LEST WE FORGET 307 ROENSPIESS, Walter WWII Walter was born on December 27, 1923, to August and Beulah (Williams) Roenspiess, and resided in Annaheim, Saskatchewan. Attempting to enlist in 1942, Walter was rejected due to his double joints and flat feet, so being unable to serve as an army regular and not able to take basic training. After medics studied Walter’s feet for three weeks, he was released and then was accepted by Canada’s Selective Services and was employed by Canada Packers supplying meat products to Canada’s military until war ended. Walter passed away in 1989. ROTHERY, Julian WWI Julian Rothery was the son of Julia Rothery and Walter Woodhead. He was born in Leeds, England on February 9, 1896. Julian Rothery immigrated to Canada as a British Home Child for indentured service by the Liverpool Sheltering Home in 1905, at the age of 9. He arrived aboard the Tunisian in Quebec City on May 27 and was moved to the home of a family in Knowlton, Quebec. His older half-brother, Walter Woodhead Rothery, arrived on the same ship. British Home Children were relocated from disadvantaged homes in Britain in the belief that they would have more opportunities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More than 100,000 children came to Canada between the 1860s and the 1940s. Most were hosted by farm families where they were put to work. Sadly, because of lax supervision, many of the children were treated very poorly and received little if any education. Many were transients, wondering from job to job. When World War I began, many young men who were brought to Canada as British Home Children still felt connected to Britain and signed up. It is estimated that 10,000 young immigrants joined the Canadian Military. Julian Rothery was one of the many. He was 19 and living in Glenside when he enlisted with the 128th Overseas Battalion in Outlook on December 30, 1915. He served with the 28th Battalion in France where he received a gunshot wound to his right thigh on October 10, 1918, at Cambrai. On 8 October, the 2nd Canadian Division entered Cambrai and encountered sporadic and light resistance. The Battle of Cambrai in northern France took place from 27 September to October 11, 1918, and contributed to the overall defeat of Germany and the end the war. Julian Rothery received the British War and Victory Medal. When he was discharged at the age of 23, he proposed to return to Glenside. However, in 1921 he was living in Port Nelson, Manitoba. Julian Rothery died on December 4, 1965, in Winnipeg. He is buried in Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg.
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