BX April 23, 1917
Brant Casualty List Mounts Up – 22 Today – Twenty-Two Names of Local or County Men Given Out Today – First Brant Battalion Draft Suffered Severely
Issued today is one of the lengthiest weekend casualties lists yet made public since the outbreak of war. In the list are given 19 Brantford men, all of whom with one exception were wounded. Three Simcoe men, two Paris men and one Burford man are also in the list. Many are official confirmations. The Expositor having previously mentioned them.
Gunner Jack Houison, a former employee of The Expositor, according to private advices received is suffering from concussion of the brain. He went overseas with the first complete battery to leave Brantford. His home is on Greenwich Street, and he has two brothers Alex and George in the battery he was in.
BX April 30, 1917
Word was received in the city from Sergeant Jack Houison, now at the Australian hospital in France, that he is improving and hopes to be able to be back in action again in a very short time.
BX February 26, 1918
Veteran Returning
Mr. J. Houison, 21 Greenwich Street, has received word that his son, Sergeant Jack Houison, formerly of The Expositor business office staff, expects to sail for Canada in April Mr. Houison had three sons, all of whom donned khaki. Sergt. George Houison was killed last year; Gunner Alex Houison is with the 54th Battery in France, and Sergt. Jack Houison has been invalided from the service on the score of his severe wounds.
BX March 19, 1918
Returning Home
Charles Bisset, Percy Sykes, John Houison, Henry Carruthers, John Partridge, George Sutton and Thomas Tyrrell
The above list of men returning home has been received by Secretary MacDonald of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, and the party is expected to arrive tomorrow. The usual reception by Mr. MacDonald will be tendered the men and there will be nothing special in the nature of the welcome from a civic standpoint, as it was thought at a representative meeting this morning that the relatives of the men had the first and only call on the time of the men when they first arrived home. At the meeting this morning, which was attended by Board of Trade representatives, manufacturers, ladies of the Patriotic League and representatives of other bodies, it was unanimously decided, on motion of C.G. Ellis and John S. Dowling, to give a banquet at an early date to all returned men, and that the cooperation of the Women’s Patriotic league be secured to this end. Mrs. Livingston, the president, and Miss Raymond were present and promised cooperation for the league.
Another conference will be held with the ladies when the banquet will be gone into in more detail.
The committee appointed to complete arrangements was as follows: Mayor MacBride, Mrs. Livingston, Mrs. Hurley, George Macdonald, Ald. Boddy, Ald. Harp, C.G. Ellis, George Stinchcombe, J.W. Shepperson and F.W. Thompson. There have been 366 men returned so far to Brantford and all will be included in the civic invitation to dine.
It is also proposed to hold a soldiers’ week this summer in Brantford, and the following committee was named to prosecute the matter: C. Jarvis, chairman; W. Lahey, A.G. Brown, L. Waterous. A big soldiers’ picnic is also to be arranged for, when it is hoped that a medal will be ready for distribution by the city. The idea is that of the mayor, who hopes to have a medal designed which will not be any cheap trinket, but suitable as an expression of civic gratitude and pride in the wearer.
BX March 27, 1918
Reached Halifax
Mr. George MacDonald, secretary of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission has received word that the following Brantford men reached Halifax yesterday and will leave for their home city at once. J. Houison, 249 Greenwich Street; H. Instrall, 20 Norwich Street; B. Lester, 77 Grey Street; P. Quigley, 211 Darling Street; L. Secord, 23 Rose Avenue.
