Source: Patrice Machin’s post of this soldier’s inscription in stone at the Bouvigny-Boyeffles.
Family Search: Private Sahag Hovanessiah was born on 30 December 1890, in Van, Ottoman Empire as the son of Orvarness Hovanessiah. He had at least 2 sons and 1 daughter with Mazel Hovanessiah. He immigrated to Galt, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 1913 and lived in Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario, Canada in 1922 and York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1931. He registered for military service in 1915. In 1931, at the age of 41, his occupation is listed as fireman in York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He died on 25 January 1933, in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 42, and was buried in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
AKA Sahag Ohanesian.
Private Sahag Hovanessiah. Regimental no.769329.
This man enlisted with the 124th Battalion at Toronto, Ontario, on 30 December 1916. He was a labourer with no prior military experience.
He embarked for England at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 7 August 1916, and arrived at Liverpool on 18 August 1917.
He was transferred to the 18th Battalion for active combat duty on 10 October 1916, and was sent overseas the next day. He arrived at the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion on 5 November 1916 and served with that battalion until arriving at the 18th Battalion on 16 April 1917.
He suffered from Myalgia from 21 May 1917 and was treated at No. 4 Canadian Field Ambulance until his release from treatment on 27 May 1917.
On 7 November 1917, he was granted leave to Bordeaux, France.
He was sentenced to 27 days Field Punishment No. 1 on 20 August 1917 for “While on active service for being in Paris while on pass to Bordeaux 13 November 1917.”
Private Hovanessiah was wounded with a GSW to the neck on 16 August 1918. He was admitted to No. 6 General Hospital and was discharged on 29 August to the Canadian Base Depot at Harve, France. He then was transferred to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp on 18 September 1918 and returned to the 18th Battalion on 5 October 1918.
He was granted 14 days leave to the United Kingdom on 1 November 1918.
He returned to the 18th Battalion and, suffering from VD,G he was admitted to No. 6 Canadian Field Hospital on 29 January 1919. He was treated at a number of hospitals on the Continent, being discharged 12 February 1919.
He was discharged due to demobilization on 11 July 1919, at Toronto, Ontario.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 