10 - The Review, Weyburn, Saskatchewan, August 2, 2017
Tracing soldier’s story a labour of love A four-year effort to trace the life of a forgotten soldier killed in the First World War was a labour of love for Sean Clair of Campbellford, Ont., with the journey ending in Weyburn as he worked to uncover any details he could of the life of Ernest Cutridge. The journey began in Campbellford when a plaque in tribute to Cutridge was found in a box, and Clair was upset to find that this veteran had been all but forgotten, so he began researching to find out whatever he could about his life before he died of injuries from the battle at Vimy Ridge a century ago. “The plaque was covered with insect debris and obviously had been in an unforgiving place for some time. It turns out a local Women’s Institute building had relocated and the box and contents were
turned into the Legion,” said Clair. After he was given the plaque, “I was hooked. Between my wife and myself and a whole degree of networking, after four years we had his story.” Clair found out that Ernest Walter Cutridge was initially born on Jan. 25, 1893, in England in Faversham, Kent, and was brought to Canada at 10 years of age as a “British Home Child” with Barnardo Homes in 1904. “The family fell on hard times and young Walter, aged 10, was turned over to the Barnardo Homes for waifs, strays and orphans,” said Clair, from the research he found, along with members of the Campbellford Heritage Society, and information from the British Home Children website. Cutridge was placed on a ship, the Southwark, along with a few hundred other
children, and spent a week journeying to Canada. Cutridge was placed with a family on a farm in Rylestone, Ont., to work, in Hastings County between Rawdon and Seymour Townships. He was first recorded in the 1911 census as a “domestic” for a family on the 10th Line Rawdon. His adoptive family appears to have loaned him to a neighbor for work, and he later headed west to Saskatchewan, ending up on a farm in the Hume area. When he was 22, he came in to Weyburn on Dec. 13, 1915, and enlisted with the 5th Battalion, 152nd Regiment, of the Canadian Infantry. War records showed he was wounded in the stomach by a machine gun bullet while taking part in the attack on Vimy Ridge. He was evacuated to the No. 1 Canadian Field Hospital, but he succumbed to his
Weekly Weather High Tues., July 25 27.3 Wed., July 26 29.0 Thurs., July 27 31.8 Fri., July 28 34.4 Sat., July 29 31.4 Sun., July 30 36.1 Mon., July 31 30.5
Low mm 12.4 — 9.9 — 14.3 — 14.0 4.6 16.5 1.7 17.3 — 14.9 —
injuries the following day, on April 9, 1917, just shy of 24 years of age. Cutridge was buried at Quatre-Vents Military Cemetery in France. This year, a friend of Clair’s, Bob Murphy, from the Legion branch where the plaque had been turned in, accompanied high school students from
Campbellford to Vimy Ridge, and he found Cutridge’s grave and took a photo of it. The photo of the grave has been put up along with the restored brass plaque in the Vimy Room at the Legion Hall. In July, Clair and his wife travelled to Weyburn and Hume, and visited the
A plaque for a forgotten soldier
Weyburn Legion branch to drop off a photo of that gravesite and an information package on Cutridge, completing his four-year journey to “honour the memory of a forgotten young boy, given to a foreign land, loyal to his core, who returned to die in service of the King and fight for freedom.”
Photo — Sean Clair
This was the plaque for Ernest Walter Cutridge, a former resident of Hume, who died of injuries suffered in the battle at Vimy Ridge a century ago. This plaque turned up in a dusty box turned in to the Legion in Campbellford, Ont., and resident Sean Clair began a four-year journey to track down who Cutridge was, with the path leading to Weyburn where he enlisted with the 5th Battalion of the 152nd Regiment.
Historic Weather Fact:
Highest temp in August: 40 C, August 8, 1958
Historical press ready to run off Heritage Days newspaper
A historical press will be showcased during Heritage Days, as it was recently repaired so that it could print off a Heritage Village newspaper. A demonstration of the press, which was donated by the Weyburn Review, will be held by Mel Fisher on Saturday, August 12. The historical press is located in a newspaper office that will be open for tours during Heritage Days, which will be held during the Weyburn Wheat Festival from Friday to Sunday, August 11 to 13. Photo — Sabrina Kraft
University of Regina moving towards a smoke-free campus The University of Regina is moving toward a smoke-free campus with a newly revised smoking policy, which comes into effect on September 1, 2017. Under the revised “Smoking on Campus” policy, the University of Regina will not permit smoking or the use of tobacco products in any University owned or leased building, on leased or owned University property, or in University vehicles, or vehicles parked on University leased or owned property. Advertising or the sale of smoking and tobacco products on all University of Regina campuses will also be prohibited. “The University of Regina is committed to providing a safe, healthy and clean place for everyone who comes to our campus to study, work, visit, and live,” said Dave Button, Vice-President (Administration). “We know that exposure to secondhand smoke and the use of tobacco products is a major health hazard. We want to reduce and eventually eliminate this health risk on our campus. This change is aligned with our values of accountability and wellbeing, and with our emphasis on sustainability,” said Button. As of September 1, smoking will only be allowed in three designated smoking areas located near student residences. “Many students live on campus, and the designated smoking areas will provide them with a safe outdoor smoking space,” said Button. As well, recognizing that tobacco is an integral part of cultural ceremonies, cultural research and requests for guidance, knowledge or knowledge sharing, the policy allows it to be burned on
campus in accordance with current University of Regina policy GOV-040-020 Smudging/Pipe Ceremonies.
The University of Regina is committed to providing a safe, healthy and clean place for everyone who comes to our campus. – Dave Button, vice president of administration
Faculty, staff and students at the University of Regina are encouraged to access smoking cessation programs through available health benefit programs. “We recognize that smoking is an addiction and we know this change will be difficult for many in our community. We encourage students, faculty and staff to access the smoking cessation programs available to them,” Button said, noting awareness, respect, peer-to-peer encouragement and support will be the most effective means to create change and move to a smoke-free campus.