838875 Pte. Andrew Craik was born on October 22th, 1890, in Kinloss, Morayshire, Scotland, to George and Jane Craik.
The couple had two daughters and seven sons, with Andrew being the sixth son. Losing their father before 1901, both Andrew and his brother William (below) emigrated to Canada, with Andrew on-board the Letitia, leaving Glasgow for St. Johns, NB., on April 5th, 1913, following his brother who had sailed out in 1911.
Settled in Grey County, Ontario, Andrew was working as a labourer, in Walters Falls, when hostilities broke out.
838705 Pte. William Craik was born on September 1st, 1890, also in Kinloss, Morayshire, Scotland, and was the seventh son, and next to last child for George and Jane Craik.
William sailed for St. Johns, NB., from Liverpool, on the Grampian on March 24th, 1911, ahead of his older brother, and was working as a labourer, in Chatsworth, Ontario, when war was declared.
Still single, both Andrew and William attested into the 147th Battalion in Owen Sound on January 17th, 1916, and were assigned to "C" Company.
Billeted locally over the winter, the 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in the spring of 1916 and left for training at Camp Niagara. As the conditions in the Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June. In September the unit received their orders to proceed overseas, but due to an outbreak of diphtheria they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month.
The unit finally sailed for Great Britain on November 14th 1916 on the S.S. Olympic, sister ship to the previously ill-fated Titanic.
On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion, whose task it was to supply reinforcements to the 58th Battalion and the 4th C.M.R. On March 7th, 1917, both Craik boys were taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. in a draft of reinforcements in the build-up for the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Surviving the battle, Andrew was wounded on September 5th, 1917, when he was struck by shrapnel during the first mustard gas attack that the Battalion faced. The wound would fracture his scapula and take Andrew out of the war, as he was evacuated to England, where he remained for the duration of the war.
William served without noted incident for the remainder of the war.
When the 4th C.M.R. returned to England, Andrew rejoined its ranks just prior to Battalion's departure for Canada and both he and William were struck off strength on March 19th, 1919.
In the 1921 Canadian Census, Andrew was still single, living and working as a farmer in Merville, Comox, British Columbia, whilst William was married to Isabel and with their daughter, Hazel (then 3 years old), was living in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Biography credit: George Auer
Additional family and emigration details courtesy of David Kavanagh