TRICKEY, PTE ANDREW - Regimental # 657597
Andrew Trickey enlisted in Parry Sound on February 29, 1916 in the 162nd. (He identified his place of birth as Hawkesbury, Ontario.) At the time of enlistment, he and his wife Olive lived at Boakview.
The S.S. Caronia
Andrew arrived in England on Nov. 11, 1916 on the SS Caronia. He arrived at Liverpool in England on November 11, 1916, proceeding to Shorncliffe-Moore Barricks, just outside Folkestone in Kent. He was transferred to the 35th Battalion on December 5, 1916 at West Sandling. From the time Andrew arrived in England, he seems to have suffered from medical problems. He was admitted to the Moore Barricks Canadian Hospital at Shorncliffe on November 29, 1916. He was diagnosed with Orchitis and surgery performed to remove the left testicle. He remained in the hospital convalescing until March 9, 1917 when he was discharged and sent to join the 4th Res. Battalion at Bramshott. From there he was transferred to the 18th Canadian Battalion in Etaples in France on June 16, 1917. While taking part in the fighting at Lens on July 12, 1917, Andrew was “dangerously wounded”, suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the left eye, chest, right shoulder and left knee. The eye was removed at the #7 General Hospital at St. Omer in France and he was sent back to England in August of 1917. From this point on, he was transferred from medical facility to medical facility to treat his wounds until October when he was suspected of having Tuberculosis to add to his woes. He was sent to the #5 Canadian General Hospital in Liverpool on January 4, 1918 where it was determined that his condition was Bronchitis and a touch of Tuberculosis. He was further determined to be “physically unfit” for service and sent back to Canada aboard the Hospital Ship Araguaya, arriving in Halifax on February 15, 1918. He arrived in Toronto at the Spadina Military Hospital on March 15, 1918 and was admitted to the Muskoka Free Hospital for Consumptives in Gravenhurst where he remained until June 8, 1918. From there he was transferred to the Whitby Military Convalescent Hospital where he remained until his discharge on July 15, 1918 in Toronto. His discharge stated that he was physically unfit and that his conduct and character while in the service was good. His discharge papers show that his address on discharge was Parry Sound, Ontario.
As noted, on March 9, 1917 he was admitted to hospital. Following discharge, he was transferred to the 18th Battalion where on July 12, 1917 he was ‘dangerously wounded’ (taken to #7 COS Clearing Stn.)
The wounds, caused by shrapnel, comprised injury to left knee, right shoulder and sternum, and loss of an eye.
The 18th Battalion (Western Ontario), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War. The battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 18 April 1915. It disembarked in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war.
The stories of war tend to focus on the larger battles such as Vimy Ridge, Amiens, Hill 70, Passhendaele. But, in between, battle continued. The injuries incurred by Andrew Trickey occurred in one of the apparent lulls in hostilities.
(At the time of the 1901 census, Andrew Trickey was identified as living in the sub district of Nepean in the Carleton District. He was identified as a lodger living with the Dennell’s – a Louis and Virginia Dennell, They were an elderly couple – Louis was 69 and reported as “blind” - Virginia was 70. Andrew was shown as a Lodger whose ethnic origin was French, his religion being Roman Catholic. His occupation was identified as a Mill Labourer and his age shown as 18, although his birth date is shown as July 6, 1872.)
Andrew does not show in the 1911 Census so we do not really know of his whereabouts or when he actually came to the Boakview/Parry Sound area. However, we can assume he arrived prior to or around 1908 because on October 12, 1908 he married Olive Allen[1] in Parry Sound.
Andrew Trickey first appears in the records related to Boakview, working on the C.No.R Section. (He was part of a petition dated January 20, 1912 related to the need of a school at Boakview.)
According to Winnie Durrant:
“Andy Trickey and his wife lived at the old lumber camp after the Fawcett’s. A 2 year old was burned to death from a fire caused by a smudge at the front door. The funeral was held at the Fawcett’s home and the remains taken to Parry Sound by Undertaker Logan.” He was also identified as a jobber working for the Lake Rosseau Lumber Company November 1915.
