group that attested at Valcartier in September 1914); the 76th Battalion (MRWWI page 108); or the last group that attested to the 164th Battalion (the Halton-Dufferin Battalion). These lists identify many men that have not previously been identified as “Milton Soldiers” in the reference documents. This may be because they were Milton men and not of “Milton Families” so they did not write home to Milton during the war – in fact they may have been forgotten after they left to serve. It is clear now that your name appearing on a local church memorial or cenotaph did not give you automatic qualification for a gold watch. This is best shown in the case of James Henry Winn #135607, who is listed on the Grace Anglican Church memorial but noted in the reference text (MRWWI page 200) as a “Milton Old Boy” who had since moved to Galt. The attestation papers do not mention Galt but rather show Todmorden, a historic area of Toronto. There were three (3) Winn brothers from Milton in the Great War (James, Ebenezer, and Norman). Only the eldest brother, James Henry Winn, is listed on the Grace Anglican Church memorial. The youngest (Norman Dingwall Winn) is listed on the memorial at Knox Presbyterian Church. That seemed odd that brothers would attend different churches but it is clearly recorded in the records. Out of curiosity I checked page 2 of each of their Attestation Papers for their religious affiliations and sure enough James Winn, who attested in July 1915 marked himself as “Church of England” (Grace Anglican Church) and Norman Winn in March 1916 marked himself as Presbyterian (Knox Presbyterian Church). Just to add to that story, Ebenezer Winn attested as a Methodist (now St. Paul’s United Church – formerly a Methodist Church).
4.1 Candidates Who Paid the Ultimate Sacrifice The evaluation of the candidates that were killed in action, or otherwise died in service during the Great War of 1914-1919, results in some confusion. Some men were known to have received watches, others known not to have received a watch. The rules changed between the gold watch presentations in 1917 as compared to those in 1919.
4.1.1 Soldiers Who Died in the Great War before July 1917 The 1917 list previously presented was initially considered as very important, as it provided confirmation that the widows (or family) of the Milton Soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice (killed in action or died of wounds, illness or accident during the war period) received the commemorative gold watches. Six (6) of these soldiers have already been listed as recipients of the gold watches LW:
William James Allan (#141847 76th Battalion)
Joseph Dockray (#142534 21st Battalion)
Ernest Baverstock (#142260 24th Battalion)
George Hill (#46585 15th Battalion)
Archie Warren Beard (#142261 24th Battalion)
William Maddocks (#302221 Field Artillery)
Sadly, William Maddocks although seriously injured by an accident (kicked by a mule while a blacksmith in France), was alive at the time of the 1917 presentations and the gold watch was accepted by his Milton’s Gold Watches – A Mystery from the Past, by Richard Laughton, April 2011
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