Uncle Artie and his wife Lila at home in 1915. One of their last days together.

4 January, 1916  Enlisted in the 94th "New Ontario" Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, probably after attending a special recruiting     program put on at the Royal Theatre in Fort William.

Visiting home in his new uniform.

This is a photograph of Artie, his wife and their favorite niece Doris Hardy, whose mother was his twin sister. This is the last time that she saw her uncle and 80 years later, she remembered having this picture taken. She was just getting over an illness and she wasn't very happy that day.

9 June, 1916   The Battalion left for Camp Valcartier

18 June, 1916   Sent the following post card to his wife.

Mrs J. Arthur Stevenson
138 West Francis St
West Fort William
Ont
June 18 1916
Dear Lila
This is a view of last summer camp. They are going to take some of this camp but I don’t know where. I am going to send Maude one today. So I will bid you good by byby
from Art XXXX
 

26 June, 1916   Sent the following post card to his wife.

Mrs J. Arthur Stevenson
138 West Francis St
West Fort William
Ont
Quebec June 26, 1916
My Dear Lila
Just a few lines to let you know that we arrived in Quebec about 3 am and are taking the boat across the river into the other train for Halifax where we take the boat for England and hoping you are fine and wish you all kinds of good luck Lila dear. I will write as soon as I can dear and write to Valcartier until you hear from me just the same and it will be forwarded on Lila and never mind writing to that address I gave you. Again by by Lila.
 

28 June, 1916   Sent the following post card to his sister.

Mrs. J. B. Hardy,115 Francis St.
West Fort William
Ont
Halifax, June 28, 1916
My Dear Sister,
Just a few lines to let you know that we are all ready to sail, but the boat isn’t going out until tomorrow sometime, but I don’t know where we are going to yet.I will write when I get across the pond Jennie so good by by from Arthur
 

28 June, 1916  Embarked on RMS Olympic Halifax, Nova Scotia

6 July, 1916  Arrived in England.

21 July, 1916  Struck off strength of the 94th Battalion. Transferred to the 32nd Reserve Battalion, Shorncliffe, England.

20 August, 1916  Struck off strength of the 32nd Reserve Battalion and transferred to the 46th Battalion.

31 August, 1916  Taken on strength of the 46th Battalion in the field, at the St. Omer Training Area.

10 October, 1916  Moved into the front lines for the first time at Courcelette.

12 October, 1916     Made out  his will.

 No. 198827

Military Will.

In the event of my death I give the

whole of my property and effects to 

my wife Mrs. J.A. Stevenson 225 

 West Brock St. Fort  William  , Ont. 

Canada   

SignatureJ.A. Stevenson 

Rank and Regt.Private 

DateOct 12 1916

11 November, 1916  Took part in the attack on Regina Trench.

9 April, 1917 Took part in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

9 May, 1917 Promoted to Lance Corporal.

19 May, 1917 Attended "General Course" at Canadian Corps Training School.

26 May, 1917 Promoted to Corporal

2 June, 1917  Returned from Course

7 June, 1917 Sent a "Field Service Post Card" to his sister.

4 Aug, 1917 Granted 10 days leave to Paris.

15 Aug, 1917 Took part in the Battle for Hill 70.

18 Aug, 1917 Promoted to Sergeant. Pay increased to $1.35 per day.

13 Oct, 1917 On course.

20 Oct, 1917 Rejoined unit

26 Oct, 1917 Killed in Action in the Battle of Passchendael, probably in the attack on the Ypres - Roulers Railway, near the Decline Copse. His body was not recovered until 1920 and he was identified by his Identification disc. He was buried in Tyne Cott Military Cemetery in Belgium.

From the Recollections of Sergeant R. George Kentner, who served with Uncle Artie

"Here I looked over the remains of the Company. Only a few, a very few were left. G.C. Brown, afterwards to be one of my closest companions, and Dicken, both young lads who had never been in the Line before, had come through safely, though they were changed, quiet as though marvelling at it all. They seemed to have changed from boys to men in the space of a few short hours. McKerchar, later in France and yet in Canada a good friend of mine, was OK. But the many, many who were killed and wounded -- Blackmore, Sergeant Stevenson, Wesley, Arthur Rose, Captain ------ and many others killed, about a dozen missing and many wounded. The whole Battalion had fared alike.

18 May, 1920 Wife re-married in Alberta.

25 Oct, 1921 Wife awarded Memorial Cross

2 Sept, 1973 Letter from Lila to her niece Doris
Sept 2 - 73,
1415 37st SW,
Calgary.
To My Dear Doris
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still around and not feeling to badly. I do hope you keeping well after all your operations you have gone through so much. I had all my pictures out yesterday of dear Art you and myself. I still love him very much and wish he had been spared to come back home. We were very happy together. I was reading some of his letters and he wanted to get back home to us all. Can you imagine how long since he passed away? 56 years ago.