BX April 4, 1916
Four Men Are Returning Home
A more complete list of the invalided soldiers which arrived at Quebec yesterday, from St. Johns, where they disembarked from the Steamship Missanabie, was received here today. In addition to Pte. T. Kirby, who was mentioned in yesterday’s list, the names of four more Brant County boys appear. They are W. Steed, E. Ree and T. Phillip of this city, and A.C. Fraser of Paris.
According to the lists William Steed, who left here with the Second Contingent, is a married man and at the time of his enlistment lived at Echo Place.
Phillips, who was a farmer, was a single man, and left with the First Contingent. The lists of soldiers who have left this city show his address at the time of departure as 18 Oak Street. The lists show two A. Frasers as having left early in the war. Archie of West River Street, Paris, who left with the Second Contingent, and A.C. Fraser, who left with the 19th Battalion on May 6, 1915. But one man by the name of Ree appears on the list, and that is Edgar Ree of 55 St Paul’s Avenue who left with the Second Contingent.
BX April 10, 1916
Royal Reception Tendered to Four Invalided Heroes Who Returned Home Sunday – Privates T. Kirby, William Steed, T. Phillips and Edgar Ree Welcomed After Their Hunt of the Huns in Flanders – Were Taken to Brant Recruiting Rally and There Tendered an Official and Informal Welcome Home – How They Met Their Injuries
Pte. Tom Kirby, 8 St. Paul’s Avenue
Pte. William Steed, Park Road, Echo Place
Pte. Thos. Phillip, 18 Grant Street
Pte. Edgar Ree, 55 St. Paul’s Avenue
Invalided home through injuries sustained, these four Brantford heroes arrived in the city last evening. Three of them, Privates Steed, Phillips and Ree, arrived on the 7.32 G.T.R. from Toronto, while Pte. Kirby slipped into the city an hour earlier. All four responded to their Empire’s call for men in the early stages of the war. Now, through injuries sustained in the fight with the Huns, they have been rendered unfit for active service.
Although it was Sunday evening and no formal reception was prepared, the boys were given a splendid welcome home. It had been arranged that representatives of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission would meet them with cars, but Bandmaster Bartram of the 125th band was also on hand with the band. During the evening three of the heroes were taken to the Brant Theatre and part of the evening was given over to a “welcome home.”
Right to the minute the G.T.R. train bringing them home pulled into the station, surrounded by thousands of citizens. Willing hands, amidst much cheering, helped the boys to the waiting automobiles and with the 125th band in the lead, a parade was formed, which wended its way up Colborne and Dalhousie Streets to the Brant theatre, where the street was thronged with hundreds of people who were bent on getting into the recruiting rally.
Here the automobiles were stopped and Ald. J.S. Dowling announced that after the returned heroes had been taken home and had partaken of a lunch they would be brought back to the theatre, where a public reception would be given them. Then amidst thunderous cheers the cars carried them to their homes.
An Official Welcome
Just as soon as the crowd could be appeased, Ald. J.S. Dowling, chairman of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, officially welcomed the boys back. He told how tired and nerve-wracked the boys were and that their desire was not to say anything, although the reception was appreciated. Ald. Dowling pointed out the nature of the work of the Soldiers’ Aid and told men who had not gone but were thinking of it that their future would be well looked after by their country.
Cheers followed and during a selection by the massed bands of the 84th and 125th Battalions the three heroes slipped off the stage back to their waiting friends.
Pte. Edgar Ree
Climatic conditions in England were the undoing of Pte. Edgar Ree of 55 St. Paul’s Avenue, who left with the 36th Battalion under Colonel Ashton. Although sick in England, Pte. Ree who was connected with the headquarters’ staff, improved and was taken to France. Here again sickness took hold of him and he was sent to the hospital at Havre.
Later he was taken back to England and spent some time in hospital at Shorncliffe, Folkestone and other places. While at Folkestone he met Pte. Kirby, his cousin, who also returned last evening, and they have been together ever since.
The sickness particularly affected Pte. Ree’s eyes and last evening he wore a dark shade over them. He is a married man and one of the happiest ladies in the big crowd at the station was his young wife. Prior to enlisting Pte. Ree was a clerk on the C.P.R. and was living at Fort William. He however, came to Brantford and enlisted. His wife moved here then and has been here since.
According to Pte. Ree, in his case it was the spirit which was willing but the flesh weak. A man needed an iron constitution to stand the climate and strain in England. He expressed great pleasure at the reception at the station and modestly said that if he had known that it was to happen he would have come by an earlier train.
Ushered Into Theatres
About half an hour later accompanied by their friends, three of the heroes, Privates Kirby, Steed and Phillips, returned and were ushered to boxes in the theatre. Pte. Ree was not any too well and asked to be excused from the reception.
When the curtain was raised after the thrilling picture was concluded, the three heroes were seated on the platform. To the big portion of the crowd, the announcement of ex-Mayor Spence that the heroes were on the platform came as a surprise. This announcement was greeted with cheer after cheer that rocked the theatre.
