Private Edgar Lowell Shay
Private Edgar Lowell Shay was born on March 6th, 1890, to parents George and Bessie (nee Goodwin) Shay. He was the middle of nine siblings; the others Eliza, Annie, George, Ivy, Fred, Harley, Daisy, and Guy. Edgar grew up in Caledonia and listed his occupation as Teamster (likely running teams of horses or oxen) and millman. He stood 5 feet and 9 inches tall (175 cm), weighed 160 pounds (73 kilograms), and sported grey eyes and light brown hair. On December 22nd, 1915, he married Maud (nee Whynot), and in 1916 they had a daughter, Beulah.
Edgar enlisted on September 15th, 1916, as a Private in the 20th Company of (242) Canadian Forestry Corps and was assigned Regimental number 1048576. The records are not clear whether his daughter Beulah was born earlier in 1916, or later in the months after his enrolment and deployment. Private Shay sailed on HMS Mauritania on November 23rd, 1916, from Halifax to Liverpool, England, arriving one week later on November 30th. He sailed onward to Havre, France, on January 2nd, 1917. In total, less than four months after enrolment, he was in theater as a Forester, supporting the units on the front lines.
Private Shay was appointed Acting Lance Corporal on August 19th, 1917, and a month later, he was appointed as Acting Corporal. For reasons unknown, on March 31st, 1918, he reverted to the permanent rank of Private, at his own request.
October 31st, 1918, Private Shay reported to a Military hospital in Etaples, and was assessed to be “DANGEROUSLY ILL with Bronchial Pneumonia”. He perished three days later on November 2nd, aged 28. Military records from the time do not note the possibility of Spanish Flu, but the epidemic had begun to spread in Europe in late 1918.
Private Shay left his worldly belongings to his widow, Maud. As his dependent, she was given the War Service Gratuity to Dependents of Deceased Soldiers of 180 dollars. Maud was also presented with the Memorial Plaque and Scroll. Maud and Private Shay’s mother, Jessie, were each awarded the Memorial Cross Medal (also known as the Silver Cross).
Private Shay is interred in Plot XLIX, Row B, Grave 8 at Etaples Military Cemetery near Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France. The cemetery hosts 10,773 Commonwealth burials from World War One.
​
Private Edgar Shay is commemorated on page 499 of the World War One Book of Remembrance. He is also listed on the Caledonia Cenotaph.
​
​
​
Online References
War Grave Search – https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/497779/e-l-shay/ No image of Private Shay certificate
Local Grave Search - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30719758/edgar-lowell-shay
Canadian Virtual War Memorial - https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/497779?Edgar%20Lowell%20Shay
Canadian Census - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=census&IdNumber=7779963&ecopy=e001975916
First World War Personnel Records Database - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=pffww&IdNumber=224625&ecopy=088928a
