Source: Via David Wallace from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.
Summary of Service for this soldier is below photos.

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 18th 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 18th Battalion on way to Ypres, Belgium for active service as part of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Division. CEF. |
September 17, 1916 | SOS | SOS 18th Battalion and appointed a lieutenancy in the 18th 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 34th [18th] 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 25th 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 39th Battalion. |
November 30, 1916 | Proceeded Overseas | Proceeded overseas to the 58th Battalion. |
December 1, 1916 | TOS | TOS in the field with the 58th Battalion. |
December 7, 1916 | Arrives | Arrives at 58th 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 1st 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 1st 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.







