Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Alden Leonard Law was born in Brockville, Ontario, Canada on 28th April 1892. His parents were William and Almeda (nee Service) Law and at the time of his birth his father was listed as a “swamper” or odd job man. His older siblings were Clarence, born in 1884, then Gertrude and Stella; younger than him were Myrtle and young Muriel born in 1899. The 1911 Canadian census shows that Leonard, as he was known, was working as a driver for a parcel delivery company and still living with his parents and two younger sisters in Ste Anne, Montreal.

In May 1913 Sophie Marie Nelson from Sunderland arrived in Canada to seek work as a domestic in Montreal, and just over a year later, on 29th June 1914 she married Leonard in St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church and they set up home together at 231 Fortune Street, Montreal.

30th March 1915 saw Leonard enlisting in the CEF when he became Private 66185 in “C” Company, 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles), and six weeks later the battalion sailed for England on the SS Carminia, arriving on 20th May 1915. After three months training the Battalion embarked from Folkestone, arriving in Boulogne on 16th September, and then travelling by train and foot to billets at Hazenbruch. Their first tour of duty commenced on 28th September when they took over front lines trenches from 25th Battalion at Wytschaete, Belgium.

In November Leonard spent four days in a Divisional Rest Station recovering from influenza, whilst at home in Canada Sophie was giving birth to their daughter Catherine Winifred. Five months later she and the baby returned to England to stay with her parents in Canon Cockin Street, Sunderland. They never returned to Canada.

Private Law rose quickly through the ranks; to Lance Corporal at the end of June 1916 after the Battle for Mount Sorrel, Corporal at the beginning of September, and then two weeks later to Sergeant at the Battle of Courcelette. On 1st October the Battalion were under orders to attack Regina Trench in the Somme Valley and it was here that Sergeant Law received a gunshot wound to his head, dying from his wounds on 4th October. He was buried by the Rev. A.J. Perry two days later.

Alden Leonard Law is remembered in Sunderland on S140.048part 9 page 201

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

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Sergeant Law