They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
John Henry Foster Babcock (age 109) — World War 1 — Feb. 18, 2010
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Normally, the header on this post would be the whole post and would be reserved for those Canadians who have died in service to Canada. A post like the above remains at the top of my blog for ten days after their death. I’m adding it to this post in honour of the passing of John Henry Foster Babcock, the last known Canadian to have served in WW1.
Babcock didn’t make it into service in the trenches of Europe, he was only 15 when he signed up. He managed to get himself as far as England before being rounded up into the Young Soldiers Battalion to wait his coming of age. Had WW1 gone on as long as Canada’s current engagement in Afghanistan, he would have seen service. He called himself a ‘tin soldier’ because he didn’t see action but the point is he joined up with the intent of doing so and that matters.
Babcock was born north of Kingston, Ontario. The Kingston-Whig Standard has written an excellent article on his life and times. I watched a special about him last fall and found myself engaged and admiring of his sharp mind and quick wit. Babcock earned his high school diploma at the age of 95 and at the end of the special he was musing whether he was going to tackle college or university in the coming year. As nature would have it, it appears he’ll have to decide in eternity what he’s pursuing next.
World War 1 was a turning point in Canadian history. At the beginning of the war the total number in our armed forces was 4,000 including all the brass. By the end of the war, over 600,000 Canadians would have joined up and served. We were a young nation then with little sense of national pride, it came into being during those long hard years of WW1. Canadians served throughout Europe, often taking on the really tough battles against the Germans, like Vimy Ridge & Passchendaele, and bringing them to victory.
Babcock may have moved to the United States where he spent most of his life but in typical Canadian fashion he declined Canada’s offer to provide a state funeral for him to mark the passing of the faces of World War 1. It is believed there are now only three WW1 veterans known to remain in the world: American, Frank Buckles, 109; British born Australian, Claude Choules, 108; and British female veteran, Florence Beatrice Green, 108.
It is not yet known how Canada will mark the passing of the faces of the WW1 era.
notice: The content of this post contains my opinions and my right to express them. I will respect your right to express your opinion in the comments as long as you’re not abusive and you respect my right to my opinion.
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Valuable thoughts and advices. I read your topic with great interest.