Lance Sergeant Fred David Shanks

Frederick (Fred) David Shanks was a bandmaster and musician from Huntingdon, Quebec. Born 15 April 1858 He gave his birth year as 1872 on enlistment in order to be considered young enough to serve.. He had previously served with the 26th West Middlesex Regiment and was married to C. Estella Shanks when he enlisted in in Edmonton, Alberta with the 66th Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was appointed Warrant Officer, Bandmaster. He sailed from Halifax aboard Olympic on 28 April 1916 and reached England on 7 May, where he was recorded as a Sergeant with pay.

In England he joined the 9th Reserve Battalion and was repeatedly found overage but fit for permanent base duty. His postings and attachments included the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre, the Canadian Army Medical Corps training establishment, the Duchess of Connaught Canadian Red Cross Hospital at Taplow, and training-brigade headquarters at Bramshott. He joined the 4th Canadian Labour Battalion in February 1917, reverted to his permanent grade and was appointed foreman Corporal and Lance Sergeant effective 18 February.

Shanks embarked for France on 14 March 1917 and landed at Le Havre the following day. In November he was evacuated sick with myalgia, also described as arthritis, spending time in No. 2 Australian General Hospital at Wimereux. After rest-camp and depot service in France, he returned to England in January 1918.

Pre-existing varicose veins and a right inguinal hernia, together with his age, limited his fitness. He returned to Canada in 1918 and was medically discharged at Calgary on 17 April as physically unfit for further war service. His character was assessed as Very Good, and his intended home was in Edmonton. 

Fred David Shanks died on 18 February 1936.

