Private Louis Leaf
Survivor of WW1
Service Biography
Louis Leaf was born at St. Regis, Quebec, on 15 May 1891. A married labourer living at 51 Geneva Street in St. Catharines, Ontario, he enlisted at Oshawa in February 1916 as Private 739242 with the 114th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was declared illegally absent on 18 May 1916 and was discharged at Oshawa in consequence of that absence.
General Information
Conflict:
WW1
Regimental No.:
739242
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Battalion:
114th Overseas Battalion
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
St. Regis, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
24 years 8 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
25 years
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Labourer
Next of Kin:
Hattie Leaf (wife), 51 Geneva Street, St. Catharines, Ontario
Address at Enlistment:
51 Geneva Street, St. Catharines, Ontario
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Place of Enlistment:
Oshawa, Ontario
Was a Prisoner of War:
Height:
5 ft 10.0 in / 178 cm
Weight:
175 lbs / 79 kg
Chest:
41.0 in / 104 cm
Expansion:
4.0 in / 10 cm
Marital Status:
Married
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Canada
Place of Discharge:
Oshawa, Ontario
Discharge Type:
Discharge due to Courts Martial
Discharge Notes:
Discharged at Oshawa, Ontario, effective 18 May 1916 in consequence of being illegally absent/deserter.
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
94 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW1 |
Private |
Canadian Expeditionary Force |
Army |
114th Overseas Battalion |
|
|
|
| Only rank/unit supported by the surviving file; service ended in Canada. |
Service Chronology
1891-05-15 — Born
1916-02-14 — Attested/enlisted; medically examined and found fit; joined 114th Overseas Battalion as Private 739242
1916-04-04 — Attestation finally approved by Officer Commanding, 114th Overseas Battalion
1916-05-18 — Declared illegally absent and discharged in consequence of illegal absence
1916-06 — Separation-allowance account contains later administrative notation associated with absence/discharge and allowance cessation
1916-06-07 — Unit personnel card records a later 'Dischgd. 7/6/16' administrative entry
Notes
At enlistment Leaf was a married labourer, Roman Catholic, 5 ft 10 in tall and 175 lb. His medical history recorded a 37–41 in chest, dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair, and found him fit for service.
Additional Service Notes
Louis Leaf enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Oshawa in February 1916 as Private 739242 with the 114th Overseas Battalion. The surviving file documents service in Canada only. He was declared illegally absent on 18 May 1916 and was discharged at Oshawa in consequence of that absence.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Wife Hattie Leaf was named as next of kin at 51 Geneva Street, St. Catharines, Ontario, and was the recipient of assigned pay/separation allowance.
Research Notes
The file contains conflicting administrative dates. The signed attestation and medical records repeatedly support enlistment on 14 Feb 1916, while the personnel index card records 24 Mar 1916; use 14 Feb as the structured enlistment date and preserve 24 Mar as an administrative discrepancy. For service termination, the formal Proceedings on Discharge and Last Pay Certificate identify 18 May 1916 and state that Leaf was illegally absent. The unit card later records 'Dischgd. 7/6/16' with an authority notation, and the separation-allowance sheet contains a June 1916 administrative annotation associated with absence/discharge and allowance cessation. These later annotations are retained as administrative follow-up and do not replace the formal 18 May effective discharge date. The surviving documents do not explicitly state 'deserter' or 'S.O.S. as Deserter'; therefore p_dischargeType is intentionally left unset rather than inferring CM.
