| Hugh is a bit of a mystery. I assume he was named for the twin of his Uncle George who died at age six. Hugh's Aunt Annie's middle name was Morton but "Basil" ? At 18, Hugh joins up in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. His regimental # 89413. Served as as Driver with the 7th Canadian Field Artillery Brigade which reinforced drafts from the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th Batteries. We can assume that he trained at Valcartier for most of 1915. According to the Nominal Rolls, Hugh embarked with his fellow soldiers on board the S. S. Metagama from Halifax on August 9th,1915. Assuming he returns to civilian life where does he go for six years ? In April, 1921, Hugh is admitted to St. Anne's Military Hospital, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. What happened in France, details of his discharge, etc. are described in a very extensive dossier I got from the National Archives. Dad was unaware of Hugh's survival after WWI and that his grandmother and aunt had visited Hugh through the years. But it can't have been a happy life; he was diagnosed as a schiezephrenic and spent 47 years in a mental ward dying of what was probably bowel cancer. Ste. Anne's is the last remaining military medical care facility in Canada with 900 patients. He buried in the Veterans section ( L5000 grave#999 ) of Mt. Royal Cemetary. (Funeral home: Rosedale, Mtl) |