Canada. A First War Pair To Lance Corporal Barteaux; Wounded On The Somme

A First War Pair, to Lance Corporal Joseph Sanford Barteaux, 53rd Infantry Battalion, 14th Infantry Battalion

Canada; British War Medal (440947 L. CPL. J.S. BARTEAUX. 14-CAN.INF.); and Victory Medal (440947 L. CPL. J.S. BARTEAUX. 14-CAN.INF.). Naming is officially impressed. Un-mounted, the BWM with a dark patina and replacement ribbon, the VM with an original ribbon, near extremely fine.

Footnote: Joseph Sanford Barteaux was born on March 29, 1893 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a resident of the Rex Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, when he signed his Attestation Paper as a Private (440947) with the 53rd Infantry Battalion, on November 30, 1915 in Winnipeg, at the age of 22, naming his next-of-kin as his father, Nathan T. Barteaux of Advocate Harbour, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was married and that his trade was that of Clerk. His religion was Methodist. The Battalion was raised in Saskatchewan and Manitoba under the authority of G.O. 86, July 1, 1915. The Mobilization headquarters was at Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Battalion embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 29, 1916 aboard the S.S. Empress of Britain, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel R.M. Dennistoun with a strength of 35 officers and 1,063 other ranks, arriving in Liverpool, England on April 9th. In England, the Battalion was absorbed into the 15th Reserve Battalion. Two months after arriving in England, Private Barteaux was transferred to the 14th Infantry Battalion on June 8, 1916 for service in the French theatre, arriving in Le Havre, France the next day. He left for his new unit on the 10th, arriving with them in the field on the 11th. He was three and half months in the French theatre, when he suffered a gun shot (shrapnel) wound to his left leg, when a shell exploded while he was in combat in the Somme, on September 26, 1916. He was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital at Le Havre on September 27th, where a dressing was applied, and was subsequently invalided to the United Kingdom, where he was admitted to the 3rd Scottish General Hospital in Glasgow on October 2, 1916. Two weeks after arriving in Glasgow, Private Barteaux was declared "fit for travel" on October 15th and was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Hillingdon House in Uxbridge on the 16th. He was transferred to the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre at Folkestone on October 25th, then posted to the Reinforcement Depot at Shoreham on October 31st for "full duty". He was then posted to the 1st C.C.T.B. at Hastings on December 4, 1916, then transferred to the 23rd Reserve Battalion on February 15, 1917, his left leg having "healed" and experiencing "no disability", authorized to wear one wound stripe. Barteaux was appointed Lance Corporal on May 20, 1917. He proceeded to Rhyl for return to Canada on April 26, 1919 and was attached to the Canadian Concentration Camp at Kinmel Park for return to Canada, sailing from Liverpool aboard the S.S. Caronia on May 14th, disembarking soon after in Halifax. Lance Corporal Joseph Sanford Barteaux was discharged upon demobilization at Dispersal Station "B", Military District No. 6 in Halifax, on May 29, 1919, credited with having served in Canada and England with the 53rd Infantry Battalion, then in France and Belgium with the 14th Infantry Battalion, entitled to wear the War Service Badge, Class "A", number 226032. For his First World War service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He later received a War Service Gratuity of $350 and listed his address as Santa Monica, California.