839100 Pte. Errol Francis Gaudin was born in the state of New York on January 10th, 1894. Moving to Canada at some point, the family was living in Heath Coate, Grey County, Ontario, where Errol worked as a mechanic.
Errol attested to the 147th (Grey) Battalion on May 16th, 1916, just prior to their departure for Camp Niagara later that month. 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. Errol was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. on April 22st, 1917, during the closing days of the Battle of Arras.
In September Errol was gassed and wounded by shrapnel on the evening of September 4th/5th while the unit was in the vicinity of La Chaudiere. This was the unit's first exposure to mustard gas. Medically evacuated Errol was subsequently able to return to the 4th C.M.R. in early April 1918. At the end of May he was transferred to the C.M.G.C. where he served in the 3rd Battalion.
Serving with the C.M.G.C. until the armistice, Errol returned to England with them and was assigned to their depot. No doubt bored with garrison routine Errol was charged with being absent without leave and forfeited a days' pay for his night on the town. Contracting mumps in March of 1919, Errol was quarantined for a time, which delayed his return home.
839100 Pte. Errol Francis Gaudin was struck off strength of the C.E.F. on May 24th, 1919. Returning to Grey County, Ontario, he married Winifred Armstrong and the couple had at least one child. Eventually the Gaudins moved to Toronto where they raised their son Donn.
Credit and many thanks go George Auer for the above biography.