| Notes |
- Newsletter of the Haskell Family Society
Vol 4 No 3 September 1995
Sydney James Haskell, born Ipswich, England, 18 February 1878, second child and first son of James Albert and Elizabeth (Leach) Haskell, was grandson of jeweller and watchmaker James and Jane (Bracher) Haskell of Salisbury, Winchester and Ipswich. James, who was son of watchmaker William and Ann Charlotte (Brown) Haskell of Salisbury, removed to Ipswich in the early 19th century and in 1843 established the jewelry firm of J. A. Haskell, by which name the firm still exists. Granville Haskell was the third lineal descendant to own and operate the business until his retirement about ten years ago.
Sydney, with no apparent interest in the family business, enlisted in the 19th Middlesex Rifles in 1894 at age 16 and served in South Africa throughout the Boer War. In 1899 he enlisted with the South African police, in 1901 with the Port Elizabeth Town Guard and in 1902 with the Western Light Horse, obviously by then having become an accomplished horseman. In 1905 he transferred to the Suffolk Yeomanry, signalling a return home.
Finally, he 'swanned off' to Canada where he became an accountant in Edmonton, Alberta. Details of his occupation fail, but Sydney apparently did not allow civilian activities to interfere with military ones. When he joined the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force 29 December 1914, age 36 years, his Attestation Paper shows he had served in the 19th Alberta Dragoons after 4 years' service in the Bloomsbury Rifles, not reported elsewhere. We also learn that he has a wife, Florence, living at 9531 100th Street, Edmonton, Alberta, and he is described as 5 feet, 10 1/2 inches tall, with fresh complexion and dark brown eyes. Surely the recruiter was delighted to obtain such an experienced soldier for the rapidly expanding Canadian Army! Sydney James Haskell, 108280, reported to 3rd Canadian Mounted Rifles at Medicine Hat, Alberta, on 15 March 1915. He served in France and Flanders from 21 September 1915 until well after Armistice Day of 11 November 1918.
The Canadian Expeditionary Force, it should be noted, was in much of the heaviest fighting of World War I and suffered severe losses. From a force of 425,000 men, 60,000 lost their lives and of those at least 11,000 have no known grave, a terrible toll for a country with so small a population as Canada.
On 27 March 1917 Sydney was wounded but shortly released from No. 9 Canadian Field Medical Facility. Between 24 June and 8 July 1917 he had leave for Paris, on 29 October was awarded a Good Conduct Badge, on 31 December was transferred to the Military Police at Division Headquarters, and on 12 June 1918 became Acting Corporal.
From 16 February to 2 March, and 26 August to 14 September 1918, Sydney had home leave. His unit was still in France when he again obtained special home leave from 31 January to 15 March 1919, no doubt this time due to the death of his brother, Edward Granville, on 26 January 1919. Sydney rejoined his unit at Liverpool on 12 March to embark in RMS Baltic for Canada. He was honourably discharged 24 March, immediately rejoining his old unit, the 19th Alberta Dragoons, where he became sergeant. On 4 April 1922 his commanding officer, Lt. Col. C. Y. Weaver, recommended him for the Colonial Auxiliary Forces' Long Service Medal, and Ottawa approved this rare award to him on 29 June 1923. Sydney died in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1953, Florence in 1964.
Sydney and Florence had one son, James Sydney, born in Alberta, 1912, who married Esther Feldman. They had two daughters: Marjorie, who died about 1969, and Nora, who married a Mr. Diamond. James (Jim) and Esther had two sons, Sydney James and Lloyd Harry Haskell. Jim died 23 April 1991, aged 79 years. Sydney, born 1949, is an active environmentalist and Lloyd operates a gardening and lawn contracting business in British Columbia. Each has a daughter.
|
1878 - 1950 (72 years)
[1] 
