Sergeant George Wishart

George was born in Glasgow, Scotland and immigrated to Canada. He was married and lived at 39 Capron Street when he enlisted. They attended Paris Presbyterian Church. George was 39 years old and working as a laborer when he enlisted with the 125^th Battalion in Paris, though from his address and his military service, we can conclude that he was working with railway operations at the Paris Junction.

He was a member of the 9^th Platoon that embarked aboard the S.S Scandinavia on February 12, 1916. The 9^th and 10^th Platoons were the first contingent of soldiers from Paris, nearly 100 men, to go overseas. He was transferred to another battalion after arriving in England, possibly the 4^th Battalion. We know that he was serving with the 4^th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops at some point, probably in 1918 in France, because he was with that unit when he was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in January, 1919.

The 4th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops (CRT), formed in January 1917, was a crucial World War I unit composed of experienced railway workers, organized in England, and deployed to France in February 1917 to build and maintain vital railway infrastructure on the Western Front, supporting logistics and troop movement until the war's end. The military planners recruited skilled railway workers from across Canada, ensuring technical expertise. They were essential for building, maintaining, and operating railway lines to transport troops, ammunition, and supplies, keeping the war effort moving. 

Canadian Railway Troops (CRT) were frequently under enemy fire. Because their primary mission was to push rail lines as close to the front as possible to support major offensives, they operated in highly dangerous zones. Unlike infantry who had the protection of trenches, railway troops often worked above ground in the open to build or repair tracks. This made them prime targets for artillery shelling and aerial bombing. And they were constantly in such danger because there were often roughly 100 breaks per day due to enemy shell fire. During the massive German Spring Offensive in March 1918, CRT units were forced to abandon railway work and were instead used as emergency combat troops to build rear defense trench systems under fire. It is not currently known when and where Sergeant Wishart would have earned his Military Medal, but there would have been many opportunities. From early 1917 until the end of the war, the Canadian Railway Corps suffered 1,977 casualties due to accidents, shelling, gas, and direct fire. The Canadian Railway Troops, including the 4th Battalion, played a vital, though often overlooked, role in the Canadian Expeditionary Force's success, ensuring the lifeline of supplies reached the front lines.