Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

Additional Information

Only son of the Honorable F. W. Borden M.P., Minister of Militia, Canada. The following is an excerpt from the Book 'Le Livre d'or (The Golden Book) of the Canadian Contingents in South Africa' by Gaston P. Labat.

Major Harold L. Bordon, formerly commanding officer of the King's County Hussars, Kentville, N.S. was killed in South Africa. The deceased officer left Canada as Lieutenant of the fourth troop of B Squadron, Canadian Mounted Rifles and previous to leaving was stationed in Quebec for a few days, haivng secured his discharge from B. Field Battery, R.C.A. The young man was a particularly fine specimen of robust young Canadian manhood and had already won distinction by his bravery in swimming with some others across the Sand River on the march from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg. He was only twenty-three years of age, stood six feet three inches in his stockings and weighed 198 pounds. He was brought up in King's County, Nova Scotia, and had studied at Mount Allison University in Sackville and later at McGill, in Montreal, where he was in his third year of medicine. Lieutenant Bordon had been twice before brought to my notice in despatches for gallant and intrepid conduct' a quote from Lord Roberts.

Medical students at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec erected a tablet to the memory of Lieutenant Borden and Gunner O'Reilly, both of whom, at the time of their departure for South Africa were medical students. The memorial consists of a marble tablet mounted on an onyx background and surmounted by a couple of Strathcona hats. The sides of the tablet are relieved and ornamented with Lee-Enfield rifles, while the base carries a couple of cannon, a pyramid of shot and other features of an artillery field piece. The ornaments and embellishments, like the tablet are sculptured out of marble.

Lt. Borden is also commemorated in Canning, Nova Scotia.

Commemorated on Page 4 of the South African War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.