Canada. A British War Medal, Private Sweeney, 2Nd Battalion Cmr, Wounded At Passchendaele

(706606 PTE. W.H. SWEENEY. 2-C.M.R.). Naming is officially impressed. Edge nicks, contact marks, replacement ribbon, very fine.

Footnote: William Henry Sweeney was born on September 8, 1897 in Warrington, England, the son of Henry Sweeney and Clara Sweeney, later of Esquimalt, British Columbia. He was a resident of Victoria (Esquimalt), British Columbia when he signed his Attestation Paper as a Private (706606) with the 103rd Infantry Battalion, on January 10, 1916 in Victoria, at the age of 18, naming his next-of-kin as his mother, Clara Sweeney of Victoria (Esquimalt), stating that he had no previous military service, that he was not married, that his religion was Roman Catholic and that his trade was that of Grocer (later acknowledged as Teamster). The Battalion was raised and mobilized in Victoria, British Columbia under the authority of G.O. 151, December 22, 1915. The Battalion sailed July 23, 1916 from Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the S.S. Olympic, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E.C.J. Henniker with a strength of 37 officers and 939 other ranks, arriving in Liverpool, England on July 31st. Private Sweeney was struck off strength of the 103rd Infantry Battalion, to the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, for service in the French theatre, arriving at the Base Depot in France on December 23, 1916. One month after arriving in France, he left for the 3rd Entrenchment Battalion in the field on January 20, 1917, arriving with them on January 23rd. He was attached to the 9th Brigade, Trench Mortar Battery on May 14, 1917, then transferred to the 8th Canadian Trench Mortar Battery on October 1, 1917. Private Sweeney suffered a Gun Shot Wound (Shrapnel) to his right chest during the Battle of Passchendaele (AKA Third Battle of Ypres) on October 31, 1917 and was admitted to No. 26 General Hospital at Etaples on November 1st. After two and a half weeks at Etaples, he was transferred to No. 14 Convalescent Depot at Trouville on November 19th, where he would recuperate from his wounds for the next ten weeks, before being discharged from hospitalization on February 1, 1918. Private Sweeney was on leave from France when he was admitted to No. 10 Canadian General Hospital at the Kitchener Hospital in Brighton, on April 2, 1918, where he was initially diagnosed with "Diabetes". In a medical examination conducted two days later, on April 4th, the attending physician noted that Sweeney "was wounded in (the) right side of (his) chest in October 1917. Has been troubled somewhat with (his) chest since". The doctor also noted that Sweeney was experiencing a loss of weight, coughing, a feeling of weakness and had dyspnea (difficult or laboured breating) on exertion. He was transferred and admitted to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom on June 13, 1918, where his diagnosis was changed from "Diabetes" to "Debility". After five weeks at Woodcote Park, he was discharged from hospitalization on July 19th and was posted to the 1st Canadian Convalescent Depot on July 21st. He ceased on command to the 1st Canadian Convalescent Depot and reported to Shorncliffe on August 27, 1918, then struck off strength to the 1st Reserve Battalion at Seaford on September 2, 1918, placed on command to "E" Wing on the 28th and returned from command on October 18th. He was placed on command at the Canadian Concentration Camp at Kinmel Park, Rhyl, North Wales, on December 7, 1918, pending return to Canada, leaving for England on December 22nd. Private William Henry Sweeney, 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles was discharged upon demobilization at No. 11 District Depot in Victoria, on January 21, 1919. For his First World War service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.