HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-10-14, Page 1212 News Record • Wednesday, October 14, 2015
October 10,1916: The day Clinton went to war
Huron History
Dave Yates
On Thursday, October 6,
1916, Clinton received
word that a special train
was carrying the 161st
(Huron) battalion home for
one last home leave. The
troops were given a four
day pass over the Thanks-
giving weekend to spend a
few hours with friends and
family before making the
journey to an uncertain
future overseas.
When the train arrived
just after 1 p.m., there was
little time to organize a for-
mal reception. The soldiers
quickly dispersed with
families to be home for a
Thanksgiving "long to be
remembered" according to
the Clinton New -Era. The
Clinton New -Record said
that a "many a mother and
sister" spent the weekend
"putting the last stitches,
baking dainty morsels on in
some way ministering to
the comfort of a son or
brother who might not
again for some time" return
home.
By October 1916, no one
believed the war would be
over soon as the terrible
price of the conflict was felt
locally.
The same issue of the
New -Era that reported the
Huron battalion was on its
way home carried the news
of the death of Clinton resi-
dent Private Richard Wal-
ton of the 4th Canadian
Mounted Rifles who had
been killed the Somme on
September 15.
Over the weekend, post-
ers were distributed
throughout town calling
citizens to meet in front of
the Post Office at 12:45 on
Tuesday, October 10 to
give the troops a rousing
send off. The papers
reported that almost every
man, woman and child in
the vicinity turned out to
bid farewell to their
soldiers.
The Kilty Pipe Band
playing martial airs fol-
lowed by public school
children bearing maple
branches led the crowds
to the flag draped band-
stand on the corner of
Albert and Rattenbury
Streets. The soldiers were
drawn up in front of the
bandstand on Albert
Street to hear mayor and
Lieutenant-Colonel H. B.
Combe address the
assembled masses.
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Despite pleas being
bombarded with tele-
phone pleas from dis-
traught mothers asking to
extend leave for one more
day, Colonel Combe, a
Clinton native, told the
assembled crowds that
"we must play the game,
our leave has expired and
we must return to duty."
Colonel Combe reassured
families that "Britain will
not unnecessarily expose
to danger her troops." As
Colonel Combe stood
down, the troops gave
three "hearty" cheers and
a tiger for Huron County.
At precisely 12:45, the
Clinton men assembled at
the Post Office square at
the junction of the Huron
and London Roads. The
News Record reported that
'almost to a man, woman
and child' the town and
countryside turned out to
see their men off to
war. When Mayor Charles
Thompson addressed the
crowd, he broke down
with emotion when he saw
"his two and only sons"
amongst the soldiers'
ranks. The crowd sang
Keep the Home Fires Burn-
ing and with school chil-
dren carrying maple leaf
branches, the town
marched to the train sta-
tion with the "soldiers'
women folk" walking
"beside their men."
The Clinton New -Era
movingly described the
scene. Although the train
was an hour late from
Goderich "the air was
electric with feeling"
when "the first puff of the
engine" warned "that the
actual moment of depar-
ture had arrived, all
pressed forward en masse
as if to better view the
husband, son or brother,
while little ones clam-
oured for another sight
of 'Daddy.' As the train
pulled away, the New -Era
noted 'there was little or
no cheering."
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