Remembering World War I Yarmouth Connections

Charles Edgar Poole

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: Previous Military: Martial Status: Religion: Trade: Next of Kin: Date of Death: Cemetery:

Charles Edgar Poole 282978 Private 219th Battalion November 3, 1882 (actual 1881) Sand Beach, Yarmouth Co., NS March 18, 1916 Yarmouth NS Kelly's Cove, Yarmouth Co., NS 34 5 feet, 7 inches light light Brown grey 29th Battery CFA Yarmouth Married Baptist Farmer Mrs. Nellie G. Poole (Wife) Kelly's Cove, Yarmouth Co., NS September 11, 1956 (age 74) Town Point Cemetery, Rockville, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada Charles Poole enlisted with the 219th Battalion at Yarmouth. He was the son of Stephen and Ellen Poole of Sand Beach, Yarmouth Co., NS. He was married to Nellie Dale (Lent) Poole and was the father of five children; Donald Edgar, b. 1910, Frederick George, b. 1911, Doris Ellen, b. 1913, Stephen Churchill, b. 1914, Gordon Arnold, b. 1915. He sailed from Halifax on the SS Olympic on October 10, 1916 and arrived in England on October 18, 1916. He was stationed at Witley Camp and transferred from the 219th Battalion to the 85th Battalion on December 28, 1916. He proceeded overseas to France with the 85th Battalion on February 10, 1917 disembarking at Boulogne. Charles was granted fourteen days leave on November 24, 1917 and returned to the 85th Battalion in the field on November 24, 1917. On August 10, 1918 he was wounded with a gun shot wound to the neck. He was admitted to No.1 Canadian Field Ambulance Canadian Casualty Station and transported No 74 General Hospital, at Trouville until September 3, 1918. He returned to his unit in the field on September 13, 1918. On September 25, 1918 the Battalion marched to Arras and were at the Arras Station when it was bombed. Charles suffered contusion to the eyes the result of a bomb burst on the Arras Station, blowing him fifteen feet and his head felt strange. His ears discharged following the explosion and he was admitted, initially, to a Canadian Casualty Station and then to No 4 General Hospital on September 28, 1918 at Camiers. On October 4, 1918 he was returned to England and posted to the Nova Scotia Regiment Depot at Branshott. His situation was reviewed by a medical board on November 25, 1918 at the Military Convalescent Hospital at Epsom. At that time Charles complained of difficulty in hearing and an examination reveals a perforation of both ear drums, the cause of which was determined to be concussion. His hearing was reduced. His eyes at this time appeared to be normal. The Medical Board determined his medical category as B-III, light-duty work while recovering for a six month period but unable to return to the former position in the field. On January 24, 1919 he returned to Canada and was discharged on demobilization at Halifax on March 24, 1919.

On September 25, 1918 the Arras Train Station was bombed by the Germans. At the time of the bomb blast soldiers of the 85th Battalion had marched into Arras and were at the Station. Private Charles Poole was among those injured.

SS Olympic The 219th Battalion sailed from Halifax on October 10, 1916, to England on SS Olympic. Witley Camp The Battalion was based at Witley Camp upon arrival in England.