Wallace, John Andrew Robertson: Service no. 54058

Source: Via David Wallace from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

Summary of Service for this soldier is below photos.

Wallace, John A.: Service no. 54058. Later promoted lieutenant and served with the 58th Battalion.

A photograph of 18th Battalion soldiers training. These soldiers are are members of “C” Company. Sergeant John Wallace stands at the ready with a Ross Rifle and Bayonet with other members of his company. He is standing front row, 3rd from the right. Lance-Sergeant Sifton, VC, is standing to the extreme right with the tip of his bayonet almost touching the frame of the photograph. This rare photograph was definitely taken from between October 1914 to August 30, 1916 (the date the Lee-Enfield SMLE was issued to the Battalion). It was most likely taken in England at West-Sandling May – September 1915. The Ross rifle had a shorter bayonet than the SMLE and there was a gap between the forward part of the barrel and the attachment points of the bayonet and handle. Source: David Wallace via the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

Summary of Service[i] for Private John Andrew Robertson Wallace, reg. no. 54058

Date	Event	Remarks
October 9, 1892	Born	Born Edinburgh, Scotland.
October 26, 1914	Enlisted	Enlisted with the 18^th Battalion on this date. He was unmarried banker of 22-year of age. He enlisted at St. Thomas, Ontario and had a dark complexion, gray eyes, and brown hair. He stood 5’8” tall. His next-of-kin is Mrs. Margaret Wallace of 35 West Preston Street, Edinburgh, Scotland.
February 2, 1915	Promoted	Promoted Corporal.
April 1915	Separation Allowance/Assigned Pay	Separation Allowance instituted for his widowed mother. Interesting note on Separation Allowance record, “Widowhood is verified by Rev. Neil Ross – 30 St. Albans Road.” Approximately $25.00 per month. Assigned Pay of $20.00 month for his mother.
April 18, 1915	Embarked and Sailed	Embarked and sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia for Avonmouth. England.
April 29, 1915	Arrives	Arrives Avonmouth.
May 3, 1915	Promoted	Promoted Sergeant.
July 1, 1915	Promotion Confirmed
September 15, 1915	Disembarked in France	Disembarks in France with 18^th Battalion on way to Ypres, Belgium for active service as part of the 4^th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2^nd Division. CEF.
September 17, 1916	SOS	SOS 18^th Battalion and appointed a lieutenancy in the 18^th Battalion. Transferred to Canadian Training Division, Shorncliffe.
September 20, 1916	Promoted	Promoted Temporary Lieutenant.
January 17, 1916	Granted Leave	Granted 8-day’s leave.
January 27, 1916	Returns from Leave
October 5, 1916	News Clipping	St. Thomas Soldier Assumes Command When Officers Fall Pte. John A. Wallace Bravery Wins Him Commission. (Special to The Advertiser.) ST. THOMAS, Oct. 5.—Word was received in the city today that Pte. John A. Wallace, formerly accountant in the local branch of the Dominion Bank, who went overseas with the 34^th [18^th] Battalion, had been given a field commission for bravery in the field. The letter, which was to a friend, stated that Pte. Wallace took the command of a company of men during a fierce engagement after all the officers had fallen. Pte. Wallace, prior to enlisting, was a member of the 25^th Elgin Regiment. It also stated that he will likely receive a military honor. London Advertiser. October 5, 1916. Page unknown.
November 20, 1916	Temporary Lieutenant	Posted temporary lieutenant and attached to 39^th Battalion.
November 30, 1916	Proceeded Overseas	Proceeded overseas to the 58^th Battalion.
December 1, 1916	TOS	TOS in the field with the 58^th Battalion.
December 7, 1916	Arrives	Arrives at 58^th Battalion.
January 25, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 12 Stationary Hospital, Rouen, France for eczema.
February 2, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 3 General Hospital Le Treport, France, dermatitis.
March 19, 1917	Discharged	Discharged to Base Depot.
March 23, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 2 General Hospital, Harve, France for scabies.
March 31, 1917	Discharged	Discharged for duty.
May 12, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 18 CFA for dermatitis.
May 12, 1917	Transferred	Transferred to No. 12 CFA.
June 27, 1917	Wounded	GSW to his thighs, severe.
June 29, 1917	Admitted	Admitted to No. 20 General Hospital Dammes Camier, France.
July 2, 1917	TOS	Invalided to England and TOS at 1^st London General Hospital.
October 5, 1917	Granted Furlough
November 8, 1917	Ceases Furlough
November 6, 1917, to February 6, 1918	Sick Leave	Sick leave to Canada (rare).
November 19, 1917	Detached	Detached from Depot Company to 1^st CCD.
December 5, 1917	Ceases Attachment	Ceases attachment above and proceeds to GHQ, Argyle House, London pending proceeding overseas to Canada on leave.
December 27, 1917	Medical Board	Shows his address as 35 West Ruston Street, Edinburgh.
February 12, 1918	Medical Board	Temporary unfit categories “D” and “E”.
April 18, 1918	Medical Board	Placed as category “A”.
April 18, 1918	TOS	TOS MD 1, London, Ontario to LHAC.
July 11, 1918	Entitled	Entitled to wear 3 blue chevrons.
November 30, 1918	SOS and Demobilized	SOS MD 1 and demobilized.
March 20, 1919	Marries	Marries Frances Muriel Cameron at St. Thomas, Ontario.
January 13, 1922	Change of Address	Address changed from C/O Dominion Bank, St. Thomas, Ontario to 33 St. George Street, St. Thomas, Ontario.
Circa 1930s	Moves	Moves to Orillia to manage a Dominion Bank branch. Residence is probably 143 Peter Street, North, Orillia, Ontario per his Veteran’s Death Card.
August 11, 1937	Deceased	He dies at Toronto General Hospital due to edema of glottis with a secondary cause listed as cancer of the larynx. He was 44-years old. He is interred at Elmdale Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Thomas, Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. Death Notice WALLACE—Suddenly, at Toronto General Hospital, on Wednesday August 11, 1937, John Andrew Robertson Wallace, manager of Orillia Branch of Dominion Banks, Aged 45 [44] years. Interment in St. Thomas Saturday morning, August 14. Barrie Examiner August 1937. Page 11.

