From the News

John Carruthers Waldie, 17 years, enlists in the 61st Battery, C.F.A.

The Lethbridge Daily Herald

John Carruthers Waldie had been a student at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, when he enlisted in the 61st Battery, 15th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery in May 1916. He was born in Nelson, British Columbia.

Further information about the family may be found in The Legacy of John Waldie and Sons: a history of the Victoria Harbour Lumber Company, published 2007 by Kenneth A. Armson and Marjorie McLeod

Dated: May 25, 1916

With Lethbridge Battery

Nelson News: J. C. Waldie, son of William Waldie, 804 Stanley Street, will leave Tuesday morning to join his unit, the 61st Battery, Canadian field artillery, at Lethbridge. Mr. Waldie, who is 17 years of age, has been attending Trinity school at Port Hope, Ont., and was on his way home for the holidays when he made up his mind to enlist with the prairie battery. He states that ever since he was a small boy the artillery branch of the service had always held a strong fascination for him and that when he heard from a fellow passenger on the train that the 61st battery was mobilizing at Lethbridge, he made up his mind to stay over in that city and enlist. This he did, receiving leave of absence to visit his parents and will leave Tuesday morning to rejoin his unit.

Mr. Waldie's uncle, his father's brother, who went to the front early in the war with a Toronto battalion, met his death in action last summer.¹ The new artilleryman is well known in Nelson, having spent most of his life in the city.

¹This refers to Second Lieutenant Charles Percival Waldie, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regt.), who was reported killed in action 26 September 1915. His brother, Lieut. Walter Scott Waldie, served with the 122nd Battalion C.E.F., was about to proceed to France when armistice was signed, and died 19 February 1919 of influenza at Rhyl, N. Wales, and was buried in Burlington, Ontario. They were sons of John Waldie, M.P. Toronto, who was head of the Victoria Harbour Lumber Company. Photographs.

Transcribed by: M. I. Pirie