Remembering World War I Yarmouth Connections

Harry (Zacharie) Muise

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

Harry (Zacharie) Muise 1060157 Private 246th Reserve Battalion; 85th Battalion January 25, 1897 East Quinan, Yarmouth Co., NS November 3, 1916 Halifax NS East Quinan, Yarmouth Co., NS 19 5 feet (no inches) dark black brown Single Roman Catholic Farmer Thomas Muise (Father) East Quinan September 30, 1934 (aged 37 years) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Quinan Private Muise was the fourth of thirteen children, the son of Thomas (Athanase) and Jane (Geneviève) Muise of East Quinan, Yarmouth Co., NS. His mother, Geneviève died September 1, 1914. Being only five feet in height, he was known as "le p'tit Carie" in Quinan. His real name was Zacharie, but he was known and called by the name “Carie”. His official military attestation paper records his name as “Harry”. Being unable to read or write, one an imagine him, on November 3, 1916, standing before the recruiting officer who would have completed the attestation form. Asked his name, Zacharie would say his name was “Carie”, after-all that his how he was known. The recruiting officer wrote “Harry” and so Zacharie became “Harry Muise”. Harry signed his attestation paper with his mark “x” witnessed by Private William Percy Tidgwell an eighteen year old from 94 Allen St., Halifax who had enlisted on March 6, 1916. Having enlisted, Private Harry Muise was assigned to the 246th Battalion. His Training in Canada began in November, 1916 and continued through May, 1917. During this time he was hospitalized between April 26, 1917 and May 10 having suffered a sprain. During his training in Halifax he forfeited two days pay for being absent without leave in January and was fined two dollars for being drunk in February. The 246th Battalion proceeded to England from Halifax on the SS Olympic (H.M. Transport 2810) on May 31, 1917, arriving at Liverpool, England on June 9, 1917. On June 10, 1917 he was transferred from the 246th Battalion to the 17th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott Camp. On November 10, 1917 he proceeded overseas to France for service with the 85th Battalion arriving in France on November 11, 1917 On November 14 he departed to join the 85th in the field, arriving on November 23, 1917. On September 2, 1918 while in the field near Arras, France he was severely wounded when struck by shrapnel to his right shoulder and right forearm, his right leg and face losing his sight in his left eye. On this same day, Private Tidgwell was killed in action, also serving in France with the 85th Battalion. Private Muise was first taken to a Field Ambulance Station and then to a General Hospital in the field On September 18, 1917 he was transported to Military Hospital in England and remained in hospital until April of 1919. He was invalided to Canada for continued medical treatment at Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax, on April 14, 1919. On July 24, 1919, having served in Canada, England, and France, he was medically discharged, aged 24, at Halifax. While his wounds healed he had various body scars, partial loss of function to his right hand and the loss of his left eye. He returned to East Quinan where he continued to farm. He never married. On September 30, 1934 at the aged of 37 years he died of tuberculous. He was buried in the Saint- Agnès Roman Catholic Parish Cemetery in Quinan. Until 2021 his grave had no marker and the actual location of the grave was uncertain although it was believed he may have been buried near his father’s (Thomas Muise) grave site. Facing the cemetery from the church, more than halfway down on the right side, is the location of the headstone of Thomas Muise. Next to it is the grave of Harry’s stepmother Evangeline. His mother, who died in 1914, has no headstone. On August 19, 2021, a headstone was placed on the grave of Harry (Zacharie) Muise.

Sources: Library and Archives Canada Photo: Courtesy of Phyllis Pothier