Henry Vesey

Corporal Henry Vesey (746297) was born in Uxbridge on February 23, 1888. He became a baker, and lived in Uxbridge. He enlisted on January 12, 1916, and joined the 116th Battalion. After much training the Battalion embarked for England from Halifax on July 23, 1916 on the S. S Olympic, arriving in Liverpool on July 31, 1916. They had more training in England, and arrived in France on Feb. 11, 1917.  Much of the 116th's wartime fighting took place near Arras and Ypres, in the area known as the Somme. 

Vesey was appointed Lance Corporal on Aug. 22, 1917, and was promoted to Corporal two months later. The following spring, on March 29, 1918, during a posting on the Front Lines at Maricourt, the Battalion was attacked by the enemy and Cpl Vesey was wounded by an exploding shell. Shrapnel caused injuries to his jaw (compound fracture), his right shoulder and hand, and a gash on his ribs. He was invalided back to England and spent seven months in hospitals there as they treated the grievous injuries to his jaw. He returned to Canada on November 1, 1918, to receive further treatment at the Whitby Military Hospital. Finally, after 9 months of treatment he was able to leave hospital on January 7, 1919. He was discharged from the Army on Jan. 15, 1919. 

We Will Remember Them