Alfred Harry Pollock

Rank:

Private

Regimental number:

164323

Unit at enlistment:

84th Battalion

Force:

C.E.F.

Volunteered or conscripted:

Volunteered

Survived the war:

Yes

Wounded:

Yes

Commemorated at:

St. Paul's United Church

Birth country:

England

Birth county:

Greater London

Birth city:

London

Address at enlistment:

8 Chestnut Avenue, Brantford, Ontario

Next of kin address:

4 St. James Road, Stratford, London, England

Trade or calling:

Farmer

Religious denominations:

Methodist

Marital status:

Single

Age at enlistment:

Letters and documents

BX May 8, 1917

With the 84th – Pte. Alfred Pollock Tells Interestingly of His Experiences With That Unit

The story of the 84th is well told in a letter received by The Expositor from Pte. A. Pollock, who is back in France, after recuperating from the effects of the reception of some “iron rations,” sent over by Fritz. He writes:

Somewhere in France
42nd R.H.of C.,
Military P.O.,
London, England

I am taking the liberty of writing to you from somewhere in France. I have wanted to write to you before, but could not pluck up courage enough to do it. While at mess this morning I noticed the following lines about the papers from home.

Ain’t it nice to get a paper from your own home town,
Where you know most everybody
Most as well as Parson Brown,
You can read about your neighbors,
All their troubles and their joys,
Till you get all red wishful
You were back among the boys
Then you read how Willie Johnson
Had a fight with Sammy Reed,
And the girl you left behind you
has gone and
Married Charlie Meade.
There is a basket social coming
And you wish that you were there.
Sted of that yer dodgin’ bullets
Near the town of – Well Somewhere
There’s a dance tonight at Larson’s
Lots of music bright and gay
But yer busy filling sandbags,
Umpteeen thousand miles away

These lines were signed by “Camp Poet”

Who he is I don’t know, but if I can find out I will try to get him to write some more. This is my second trip out to the lines. The memories of the first were anything but pleasant at the time, but now when we look back we have to laugh as we recall some instances.

The first time out we went as a battalion. This time as a draft.

I enlisted with the 38th Dufferin Rifles in August 1915. Perhaps you remember me. I was kicked by a horse while on pass, leaving me in a nice mess. The reporter at the armories took my name and particulars and the following day I saw a piece in your paper about it.

September 10 saw us on our way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. About seven or eight weeks of training brought the cold weather on. With it the battalion (84th) came to Brantford. About the first week in May I was sent to Toronto as one of the advance party to help clean up before the battalion came. On June 15 we started for Halifax, arriving in England on the 27th. When the 84th Battalion broke up I was among the boys to go to the 43rd Kiltie Battalion. We left England with the (censored). As I shall not be able to mention the names of the towns, I will go one with the time we had on the Somme.

We went there about the end of September. We were on working parties for about four weeks. About five or six days before the battalion went to the trenches a chum and I were on our way up to the trenches when Fritz started to send over some “iron rations” he had to spare. It ended in us going to Blighty. We were separated at Etaples. I was sent to a private hospital near Newmarket, Cambridge on October 25, five days after getting hit.

I was in Newmarket about a month and was sent to Cambridge and the following day was sent to Epsom, where I stayed for eight days. From there I was sent to Hastings, Sussex. I was there for two months and from there was sent to Shoreham, Sussex, where we had heavy training. It was there I met my chum, who was wounded at the same time as I was. On March 28 we left Shorham for France, arriving at the Base Depot, where we are yet training for the time. I am a Brantford man and have since I enlisted, made my home with Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Donkin of St. Paul’s Avenue. Well, I will close now, wishing you the best of luck.

Yours sincerely,

Pte. Alfred Pollock

BX November 3, 1916

Two Casualties Reported Today – Privates A.H. Pollock and E.A. Blackmore are Reported Wounded

Casualties amongst the former members of the 84th Battalion, which spent last winter here, have been very heavy and the wounding of Private A.H. Pollock, 164323, another member is reported today. The word was received by Mrs. W.B. Donkin, 195 St. Paul’s Avenue. He joined the 38th last year, but was transferred to the 84th. After going to England he was again transferred, this time to the 73rd Highlanders of Montreal. His home is at Hagersville.

Pte. E.A. Blackmore of Cainsville is reported wounded in today’s casualty list. Pte. Blackmore is a married man and enlisted with the 38th Dufferin Rifles in August, 1915.

BX September 21, 1918

Word has just been received from Ottawa that Private A.H. Pollock is in Boulogne Hospital, having been gassed. Private Pollock enlisted in Brantford and went overseas with the 84th Battalion. He has already been twice wounded.