northwestmountedpolice

Private H W W Donaldson

from IWM Collections

• Gary Donaldson said:

  Herbert William Walker Donaldson was born in India (Nilgheary Hills) on 17 September 1870. Having served for most of his adult life in the North West Mounted Police, (20 years service, trained at Kingston Academy in 1887), he enlisted aged 43 in Quebec City, Quebec on 19 November 1914 when he gave his profession as being a 'logger'. He originally went to the 23rd Canadian Infantry Battalion as Private 51129, but transferred into the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in the field on 21 March 1915. He was reported Missing presumed Killed on 8 May 1915 near Bellwaerde Lake, Frezenberg. His parents, Surgeon-Major James Donaldson (Madras Establishment), and Agnes Campbell Donaldson having died before the war, his next of kin was his sister, Alice Donaldson of 2 Bellgrave Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland. Additional detail from the Canadian Great War Project at www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/searches/soldierDetail.as... //

• Trench-Foote said:

  On 8th May 1915 at Frezenberg the 'originals' of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, commanded by their founder Major A Hamilton Gault DSO, suffered nearly 400 casualties, the Battalion being reduced to 4 officers and 150 other ranks. See the memorial page at www.webmatters.net/monuments/ww1_ppcli_frezenberg.htm

• Gary Donaldson said:

  This copy of the photograph is attributed to the Edinburgh photography studio of Louis Saul Langfier Ltd, at 60 Princes Street. There is more detail about Langfier at www.edinphoto.org.uk/PP_I/pp_langfier_0.htm //

• Charlotte Czyzyk said:

  Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/