BX September 7, 1917
Returned Men
The following returned soldiers are expected to arrive in the city tonight or tomorrow, via G.T.R.: Sergeant J. Dockray, 12 Princess Street, H.E. Bayley, 27 Fair Avenue, A. Gaydon, 70 Wallace Street, J.J. Rowcliffe, 186 West Mill Street, A. Taylor, 393 Colborne Street, H. Venting, 209 West Mill Street.
BX September 8, 1917
No Shortage of Food Yet – Sergt. A. Taylor Comments on Living Conditions
That conditions in England are not as serious as the newspapers would lead the people to believe was the statement of Sergt. A. Taylor, of 393 Colborne Street, who went overseas with the 215th Battalion a few months ago, and arrived back in the city last evening. The prices of food, he states, are very high but there is no actual shortage of food. Sugar is the only food that is scarce.
Sergt. Taylor, who has been in England for about four months, was returned to Canada on account of his age and for instructional purposes. He arrived last evening on the 7.32 G.T.R., and with him was Sergt. J. Dockray of 12 Princess Street. The expectation was that six returned heroes would arrive back last evening but, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission received no further word yesterday, a mishap having occurred some place. However, a couple of the members of the commission met Sergt. Taylor and Dockray and took them to their respective homes.
James Dockray
In both the first battle of Ypres and in the Somme last year did Sergt. Dockray suffer wounds. After some time spent in the hospital after his first wounding he was again sent back to the front. He was again wounded in the Somme. He is now incapacitated, suffering with a badly injured left leg and shrapnel wounds. He had one brother killed in action, another invalided home to England and a third recently won his commission on the field of action. His father and mother reside at 12 Princess Street.
According to the two men returned Pte. Bayley, also of this city, is somewhere between Brantford and Quebec.
The 215th Battalion was not in England ten days before it was scattered in all directions Sergt Taylor told a reporter. Most of the battalion went in the first Brant County Battalion at Witley Camp. Part of it is, however, in France now, reinforcing the front line. The second Brant County Battalion was used as a “feeder” for the 125th. All the non-commissioned officers were reduced to privates at Witley.
Of the officers of the two Brant County Battalions, he said that as far as he knew only two were in France. They are Major Jones and Capt. Tyrwhitt, who went across with the Imperial forces.
On all sides in England is readily apparent a determination to win the war. All classes are strongly united in this determination. The only real affects the air raid had on England he said, was to foster a deep feeling of hatred against the Germans and further strengthen the determination to fight the war to a finish.
Sergeant Taylor was in the recent air raid at Folkestone and was twice in London during air raids. “The Germans will have to find different methods to frighten the people of England” was a significant remark made by Sergeant Taylor in regards to the air raids. A noticeable feature in London was that the people, instead of taking to cover during an air raid, wanted to see all that was going on. However there was no panic.
