Calgary Herald, 10 November 1916

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

According to Mark’s service record he was born on 10th May 1888 in Whitley Bay. He was the son of Newcastle publican Leonard Morris who died in 1892 and both he and his brother Leonard lived with different relatives from an early age. By 1911 Mark was manager of a grocery store and was lodging with the Storey family in Whitley Bay. In July of the same year he emigrated to Canada sailing on the SS Virginian from Liverpool to Quebec making for Calgary, here he found lodgings with the Van Buren family and worked as a fireman on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

On 16th November 1914 Mark enlisted with the 31st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force in Calgary. He gave as his next of kin his brother Leonard in Hirst, Northumberland and his address in Canada as that of his lodging house at 2nd East Street, Calgary.

At the end of May 1915 the second draft of the battalion sailed from Montreal to Plymouth, arriving on 4th June and a posting to Dibgate Camp, Kent. In July the Battalion was inspected by the Prime Minister of Canada and having moved to Otterpool Camp, were inspected in September by King George V and Lord Kitchener.

On 16th September the 6th Infantry Brigade, including the 31st Battalion marched out of camp to make for Folkestone Pier. Having reached the pier it was announced that the crossing has been cancelled due to mines in the Channel and the troops had to return to camp, a trip referred to as “The Retreat from Folkestone”. Two days later they returned to the pier and boarded the SS Duchess of Argyll to sail to Boulogne.

Appointed Lance Corporal in June 1916, Mark attended an instruction course in August and was then promoted to Corporal on 22nd September. Two days later the Battalion were involved in the attack on Regina Trench at Courcelette in France and Corporal Morris was seen to be killed in action and reported as a casualty, but when and where he died are not known. The official records state that he died sometime between 24th/30th September 1916.

Mark Morris is remembered in Whitley Bay on W84.01 and W84.30 page 21 as Morriss

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 Corporal Morris