The WWI Soldiers and Airmen of Loverna

The Men of Loverna and District who served in WWI

At the outbreak of war in August of 1914, and in the following years of that conflict, a number of men from Loverna, Saskatchewan and the surrounding district, which included both part of Saskatchewan and Alberta, served in the Canadian Army or the Royal Flying Corps (which became part of the Royal Air Force in April 1918). This site is dedicated to the memory of their service and especially to those who made the supreme sacrifice for King and Country.

The Loverna Memorial Plaque

Some of these men posed for a group photograph on 20 August, shortly after war was declared. While the caption indicates they are 'eager to enlist', it is possible that some did not ultimately enlist and also that some may already have enlisted. The photograph and enlargements are shown below.

[Photograph from page 184 of "Borderline Memories", ISBN 0-88925-189-4, published by Loverna New Horizon, Loverna, Sask., 1980]


volunteer 1	volunteer 2	volunteer 3	volunteer 4	volunteer 5	volunteer 6
					? Can You Name Them
volunteer 7	volunteer 8	volunteer 9	volunteer 10	volunteer 11

The Men of Loverna who Fell in the Great War

Name	Date of Birth	Attestation Date, Place & link	Regt. No.	Date/Place Killed	CWGC Memorial link	Rank/Unit	Comment
David Horace Alexander.Brinsmead	13 Dec 1892	1 May 1916, Loverna, Sask	252979	8 Aug 1918	HourgesS Orchard Cemetery, Domart-Sur-La-Luce	Private 58th Bn.	single, lino-type operator photograph. Killed by artillery barrage prior to attack.
Russell Roberts Caldwell	29 April 1899		N/A	15 Sept 1918	Upavon Cemetery, England	2nd. Lieut. Royal Air Force	Apparently killed during pilot training.
Robt. Dommett	10 Feb 1891	15 April, 1915 Prince Albert, Sask	441262	9 April 1917	Nine Elms Military Cemetery, Thelus	Private 5th Bn.	Single farmer. Killed in action at Vimy Ridge
Robert Gordon Knechtel	23 July 1896	20 Dec, 1914 Saskatoon, Sask	114598	between 2 and 5 June 1916	Hooge Crater Cemetery	Private 1st Can. Mounted Rifles	wife: Lizzie in Loverna. Killed in action in trenches at Hooge
Adam Reid Knechtel	9 Sept 1894	10 Feb, 1916 Edmonton, Alta	252783	6 April 1917	Vimy Memorial	Private 28th Bn.	Farmer, Single. Killed in action in the trenches at Thelus.
Leslie Lorne McDougall	15 Apr 1895	31 May, 1916 Winnipeg	719173	3 March 1918	La Targette British Cemetery, Neuville-St. Vaast	Private 1st Can. Mounted Rifles	Single farmer from Loverna. Killed in action returning from trenches, by shrapnel
Arthur Charles Cunnington	6 April 1886	18 Mar, 1916 Saskatoon, Sask	204514	8 Aug 1918	Toronto Cemetery, Demuin	Private 15th Bn.	Single farmer from Loverna. Killed in action by machine gun fire while attacking
Arthur R. Murdoch	12 Feb 1894	15 Feb, 1916 Stettler, Alta	624823	13 March 1917	Liverpool (Kirkdale) Cemetery	Private 21st Bn.	Single
Edwin John Murdoch	29 Dec 1895	24 Nov, 1915 Stettler, Alta	183746	4 Sept 1918	Ligny-St. Flochel British Cemetery, Averdoingt	Corporal 102nd Bn.	Single. Died of Wounds. Injured in abdomen by machine gun and died two days later at clearing stn.
Frank Alfred Bernard Riddick	7 Dec 1888	6 April 1916 Swift Current	252784	27 Sept 1918	Anneux British Cemetery	Corporal 102nd Bn.	Single farmer from Loverna. Killed in action by machine gun fire while attacking
George Henry Scott	6 Sept 1888	26 Sept 1914 Valcartier, Que.	21523	22 April 1915, St Julian, Belgium	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial	Private 10th Bn.	Single farmer from Loverna Biogaphy Killed near St. Julian
Cecil Thomas Smith	28 July 1890	3 Mar 1917 Calgary	2109851	7 Feb 1918	Sucrerie Cemetery, Ablain-St. Nazaire	Private 31st Bn.	Single farmer from Umphrey
Ernest B. Umphrey	28 Aug 1982	16 Feb 1916 Lindsay	726120	29 Oct 1917	Nine Elms British Cemetery	Private 44th Bn.	attested in Ontario but next of kin in Saskatchewan, Single
Reginald John White	9 June 1890	23 March 1916 Saskatoon	234442	3 June 1917	La Chaudiere Military Cemetery, Vimy	Private 44th Bn.	single farmer from Hoosier

Notes on table:
1. This list is taken from the memorial plaque which was dedicated in 1926, and may be incomplete.
3. Attestation dates are taken from attestation files on line at Archives Canada for which links are provided
4. Date of death and Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorial location is from the CWGC site for which links are provided
5. All of these casualties were volunteers; none were drafted after the conscription act of 1917.

