Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Circumstances of Death Registers – Source: Library and Archives Canada. CIRCUMSTANCES OF DEATH REGISTERS FIRST WORLD WAR Surnames: Birch to Blakstad. Mircoform Sequence 10; Volume Number 31829_B034746; Reference RG150, 1992-93/314, 154 Page 467 of 734

Photo of William Joseph Blackburn – Private William Joseph Blackburn, 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles He was born in Manitoba on September 29, 1896. After completing his education in Holylea School, he entered the service of the Bank of British North America at Oak River, Manitoba, at the age of eighteen. He enlisted in November 1915, as a Private in the 90th Battalion. He proceeded overseas with his unit and after a further period of training in England he arrived in France in 1916, being attached to the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles. He went into action with his battalion in the Somme sector where intense fighting was then in progress, but he passed unscathed through the battle sin which his unit was engaged in 1916, and the greater part of 1917. After serving for over a year in the line he was severely wounded by fire during an attack upon an enemy position. He died from his wounds on November 15, 1917 [at the age of 21]. Source: Norm Christie. For King and Empire: The Canadians at Passchendaele October to November 1917. Winnipeg: Bunker to Bunker Books, 1996., p. 62.

Record of Service – Memorial from the Great War 1914-1918: a record of service published by the Bank of Montreal 1921.

Bank of Montreal Memorial – Memorial from the Great War 1914-1918: a record of service published by the Bank of Montreal 1921.

Photo of William Joseph Blackburn – From Memorial from the Great War 1914-1918: a record of service published by the Bank of Montreal 1921.

Biography – From Memorial from the Great War 1914-1918: a record of service published by the Bank of Montreal 1921.