Four McMullon brothers from St. Andrews enlisted in World War I.

As I leafed through the pages of “Fighters For Freedom” and looked at the faces of so many New Brunswick men, actually several could be considered boys, who took part in World War I, once again I felt like I was listening to Gram remembering her friends from her chocolate box filled with memories.

After the First World War, some families, believed that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones was worthy of perpetuation. They arranged through publication, to secure a memorial and in so doing, the record of New Brunswick’s “Fighters For Freedom” would live for ever. They included more than one hundred photos in the book.

Some of the facts mentioned are:

Driver Gustaf J. Andrews enlisted at the age of seventeen in the 115th Battalion.
 
Fifteen year-old Private Ernest Lewis Bell enlisted with the Railway Construction Corps on 02 April 1918.

Private Ellsworth Croft transferred to the 78th Battalion in France. He lived at 50 Spar Cove Road, Saint John.
 
Private Joseph Breen of 185 Carmarthen Street, Saint John was posted as “missing and believed killed”.

Private Clarence J. Buckley, son of James Buckley, 31 Suffolk Street, West Saint John wrote his sister on October 11th that he would be back safe but was killed on October 13th.

Lieutenant A. C. Kelly, son of Mr. And Mrs. Robert Kelly, Stanley, New Brunswick, was married on 22 December 1916 to Miss Hilda Jarvis of Curzon House, Folkestone, England.

Private Jack Hutchinson Leary fell while serving as a sniper just before the Battle of Cambrai.  He was thirty-three years of age and left a wife and six children residing at 78 Metcalfe Street, Saint John.

Four McMullon brothers from St. Andrews enlisted. Corp. J. H. McMullon was in the line when the  Germans made their rush in the Third Battle of Ypress and died fighting gallantly at Hooge.  Private Arthur A. McMullon crossed to England with Lieut. Col. Wedderburn’s fine unit. He was invalided home a year later in 1917 and fell victim to pneumonia and died while doing light duty to the home forces in Ontario. Sergt. B. F. McMullon was wounded in the final battles at Amiens and returned to Canada on 26 January 1918. Private W. F. McMullon did duty with the home forces but was unable to pass for overseas.

Lance-Corporal James Osbourne was wounded three times and was gassed. He spent much time in hospital and was obliged to undergo altogether nine operations.

Corporal Clarence B. Smith, of Blissville, New Brunswick narrowly escaped being buried alive in a shell explosion and suffered thereafter from shell shock.

The book “Fighters For Freedom” is available for viewing at the Archives and Research Library of the New Brunswick Museum, Saint John.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, New Brunswickers will once again pause to remember the men and women who went to war as well as those who stayed behind to keep the home fires burning.