This photo album was rescued from a municipal garbage dump in the County Donegal, Republic of Ireland by a Mr. Martin Carberry. After many attempts and some years, Martin was able to determine that the photos documented the 46th Battalion in locations such as Ottawa, Ontario, Camp Sewell in Manitoba, and to a greater extent Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Image courtesy of the Donegal Democrat.
Mr. Carberry donated the photo album to the Historical Collection of the D.V. Currie VC Armoury in Moose Jaw, the home of the 46th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) of World War One. The 46th was known as the "Suicide Battalion". At present, the armoury is home to the Saskatchewan Dragoons, an active armoured unit of the 38th Battalion of the Canadian Forces. Mr. Carberry's hope in donating the album is that the photos would be made accessible to the public, and the album as a physical artefact would find a home most related to the contents of the album. The Saskatchewan Dragoons and the Saskatchewan Military Museum, (which hosts this website), are happy to oblige.
The album arrived by mail at the armoury on 15Sep2022, and work began that day to digitize every photo in the album and display it here. Over the weeks ahead we hope to complete the task, perhaps adding narrations for some of the photos. If you as a reader of this content know details about the people, buildings, places, or circumstances depicted in any of the photos, please contact Greg Salmers via gregory.salmers at gmail.com. Together we will bring these photos, which seem to date from about 1915, to life.
In concert with Martin we believe the photo album belonged to Clifton Warmington Smith. We link to an article in the Donegal Democrat describing how the album was found. How the photo album ended up in a municipal garbage dump in County Donegal, Ireland remains a mystery. Tips are welcome!
U.S. Records of Aliens pre-examined in Canada show he was documented on 12Apr1911. He crossed from Winnipeg, Manitoba into the U.S. in March 1912. At the time he was a resident of Canada. Canadian WWI CEF Personnel Files for 1914-1918 list him as being born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 9Jul1887. His WWI attestation papers say he had a relative named Leonard Clifton Smith. We learned later that Leonard was his father, and Emma Sarah Robb was his mother, and that his birthplace was Parramatta, New South Wales. Ancestry indicates that a Lieutenant Clifton Warmington Smith is in the UK and Ireland newspapers marriage index for a marriage that occurred on 7Jul1917 at Acton. The banns were read in church on 3,10,17Jun1917 prior to his marriage as a bachelor to Blanche Marie Helina Kathleen Blumberg, a spinster. On 14Jan1918 he is in the Canada, Military Honours and Awards Citation Cards index. He is a member of the Freemasons, with first payment on or about 22Apr1919. He is listed in the London electoral registers at Hendon, England in 1928, 1933 and 1936. We know from the UK Dentist Registers that in 1940 Clifton Warmington Smith lived at 14, Barkston gardens, London, s.w.5, and had been in the register since 1923, Jan. 6. He is in the England and Wales National Probate Calendar for his death on 8Aug1957. His death notice says "Smith. Clifton Warmington of Little Colyers, Whelpley Hill, Chesham, Buckinghamshire died 8 August 1957. Probate London 15 November to Blanche Marie Helina Kathleen Smith, widow. Effects 9398 Pounds 1s, 10d." Another place associated with his death is Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England.
- from Ancestry dot com.
Many of these photos may be completely unique images heretofor never seen by the public of WWI, the 46th Battalion, and of the Moose Jaw area. If you choose to share any of these images, please credit Saskatchewan Military Museum and the Saskatchewan Dragoons Historical Collection. Please do not use these images for profit purposes without requesting and receiving permission from the Unit Historian of the Saskatchewan Dragoons. Enjoy!
- GC Salmers.
How the Album was Found
Regarding the photos, Martin Carberry said on 21Jun2022 "I found them around 25 years ago in a suit case while working for the local council at a garbage dump. I did some research and discovered they were the 46th pre going to war." "I am including attestation papers for officer Smith when he signed up for the 46th in Moose Jaw. As you can see he was a dentist by trade."
Note that the attestation papers say he was living in Fenton, Manitoba at the time of enlistment. Also that he was born in Australia.
Donegal Democrat newspaper article - courtesy of the Donegal Democrat.
The Album
The Photos
Scanning done by Debbie, a generous volunteer.
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The content below consisting of handwritten records of the Valour Citations for Officers and other ranks, typewritten account entitled "Officers Who Served Overseas in the Great War with the 46th Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1914-1919", and the Nominal Rolls were originally housed in the 46th Battalion Display Case in the V.C. Currie D.C. Armoury in Moose Jaw.
The origins of the handwritten documents are unknown. They are quite possibly the work of the Battalion Adjutant during the period when the Battalion was on occupation duties in 1919.
- GC Salmers, SaskD, Historical Collection, 7Nov2018.
Valour Citations - 11 handwritten pages for lower ranks beginning with Sgt. Hugh Cairns V.C., DCM.
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Valour Citations - 30 handwritten pages for officers beginning with Lieutenant(Captain) Bateman, BID.
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Nominal Roll
Organization, Mobilization, Movement to Europe
Other ranks passed through
Tactical Commanders
Tactical Commanders, continued
Notes on Composition of 46th Bn
Title page
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Casualty List - 2018
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GCS/gs 11Oct2018
Casualty List - 2016
This Casualty List was located in the Armoury during a cleaning of historical collection storage rooms in 2016. The original source of the list is unknown. It consists of 18 pages listing soldiers who were killed, including their serial number, rank, surname, given name, unit, date, and burial code. According to a handwritten note on the last page, there are 975 casualties in the list.
The first step will be to photograph and display here each page. The second step will be to create a searchable keyboarded list. The third step will be to display any additional information which comes to our attention, including photographs, letters, memorabilia, or content submitted by families of these soldiers, as link from the soldier's name.
Families of these soldiers are therefore encourage to email or send content relating to these soldiers, c/o the webmaster: gregory.salmers@gmail.com.
GCS/gs 18May2016
Images
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Searchable list
Casuality List - Excel Version - OCR corrected 20Dec2020 Use Control F to find names, serial numbers
Vimy Ridge - Casuality List - created 21Dec2020
Index to grade locations pending. I need to find a list of them!
Photos attributed to the 46th Battalion
GCS/gs 28Dec2020/15Sep2022/6Oct2022