1858-04-15 — Birth date recorded in February and April 1918 medical histories; attestation instead gave 15 April 1872. Discharge age 60 supports the earlier year; Huntingdon, Quebec.
1915-07-02 — Attested for Canadian Expeditionary Force, 100299, 66 th Overseas Battalion; appointed Warrant Officer, Bandmaster, effective same date; Edmonton, Alberta.
1915-07-03 — Taken on strength 66 th Battalion; medically fit despite slight right-calf varicose veins. Height 70 inches, weight 158 pounds, chest 35.5 inches minimum/38.5 maximum, blue eyes, grey hair, clear complexion, Presbyterian; Edmonton, Alberta.
1916-01-26 — Medical history records recommendation for permanent base duty; Canada.
1916-04-28 — Sailed from Halifax aboard Olympic with 66 th Battalion; Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1916-05-01 — Assigned pay to wife set at$27 monthly, superseding$40; separation allowance separately paid; Edmonton, Alberta.
1916-05-07 — Disembarked in England aboard Olympic; recorded as Sergeant with pay at Shorncliffe; Shorncliffe, England, United Kingdom.
1916-07-06 — Transferred from 66 th Battalion to 9 th Reserve Battalion; Shorncliffe, England, United Kingdom.
1916-07-31 — Standing medical board found overage, fit permanent base duty; transferred to Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre while remaining attached to 9 th Battalion; St. Martin's Plain, Shorncliffe; Folkestone, England, United Kingdom.
1916-08-20 to 1916-08-25 — Ceased 9 th Battalion attachment and passed through CAMC Training School to Duchess of Connaught Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Taplow. Orders overlap: school transfer 20 August, report 23 August, hospital effective 21 August and receiving 25 August; cancelled 9 th Battalion SOS excluded; Cheriton; Taplow, England, United Kingdom.
1916-08-21 — Promoted Sergeant at Taplow; pay copy also records reversion to private and provisional Sergeant with same date; Taplow, England, United Kingdom.
1916-10-08 — Taken on strength CAMC Training School at Cheriton after leaving Taplow 7 October; these are posting records, not proof of admission as a patient; Cheriton, England, United Kingdom.
1916-10-25 — Attachment entry from Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre at Dibgate; capacity unclear; Dibgate, England, United Kingdom.
1916-10-30 to 1916-11-30 — Repeated overage boards recommended permanent base duty, Class C(ii); histories give 30 October and separate 30 November board, with approval 10 November for October entry; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1916-11-02 — Attached to 128 th Battalion for rations, quarters and pay; duplicate reads 126 th, detailed ledger 128 th retained; England, United Kingdom.
1916-11-10 to 1916-11-14 — Ceased CAMC Training School attachment and proceeded to 7 th Canadian Training Brigade headquarters for permanent base duty; detailed headquarters attachment 14 November, duplicate 4 November; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1917-01 to 1917-02-12 — Defective-vision assessment:6/36 right,6/60 left, improved with glasses to 6/6 and 6/9; Category C 1 approved 12 February. Specialist date appears 10 February, board date may 9 January; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1917-01-01 to 1917-01-02 — Ceased 7 th Training Brigade headquarters attachment and attached to 5 th Canadian Reserve Brigade headquarters subsistence staff; duplicate effective dates 1/2 January; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1917-02-17 — Ceased 5 th Reserve Brigade attachment, taken on strength 4 th Canadian Labour Battalion at Seaford; reverted to permanent grade Private; Seaford, England, United Kingdom.
1917-02-18 — Appointed foreman Corporal and Lance Sergeant; Corporal promotion later confirmed in field orders with this effective date; Seaford, England, United Kingdom.
1917-03-14 — Embarked for France with 4 th Canadian Labour Battalion; England, United Kingdom.
1917-03-15 — Disembarked at Le Havre, France
1917-07-01 — Assigned pay to wife reduced from$27 to$22 monthly; separation allowance$25 separately continued; Edmonton, Alberta.
1917-11-24 — Evacuated sick and admitted No. 99 Field Ambulance with myalgia; duplicate history calls condition arthritis; France.
1917-11-25 — Transferred to No. 44 Casualty Clearing Station; France.
1917-11-27 — Admitted No. 2 Australian General Hospital with myalgia/arthritis; Wimereux, France.
1917-11-30 — Discharged from No. 2 Australian General Hospital to No. 3 Rest Camp; other casualty records call destination Marlboro Details near Boulogne; Boulogne, France.
1917-12-01 — Casualty sheet records C.L., apparently convalescent leave; exact duration not supplied; France.
1917-12-03 — Transferred No. 3 Rest Camp to Labour Corps Base Depot; Boulogne, France.
1917-12-04 — Medical board classification appears USF; later explicitly found unfit for service in France; Boulogne, France.
1918-01-13 — Rest Camp return-to-unit entry and taken on strength C.E.R.D.; abbreviation retained without uncertain expansion; France.
1918-01-14 — Classified unfit for service in France at C.E.R.D.
1918-01-21 to 1918-01-23 — Transferred to England, posted 21 January and taken on strength 23 January at Bramshott; duplicate unit histories give 1 st Canadian Army Reserve Depot and 1 st Quebec Regimental Depot; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1918-02-06 to 1918-02-22 — Attached from depot to company at Bramshott, designation unclear, then ceased attachment; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1918-02-10 to 1918-02-11 — Medical report assessed pre-existing varicose veins and right inguinal hernia, with reported service aggravation. Final board found fit base duty only,Biii; did not approve the preliminary permanent-discharge/invaliding recommendations; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1918-02-19 — Paybook verified and last pay certificate issued for Canada disposal; ledger-credit difference$52.07 recorded; Bramshott, England, United Kingdom.
1918-02-22 — On command to Canadian Discharge Depot,Buxton; concurrently transferred for strength accounting to General Depot,Shorncliffe; Buxton; Shorncliffe, England, United Kingdom.
1918-02-26 — Struck off strength in England, proceeded to Canada for disposal; no return ship or precise landing date established by movement order; England, United Kingdom.
1918-03-01 — Assigned pay cancelled effective 1 March, while later family account includes March allowance/pay entries; Canada.
1918-03-21 — Family account records returned to Canada; transferred to No. 13 Casualty Unit. This is an accounting/transfer date, not independently established ship disembarkation
1918-03-22 to 1918-04-04 — Furlough recorded in final pay certificate; deduction$0.70; Canada.
1918-04 to 1918-06 — Three months' post-discharge pay and allowances,$184.20 for 91 days:21 April$61,21 May$61,21 June$62.20; Edmonton, Alberta.
1918-04-03 to 1918-04-12 — Canadian release examinations: preliminary 3 April medical entry, full invalid history/board 6 April, approved apparently 12 April; overage, varicose veins and right inguinal hernia, final Category E unfit A/B/C, discharge recommended; Edmonton, Alberta.
1918-04-17 — Medically discharged at Calgary as physically unfit for further war service under KRO 392(16). Final papers style him Band Sergeant, pay certificate Corporal; character Very Good, intended 9748–105 th Street,Edmonton; Calgary, Alberta.
1918-04-24 — Final cheque mailed; discharge settlement$24.29, clothing allowance$8 in final pay account; Calgary, Alberta.
1918-09-11 — District Depot 13 certified$27 clothing allowance credited/paid on Septemberlists; certificate has number 102999 variant; Edmonton, Alberta.
1919-02 to 1919-05 — Post-service award$500 less$184.20 already credited leaves$315.80: soldier$70 on 28 February,$70 on 15 March,$25.80 on 10 April, plusfive dependant instalments$30. Mrs.Eliz.Shanksnamed, relationship not explicit; Edmonton, Alberta.
1920-12-16 — Dental record apparently marks treatment completed; no procedures specified; Military District 13, Alberta.; Military District13, Alberta.
1936-02-18 — Died on 18 February 1936, as recorded in CWVMP and supported by later service-file annotation; Canada.
Before 1915 — Prior military service with 26 th West Middlesex; civilian calling bandmaster, married to C. Estella Shanks; Canada.