Name: George Crowell Service Number: 415770 Rank: Private Service: 40th Battalion/24th Battalion Date of Birth: April 15, 1894 Place of Birth: Bear Point, Shelburne Co., NS Date of Enlistment: August 7, 1915 Place of Enlistment: Aldershot, Nova Scotia Address at Enlistment: Brazil Lake, Yarmouth Co., NS Age at Enlistment: 21 Height: 5 Feet 7 Inches Complexion: Dark Eye Colour: Brown Hair Colour: Black Martial Status: Married Trade: Fisherman Next of Kin: Bertha Crowell (Wife) Brazil Lake, Yarmouth Co., NS Date of Death: November 7, 1917 Age at Death: 23 Memorial: Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial Belgium Commemorated on Page 223 of the First World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on May 19 Commemorated on the Yarmouth War Memorial George M. Crowell was the son of George H. Crowell (1856-1933) and Jemina (Swim) Crowell (1859- 1898), and the husband of Bertha Estelle or Estella (Pierce) Crowell (1890-1978). George’s middle name is recorded as Martin in some records, and Morton in his military service file. Some records indicate his year of birth as 1891, his family grave marker indicates it was 1892, and his service file it is recorded as 1894. George’s siblings were Anna Margaret Crowell (b. 1878), Frank Crowell (b. 1881), Jeremiah Wilfred Watkins Crowell (1885-1967), Gordon E. Crowell (1887-1966), Florence Gertrude Crowell (1888-1963), Ernest Whalen Crowell (1892-1924), Wallace Nehemiah Crowell (1893-1976), and Minnie Otton Brown Crowell (1897-1966). George’s brother Gordon served in WWI. George married Bertha Pierce (born in Danvers, Essex Co., Massachusetts) on April 2, 1913, in Sandford, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. They had one daughter Evelyn Maud Crowell (1913-1993). George Crowell enlisted with the 40th Battalion at Aldershot, NS. He trained in Canada until October of 1915 when he embarked for England on the SS Saxonia arriving there on October 28, 1915. On March 15, 1916, he embarked for France for service with the 24th Battalion. On September 30, 1916, Private Crowell suffered shrapnel wounds to the head, right arm, and right leg. He was hospitalized at the No 2 Canadian General Hospital in France in LeTreport and transferred to England for treatment and convalescence. He returned to France and joined the 24th Battalion in the field on May 30, 1917. At the time of his injury the Yarmouth newspaper reported his death and later printed a retraction. The Battle of Passchendaele took place on the Western Front, from July to November 10, 1917, for control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres in West Flanders. Private George Crowell was killed in action the last days of the battle on November 7, 1917. With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ieper (Ypres), Western Flanders, Belgium, and is also commemorated on a family grave marker at the Brazil Lake Cemetery in Brazil Lake, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. On October 16, 1916, George wrote to his wife: Following Private Crowell’s death on November 7, 1918, his wife received a number of letters. Percy Anderson was from North Port, Cumberland Co., NS and enlisted at Aldershot, NS three days after George Crowell. He was also with the 40th Battalion and transferred to the 24th Battalion. Both George and Percy were the same age. Percy survived the war. Thomas Goldman (Winnie) Crowell (Regimental Number 415899) with D Company 40th Battalion also wrote to George’s wife. Thomas Crowell was from Baccaro, Shelburne County Nova Scotia and had also enlisted at Aldershot NS on August 15, 1915, a week after George. He was 19, married, and a fisherman. Thomas would also survive the war. Captain O C “A” Company 24th Battalion wrote on November 20, 1917: