Sergeant Gordon Wilson Hutchings

Gordon Wilson Hutchings was born in Montreal on 3 September 1893 and worked as an electrician. He enlisted there on 16 June 1915 and served with D Company of the 60th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He sailed overseas in November 1915 and joined the battalion in France in February 1916. After being buried by a shell explosion at Ypres in June 1916, he was evacuated to England with shell shock and received hospital and convalescent treatment. He later served as a clerk at Headquarters, Overseas Military Forces of Canada, in London, becoming an acting sergeant in August 1918. He married during his overseas service. He returned to Canada aboard Grampian in March 1919 and was demobilized at Saint John on 16 March. He subsequently served with the Victoria Rifles of Canada from 1919 to 1922 and enlisted again during the Second World War, serving in Canada from January 1940 until February 1941. He is buried in Huntingdon Protestant Cemetery.

1893-09-03 — Born at Montreal, Quebec.
1915-06-16 — Attested in the 60th Battalion at Montreal, Quebec, as an electrician; medically examined and found fit.
1915-06-17 — Taken on strength of the 60th Battalion; attestation was on 16 June.
1915-06-18 — Recorded with D Company, 60th Battalion.
1915-06-22 — Received anti-typhoid inoculation.
1915-07-02 — Received anti-typhoid inoculation.
1915-07-12 — Received anti-typhoid inoculation.
1915-08-17 — Disciplinary order for the 60th Battalion appears to record eight days confined to barracks and forfeiture of eight days’ pay.
1915-11-01 — Assigned $15 monthly pay to mother Sarah Hutchings at 57 Argyle Avenue, Montreal, Quebec.
1915-11-06 — Sailed from Montreal, Quebec, aboard Scandinavian with the 60th Battalion for England.
1916-02-20 — Embarked for France with the 60th Battalion.
1916-02-21 to 1916-02-22 — Arrived at Le Havre, France; arrival entry carries both 21 and 22 February.
1916-06-03 — Reported sick after being buried by a shell explosion in the trenches at Ypres, Belgium, losing consciousness for about half an hour and digging himself out; sent to a dressing station with shell shock.
1916-06-05 — Evacuated to England and admitted to Graylingwell War Hospital at Chichester, England, with shell shock.
1916-06-06 — Taken on strength of the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre at Folkestone, England; effective transfer is entered as 5 June.
1916-06-11 — Pay ledger records transfer from the 60th Battalion to an unclear destination abbreviated C.C.B.
1916-06-13 — Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre taking-on-strength entry/report recorded.
1916-06-14 — Discharged from Graylingwell War Hospital at Chichester, England, after nine days’ treatment.
1916-06-16 — Admitted to Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, Epsom, England, for shell shock.
1916-07-11 — Further admission/status entry at Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, Epsom, England.
1916-07-14 — Reported improving at Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, Epsom, England; day is overwritten.
1916-08-10 — Examined by medical board at Epsom, England; still nervous, required glasses and recommended base duty for about twelve weeks. Attached for base duty at the convalescent hospital.
1916-08-15 — First spectacles issued following eye examination at Epsom, England; corrected vision 6/6 in both eyes.
1916-09-25 — Attached from the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre to Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, Epsom, England.
1916-09-26 — Discharged as a patient from Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, Epsom, England, with shell shock recorded; attached duty continued afterward.
1916-12-04 — Ceased attachment on return to Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre from Epsom, England.
1916-12-05 — Reported to Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre at Hastings, England, ceasing the Epsom convalescent-hospital attachment.
1916-12-08 — Abstract records discharge to the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre.
1916-12-16 — Placed on command at Headquarters, Hastings, England, for duty as a clerk.
1917-02-10 — Attached to Headquarters at Hastings, England.
1917-03-10 — Taken on strength of 2nd Quebec Regimental Depot at Shoreham, England, from the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre while on command at Headquarters, Hastings.
1917-04-21 — Pay account records transfer to Dept L; destination abbreviation unresolved.
1917-05-11 — Struck off strength of 2nd Quebec Regimental Depot to 1st Quebec Regimental Depot at Shoreham, England.
