Jacob Ernest Mott

Rank:

Lieutenant

Regimental number:

1690

Unit at enlistment:

Canadian Army Medical Corps

Force:

C.E.F.

Volunteered or conscripted:

Volunteered

Survived the war:

Date of death:

December 23rd, 1917

Cemetery:

Arras Memorial - Pas de Calais, France

Commemorated at:

B.C.I. High School Memorial Plaque

Birth country:

Canada

Birth county:

Brant

Birth city:

Mount Vernon, Ontario

Address at enlistment:

40 Queen Street, Brantford, Ontario

Next of kin address:

Mt. Vernon, Ontario

Trade or calling:

Clerk

Employer:

M.H. Robertson drug store

Religious denominations:

Wesleyan

Marital status:

Single

Age at enlistment:

Image gallery:

Letters and documents

BX January 2, 1918

Lieutenant Jacob Ernest Mott is Killed – Local Aviator Had Varied and Honorable Career In Army

Word reached the city this morning of the death on Sunday December 23, of Flight Lieutenant Jacob Ernest Mott of this city who went overseas as staff sergeant with the medical corps in the early days of the war. With that unit he went through the fighting at Ypres, being in charge of a dressing station five hundred yards from the enemy's lines. Later he received a second lieutenant's commission in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and went through the Somme fighting with that regiment. Later he was transferred to the flying corps and only a few weeks ago was decorated for bravery in taking photographs of the enemy's lines. During his air service he was shot down six times without sustaining serious injuries. No details have been received as to the manner in which he met his death.

Lieutenant Jacob E. Mott is a son of Mrs. Mott, formerly of Mt. Vernon and now of Waterford, and a nephew of Dr. Mott of Mt. Pleasant. He was very well known in the city and district, having been a clerk in the M.H. Robertson drug store for two years prior to enlistment.

BX October 14, 1915

Tiresome Journey – Staff Sergeant Jacob Ernest Mott Tells of Trip to France from England

An interesting letter has been received from Staff-Sergeant J.E. Mott, formerly of Robertson’s Drug Store, by his mother, Mrs. W.W. Mott, Mt. Vernon, giving some particulars of his trip to France. He says:

September 19, 1915
Camp in France

Dear Mother,

Well, mother, we are here at last and I am now resting in a barn a few miles behind the firing line waiting to take over our position, which will be in a few hours.

I wrote you a line when we left England – just a note – to inform you that we were on our way. It was four days from the time we left until we arrived here. It was very tiresome, for we worked whenever needed and slept whenever possible. I think everyone enjoyed the trip. We loaded everything on the train and then loaded it on the boat and then transferred it from the boat to the train in France. We arrived at the end of our train journey about 2.30 a.m. on Saturday and had to walk 20 miles to our camp here. We were all very tired, but had a good night’s rest and I feel as though I could walk another 20 miles today.

We have two sky pilots with our unit now, or perhaps I had better explain a little better, two ministers, I think they are principally for hospital work.

We have lots of fun trying to talk to the French people. Some of the boys speak French rather fluently, so they talk for us. The French people seem quite backward as regards to farming, but just in this neighborhood it is a lot better than some other places we have seen.

We travelled from the seaport by train and to cap it all we rode in horse cars. It was great fun. When tired one would lie down on the floor, and it was none too clean, but we are getting used to the rough life. We see aeroplanes every day and hear the guns very plainly, but the boys speak of it as a joke and make light of it. The old people who are left to do the work go on just the same and one would not think anything unusual was going on.

Well, mother, I have to be rather careful what I put in my letters, so you will excuse this short letter. I am well and doing fine.

J.E. Mott

BX June 3, 1915

Jacob Ernest Mott is Safe

Friends of Jay Mott, formerly of Roberson’s Drug Store, who is with the Army Medical corps, of the Second Canadian Contingent, this morning, received a cable from him. He is still in England and fears that he might have been the Brantford man alleged to have been crucified by the Germans are therefore groundless.

BX August 18, 1915

Express Fears for Jacob Ernest Mott – Was Member of C.A.M.C. and May Have Been on Royal Edward

Considerable anxiety is felt locally that Jay E. Mott who left Brantford early in the war and enlisted with the Army Medical Corps in Hamilton may have been on the ill fated Royal Edward, which was sunk on Saturday last by a German submarine in the Aegean Sea. Mott was well-known as an employee at Robertson’s Drug store, where he was engaged for two years prior to his enlistment at Hamilton.

He left Hamilton several weeks ago with the Army Medical Corps and it is thought possible that he may have left England on the Royal Edward. His mother, Mrs. William Mott of Mount Vernon received a letter from him a few days ago, in which he stated that he expected to leave England shortly for Egypt or the Dardanelles, and while no word has been received that Mott sailed on the Royal Edward, fears for his safety are nevertheless entertained.