Private Joseph Laurin

Baptized Joseph-Alexandre Laurin. Son of Joseph Laurin (deceased in 1897) and Mary-Augusta Moore, of Pembrooke, Ontario. 

Married in 1907 to Joséphine Paquette, of St-Jean-Deschaillons, Lotbinière, Québec. Father of four daughters and one son.

During the First World War, he enlisted in the 227th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on August 11, 1916, with service number 1003855. He served under the name Joseph Lawrence, although he signed his name as Joseph Laurence. He sailed for Great Britain on April 10, 1917, arriving in Liverpool, England, on April 22. Upon arrival, he was assigned to the 8th Reserve Battalion at Shorncliffe and, later that same day, transferred to the 178th Reserve Battalion. After training in machine gun operations, he proceeded to France on September 11 with the Canadian Machine Gun Brigade. On October 26, he was attached to the 9th Canadian Machine Gun Company. Four days later, he was wounded in action, suffering a wound to the left side of his face. On November 26, he was transferred to the 7th Canadian Machine Gun Company, which became the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, on March 19, 1918. On September 29, 1918, he was wounded a second time when shrapnel struck his right thigh. He was evacuated to England on October 3. On December 15, 1918, he embarked from Liverpool for Canada, arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 18. He was demobilized in Ottawa, Ontario, on January 25, 1919.

During the Second World War, he enlisted in the Royal 22nd Regiment in Quebec City, Quebec, on June 11, 1940, with service number E-5777. He departed for Great Britain on July 15 and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 1. On December 13, 1940, while stationed at Bramshott, England, he was involved in a traffic accident when he was struck by an ambulance. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital at 11:30 a.m. He was buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery on December 20, 1940.