Pair to the 75th Infantry - Shell Shock at Vimy

WWI Pair to the 75th Infantry - Shell Shock at Vimy - British War Medal (787632 A.C.S. MJR. W.C. MC DIARMID. 75-CAN.INF.); and Victory Medal (787632 A.C.S. MJR. W.C. MC DIARMID. 75-CAN.INF.). Naming is officially impressed. Unmounted, dark patina on the BWM, light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by his Identification Tag (bakelite, stamped "787632  P  MCDIARMID W C" on the obverse and "75 BN CEF" on the reverse, 34.5 mm); For Service At The Front Badge (bronze and enamels, numbered "130209" on the reverse, 22.5 mm, screwback); General Service Badge wwi(sterling silver, numbered "541810" on the reverse, 14.7 mm x 22.3 mm, screwback); Canadian Corps Reunion Toronto 1938 Badge (bronze and enamels, maker marked "C.E. CLENDENNING TORONTO" on the reverse, 21.8 mm x 22.3 mm, screwback; and a CD containing twenty-two pages with copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Service Records, Medical Records and Discharge Certificates. Footnote: William Clyde McDiarmid was born on November 17, 1883 in Carleton Place, Ontario, the son of J. Robert McDiarmid and Helen McDiarmid. He signed his Attestation Paper with the 130th Battalion "Lanark and Renfrew Battalion" on December 13, 1915 at Carleton Place, naming his next-of-kin as his wife, Hilda Beatrice McDiarmid, and had one young daughter, Helen Francis McDiarmid, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was married and that his trade was that of Civil Engineer. The Battalion was raised in the Counties of Lanark and Renfrew with mobilization headquarters at Perth, Ontario under the authority of G.O. 151, December 22, 1915. While in Canada, he was promoted to Acting Sergeant in April 1916, then to Sergeant on May 24th. The Battalion sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 23, 1916 aboard the S.S. Lapland, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J.F. de Hertel with a strength of 25 officers and 573 other ranks, arriving in Liverpool, England on October 6th. Upon arrival, he was stuck off strength to the 12th Reserve Battalion at West Sandling the same day, joining them on the 9th and designated to be Acting Company Sergeant Major. He reverted to the rank of Sergeant at his own request on October 15th. He was named Acting Corporal on January 14, 1917 and is documented as being on command at a Drill & General Course on March 5th. He reverted to a permanent grade on April 2, 1917, for being absent without leave, escaping custody, thereby being absent without leave for a total of 98 hours. Three weeks later, he was struck off strength to the 75th Infantry Battalion for service in the French theatre, on April 21st, joining his unit in the field on the 25th. His first brush with death came on June 8, 1917, as he was walking down a trench and a shell fell nearby, thrusting him into a funk hole and waking up disoriented, with deafness in his left ear. His second brush with death came ten days later at Vimy, when he with another soldier and had a shell expoded next to them during a German bombardment, the other soldier dying and McDiarmid buried and unconscious for eight hours. He was admitted to No. 4 Stationary Hospital at Arques on June 21, 1917, his condition listed as "N.Y.D." (not yet determined) but later ascertained to be Shell Shock. He was transferred to No. 32 Stationary Hospital at Wimereux on July 30th, then invalided to England. He was admitted to 4th London General Hospital CAMC, Denmark Hill S.E. on August 3rd with the "Usual symptoms, (and) treated in (the) neurological section", in addition to being posted to the 1st Central Ontario Regimental Depot. After eight weeks at the 4th London General, he was transferred to the Military Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, at Epsom on September 29th. Upon his admission at Epsom, it was noted that his condition consisted of "nervous rumbling in (the) head, pains in legs, shaking of head, sleep broken, tremors of arms & legs." It documents both of his encounters with death: "He states that on 8/6/17 10.0 pm while up at (the) Electric Generating Plant, walking down trench, gives history of shell falling near him, blown in the air, cannot remember anything farther, left in funk hole all night, when (he) came to, felt sore, left ear deaf." In addition, "He was with another man during a bombardment, a shell exploded near them, the other man being killed, he being buried. He was left in a trench until after the operation which was being carried out, and was in a very bad condition when brought in 27/6/17", causing him shell shock. After two months treatment, it was noted that he "feels much better" and that he "seems in fairly good condition", allowing him to be discharged on November 21st. He ceased to be attached to the 1st Canadian Convalescent Depot and attached to the 1st Discharge Depot at Buxton on February 18, 1918 and was attached as a Permanent Cadre as an Orderly Sergeant on March 26th. In his Particulars of Family of an Officer on Man Enlisted in C.E.F. Report, dated September 18, 1918, in condition was officially listed as "Neurasthenia" (a mechanical weakness of the actual nerves) due to Shell Shock incurred in France in June 1917. In went into depth about McDiarmid's condition: "He states that he was always healthy previous to enlistment. On June 1917, at Vimy, was buried by (a) shell. He was unconscious for eight hours. He has frequent pain in (his) head and neck, and left leg. He is nervous, sleeps poorly. He was in Hospital for two months, in France. No record on Medical History Sheet. He carried on in France with the 75th. Bn. for three months, has been Orderly Sergt. for two months in England." The overall prognosis was that "He is hypersensitive but should undoubtedly improve." In his Medical Examination Upon Leaving the Service of Officers and Other Ranks Who Have No Disability Report, undated, it states that this "Soldier says he was buried in France, June 1917 and suffered from shell shock so was sent to hospital when (sic) he remained 5 mos. During last 12 mos has carried on with office work. Nervous symptoms have practically all left except slight dizziness and pains in head at times. Very slight disability if any." He was then attached to the Canadian Discharge Depot at Buxton, Derbyshire on December 24, 1918 and ceased to be attached to CCD Buxton on embarkation to Canada on March 15, 1919. He arrived in Canada aboard the S.S. Metagama, arriving on the 24th and was discharged upon demobilization at the Clearing Depot in Saint John, New Brunswick on March 26, 1919. He was entitled to wear the War Service Badge, Class "A", Numbered 130209, as presented here with his WWI pair.