Acronyms

AWL	Absent Without Leave: Generally, a soldier would be deducted 1-days pay for every day absent. In some cases, the soldier would be confined to barracks. Sometimes it was a combination of both.
A Classification	Medical Board Classification that determined your fitness for duty. A1, A2, A3 and A4 were assigned to different units with the expectation that these men would be able to serve with active combat units. See this link for more information.
B Classification	Medical Board Classification that determined your fitness for duty. B1, B2, and B3 were assigned to different service units such as railway and forestry corps. See this link for more information.
D Classification	See this link for more information.
CAMC	Canadian Army Medical Corp
CB	Confined to Barracks: a punishment for minor infractions.
CCD	Casualty Convalescent Depot: a depot at a base where men, in their final stages of convalescing, would be prepared for duty depending on their rating.
CCH	Casualty Clearing Hospital
CCRC	Canadian Corps Reserve Camp
CCS	Casualty Clearing Station: this facility was attached to rail transportation from the front to hospitals on the coast of France
CDC	Canadian Dispatch Camp
CFA	Canadian Field Ambulance/Canadian Field Artillery. Most common usage would be Canadian Field Ambulance.
DAH	Disorderly Action of the Heart
DRS	Divisional Rest Station
GSW	Gun Shot Wound – this was a generic term for all projectile penetrating wounds.
In the Field	This term relates to a soldier arriving at an active-duty unit after transporting from England, to France, and then to his duty assignment. The routing varied from soldier to soldier and could take 2-3 days to several months.
MD	Military District
PUO	Pyrexia of Unknown Origin: This was a term used for any illness that could not clearly be identified and typically was related to influenza symptoms.
SOS	Struck Off Strength
TOS	Taken On Strength
CAMC	Canadian Army Medical Corp
CCH	Casualty Clearing Hospital
CFA	Canadian Field Ambulance
DRS	Divisional Rest Station
GSW	Gun Shot Wound – this was a generic term for all projectile penetrating wounds.
MD	Military District
PUO	Pyrexia of Unknown Origin
SOS	Struck Off Strength
TOS	Taken On Strength
WORD	Western Ontario Regimental Depot

[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.