1066103 Pte. Harvey Cameron Buckley was born on July 2nd, 1894, in Derby Township, Grey County, Ontario.
Born to William and Janet Buckley, Harvey was the oldest of four children. Brought up during hard times, both he and his younger brother, Elgin, where living away from home and working. The 1911 census had William working as a labourer at the age of sixteen. He was living in Kilsyth, working as a farmer when hostilities broke out.
When the 248th Battalion C.E.F. was authorized, Harvey followed his younger brother, L/Cpl. Elgin Buckley, who had enlisted with the 147th Battalion, and volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Attesting in to the new battalion in Owen Sound on January 18th, 1917, Harvey sailed with the unit in May of that year and was subsequently reassigned to a Reserve Battalion once the 248th arrived in England.
Harvey was reunited with his younger brother, Elgin, when he was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. on November 2nd, 1917, in what was probably a reinforcement draft to take the place of the casualties inflicted on the unit at Passchendaele.
He saw service with the 4th C.M.R. during the German spring offensive of 1918 and fought with them during the final 100 days.
Private Harvey Cameron Buckley was struck off strength of the 4th C.M.R. on March 19th, 1919, coming through it all with no visible wounds. Harvey's service is remembered on Derby Township's memorial scroll located in the village of Kilsyth, Ontario.
Biography details credit: George Auer