Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Born on 10th April 1884 in Percy Main, Northumberland Joseph was the second child of Londoner Joseph Cardwell, an engine fitter and his wife Wylam born Minnie Harle. Joseph had an older sister Meggie, born two years before him, and younger siblings John, Minnie, William, Albion, Florence, Norman and young Lilian, thirteen years his junior. All were born on Tyneside William, Norman and Lilian died in infancy.

At school in Newcastle when the family were living in Aline Street, Benwell, by 1901 sixteen year old Joseph was an apprentice pattern maker and still living with his parents who had moved to live in Castletown Grove, South Shields. He was also a volunteer with the Tyne Submarine Miners, part of the Royal Engineers.

By 1914 Joseph was living in British Columbia, Canada and on 25th August he married Sunderland born Marie Hudson in Victoria, where their daughter Irene was born the following summer. Working as a carpenter the family lived in Ladysmith, British Columbia and on 19th February 1916 Joseph enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force becoming Private 706980 in the 103rd Battalion. At the end of July the Battalion arrived in Liverpool having sailed from Halifax on board the SS Olympic. Just before Christmas Private Cardwell was posted to 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles (no longer a cavalry battalion), and posted to France as part of the 8th Infantry Brigade, 3RD Canadian Division, where after time attached to the 2rd Entrenching Battalion joined 2CMR in billets at Raimbert.

Just four weeks later, on 9th April 1917 Joseph was reported as missing in action at Vimy Ridge. Having received a head wound and been evacuated through field ambulance stations and casualty clearing stations to hospital in Wimereux a week later Joseph’s status was changed to Wounded in Action and he was attached to 3rd Army Rest Camp until he rejoined his unit at Berthonval on 7th June.

September 1918 saw Private Cardwell on a Lewis Gun course at the3rd Divisional Training School returning to his unit on 23rd. Six days later at St.Olle, 2CMR were part of an attack to seize the bridgehead over the Canal d’Escaut. Casualties for 29th September were heavy with 76 officers and men killed and over 250 wounded. One of those killed was Private Joseph Cardwell.

Post war Marie Cardwell and the two children, Irene and Joseph Maitland, returned to live in Sunderland. It is unlikely that Joseph ever saw his son who was born in January 1917 after he had been posted to France.

Joseph Cardwell is remembered in Gateshead on G39.004 page 95

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Cardwell