September 22, 2011:

The Ottawa and Gatineau Valleys, situated at one of the centres of the lumbering industry in Canada, was a natural recruitment
area for members of the Canadian Forestry Corps during both WW1 and WW2.

Bob Briggs is researching the men of the Canadian Forestry Corps. The following photo shows Number 1 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps,
in Scotland in 1941. No. 1 Company was made up mostly of men from the Ottawa area.

Bob is looking to identify the men in the photograph below. If you were a member of the Canadian Forestry Corps (or are descended from one).
we want to hear from you. You can compare notes with Bob and help him with his research and you can also record the individual stories
of an important group of men from the Ottawa Valley.

Company No. 1, Canadian Forestry Corps, in Scotland in 1941



In the above photograph it is difficult to distinguish individuals. Here are some photos of men who Bob has recognized. He has extracted the
individual photos from the group photo.

Kenneth Henderson from the Gracefield, Quebec, area. (Buried at St. James Anglican Cemetery in Gracefield)

Left Photo: Kenneth Henderson in the middle.  Right Photo: Kenneth Henderson and Oliver Clouthier and four friends.
Oliver Clouthier came from Petawawa, an important forestry centre in Renfrew County.

   

Stan Flynn was from the Gatineau Valley.    Major Bonnar was my hockey coach in the 1950's

Oliver Clouthier                              Major Robert Bonnar                        Stan Flynn
      

Yesterday, we set up a new web page for native Canadians from Maniwaki (River Desert) who served in the Canadian Forestry Corps.


September 23, 2011:

Hi Al
 
I was interested to see the pages on the Foresters in WW1 and WW11
 
In my one of my many lunches with my cousin Ruby Moorhead (1902-2008) she said that at the end of WW1, her father 
John Stephen Moorhead (1869 – 1959) was recruited by the military . He was given the rank of  Sergeant, to organize
and supervise the crews cleaning up the Black Forest after the war.
 
She said he chose men from his own crews in the Gatineau and they went overseas with him.  Ruby did not 
know the names or at least she did not mention names.
 
As a lumberman he set up logging camps every year in the Gatineau, Ruby talked about Riviere Desert, Quebec.
“Jack” John Stephen Moorhead was married to “Lizzie” Lydia Elizabeth Brooks from Low QC.  
They were married in Riviere Desert, Que. (Presbyterian Records)
 
Name: MOORHEAD, JOHN STEVEN
Regimental number(s): 2157301
Date of Birth: 04/09/1870
...................................................................................
I’ve attached a photo of Uncle Jack John Stephen Moorhead in his uniform.
and his Attestation Paper dated 4 Jan. 1917 

                        

He was 48 years of age. According to his baptismal record his birthday was 1869 not 1870.
Ruby was aged 15 at the time. 
 
Anglican Diocesan Archives Reg #     p 144
Baptism - Moorhead
John Steven, son of Samuel Moorehead and of Isabella Moorehead, his wife, was born in Alleyne on the fourth 
of September Anno Domini Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-nine and was baptized by me on the twentieth of August A.D. 
Eighteen Hundred and Seventy-one                                                                                                                                                                                                        Wm Robt Brown
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Priest
Isabella Morehead
Samuel X Moorehead
 
Sponsors:
Noble Carruthers 


September 24, 2011:

Thanks to Allen Craig for the following information:

Hi All,
 
There is an excellent history of the Canadian Forestry Corps in WW1 entitled The Canadian Forestry Corps Its Inception and Growth 
available online free here http://www.archive.org/details/canadianforestry00birduoft
 
This history written in 1919 is a distillation of the historical records of the Corps collected in 1917, 1918, and 1919 by 
Lt J. B. Davies the Corps historian. The historical records themselves provide a huge amount of detail about the various 
forestry companies stationed in England, Scotland, France and Belgium; these records can be viewed online by going to 
the Library and Archives, Canada, War Diaries of the First World War database and searching on "Forestry" .
 
Hope this is of some interest.
 
Regards, 
 
Allen Craig


September 29, 2011:

Thanks to Bob Briggs for the following list of names from a SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 4 APRIL, 1940

Canadian Forestry Corps. 

Maj. Robert BONNAR.
Maj. Duncan Archibald MACPHAIL, M.B.E.
Capt. Robert Kenneth ALLEN.
Capt. George Me Alpine THOMAS.
Capt. John Thomas WESTMAN.
Lt. Oliver CLOUTHIER.
£21002 W.O. I (S.M.) George William UPTON.
1,50184 W.O. II (C.S.M.) Stuart THOMSON.
048029 S/Sergt. George Milton McCREADY.
H562i6 Sergt. John William Joseph Francois HEBERT.
H563io Sergt. Frederick James McKAY.
617166 Sergt. Melville John POST.
£62662 Sergt. Donald Maxwell SMITH.
1*53372 Sergt. William STARCHUK.


