838264 Pte. Harold Willoughby Dodsworth was born on April 23rd, 1898, in the small community of Elmwood in Bentinck Township, Ontario. The only son born to John and Mary Dodsworth, Harold left the family farm to enlist in the C.E.F.
Unable to wait until April, Harold lied about his age when he attested to the 147th Battalion on December 28th, 1915. Upon enlistment Harold would be assigned to "B" Company under the command of Captain Mercer.
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 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 February 7th, 1917, Harold was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. in the build up for the Battle of Arras, which included the storming of Vimy Ridge by the Canadian Corps.
Harold would see service with the 4th C.M.R. through the summer of 1917, but would be accidentally wounded on February 20th, 1918. The wound does not appear to have been severe enough to knock Harold out of the war as he was subsequently struck off strength on March 19th, 1919.
Returning to Grey County, Harold married Janet Ruth Ward on May 20th, 1925.
Credit and thanks for the above biography got to: George Auer.