The Ivison Brothers in WWII
The Ivison family beginning with the father of the three Sergeants’ in the photo above was the first to go to war in 1914 with the 1st Battalion Canadian Expeditionalry Force (C.E.F.)
Joseph Ivison Sr. was born in Carlisle, England on the 31st of March, 1882 and had served seven years in the military in England with the “Cumberland Volunteer Artillery Howitzer Battery”, before coming to Canada. He was married to Mary Foster and had been working at the William Gray & Sons Company in Chatham making $3.00 a day. I was enough to afford a house at 175 Colbourne St., in Chatham. Joe was also a well known footballer likely skills learned while he was in England.
Like many in August of 1914 he was prepared to enlist in the army and he with 114 other local men boarded the train to take him to Valcartier, PQ. where he became Service number 6690. Joe was thirty two, unusually tall for the time at 6 foot 3 inches likely a man that the younger soldiers from Chatham and Kent County would look up to.
Joe wrote many letter home to his wife and friends and supplied a personal insight to the trial that the CEF would endure when they finally reached “France”.
Joe wrote to his friend Postman, Sidney Carter from Camp Bustard on the Salisbury Plain, Chatham Daily Planet 16/02/1915, “All Of The Chatham Boys in Good Shape”. His only complaint is the, “way our mail is being handled”. He says he is spending a lot of time around the cook tent implying that he’s becoming a cook and has his friends LaMarsh and Rayner to keep him company. He concludes the letter by talking about the future, “I myself am in the “pink of condition” and you won’t have to look for a centre half back when I get home again.” [Clayton LaMarsh and George Rayner at the Water Detail for D-Company of the 1st Battalion]
Joseph and the other men from Chatham and Kent were involved in the 2nd Battle of Ypres and the engagements that followed that first “blooding” of the CEF. A letter written 17/06/1915 from Joseph to his wife carried some good news that, “I am well and safe, after the battle of 15 June.” However he goes on to report that, “with the deepest feelings of regret that I tell you about Joe JOINER and Dick DENNIS. They were both killed on Tuesday evening in our attack”. Chatham Daily Planet 2/07/1915
Joseph fought in the battles at Langemarck and Festubert and came through both unscathed. “We certainly suffered severely but our company did some splendid work and the wonder of it is how any of them got through.” He reports that that No. 4 company led the attack with the rest of the battalion following. At the end of that battle he tells that of 13 platoons ‘old Chatham boys’ only Sergt. SHEFF, W. MURDOCK, A. BATES, H. TACK, J. MOORE, W. EASTON, William COMPTON and J. IVISON survived unscathed. “we are a badly bent battalion, right now we lost all but two officers, Major SMITH, GORDON and Lt. McDONALD (former Sergt. Maj) were killed and CHESHAM and METCALF wounded.” Chatham Daily Planet 14/07/1915.
It became evident in Joe’s writing that the war and the loss of close friends was a profound effect on him in particular when writing to the wife of his friend Pte. Joseph Joiner (6692) [Ivison’s number was 6690} His letter begins: “What a lovely day it is and the last of January, it just reminds me of one of those mild days of spring which we were all delighted to enjoy back in the “old Bung”.” The ‘veteran soldier’ is too practical to forget the fickled weather of Western Europe, “we must not bark too soon, as last February and March were both bad weather out here.” He reflects that by the time Mrs. Joiner receives this letter, “the First Battalion will have been along the firing line twelve months.”
“If I could pen my thoughts of the last year I would give you a resume of our work, but abler pens than mine would fail. Then again, I am sure there are some thoughts which could only bring pain to several of us, so you will excuse me; won’t you?”
Mrs. Joiner had sent a photo of herself with her son Austin, which he took great pleasure and pride in receiving. “I was surprised to see Austin in the uniform of a soldier, I did not think he was old enough, but we must not criticize, but what an example it must be – yes, and a shame also – to many of the stalwart men you must still have hanging around in Kent County.”
One of the first men to answer the ‘call to the colours’ in August of 1914 as a member of the “Fighting First” Joe returned to Chatham on the noon C. P. R. train on the 19th of September, 1916, almost two years to the day of his departure. It was unfortunate that this soldier, who had served so well in the early battles of the war, was only met by a few close friends there was no official welcome due to a lack of notification, perhaps by Joe’s design.
