JAdamson

Netherhill – a village at north west quarter of section 11 township 29 range 21 west of the third meridian -offered more men to the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.) than any other town of its size. Col D.J. MacDonald, George Gear, Wm. J. Bourne, Ira Creed, Harry Ryan, Art Reed, Wm. Schell, John Lloyd, R. Deakins, Alton Leach, C. Sedore, Wm. Young, John King, Andy King, Les Loney, Wm. Scholey, John McRae, R. Menzies, John Dunlop, D.S. Cobb, R.P. Kay, Wm. Huser, Walter Siebert, James Anderson and Wm. Owen. The local branch of the The Great War Veterans’ Association (G.W.V.A.) began operating from the Eagle Lake School house.

Thos. Haddock, C. Togeson, Sgt. Ntzell, Geo. Robinson, Norman Fry-the first soldier casualty of the Canadian army-, George Pennell, Geo. Wellbelove, and Len Dixon did not return from the front, paying the supreme sacrifice.(p. 391-393) George Craig also remembers that Ed Shea, George Herman, Tom Simpson, Arthur Currie lost their lives in the Second World War.(p. 398)

Norman Fry, an army bugler was one of the first Canadian Soldiers to fall in World War I. Fry was a bugler in the English army before he came to Canada. While working for D.J. McDonald, Norman could be heard playing “Reveille” – first call- and “Lights Out”. Corporal Norman Fry of the Princess Pats was killed nearly immediately when the Canadian troops met the Germans. (p. 383 and 398)

Bill Netzel and Leonard Dixon also gave the supreme sacrifice. Others remembered were Bill Bourne, Bill Netzel, Les Loney, Jack King and the McDonald brothers. Toyeson also served with D.J. McDonald with the Strathcona Ligtht Horse. Toyeson was “literally blown to pieces” and nothing was found of him. (p. 383)

William (Bill) John Bourne, settling near Netherhill enlisted in the Winnipeg Rifles – the Little Black Devils. Bourne served as a sniper, and was often accompanied with the company of Tom Longboat. Bourne was injured in the Battle of Hill 70, and was rescued by German prisoners. Returning home on the “Aquitania” a ship converted to a hospital ship, he made it to New York safely despite the ship being torpedoed. (p. 417-419)

The biography of James (Jim) Rogers written up by Mr. and Mrs. B Gunnlaugson and Mrs. C. Ham. for Division 4 from the book; Memoirs of Hillsburgh. Jim had homesteaded on he north east quarter of section 2 township 30 range 19 west of the third meridian near his Uncle Joe. He was taken by snipers in the first world war. (p.145)William and Chester Kurtz,

James Calder from Aberdeenshire, Scotland settled near Brock. He had enlisted in World War I with the N.C.M.R. (Ninth Canadian Mounted Rifles) and the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He recounted an experience aboard ship enroute from Canada when a hurricane arose. The ship went some 500 miles off course due to the rudder of the ship being taken by the storm. (p.199)

Daniel G. Thomas left England to set up homesteading near Brock before enlisting in the first World War serving with the 53rd Battalion in France. After he was wounded he was sent to England to Work in the Orthopedic Hospital as a shoemaker, his first profession in England.

James (Jim) Anderson from Thomesville, ONtario enlisted with the First Canadian Engineers. On his discharge he bought land through the soldier’s settlement board.(p. 319)

D.J. MacDonald served with the Saskatchewan Light Horse Regiment as an officer. In 1914 he left overseas as a lieutenant and the youngest colonel in the Canadian army at the age of 28. He was wounded twice, and later commanded military outfits in Canada. During World War II he was Inspector General for Central Canada until his retirement as Major General. He was awarded the D.S.O. with two bars, the Military Cross, Order of the British Empire, and Order of Orange Nassau. MacDonald’s brother Roddie served as trooper with the Lord Strathcona Horse.(p.364)

Charles (Chas.) S. Smith who settled near Brock signed up for the Great War. To help with the 1916 “bumper crop” several “soldier boys” were granted harvest leave to return home to help out. Charlie Marcroft, Jimmy Campbell, Art Cann, Bob Arnold, Jimmy Thompson, Percy Parks and others were among whose who came home on temporary leave. Smith worked with the Soldier’s Settlement Board after his tour of duty and took up a soldier’s settlement claim near Naicam in 1922. (p. 249)

In the Rural Municipality of Hillsburgh a number of settlers filed homesteads with South African scrip, such as Dexter (Dic) R. Heberlee, and Jamws Millan Cameron to name a few.

Memoirs of Hillsburgh Rural Municipality No. 289 local history book remembers those who fell during the two Great Wars:

World War I:

  • DIXON, Leonard
  • FLEMING, Norman
  • FRY, Norman
  • HADDOCK, Thos.
  • HALDERSON, Kenneth
  • HALL, Fred
  • INGELS, James
  • MARCROFT, Chas.
  • NETZELL, Wm. T.
  • PARKS, Ernest
  • PARKS, Bruce
  • PEACOCK, J.
  • PENNELL, Geo. M
  • RIGHTON, W.
  • ROBINSON, Geo
  • ROGERS, James
  • THOMAS, Percy
  • TORGESON, G.E.
  • WALKER, Percy
  • WEATHERSPOON, David
  • WELLBELOVE, Geo.
  • YATES, Reginald

World War II:

  • BOVAIR, D.
  • CAMPBELL, Donald J
  • COCHRAN, John
  • CURRIE, Arthur
  • FOREMAN, Robert L
  • HERMAN, Geo.
  • MORE, Phyllis E
  • ROGERS, V
  • SHEA, Edward
  • SIMPSON, Thos.
  • STONEHOUSE, L

Hillsburgh Rural Municipality 289 no longer exists, it officially disorganised December 31, 1965. Amalgation took place with the Kindersley Rural Municipality No. 290 in 1965, and the Rural Municipality of Elma No. 291 amalgamated in 1951.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Memoirs of Hillsburgh Rural Municipality No. 289 Hillsburgh History Committee. c1955.

Adamson, Julia. 1921 Canada Census: Place of Habitation :: Rural Municipalities Saskatchewan Gen Web E-Magazine.