Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 169 continued ... continued ... Sgt. Roland Murdock Irving WW I Roland Murdock Irving was born in Mount Thom, Pictou County, NS, on September 3, 1883. He was married with four young children and living in the rural community of South Brookfield, Queens County, NS, when he enlisted in the 242nd Canadian Forestry Battalion on September 14, 1916. The 242nd Battalion, based in Montreal, was authorized in July, 1916, and recruited in Quebec and the Maritimes. On his attestation papers Roland’s trade was listed as millman. He would have worked in a saw mill and was probably actively recruited by the battalion for his forestry experience. Roland’s rank was private and he was issued service number 1048586. On November 23, 1916, Roland embarked for overseas with a draft from the 242nd Battalion. They left Halifax, NS, on the troop ship SS Mauretania and landed at Liverpool, England on November 30th, where they proceeded to Witley Camp, a large training camp in southern England. At that time, the Canadian forestry battalions were reorganizing into companies under the Canadian Forestry Corps. Each company contained approximately 190 officers and men plus additional labourers. They worked in the forests in the U.K. and France and ran saw mills creating lumber for the front lines and the war industry. By the end of the war there were close to 100 companies working in England and France. Roland disembarked at Harve, France on January 2, 1917. He was assigned to the 21st Company, Canadian Forestry Corps for a short time before being transferred to the 20th Company the following October. He remained with the 20th Company in France for the duration of the war. Roland returned to Canada in May, 1919, via England, and was discharged from the army on May 25, 1919. He held the rank of sergeant. Major Roderick Colin Jackson Boer War & WW I Roderick Colin Jackson was born in Napa, California, on June 24, 1881. The Jackson family had a lengthy record of military service. His father, John Bruce, enlisted for service with the 42nd Missouri Infantry during the American Civil War at the age of 14. Roderick’s grandfather, Major William Jackson, fought with the 3rd Missouri Cavalry in the Civil War battle of Wilson’s Creek, near Springfield, MO. His great-great-grandfather, William Jackson, served as a Private during the American Revolutionary War. He also fought in the War of 1812 and was mortally wounded at the Battle of New Orleans (January 1815) while serving as a Captain with the Tennessee Rifles. Roderick’s mother, Ann, was a native of Pictou County, Nova Scotia. When her husband, John Bruce, passed away from stomach cancer two years after Roderick’s birth, Ann returned to Rogers Hill, Pictou County with her three children. She became ill shortly afterward and died of tuberculosis in 1887. 242nd Canadian Forestry Battalion hat badge
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