Private Thomas Bean
Thomas Bean was born on April 6, 1874 in Paris. He was 42 years of age and unmarried when he enlisted with the 125th Battalion. He was working as a laborer and was a member of St.James Anglican Church. He was a member of the 9th Platoon that embarked aboard the S.S Scandinavia on February 12, 1916. The 9th and 10th Platoons were the first contingent of soldiers from Paris, nearly 100 men, to go overseas.
He was transferred to the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre in Bramshott on September 22, 1916. Established in England by the Overseas Military Forces of Canada, this administrative unit tracked, managed, and reassigned wounded or sick Canadian soldiers who were evacuated from the front lines in Europe. It also acted as a vital holding unit where military officials could track the location, status, and recovery progress of thousands of Canadian troops. He received a medical exam and was diagnosed with hallus valgus, which is a painful foot deformity in which the big toe leans towards the second toe. This disability meant he could not serve overseas. Thomas seems to have been sent directly back to the 125th on the same day.
On December 19, he ceased to be attached to the 125th and returned to the CCAC. On March 17, 1917, he was transferred to the 2nd Central Ontario Regiment. On May 8, 1917, he was transferred to the Mytchett Rangers. During the First World War, Mytchett in Surrey, England, hosted a major British Army training site known as Mytchett Camp. It served as a vital mobilization, accommodation, and infantry training ground, notably utilized by divisions preparing to deploy to the Western Front. On November 4, he no longer was attached to the Rangers.
On December 10, 1917, Thomas was transferred one last time, this time to the 1st Canadian Discharge Depot (CDD) in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, which operated during World War I to process, rehabilitate, and repatriate discharged, injured, or disabled Canadian soldiers. It was primarily headquartered at the Empire Hotel and processed thousands of Canadian Expeditionary Force members before their return to Canada. The depot was largely based in the Empire Hotel, which had been requisitioned for military use, and worked in tandem with the town's Red Cross Special Hospital. The facility was responsible for handling medical discharges, issuing pensions, organizing travel, and reintegrating soldiers into civilian life. It ensured that servicemen requiring further specialized medical treatment—such as those recovering from severe wounds or shell shock—received care before crossing the Atlantic. Or in Thomas’ case, because of his foot deformity. He was invalided back to Canada and arrived at #2 District Casualty Unit in Toronto on January 1, 1918. Private Thomas Bean was discharged on January 31, 1918.