1917-06-07 — Wife separation-allowance entry carries an apparent effective date of 7 June 1917 at 102 Elgin Avenue, Maida Vale, London, England.
1917-06-16 — Granted one Good Conduct Stripe/Badge at London, England, effective this date; reported 21 August.
1917-06-20 — Attached to Headquarters, Overseas Military Forces of Canada, London, England, from 1st Quebec Reserve Depot; pay account identifies Private and pay clerk, with transfer to P. & R.O.
1917-06-27 — Pay-account transfer to P. & R.O. reported, effective 20 June.
1917-07-09 — Granted permission to marry at London, England.
1917-08-01 — Assigned-pay records name wife Mrs. G. W. Hutchings at 235 Grove Green Road, Leytonstone, Essex, England.
1917-08-17 — Dependant/pay record refers to an English list and states the dependant was sent to England.
1917-09-01 — Wife address revised to 102 Elgin Avenue, Maida Vale, London, England; effective date apparent.
1917-11-01 — Assigned pay increased to $18 monthly; separation allowance also increased for wife in England.
1917-12-14 — Transferred from 1st Quebec Reserve Depot to Headquarters, Overseas Military Forces of Canada, London, England.
1918-03 — Pay account credits $19.46 to correct two $9.73 cash charges dated 14 and 26 March 1917 that had been charged twice in error.
1918-05-16 — Medical board recorded category B1, later confirmed 12 November; handwritten category slightly uncertain.
1918-08-13 — Appointed Acting Corporal at Headquarters, Overseas Military Forces of Canada, London, England.
1918-08-14 — Appointed Acting Sergeant and graded/paid as sergeant-clerk at Headquarters, Overseas Military Forces of Canada, London, England.
1918-11-12 — Earlier B1 medical classification confirmed.
1918-12-30 to 1918-12-31 — Struck off Headquarters, Overseas Military Forces of Canada, to General Depot at London, England; records use 30 and 31 December.
1919-01-15 — Medical board at Witley, England, recorded continuing nervousness, palpitations, sweating, limited marching endurance and fatigue, recommending Bii/B2 duty; no permanent-unfitness discharge recommended. Could resume civilian trade.
1919-01-22 — Pay records note Witley, England, and Military District No. 4.
1919-01-31 — Pay ledger marked Discharged to Canada; later sailing and operative demobilization occurred in March.
1919-02-01 — Wife’s assigned pay and separation allowance recorded as $18 and $30 respectively at 29 Swinderby Road, Wembley, Middlesex, England.
1919-02-04 to 1919-02-05 — Placed on command/attached to 1st Canadian Discharge Depot at Buxton, England, for return to Canada; effective/report dates differ by one day.
1919-03 to 1922-04 — Subsequent service with the Victoria Rifles of Canada.
1919-03-04 — Ceased attachment to Canadian Discharge Depot, Buxton, England, embarked aboard Grampian for Canada and was struck off strength to CEF in Canada.
1919-03-14 — Disembarked from Grampian at Saint John, New Brunswick.
1919-03-16 — Discharged for demobilization at the Clearing Depot, Saint John, New Brunswick; medical-unfitness alternative struck out. War Service Badge Class A recorded as issued.
1919-04 to 1919-08 — War service gratuity account records $420 plus $180 separation-allowance component, total $600, with disbursements during April–August.
1919-04-01 — Assigned pay and separation allowance entries for wife at 57 Argyle Avenue, Montreal, Quebec; gratuity/payment instructions also revised to Bank of Montreal.
1920-02-17 — Pay adjustment of $11.20 for difference between sergeant and sergeant-clerk pay, covering 31 December 1918–31 January 1919.
1940-01-12 — Separate WW2 enlistment at Westmount, Quebec, under service number D76933; served in Canada.
1941-02-13 — Discharged from separate WW2 service as physically unfit.
1958-07-25 — War Veterans Allowance verification at Montreal, Quebec, records WW1, postwar militia and WW2 service, and married/separated status with common-law wife Eveline Hutchings.