Andrew and Olive Trickey had four children between 1910 and 1916. The first child was a girl, Margaret Marseline Celina Trickey, born May 7, 1910 while they were living in the Township of McKenzie, Lot 16, Concession 4. Nothing more is known about Margaret. (Margaret may be the two year old who burned to death mentioned by Winnie Durant).
The second child was Andrew George Gilbert Trickey, born March 26, 1912 at Boakview. Andrew died on October 19, 1912 as a result of “Ileo Colitis” (Crohns Disease).
The third child was a girl, Stella Arvilla Trickey, pictured at right at age 6, born on June 28, 1913 in the Township of Burpee. It would appear that Stella may have stayed with Andrew and Olive until sometime after 1916 because there is a reference to a daughter “Stella Trickey 3 years old” in Andrew’s military enlistment documents, this particular one dated October 14, 1916. (A note at the end of Stella’s birth registration shows her as being adopted by a family whose last name was Lumsden.)
A fourth child, a son named Edward Andrew Trickey was born, probably about April of 1916 at Zebra (Ferguson Township), a flag stop on the C.No.R. south of Boakview. Edward Andrew Trickey died August 14, 1916. He was 4 months old and the cause of death was Pertussus (Whooping Cough) leading to Cardiac Failure. The informant was a Mrs. E. Scarr which would seem to indicate that Andrew Trickey had left Boakview by then to do his military training.[2]
Indeed, Andrew had signed up in Parry Sound for service in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on February 29, 1916. His enlistment papers showed that at the time his present address was Boakview, that he was born on July 6, 1890 in Hawkesbury, Ontario and that he was married, his wife being Olive Trickey. It is likely that Andrew left Boakview, probably about April of 1916, after his son Edward Andrew had been born, to start his basic training. He had been assigned to the Algonquin 162nd OS Battalion CEF and was headed for Niagara on the Lake “Niagara Camp” where he remained until late October 1916. His wife, Olive seems to have moved to St. Catherines as well, probably after the death of her son Edward Andrew in August of 1916, maybe to be close to Andrew in the event he got any leave. Her address was listed as 137 Queenstown Street. Again, this interesting side note – a form titled “Particulars of Family of an Officer or Man enlisted in C.E.F.” states that Andrew and Olive had one child – a girl named Stella who was 3 years old at the time he had signed this form (October 14, 1916). This form also indicated that both Andrew’s mother and father had died by then.
Olive (Allen) Trickey also gave birth to a baby girl on May 30, 1918. This girl was adopted by Ovila and Ida (Belcourt) Papin and named Gertrude Cherie Papin. The Papins and the Belcourts were from the District of Nipissing, Township of Blezard and Hammer. Gertrude married Oza Claude Mayer on May 9, 1938 in Swastika, Ontario.
The 1921 Census shows Andrew Trickey living in Pakesley (Mowat Township) and working as a “labourer”, likely for the Schroeder Mills and Timber Company in their lumber yard that they had built there in about 1919. Andrew was shown as a “lodger” so was likely living in one of the three boarding houses that had been built there by then.
Sometime after 1921, Andrew Trickey moved to Orillia, Ontario, where he met and married Ruth Jewett of Orillia, Ontario. The marriage took place on December 29, 1924. Andrew was shown as 41 and Ruth was shown as 20. It is assumed that Andrew worked in Orillia after they were married and was living at 149 Andrew Street when he died August 23, 1942 in his 64th year. )
[1] The Allen family story is presented in the Whitestone Historical Society’s book “Whitestone, From Gordon Lake to the Bunny Trail”. Olive’s sister Louise Allen married Marvyn Scarr December 25, 1908 in McMurrich Township, Parry Sound and her sister Christina Blanche Allen married Manville Scarr. They married September 27, 1911 in Parry Sound.
[2] According to some sources Olive gave birth to a boy (Andrew Edward Trickey) on April 10, 1917. This child was put into Foster Care on October 27, 1919 with (and eventually adopted by) Joseph and Lucy (Moore) Bannan and the boy’s name changed to William Bannan. William Bannan married Edna Mae Moore on April 6, 1937 in Trinity Church, Parry Sound.
