113629 Pte. Joseph William Wharrie was born on March 7th, 1875 in Otley, Yorkshire, England. A tanner by trade, Joseph was married to Emily Cooper Wharrie, and at the time of attestation the couple were living in Hastings, Ontario.
Joseph enlisted into the 8th CMR on July 18th, 1915, in Kingston, Ontario. His service record shows that he sailed with the 8th CMR aboard the SS Missanabie from to Plymouth, England, on October 8th, 1915, whereupon he was posted to Bramshott Camp on arrival on the 18th.
The 8th CMR was absorbed into the 4th CMR on January 28th, 1916, and Joseph proceeded to France on the 29th, attached to the CBD, and joined the 4th CMR at Kortepyp Huts on February 10th (the 4th CMR War Diary dates this as the 9th).
On February 20th he was attached to the 8th Infantry Brigade as a runner and returned to the 4th CMR on June 4th at Rest Camp 'B' (thereby missing being part of the 4th CMR's huge losses at the 'Battle for Mount Sorrel' on the 2nd).
Wounded by gunshot at Moquet Farm on September 16th [the attack on Courcelette was underway on the 15th - the first specific use of tanks in warfare - and the 4th CMR was supporting that action in a pivot movement on the infamous Zollern Redoubt before relieving the Lancashire Fusiliers on the eve of the 16th], Joseph was evacuated by 7th Field Ambulance to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station.
Transferred to 13th Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, on the 19th, Joseph was reported as "dangerously ill" on the 25th, and then sadly died of his wounds that same day.
Joseph William Wharrie is buried at the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
Joseph and Emily's son, Sgt. Joseph Richard Wharrie, of the 1st Bn, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (The Black Watch), also died on active service, in WW2, on February 28th, 1945. He is buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Groesbeek, near Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Biography with thanks to Jim Busby.