During the war years Joe and another 1st Contingent man Clifford Morrice would be advocating to local politicians to find jobs for returning veterans during and after the war and both were involved in organizing what became the Veterans of the Great War Association, later to become what we know today as the the “Legion’.
Joseph Ivison is buried in Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham ON., with his wife Mary E. FOSTER. Joseph died in 1951, his tomb stone bears the emblem of the Kent Regiment.
When the Second World War began the Ivison’s were to be represented by three sons Hugh, Joseph and Wilfred.
IVISON, JOSEPH HENRY. Service No: A/50204 Sergeant, Regiment: Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. Born 10/09/1908 at Chatham, ON. The oldest son of Joseph and Mary E. Ivison, of Chatham, Ontario. His brother Wilfred (A50203) also fell; other siblings included Hugh and Ida. Joseph the father, served in the 1st Bn. CEF (6690) in the 1st Contingent and was one of the early veteran to be invalided home. Joe attended Central Public School and Chatham Vocational School. After leaving school he worked as a plumber and at Willards Hardware (1927 – 32), then at the Ontario Steel Plant on St. George St., Chatham
Joe, Fred (Wilfred) and Hugh enlisted 14 August, 1940 in Chatham, ON. At the time Joe had married and divorced Verna Hebblethwaite and he had two children from a common-law marrage, June Evelyn and Shirley Mary. Joe was accepted in the Junior Leaders Course at Magantic, PC for NCO training.
All three of the Ivison brothers went to France as Sargeants in the Essex Scottish Regt. Joe was killed by a German sniper in actions in the Caen area during the Normandy campaign. Hugh heard of Joes death when some men in his section saw Joe’s helmet hanging on a cross. Joe’s mother was notified by the Chatham police.
Age: 37, KIA – Date of Death: 21/07/1944, in France.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: VII. D . 3.
Cemetery: BRETTEVILLE-SUR-LAIZE CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY. Christ Church, Chatham. – Roll of Honour. Index of Overseas Deaths.
IVISON, ‘ Fred’ WILFRED. Service No: A/50203, Sergeant, Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. The youngest son of Joseph and Mary E. Ivison, of Chatham, Ontario. Joseph the father served in the 1st Bn. CEF (6690) in the 1st Contingent and was one of the early veteran to be invalided home. Fred along with brothers Joe and Hugh joined the 1st Kents when they mobilized in 1940. He trained with the regiment in Chatham, London, Halifax Niagara Falls and New Westminister, BC. He was processed overseas as a reinforcement and along with his other two brothers were posted with the Essex Scottish in England before moving to France.
Married the husband of Lillian (nee Cruse) Ivison, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Cruse of Chatham, Fred and Lillian had three sons. Prior to enlisting Fred was employed at International Harvester and was a member of the Kent Regt. for several years before the outbreak of war. His brother Joseph Henry also fell.
It was reported that Fred was killed in a slit trench near Ifs, south of the city of Cean, France. Hit in the head by a shell fragment from a German Tiger tank. His brother Hugh was a member of the buriel party. After the loss of Wilfred, Hugh was transferred back to Canada posted in London, ON. as an instructor. The Canadian government had a policy that the last surviving son was ordered to withdraw from combat.
Age: 34, DOW – Date of Death: 01/08/1944, in France. His brother Joseph Henry also fell.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. A. 7.
Cemetery: BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY. Christ Church, Chatham. – Roll of Honour. Index of Overseas Deaths.
IVISON, HUGH J. Sgt. A50202, Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C.
Son of Joseph and Mary E. Ivison, of Chatham, Ontario. Joseph the father served in the 1st Bn. CEF (6690) in the 1st Contingent and was one of the early veteran to be invalided home.
Married, the husband of Lillian Ivison, of Chatham they had a daughter in January of 1945 and were living in the Stringer Block on King St. in Chatham. His brothers Joseph Henry and Wifred who fell in service. IODE(P).
Hugh trained in Chatham No. 12 BTC., London, Halifax, Westminister BC. and Quebec before he and his two brothers went overseas with the Essex Scottish Regt. He saw action in France and Belgium before being returned home. Reported returned from overseas duty 18/12/1944. Hugh was transferred back to Canada posted in London, ON. as an instructor. The Canadian government had a policy that the last surviving son was ordered to withdraw from combat. Sgt. Hugh J. was reported as passing away 27/08/1991. LM-LP. CDN 18/01/45.
