Canadian Book of Remembrance page 143

Private Alfred William Ogilvy entry

Journalists Visiting Canadian Foresty Battalion

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Despite his service record giving his date of birth at 1897, records show that Alfred William Ogilvy was born in South Shields on 6th March 1899 and baptised a month later at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Westoe. He was the only child of Windsor born electrical engineer Thomas William Ogilvy, who had his own business in Shields and his wife Elizabeth Jane Sinclair, whom he had married in 1898, and by 1901 the family were living at 10 Roseberry Avenue, Westoe. Having been a pupil at Westoe Grammar School, in April 1911 Thomas left for Canada and a job as an electrician in New Westminster, British Columbia; his parents were to follow after him, and they lived together at 908 Edinburgh Avenue, New Westminster, British Columbia.

Alfred joined the local militia group the 104th Westminster Fusiliers shortly after his fifteenth birthday and in August 1916 travelled to Vancouver to enlist for overseas service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He had enlisted on the 19th September 1916. His height was 5 feet 9 inches, he had grey eyes and dark brown hair. His religion was Church of England. He gave his date of birth as 1897 on his attestation paper and became Private 1048544 in the 242nd Battalion, which embarked for England on 23rd November on board the SS Mauretania arriving six days later.

From Liverpool the Battalion made their way to camp at Bramshott in Hampshire, and it was in the Military Hospital here that 17 year old Alfred Ogilvy died from pneumonia on 4th December 1916.

Alfred William Ogilvy is remembered at Harton on H104.03

He is also remembered in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial page 143

The Canadian Virtual War Memorial Page 143
Canadian World War 1 Service record for Ogilvy
South Shields Grammar School
The CWGC entry for Private Ogilvy