Frank Ismay Gilchrist

[valeriec]

I had a look at the attestation papers and didn't think the NOK last name was Arnett. Looked more like Hinett to me so went looking for directories for North Bay.

http://northbayhistory.homestead.com

Annie Hinett (wid Chas), 186 John

then I went to
http://automatedgenealogy.com
Ontario/Nippissing/1911 census
Mrs Annie Hinett, head, widow, b. July 1869, age 41, England, immigrated 1882
all children born in Ontario
Daughters Flossie, Blanche, Lillian, Hazel and Stella
Son Victor

She doesn't have any boarders in 1911 but that could have changed or she may have been related to Frank in some way.

I still haven't found him on the census but depending on what work he was doing and if he was moving around following the work he may have been missed on the census or mistranscribed.

[valeriec]

You may not have a lot of luck finding Frank in Canada. If you order his military file you will probably be able to find the regiment and battalion that he served with. Piecing the info together with the War diaries that are available at Library and Archives Canada, you may be able to find the battle where he died. Most of the Canadian battalions merged or were absorbed with others upon arriving in England before heading for France. The War Diaries are available to read on line.

If he was in any of the casualty stations or field hospitals before he died, that will be in his military file. My grandfather spent 11 days in casualty stations and field hospitals before being sent back to hospital in England.

One of the best sites for CEF research is the Matrix Project
www.cefresearch.com/matrix/contents.htm

Hope this information helps some.

[valeriec]

According to the CWGC, Frank died on 22/04/1915 at Ypres.
I went to the War Diaries to see what was happening with the 15th Battalion on that day.

Go to the site that I listed for the Matrix Project
click on the 15th Battalion
then Libarary and Archives Canada (WD Link)
# 2, images associated with this entry, page 26

doesn't give the names of the deceased but gives an idea of what the men went through.

Val

[J.J.]

Yes that's a good point lilyJ ...My Grandfather was living in B.C. but signed up in Valcartier...

Valerie, I think you have something there, as if the witness was the same writer, then his "A"s are script.
Frank took five years off his age to not be rejected as an old man.
http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc004/346956a.gif

However the advice from valerie to order the complete file to find more information is the best way to go, as we can't find him anywhere in Canada, so he may have been very badly misstranscribed, or the census damaged.  N.O.K. may be also explained in there as they were to make a mini will. It's a crapshoot, but if not many documents, the price won't be too steep.
 
( also, valerie, well put that those who signed up were Canadians...these men came here to work and live, and signed up as Canadians )
J.J.

[J.J.]

You were so right, valerie, as daughter Blanch on the 1901 called herself Annie Blanche Hinett when she married James Henry Mcnair / parents Charles Thos Hinett & Annie (Mathews ) ... 
Parhaps he was pretraining in North Bay   ... J.J.

[lilyJ]

Thanks so much valerie and jj. Brilliant find , valerie ,on the NOK surname and lots of resources to check out.

I will have something more important than yard work to do this morning!

[J.J.]

While looking for more on him, I saw his medal/nominal rolls as corporal ...another site mentions the men who fell on the same day...then someone posted this when looking for regiment from the names on a photo (48th Highlanders of Canada) Hmmmm that's what happens when you sign up as a scotsman! so sign up and see the images....
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=151423

http://wwii.ca/memorial/world-war-i/49576/private-frank-ismay-gilchrist/
http://regimentalrogue.com/battlehonours/bathnrinf/32-48highrs.htm
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/battles/second-ypres-1915/prelude/british-battle-order-second-ypres.htm

[valeriec]

If his NOK was the daughter Blanche,it is possible that they may have been engaged. At the beginning of the war, most men thought they would be gone for only a few months and looked at the whole thing as an adventure. Most of the men made pay alotments to their NOK. I think it would be worth the money to order the file and see what is in it. I was very pleased with everything that was in the files that I ordered.

Good work JJ on the sites that you found.

[lilyJ]

Thank you both so much.

I have joined the Great War Forum, and am about to send for the file

I too had thought about a potential relationship with Annie Blanche.

The Hinett family is on a family tree on ancestry. However the connection to the rather large tree is through Annie Blanche's husband so unlikely the tree owner would know anything.

Valerie and jj- I do so appreciate your help. Thanks again