633088 Pte. Frederick A. Lauzon was born January 12th, 1897 in Tyotown, Ontario. Frederick worked as a farm labourer before the war. He attested in Cornwall, Ontario, on September 30th, 1915, and was assigned to the 154th (Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders) Battalion.
With the 154th Battalion arriving in England on the SS Mauritania, on October 31st, 1916, Frederick was transferred to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles with 102 of his comrades, as reinforcements, on November 28th, 1916, following the 4th CMR's losses at Regina Trench in early October. They proceeded to France the following day and joined the 4th CMR in the field on December 6th, 1916.
Frederick saw action at both Vimy Ridge, in April 1917, and Passchendaele, in October 1917, before taking 14 days leave in England, from November 19th to December 3rd, 1917.
Though out of action with illness until early April, it was during action south of Arras, France, on July 8th, 1918, that Frederick was wounded, suffering a shrapnel wound to the right arm. The shard passed through, high on his right arm, and lodged in the back right of his chest wall. A typical wound from shrapnel explosives.
Treated at #8 and #19 CCS ( Casualty Clearing Stations) in the field and #10 General Hospital, Rouen, in France, Frederick was transferred to England for further treatment and operations at the 4th Canadian General Hospital, Basingstoke, and Princess Patricia's Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Bexhill, before finally being discharged on October 4th to the 2nd Canadian Convalescent Depot at Bramshott. In early November he was transferred to the 1st Canadian Convalescent Deport, and then to the 1st Central Ontario Reinforcement Depot on November 6th, where he was when war finally ceased five days later.
On February 1st, 1919, now part of the 3rd Reserve Battalion, Frederick boarded the SS Carmania at Liverpool and returned to Canada. He was discharged from service on February 28th, 1919, in Ottawa. Frederick went on to marry Maggie Atchison in June 1923 and the couple had four children. He continued working as a farm labourer and would become a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297.
Frederick passed away on December 18th, 1978, at the age of 81. He lies at rest at Precious Blood Cemetery, in Glen Walter, just outside of Cornwall, Ontario. [Please click on the headstone image to see a larger version.]
Credit and many thanks go to Diego Gonzalez and Verna (née Lauzon) Warden for the above biography and images.
Additional service details supplied by 4cmr.com