Remembering World War I Yarmouth Connections

Charles Ivan Hilton

Charles Ivan Hilton 223229 Corporal 85th Battalion October 3, 1891 Deerfield, Yarmouth Co., NS November 4, 1915 Halifax, NS Pleasant Valley, Yarmouth Co., NS 24 5 feet, 8 inches dark dark brown brown Farmer Single Baptist Ella Hilton (Mother) Pleasant Valley, Yarmouth Co., NS January 31, 1918 (medical discharge; Halifax, NS) September 13, 1983 Charles was the son Charles and Ella Hilton of Pleasant Valley, Yarmouth Co., NS. Following training in Canada, he departed Halifax, sailing on the SS Olympic, arriving in Liverpool, England. He disembarked in France at Boulogne on February 12, 1917 for service in the field with the machine gun section of the 85th Battalion. On April 13, 1917 at Vimy, while on machine gun duty in the front lines, he was hit by shrapnel with severe wounds to both legs, knee, thigh, and left hand. He was admitted to No 13 Hospital at Boulogne on April 14, 1917 and evacuated to the Norfolk War Hospital (Thorpe, Norwich) England on April 20, 1917. He remained there until June 8, 1917 when he was transferred to Granville Special Hospital at Ramsgate. On August 30 he was was transferred to Lord Derby War Hospital at Worrington and on September 28, 1917 to the Canadian Military Hospital at Kirkdale, Liverpool. He was operated on to remove numerous pieces of shrapnel six different times. He was invalided to Canada on the Hospital Ship Araguaya, departing England on November 19, 1917 arriving in Halifax on November 28, 1917. In Canada he continued to receive medical treatment at Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax. He was discharged from service on January 31, 1918. In 1921, Charles moved to Boston, where he stated a moving company business. He married and there is now a large family in the US, mostly in Massachusetts. He died September 13, 1983.

Name: Service No: Rank: Battalion: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment: Age at Enlistment: Height: Complexion: Hair: Eyes: Trade: Martial Status: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Discharge: Date of Death: Cemetery:

Library and Archives Canada Photo:

A machine gun emplacement on the crest of Vimy Ridge and the men who drove the Germans from it during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. (April 9 - April 14, 1917)