Sapper William James Michael Hood

Sapper William James Michael Hood was born at Hinchinbrooke, Quebec, on 21 December 1912, the son of Rose Hood. Before the war he worked as a farm labourer and later as a gasoline service-station attendant for McColl-Frontenac in Huntingdon. He enlisted at Westmount on 15 April 1940 and served in Canada until October 1941, when he proceeded overseas to the United Kingdom. His service included the Royal Montreal Regiment, Canadian pioneer and Royal Canadian Engineers postings, and the 20th and 23rd Canadian Special Employment Companies. While serving in England he married Auxiliary Territorial Service member Mary Elizabeth Fullbrook on 25 November 1944. Hood returned to Canada in October 1945 and was discharged at Montreal South on 22 November 1945 with the rank of Sapper. He then returned to England and found work, but his wife and child later travelled to Canada aboard Empire Brent. His medal entitlement included the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp, and the War Medal 1939-1945.

1912-12-21 — Born at Boyd's Settlement, Hinchinbrooke, Quebec.
1925 — Left rural public school after completing Grade V.
1925-1938 — Worked mainly as a farm labourer on dairy and mixed farms; also did seasonal wood cutting and grave digging while assisting his father, a cemetery caretaker.
1938-1940 — Worked as a gasoline-station attendant for McColl Frontenac Station.
1940-04-15 — Enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force through the Royal Montreal Regiment (Machine Gun) depot as a Private.
1940-10-18 to 1940-11-01 — Granted furlough following training.
1941-02-10 — Developed an infection of the right eye that progressed to severe conjunctivitis and a small corneal ulcer.
1941-02-17 to 1941-02-27 — Hospitalized at St. Joseph's Hospital for the right corneal ulcer; treated with atropine and hot compresses and returned to duty after ten days.
1941-04-16 — Eye examination found a persistent central corneal opacity with reduced right-eye vision and photophobia. A Medical Board recommended recategorization; no further treatment was required.
1941-10-05 — Embarked for overseas service.
1941-10-07 — Arrived in the United Kingdom and joined 1 Canadian Machine Gun Reinforcement Unit.
1942-04-09 to 1942-04-10 — Briefly posted to 1 Canadian General Pioneer Company.
1942-05-05 to 1942-10-07 — Attached to 3 Canadian Army Reinforcement Unit.
1942-06-22 to 1942-06-29 — Granted seven days' privilege leave.
1942-11 to 1943-03 — Served in a series of educational, administrative, work-party and Royal Canadian Engineers attachments. Several handwritten unit abbreviations are not fully legible.
1943-04-15 — Awarded the 1st Good Conduct Badge.
1943-09-07 to 1944-03-13 — Served as a Sapper with Royal Canadian Engineers, 2 Corps Troops, or a closely related subunit.
1944-03-21 — Medical Board examined him for poor physique and recommended a P3 profile.
1944-05-27 — Neuropsychiatric assessment found no neurosis, psychosis or psychopathy and considered him compatible with service.
1944-05-16 to 1944-06-09 — Admitted to No. 20 Canadian General Hospital for constitutional enuresis; no further genitourinary investigation was considered necessary and he returned to duty.
1944-06-10 to 1944-07-05 — Posted to 1 Canadian Engineer Reinforcement Unit.
1944-07-05 to 1944-10-08 — Served through short postings with the 20th and 23rd Special Employment Companies.
1944-09-22 — Applied for permission to marry Mary Elizabeth Fullbrook, W/216886, a Private in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
1944-09-25 — Marriage permission approved, effective no earlier than 22 November 1944.
1944-10-08 to 1945-10-16 — Served as a Sapper with 23rd Canadian Special Employment Company.
1944-11-25 — Married Mary Elizabeth Fullbrook.
1945-10-16 — Returned to Canada and reported to No. 4 District Depot for discharge processing.
1945-10-27 — Release Medical Board recorded physical inefficiency of constitutional origin; no treatment was required.
1945-11-22 — Discharged on demobilization as a Sapper, Royal Canadian Engineers, under Routine Order 1029, paragraph 5.
1945-12-12 — Requested that his war-service gratuity be transferred to 33 Rees Gardens, Addlestone, Surrey, because he was returning to his wife in England and intended to settle there.
By 1946-02-27 — Had returned to England and started work. The family's planned move to Canada was temporarily cancelled.
1946-08-17 — Immigration arrangements were approved for Mary Elizabeth Hood to proceed from Addlestone to her mother-in-law at 3 Lake Street, Huntingdon.
1946-11-02 — Immigration arrangements were approved for Mary Elizabeth Hood and child to proceed to Huntingdon.
1946-11-21 — The Empire Brent's sailing was disrupted by a collision in Liverpool Harbour; no casualties were reported.
1946-12-06 — Authorities reported that the Empire Brent had sailed with Mary Elizabeth Hood and child, with arrival at Halifax expected on 13 December 1946.