100 years ago today, Wilfred Kibble arrived in France on his way to join the fighting on the Western Front.  When we left Wilfred, at the end of Act 1, he had just departed Southampton aboard the R.M.S. Ascania bound for Canada.  What happened in between?

Having set off on Thursday the 2^nd of October 1913, Wilfred arrived in Quebec ten days later, on Sunday 12^th, the ship having called at Queenstown, Ireland en route.  The R.M.S. Ascania was built in Newcastle in 1911, so was only a couple of years old when Wilfred travelled on board.  It didn’t, however, have a long life.  During the First World War it was mainly used for transporting Canadian troops to Britain.  Latterly, it also transported US troops.  In this role it was attacked by German submarines, but escaped intact.  However, in June 1918 it was wrecked off Cape Ray, Newfoundland.  All hands were saved.

Closer inspection of the ship’s records reveals a bit more about Wilfred’s intentions than I had realised.  Wilfred was single, had never been to Canada before, could read and write and gave his religion as Church of England.  His record is stamped “British Bonus Allowed” (a commission paid by the Canadian government’s Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents in the United Kingdom for each suitable immigrant who purchased a ticket to sail to Canada).  The record states that Wilfred intended to permanently reside in Canada, giving his destination as Princeton, Ontario.  He intended to be a farmer and declared that he had been a farmer since March 1911.  Having disembarked at Quebec, he planned to travel inland by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Exactly why Wilfred proceeded to Princeton is unknown, but perhaps he had a contact there.  Having reached Ontario, he went on study agriculture at the Ontario Agricultural College, which is located in Guelph, about 60km North East of Princeton.  At that time it was part of the University of Toronto.  How long his studies lasted and exactly what his plans were for afterwards are also unknown.  It seems reasonable to assume though that he would have planned to work on a farm for a while in order to save up to buy his own land.  Whilst he was honing his agricultural skills, however, Europe was descending into war.

Following the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on Sunday the 28^th of June 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.  Russia then declared war on Austria-Hungary, Germany declared war on Russia and then, when it refused to remain neutral, on France as well.  In order to avoid French border defences, Germany sought to send troops through Belgium, despite having committed (along with France and Britain) to guarantee Belgian neutrality.  Belgium refused permission and so Germany declared war on them.  As a result, on Tuesday the 4^th of August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany.  At this point Canada was automatically also at war with Germany and started to mobilise an expeditionary force almost immediately.

Towards the end of 1915 recruitment began for the 120^th (City of Hamilton) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.).  Hamilton is some 50km South East of Guelph and 60km East of Princeton.  Wilfred Kibble enlisted on 29^th November 1915, giving as his address 70 Bay Street South, Hamilton, Ontario.  Now 21, Wilfred was described as being 5ft 9ins tall, weighing 10st 13lbs and having blue eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion.  He presumably underwent basic training in Canada.  Although I don’t know when or where the above photo was taken, perhaps Wilfred is pictured here enjoying his physical drill!

A little under three years after arriving in Canada, on Monday the 14^th of August 1916, Wilfred set off back to Britain with the 120^th Battalion C.E.F. aboard the R.M.S. Empress of Britain from Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Built in 1905, this ship had a somewhat longer and more varied career than the Ascania.  They arrived in Liverpool on Wednesday the 23^rd of August and headed to Bramshott camp in Hampshire, the base for many Canadian soldiers during both the 1^st and 2^nd World Wars.  On Saturday the 2^nd September 1916, Wilfred was promoted to acting corporal.

Whilst stationed at Bramshott, Wilfred was able to visit his parents and it was then that he must have been photographed in his uniform.  Since he is sporting stripes on his arms, this must have been after his promotion.  I am very grateful to Susan, my first-cousin-twice-removed (with technical assistance from her son David) for supplying me with this photograph.  They are also providing me with other items that will inform future updates, including some further information and corrections to Act 1.

The 120^th Battalion C.E.F. was never sent to France.  It was used to provide reserves for other battalions and was eventually absorbed into the 2^nd Reserve Battalion in January 1917.  However, on Tuesday the 5^th of December 1916 Wilfred reverted to his permanent grade of Private in order to proceed overseas and join the 19^th Battalion C.E.F.  By the next morning he was in France.