Howard Morris
Corporal Howard McNeely Morris, # 220001
Private Howard McNeely Morris, CEF# 220001, was born in Beckwith Township on Aug 19, 1895 to Elesha Morris and Sarah McNeely and lived with his wife Emeline in Carleton Place. He married Annie McDaniel on Oct. 8, 1915 at the age of 20. Annie was from Carleton Place, ON. He was a weaver by trade and enlisted in Smiths Falls on Oct. 12, 1915. He was 20 years old, 5’8”, 140 lbs, blue eyes, brown hair, and Anglican. He was stationed with the 80th battalion. His wife received $20 a month while he served. He also received $111.80 on his final pay. He was the oldest of three siblings including Bessie and Erie. His family lived near the Griffiths and was good friends with Frederick Griffith.
He arrived in England on the SS Baltic on June 9, 1916 and transferred to the 74th battalion in Bramshott. A month later on July 17, 1916, he was transferred to the 67th Pioneer battalion. After training for almost a year, he was sent to the field in France on May 14, 1917 with the 54th battalion on the bombing course. He became an acting corporal on Sept. 12, 1917 and confirmed as corporal on Oct. 2 with the 54th battalion. He received a slight wound on Oct. 29. He eventually visited the Hospital at Lyminge on Dec. 17 when on leave from France. He was then posted in Seaford on Dec. 24 with the BC Reg. Depot. He was sent to a couple reserve battalions, which were almost immediately cancelled. Eventually, he was posted with the 1st reserve on Apr 27, 1918. He was moved briefly again and finally settled with the 1st reserve on May 7, 1918. It appears they lost track of the fact he was a corporal and got that corrected on his pay. He was loaned to Kimmel Park on Dec. 9, 1918 for a medical exam where his health was very good, sent home on Dec 15, 1919 with the HMT Grampian, disembarked in St. John on Dec. 24, 1918 and discharged on Jan 29, 1919 in Toronto.
Private and later Corporal Morris was brought into the field of action following the victory at Vimy Ridge to help hold the ground the Allies took in that victory. He became part of the 3rd Division under Sir Arthur Currie in the Arras area. The objective of taking the village of Lens became the priority, but Sir Arthur Currie argued it was pointless without taking Hill 70. Raids started to happen which caused the Germans to fall back. On Aug 15, Canadian troops attacked. For 24 hours, the 4th Division did a diversionary attack with a heavy smokescreen. In twenty minutes, Canadian troops were on top of Hill 70, but it took the 24 hours to secure it. The Germans did 21 different counterattacks over the next 48 hours, but the Canadians held the hill. While the Canadians didn’t take Lens at that time, they were able to maintain dominance over the Germans posted there. Almost 10,000 men were lost during this fighting. While the 54th battalion did participate in later battles, Corporal Morris was not part of that fighting.
Private Morris had 3 fillings and 4 extractions on Dec. 11, 1918 and an additional filling and crown when he got home in 1919. He was also treated for measles on Mar 15, 1916 and a minimal outbreak of syphilis on Dec. 23, 1917 at Lyminge.
Private Howard McNeely Morris, CEF# 220001, was born in Beckwith Township on Aug 19, 1895 to Elesha Morris and Sarah McNeely and lived with his wife Emeline in Carleton Place. He married Annie McDaniel on Oct. 8, 1915 at the age of 20. Annie was from Carleton Place, ON. He was a weaver by trade and enlisted in Smiths Falls on Oct. 12, 1915. He was 20 years old, 5’8”, 140 lbs, blue eyes, brown hair, and Anglican. He was stationed with the 80th battalion. His wife received $20 a month while he served. He also received $111.80 on his final pay. He was the oldest of three siblings including Bessie and Erie. His family lived near the Griffiths and was good friends with Frederick Griffith.
He arrived in England on the SS Baltic on June 9, 1916 and transferred to the 74th battalion in Bramshott. A month later on July 17, 1916, he was transferred to the 67th Pioneer battalion. After training for almost a year, he was sent to the field in France on May 14, 1917 with the 54th battalion on the bombing course. He became an acting corporal on Sept. 12, 1917 and confirmed as corporal on Oct. 2 with the 54th battalion. He received a slight wound on Oct. 29. He eventually visited the Hospital at Lyminge on Dec. 17 when on leave from France. He was then posted in Seaford on Dec. 24 with the BC Reg. Depot. He was sent to a couple reserve battalions, which were almost immediately cancelled. Eventually, he was posted with the 1st reserve on Apr 27, 1918. He was moved briefly again and finally settled with the 1st reserve on May 7, 1918. It appears they lost track of the fact he was a corporal and got that corrected on his pay. He was loaned to Kimmel Park on Dec. 9, 1918 for a medical exam where his health was very good, sent home on Dec 15, 1919 with the HMT Grampian, disembarked in St. John on Dec. 24, 1918 and discharged on Jan 29, 1919 in Toronto.
Private and later Corporal Morris was brought into the field of action following the victory at Vimy Ridge to help hold the ground the Allies took in that victory. He became part of the 3rd Division under Sir Arthur Currie in the Arras area. The objective of taking the village of Lens became the priority, but Sir Arthur Currie argued it was pointless without taking Hill 70. Raids started to happen which caused the Germans to fall back. On Aug 15, Canadian troops attacked. For 24 hours, the 4th Division did a diversionary attack with a heavy smokescreen. In twenty minutes, Canadian troops were on top of Hill 70, but it took the 24 hours to secure it. The Germans did 21 different counterattacks over the next 48 hours, but the Canadians held the hill. While the Canadians didn’t take Lens at that time, they were able to maintain dominance over the Germans posted there. Almost 10,000 men were lost during this fighting. While the 54th battalion did participate in later battles, Corporal Morris was not part of that fighting.
Private Morris had 3 fillings and 4 extractions on Dec. 11, 1918 and an additional filling and crown when he got home in 1919. He was also treated for measles on Mar 15, 1916 and a minimal outbreak of syphilis on Dec. 23, 1917 at Lyminge.