same day to No. 23 Casualty Clearing Station on the 16th where he was treated until discharged to his unit on the 29th.
He was posted to England as an exchanged Warrant Officer on 23 December 1917 to Bramshott.
He began to have medical issues with his stomach and arrived at No. 12 Canadian General Hospital, Bramshott on 3 April 1918 and then was transferred to No. 5 Canadian General Hospital on 11 July 1918.
He assigned $25.00 of Assigned Pay to his wife, who was residing at 42 Robert Street, Newtownards, County Down, Ireland to start on 1 July 1918. He had the rank of Company Sergeant Major at this time.
He returned to Canada aboard the SS Tunisian on 24 September 1918. He arrived in Canada where he was sent to the Military Hospital at London, Ontario 10 October 1918 and was sent to Guelph for treatment on 13 November 1918, returning to London on the 28th
He was discharged on 30 November 1918 as medically unfit for duty at London, Ontario. His Character and Conduct was rated as VERY GOOD.
His death was considered related to his military service and a Memorial Cross was despatched to his wife, Martha, residing at 542 Guelph Street, Preston, Ontario. It was issued to her as his mother was deceased.
He died on 6 January 1950 and is buried at Parklawn Cemetery, Cambridge (Preston), Ontario.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 