Private Albert Gill
Albert Gill was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England on August 8, 1893. He immigrated to Paris and was employed as a cutter in Penmans Mill No.7. He is commemorated at St James Anglican Church. Albert was single and 22 years of age when he enlisted with the 125th Battalion in Paris.
He was a member of the 10th 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 Forestry Corps on February 2, 1917. The Forestry Corps (CFC) was created during the First World War when it was discovered that huge quantities of wood were needed for use on the Western Front. Duckboards, shoring timbers, crates, anything that needed wood had to be provided. The British government concluded that there was nobody more experienced or qualified in the British Empire to harvest timber than the Canadians. At first the idea was to harvest the trees from Canada's abundant forests and bring them overseas. But space aboard merchant ships was at a premium, so rather than stuff ships' holds with timber, it was decided to use the Canadians over in Europe, cutting down forests in the UK and France.
Albert remained in Scotland, first in the 51st District in Edinburgh, then with the 55th District, headquartered in Stirling. On April 24, 1919, he reported back to CFC base in Sunningdale. He sailed back to Canada on the Aquitania. On May 18, he was at the Base Depot in Toronto. He received his discharge certificate in Hamilton on May 27, 1919.