Scot ancestors, either Canadian military or Scot?

[bluebonnet]

Also, here's a list of the Cdn Battle Order, it may help with your research with the names and locations of units etc... http://baummil.org/CanArmy.html

[frank_a]

Frank, if your grandmother hailed from around Cornwall, try looking in the archives for Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. If you send them your pics, they may be able to match them up with their own archives. http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/e...ers/index.page

My grandmother hailed from Croil Island, a Scot colony in the St. Lawrence River that was flooded when the power dam was built. She went to Osnabruck Center Schools, and for all I know, the school could have been on Croil Island. Before it was transferred wholly to the US in the early 1900's, Croil Island was divided with the north side in the Township of Osnabruck, ON, the south side in the Town of Louisville, St. Lawrence County, NY. There is very little history of the settlement on Croil Island, but over the years I have picked up what I can. My grandmother always argued that she was born on the south side of the international line, but she also married my grandfather at the Presbyterian Church in Osnabruck Center. I have tracked my paternal grandfather's grandfathers all the way back to the late 1500's in France. They were Hugenots that arrived in Philadelphia 10/17/1749, and before the end of the century had settled in the SDG area. Most of them seem to have married Scot women. I think that was because most of the Scots were not papists. While I can track ancestry back to Scotland through my grandmother's mother's dad (a Vallance), I run into a brick wall on the Campbell line in 1802. I've tried everything I can, so I guess DNA is next. Cheers, Frank

[Dung Trumpet]

The ones on the left side of the first pic look to be wearing Hodden Grey so possibly either London Scottish or Toronto Scottish Regiments.

Actually, they're both pipers in the 154th Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Overseas Battalion. What looks like Hodden Grey is actually a khaki kilt (full khaki kilt, and not just a khaki apron). Here's a photo of my grandfather, who was a piper with the battalion before they went overseas. At first I thought they might have both been in the 21st (Eastern Ontario) Battalion, CEF, out of Kingston, Ontario, but they're lacking the collar dogs of the 21st. I come to this conlusion because of the uniforms, and that the OP said that his family came from Woodlands, which was in Stormont County. I'll have a crack at IDing some of the other pics.

[frank_a]

Actually, they're both pipers in the 154th Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Overseas Battalion. What looks like Hodden Grey is actually a khaki kilt (full khaki kilt, and not just a khaki apron). Here's a photo of my grandfather, who was a piper with the battalion before they went overseas. At first I thought they might have both been in the 21st (Eastern Ontario) Battalion, CEF, out of Kingston, Ontario, but they're lacking the collar dogs of the 21st. I come to this conlusion because of the uniforms, and that the OP said that his family came from Woodlands, which was in Stormont County. I'll have a crack at IDing some of the other pics.

Wow! That's great info. I would not doubt they were SDG, as that is where my family is from. Thanks! Frank

[Dung Trumpet]

Wow! That's great info. I would not doubt they were SDG, as that is where my family is from. Thanks! Frank

You're welcome. Hazarding an educated guess with this one, but this gentleman appears to be a member of the 253rd (Queen's University) Highland Battalion, CEF, out of Kingston, Ontario. The shape of his cap badge nearly identical, and the description of the pipe band seems to match up closely. "1st May, 1917. Recruited throughout Canada from University students. Pipe Band, Argyll & Sutherland tartan; Balmoral with grey and red turkey feathers."

The 59th Battalion from Cornwall (pre-war militia unit) had plenty of its members join the 21st, 38th, 73rd, and 253rd battalions at various points, so that seems to square with your location. The 253rd was broken up to reinforce frontline units already at the front, and was disbanded following WWI. It is perpetuated by the Princess of Wales' Own Regiment in Kingston.

[Dung Trumpet]

For your collage pics, could you possibly post higher definition individual copies? I cannot make out anything on any of the men outside of the two pipers.

[frank_a]

You're welcome. Hazarding an educated guess with this one, but this gentleman appears to be a member of the 253rd (Queen's University) Highland Battalion, CEF, out of Kingston, Ontario. The shape of his cap badge nearly identical, and the description of the pipe band seems to match up closely. "1st May, 1917. Recruited throughout Canada from University students. Pipe Band, Argyll & Sutherland tartan; Balmoral with grey and red turkey feathers." The 59th Battalion from Cornwall (pre-war militia unit) had plenty of its members join the 21st, 38th, 73rd, and 253rd battalions at various points, so that seems to square with your location.

Once again, great info! Now if I could tie a name to these gents. Some of that would take time on my part, as I have very little, if any, info on my grandmother Campbell's sisters and their progeny. I'm not even sure I have their married names, but maybe after the holidays I can sit down with ancestry.com and try to gain some depth. Thanks! Frank

[Dung Trumpet]

Also, here's a list of the Cdn Battle Order, it may help with your research with the names and locations of units etc... http://baummil.org/CanArmy.html

That's a valuable link for the modern Canadian Army, but since these are all photos from WWI, he'll have to look back to Sir Sam Hughes's numbered battalions that were created only for WWI. There were 260 numbered battalions of Canadian Infantry in WWI, that were all disbanded following the cessation of hostilities. The numbered battalions are nowadays perpetuated by the reserve and regular force regiments of the Canadian Army.

Here's a link to the Canadian Army's capbadges from WWI. http://cefresearch.ca/matrix/Utiliti.../Army%20Corps/

[frank_a]

I've scanned each of these gentlemen individually, then cropped them individually, also cropping out insignia best I could.

[Dung Trumpet]

I've scanned each of these gentlemen individually, then cropped them individually, also cropping out insignia best I could.

"Kilted 1c", and "Kilted 2c" are definitely the 253rd (Queen's University) Highland Battalion, CEF, as the shape of the cap badge matches on "1cc", and you can clearly see the scroll where "Canada" is written on "2cc"'s collar dog. As for "Kilted 4c", He has an insignia that visible on his epaulet, but I don't know if it'll be much use to try and zoom in on it in a scan.