They also served

Name	Birthdate	Attestation date/place	Regimental number	Rank	Discharge	Comment
Beynon,George William Foster	10 May 1895	about 13 Jul 1918	3355250			attestation file not fully readable, drafted
Brinsmead, Robert Gordon	21 Feb 1895		N/A			Royal Air Force
Brumwell, John	10 Mar 1896	20 Aug 1918, Regina Sask	3355971		22 Jan 1919	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Carter, Lionel Frank	10 Jan 1888	27 May 1916, Saskatoon, Sask	872021			Single farmer from Loverna, volunteer
Craig, Arthur (a.k.a. Artemis)	9 Jun 1896	9 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3354725			Single carpenter from Loverna, volunteer
Dufresne, Elzeor	20 May 1898	27 Aug 1918, Calgary, Alta	3215143			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted, defaulter
Etmanski, August Barney	20Aug 1888	24 Jun 1918, Regina, Sask	3353258			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Everston, John Cornelius	5 Sep 1897	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355192			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Gibson, Percival Edgar	10 July 1896	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355272		7 Jan 1919	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Grant, Harry Harold	18 May 1897	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355195		8 Jan 1919	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Hager, Wesley	21 April 1888	3 Jan 1916, Saskatoon, Sask	472904			Single farmer from Loverna, volunteer
Haldin, Leon Theodore	24 Feb 1896	2 Jan 1918, Regina, Sask	258098			Single automobile mechanic from Loverna, drafted
Handley, Arnold John James	18 Aug 1896	12 Apr 1916, Swift Current, Sask	252782			Single farmer from Loverna, volunteer
Holt, William Emerson	29 Oct 1896	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355199		8 Jan 1919	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Knott, Norman Edgar	4 Mar 1896	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355284		8 Jan 1919	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Laver, Malcolm Rufus	29 Jun 1893	28 Apr 1916, Saskatoon, Sask	871884			Single bookkeeper from Loverna, volunteer
Lewis, Walter Claude	10 Jun 1896	7 Apr 1916, Saskatoon, Sask	474312			Single laborer from Loverna, volunteer
Maxwell, Donald Morrow	29 Apr 1897	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355210		8 Jan 1919	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
McBain, Delbert James	21 Dec 1896	6 Jun 1918, Regina Sask	277523			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
McFarland, Charles William	4 July 1896	16 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355421			Married farmer from Loverna, drafted
McKnight, Robert John	2 Oct 1894	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3355361			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Mills, George	30 Sep 1895	13 Jul 1918, Regina Sask	3352223			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Motyk, Stephen	24 Oct 1894	12 May 1916, Saskatoon, Sask	204800			Single section man from Loverna, volunteer
Niles, Robert	12 Nov 1894	29 May 1918, Regina Sask	269915			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Petrich, Walter Henry	8 May 1895	20 May 1918, Calgary Alta	3211453			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Pierunek, John	21 Aug 1896	22 July 1918, Ottawa, Ont.	3326801			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Reed, James Nelson	11 Mar 1897	8 June 1918, Regina Sask	277526			Single farmer and bank clerk from Loverna, drafted
Scott, Donald	24 Sep 1889	14 May 1918, Calgary, Alta	3210191			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Selwood, Albert Norman	7 Jun 1887	19 Jun 1918, Regina Sask	3352781			Single grain buyer from Loverna, drafted
Shantz, Wilfred	21 Nov 1896	23 Apr 1917, Calgary, Alta	895547			Single farmer and bank clerk from Loverna,volunteer
Short, John	13 Jul 1880	12 March 1917	1051621		23 Aug 1917	Single barber(?), Loverna. volunteer
Sprague, Frederick Thomas	30 Jun 1888	7 Dec 1916, Calgary, Alta	1288885			Single teamster from Loverna volunteer
Townsend, Escott Anderson	10 Jan 1897	8 Jun, 1918, Regina, Sask	277316			Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Unwin, Harry Battersby	5 Oct 1889	10 Jul 1916, Winnipeg, Man	1250047			Single farmer from Loverna, volunteer. Artillery
Wakeman, Theodore	5 Oct 1889	19 Jan 1917, Calgary AB	2005484			Single teamster from Compeer, Alta, volunteer
Wilkins, Harold Shields	25 Aug 1896	15 July 1918, Regina, Sask	3355324		17 Dec 1918	Single farmer from Loverna, drafted
Wilson, Richard Attwill	20 Dec 1879	5 Oct 1916, Saskatoon Sask	1051299			Single druggist from Loverna, volunteer
Yorke, Simon Algernon	15 Feb 1889	29 Aug 1916, Saskatoon, Sask	489839			Single, mechanical engineer, volunteer

credits
1. Charlotte Edwards of Delta, B.C. This page exists very largely as a result of her efforts to preserve the history of the district in which she spent her early life.
2. Andy Sims of Edmonton, Alberta who studies the Brimsmead genealogy. He provided the photograph of the memorial plaque.