October 1, 2011:

Even though my main interest is the WW2 CFC at this time my great grandfather was in the CFC in WW1

Here is something of interest to you folks in Ottawa from http://www.russiansinthecef.ca/forestry/index.shtml

Canadian Forestry Corps, C.E.F.

The Canadian Forestry Corps had particularly close associations with the Ottawa Valley.  Many of the men came 
from that region; three of the corps' five senior officers, (Major-General Alexander McDougall, 
Brigadier-General John White, Colonel Gerald White) had been valley timber merchants and contractors before the war.

Corps operations were compared favourably to the best mills in the Ottawa area. 

Cheers
... Bob Briggs





October 2, 2011:
Source: Hurling Down the Pine by John W. Hughson and Courtney C.J. Bond, page 56



Thanks for the posting and the extra info from the book Al, lots of work eh.
Here are 2 more photos of a Charles Thomas Doughty of the 9th from the Ottawa area, Maniwaki.
He, like a lot of the soldiers, brought a Scottish war bride home.

The first photo shows Charles Thomas Dougherty, taken with his two brothers (James in the middle & Richard) before 
he left for overseas.  Charles is in uniform.  All the brothers served overseas, James in the Air Force & Richard
in the Army, Algonquin regiment.  
     
... Bob


October 4, 2011:

Hi Al,
William Joseph Gagnon was also from Maniwaki, Quebec. he was with the No.3 Coy Canadian Forestry Corps.
His story can be found at The Memory Project.   

Daniel Joseph Whiteduck was from the River Desert Band at Maniwaki, Quebec. He too was with the No. 3 Coy Canadian Forestry Corp.  

                                   William Joseph Gagnon and Daniel Joseph Whiteduck                 Wedding, 1942, William Joseph Gagnon
     
No. 3 Coy was from Quebec City.

Cheers, Al
Bob Briggs


January 6, 2012:

Jim Miller is researching his Dad's (Alfred Robert James Miller) service in the Canadian Forestry Corps in WW2.


January 8, 2012:

Thanks to Bob Briggs for the following information regarding Peter Malcolmson MORLEY.

PETER MALCOMSON MORLEY, R.P.F.
1913-1993

This will record the death by cancer of Peter Morley on January 27, 1993. He had just completed 80 years of a full and interesting life. 
He was born in England and educated at Marlborough College there, University of Toronto Faculty of Forestry, (B.Sc.F. 1936) and McGill 
University in Montreal where he took a Master of Science degree in 1938. For two years he worked for the Forest Insects Division of 
the Department of Agriculture in Ottawa.

Enlisting in the Army in 1940, he spent the war years with the Canadian Forestry Corps in Canada, Scotland, and in Northwest Europe. 
He was mentioned in despatches and was discharged with the rank of Major. 

For fourteen years after the war, he worked for Canadian International Paper Company in Gatineau, Quebec as a supervisor and manager. 
From 1960 till retirement in 1978, he worked for Consolidated Bathurst in Pembroke, Ontario as a Manager and in Montreal 
head office as manager of corporate development for wood products and special projects.

... more information at http://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/pdf/10.5558/tfc69219-2


February 6, 2012:

Another great photograph from Bob:

Hi Al
I have been researching another Canadian Forestry Corps company that originated out of Ottawa

I have included a few photos and some notes - does anyone recognize any of the men in the picture?
... Bob Briggs

No. 8 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps
Canadian Mobilization Point – Ottawa, Ont
Mobilization Date – 17 Jul 1940
Arrived in Scotland – 1 Mar 1941
Ceased Operations in Scotland – 7 Oct 1943
Camps Occupied in Scotland – Cawdor South (Inchyettle), Cawdor, Nairn-Shire
Photograph taken at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, Ottawa








April 16, 2012:

Hi Al
 
Spotted this when reading The Carp Review 9 Aug. 1917.  I don’t know whether or not it fits with your section on the Foresters, 
but thought I’d pass it on.  I don’t have any information on this man (Walter Bracey) or his family.
 
... Diane

Private Walter Bracey



Here is the Walter Bracey family in the 1911 census for Huntley Township. Source automatedgenealogy.com

18    131 Bracey Walter J   M Head M Sep 1882 28  
19    131 Bracey Elizabeth   F Wife M Sep 1886 24 
20    131 Bracey Clarabell   F Daughter S Feb 1906 5  
21    131 Bracey Florence   F Daughter S Mar 1908 3  


 October 27, 2012:

Here is a link to the work by Bob Briggs regarding the Canadian Forestry Corps.