838566 Pte. Isaac Andrew Pinkerton was born December 28th, 1881 in Lloydtown, Ontario. He was named after his father. In 1902 he (and his brother John) enlisted in the 3rd Canadian Mounted Rifles Expeditionary Force to fight in the Boer War. However he arrived in South Africa after the cessation of hostilities and therefore was not entitled to the Campaign Medal. He was demobilized after 5 months of service.
In 1916 Isaac enlisted in the 147th Grey (County) O.S. Battalion. He listed his father Isaac as his next of kin (mother deceased) as he was a bachelor. His home town is listed as Priceville, Ontario, and his trade / occupation was Teamster.
Isaac sailed for England on the Olympic and arrived on November 20th, 1916. On January 17th, 1917, he was struck off strength of the 147th Battalion and taken on strength of the 8th Reserve Battalion. On February 12th, 1917 he was transferred to the 4th CMR (possibly volunteered as he served in 3rd CMR 14 years earlier). Isaac would have participated in the Vimy Campaign and all the fighting the 4th CMR was involved in leading up to Passchendaele. Isaac was killed the first day of the final push at Passchendaele, on October 26th, 1917. His body was never found.
Isaac's name is inscribed on Tablet S, Panel 32 of the Menin Gate Memorial and appears on Page 309 in the Book of Remembrance on Parliament Hill. Isaac was my Grandfather's (John Pinkerton) brother, thus my Great Uncle. I have toured the Passchendaele battlefield with my brothers, photographed his marker on the Menin Gate and seen his name in the Book of Remembrance.
Isaac Andrew Pinkerton and all those First War heroes are not forgotten.
Many thanks to Bruce Gilbert for the above biography and thanks to George Auer for supply of the photograph.
Menin Gate Tablet S, Panel 32 image supplied by 4cmr.com