WWI Canadian Highlander Question

[TrevorHoward]

Hey Lads,

We have come across an old photo of our Great Grandfather and was wondering if any of you experts would be able to help with any details. All we know is the following:

Name: Alexander MacIntyre (Might have also been spelled McIntyre on some documents)

- His Parents:
James MacIntyre (1869 - ?)
Ellen/Hellen McDonald ( 1875 - ?)

- Born: January 7, 1892

- Immigrated to Canada in 1911 (that's what it says in the Canadian 1911 Census anyways)
- Was living in Montreal at the time of the Census as a nephew to the head of household.

- October 30, 1914 - Employed with the Grand Trunk Railway System (We have his employee's train ticket good until June 30, 1915)

- Married to Isabella Cameron MacKenzie on June 3, 1916

- (War Service?)

- Died: About 1975

** Someone has mentioned that this was "Quebec Training"… not sure what that means or if it is actually written on the back of the photo.
** A friend has told me that he most likely was a member of one of the following: The 1st Regiment, Canadian Grenadier Guards; The 3rd Regiment, Victoria Rifles of Canada, and the 65th Regiment, Carabiniers Mont-Royal.
** I have searched pretty much all of the MacIntyre and McIntyre surnames in the WWI Attestation papers online with the Government of Canada Veterans Affairs and can not match up any similar names or next of kin (parents)
** We have NO idea what his regimental service number is.

Can anyone here offer any more information or ideas on information relating to this photo? I saw the photos at this thread and saw some similarities but don't know if there is a connection: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...s-color-54298/



Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

Trevor

[12cmgc]

I would suggest posting the same information on the following site.

http://www.cefresearch.com/phpBB2/index.php

The site specializes in all aspects of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces and forum members there might have some ideas to pursue.

[Macman]

I can't help you with the regiment, but "Quebec training" could mean Valcartier, Quebec, where most of the CEF assembled and did training prior to embarkation.

[Dangerdean]

This might just be a shot in the dark, but if he was from Montreal, and in a highland regiment, there's a good chance it was the Black Watch. The only visible cap badge in the photo is difficult to make out, though.

[rir179]

Try this: They are Attestation Papers which will give parents and where they came from:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...3=&interval=20

[MacSpadger]

The Calgary Highlanders also wore the Black Watch/Government tartan.

The Canadian Black watch sporrans had 5 short tassles, and the Canadian Black Watch do not wear glengarries.
Prior to the 1920's the Calgary Highlanders wore a two point sporran like the one in the pic.

The 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles), was used as a training battalion for the CEF.
The thing that puts me off is the glengarries. The Calgary Highlanders wore diced glengarries. Regimental records say that due to shortages men wore home made glengarries, but the ones in your pic don't look homemade. Pipers in the regiment did not wear diced glengarries, but there's no indication that these fellahs were pipers.

[SlackerDrummer]

Not that it will help, but this is the way that photo is supposed to be. The cap badge was on the wrong side and all the jackets buttoned up the wrong way.

[TrevorHoward]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to say thank you for all of your help.
- 12cmgc I will try my luck at the site you have mentioned and see if anything turns up there.
- rir179, I have already checked a lot of the attestation papers with similar names comparing dates of birth (within a couple months or years within the same month). I have also accessed the file in Ottawa with some of the A., Alex, Alexander Mc/MacIntyres that did not either have regimental numbers or attestation papers listed and found no connections. All of the files that show NO attestation documents actually DID contain them in their files.
- Slack Drummer... I'm not sure what you mean by, "this is the way that photo is supposed to be. The cap badge was on the wrong side and all the jackets buttoned up the wrong way."? Do you know if this was done on purpose? If so why?

Thanks again for everyone's help!
Trevor

[SlackerDrummer]

- Slack Drummer... I'm not sure what you mean by, "this is the way that photo is supposed to be. The cap badge was on the wrong side and all the jackets buttoned up the wrong way."? Do you know if this was done on purpose? If so why?

Yours is a mirror image, Trevor. Look at the way the jackets button up in the photo in your post: right over left as opposed to left over right like men's clothes do and have for quite some time. Note that the visible cap badges are on the right side of the head - not unheard of, but unusual.

My guess is that whoever scanned it flipped it by accident. I simply flipped it back in PhotoShop.

[OrneryPiper]

Good picture! and some good attention to detail on the part of the rabble! I am no expert of course...but i think the picture may be to pixelated, you may have to look at the cap and sporran badges under a magnifying glass(on the original of course...) and then start researching from there.