H E  Shill (Corporal)

H E Shill (Herbert Edward)

Photograph of H.E. Shill taken early in the war. A similar photo exists of his brother.

1st Grenadier Guards

Regimental No. 25637

Royal Montreal Regiment

14th Battalion

3rd Brigade

1st Canadian Division

b. Dec. 30th, 1894, Ufford, Suffolk, England
d. Sep. 22nd, 1917, near Barlin, France

Corporal H E Shill can be found on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial Site.  A link to the First World War Book of Remembrance where his name is recorded can be found there. You can see page 325 displayed on July 15th in the glass case where the book is kept in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. 

In 1991, one of Nell Waddell’s sons requested complete copies of the military personnel files of his two uncles who had died in World War One, casualties of The Great War. Between the two files of No. 401824 Private John B. Shill and No. 25637 Corporal Herbert E. Shill, there were 70 pages. Many of the pages had sections that were blacked out that contained other people's personal information.

Now, of course, these "Personnel Records of the First World War" are freely available at Library and Archives Canada's website.  

Excerpt of H E Shill's Military File

Personal Description on Attestation:

Trade/Calling:   Clerk     

Age:   19 yrs, 9 mos.

Height:   6 ' 1/2"

Weight:   153 lbs

Chest expanded:   36”

Range expansion:   3” or 4"

Hair:   Fair

Complexion:   Fair

Eyes:   Grey

Physical development:   good

Identifying Marks:   4 Vaccination marks from childhood vaccines, scars on both knees

Declared religion:   Church of England

No. 25637 H E Shill's WW1 Timeline

4 Aug. 1914              Canada Entered war together with Britain

3 Sep.  1914              First Medical Examination at Valcartier, Quebec, considered Fit for the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force

4 Sep.  1914              Bert enlisted     

10, 20 Sep. 1914       Received innoculations

21 Sep. 1914             Date of attestation at Valcartier, Quebec; Initially joined: 1st Grenadier Guards, and became part of the 14th Battalion, 3rd Brigade also known as the Royal Montreal Regiment.

3 Oct. 1914                Medical History Sheet completed on S.S. Andania by F.A.C. Scrimger, Medical Officer

4 Oct. 1914                Sailed to UK on S.S. Andania, from Quebec

15 Jan. 1915              Drew up his will leaving everything to his mother in the event of his death.

1 Aug. 1915               On Strength, in the field, 14th Bn.

19 Aug. 1915             Transfer to 4 Sec Div. Signal Co in the Field

31 Oct. 1915              Granted 7 days leave of absence from the Field

7 Nov. 1915                Returned from leave to Unit

14 Nov. 1916              Granted 10 day leave of absence

23 Nov. 1916              Copy of will extracted while he was on leave, at that time he was referred to as Sapper.

27 Nov. 1916              Returned from leave to Field

14 Dec. 1916              Appointed a/corporal (with pay) in the Field. Confirmed in rank of Cpl

21 Sep. 1917             Injured in motorcycle accident near Barlin, France. Compound fracture, vault and base of skull, Admitted to #6 Cas Clg Stn

22 Sep. 1917             Died of Accidental Injuries

4 Oct. 1917               Court of Inquiry held to determine fault of death if any.

31 Dec. 1917             An Additional $540 was paid to his mother

Burial location:        Plot 2, Row D, Grave 23, Barlin Communal Cemetery Extension, Barlin, France

This article appeared in the Montreal Gazette, dated 28 September, 1917, page 5, and was accessed at newspapers.com on May 5, 2020.
The first cross that was placed to commemorate Corporal H E Shill's accidental death.
The headstone that replaced the intitial cross - made to match all the others.

Return to Home Page

Return from No. 25637 Cpl H.E. Shill to World War 1 and Montreal

Go to H.E. Shill's Personal Page

Go to Court of Inquiry into Cpl. H.E. Shill's accidental death