CLELLAND, PTE ALEXANDER BROWN Regimental #657981
Alexander Brown Clelland was born Feb. 20, 1897 to James and Mary Matilda (Dobbs) Clelland on what is know known as Clelland Road, Maple Island, Croft Township.
Alexander signed up April 24, 1916 in the 162nd and reported on May 9, 1916. He arrived in England, Nov 11, 1916 on the SS Caronia and went to France Feb 11, 1917 to 4th Battalion.[1]
WW1 Soldiers: Front: Tom Clelland Back: Alex Clelland
On April 22, 1917 Alex was wounded while with the 4th Battalion at Vimy Ridge when a shell landed in his trench.
A record of the injury suffered by Alex described as a gunshot wound to his left arm. In the description, it specifically identifies that he was wounded on April 22, 1917 at Mount St. Eloi when waiting to make an attack a shell came over and into his trench and he was struck in the left arm.
On April 26, 1917 he was sent back to England. Alex returned to France March 28, 1918. On April 13, he returned to his unit, the 4th Battalion. On May 18, 1918 Alex was again hospitalized and on May 30 was diagnosed with pleurisy with effusion and was placed on a train for LeHavre. On the same day identified he was identified as being at H.S. Carisbrook Castle and invalided to 1st CORD Whitley. (CORD stands for Central Ontario Regimental Depot – a facility in England used to assemble men and to store and administer equipment and materials.)
Alex was discharged on Dec. 24, 1918 having been declared medically unfit for service.
Alex Clelland is discussed in John Macfie’s book “Tales From Another time” pages 286 and 287. In Alex’s discussions with John Macfie, he noted that he and his brother Tom were part of the 162nd that went to the 4th Battalion. Alex identified that he had been at Vimy. Alex was wounded one day and Tom Clelland the next. (Tom ultimately died of complications of the shrapnel that was lodged in his body – but according to Bessie Clelland, that was years later. Alex was invalided home, arriving the day the war ended.)
Further details of Alex's service below:
[1] 4th (Central Ontario) Battalion, CEF was an infantry battalion raised as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service during the First World War. Raised in Canada in September 1914, the battalion sailed to the United Kingdom within weeks of its establishment. After a short period of training it was committed to the fighting on the Western Front, remaining in France and Belgium until the war ended. It returned to Canada in mid-1919 and after its personnel had been demobilized. The 4th Batt. took part in the following battles: Ypres; Passchendaele Amiens; and Vimy to name but a few.
