Regimental number: 305589. Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box: 718-18, Item: 42930, PDF: B0718-S018. Born 14/01/1894 in Blenheim, Harwich Twsp., Kent Co., ON., [noted in his Medical Exam report 3/07/18] The son of Joseph Edward and Lucinda (nee Mosey) Bicum of Sombra, Lambton Co., ON. His parents were farmers. Gordon had two younger sisters Agnes and Cora. He attended School in Chatham, ON.  Curators Note: It was not unusual for farm children to board in Chatham to obtain their high school diploma. At the time of his enlistment he was a student at the Queen’s University at Kingston, ON. He was reported as enrolled in the Cadet Officers Training at Queen’s.

 

Called up  under the MSA: PC 926229. At the time of his attestation he was living at 272 University Ave., Kingston, ON. Attestation 7/01/1918 age 23 years, he was 5’ 10”.  As a Pte. he was attached to #3 CAMC – Training Depot in Kingston. He passed his physical 13/01/ 18 although he need to have six teeth repaired.

His ‘Active Service ‘ papers indicated that he had applied for a transfer to the RAF (Royal Air Force) 9/07/18 but he was returned to CAMC 19/07/18 and he appears back with #3 CAMC 20/07/18 and taken on strength 2/08/18 

Gordon was discharged 23/11/18 at Kingston due to “Demobilization”.

After his discharge he returned to his medical studies and graduated M.D. AN C.M. and received a gold medal from Queen’s in 1922. He interned in Montreal before starting his medical practice in Birch Hills, SK. He was there for only a short time before moving to Elstow, SK.

According to an Ancestery .com he served in the RCAF during WWII.

After the war he returned to Elstow. He never married nor did he have any children. A cairn was erected on Hwy. 16 west of Elstow to commemorate the service of Dr. Bicum, in WWI and WWII in Elstow he practiced medicine for 43 years. The good doctor was a Life Member of the Saskatchewan Div. of the Canadian Medical Assoc. a member of the College of General Practice of Canada, and a member of the Masonic Lodge. In 1963 he was made a Senior Life Member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan. 

Dr. Gordon Bicum passed away 24 June, 1967 and is buried at Elstow, SK.   

Curator’s Notes: The Canadian Air Corp was established 16 September, 1914 with it’s airplane a two seater ‘float-plane’. Britain had established the Imperial Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The Canadian government saw a value in training Canadian and American flyers in Canada and many were trained and shipped over to England. There was a problem trying to train pilots during Canada’s winter so a deal was made with the US Government to have a RFC training base in Texas. In April, 1918 the RFC and the Royal Navy Air Service combined to be the Royal Air Force.

Cadet H. Pearson (Comber) died in training at Camp Borden and Sgt. Fred G. Hill of Blenheim died while training in Texas.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

A. Fisher C-K Physican Tribute, Dancing in the Sky – C. W. Hunt, LAC- FMF

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