John Boyd was born on 26th April 1890 in Listowel, Ontario.  Unfortunately I have not been able to locate the family on any Canadian Census as yet but according to Attestation Papers for John Boyd we know that his Next of Kin was Henry Boyd (brother).

John’s Service Record shows us that he enlisted into 128th Overseas Battalion at Moose Jaw, Saskachewan on 4th December 1915. He was a Labourer by trade. After training in Canada, John left Halifax on 15th August 1916 aboard S.S.Grampian bound for Liverpool. He arrived on 24th August 1916 and was posted to Bramshott Camp where he was transferred to 28th Battalion and sent to France on 6th December 1916.

(Library and Archives of Canada. Service Files of 1st W.W. 1914-1918-Canadian Expeditionary Force).

The following information is from The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan website.

The 28th Battalion were part of the 6th Brigade who fought at Passchendale.The 28th (Northwest) Canadian Infantry Battalion was a unit of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division, Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 28th Battalion was recruited in 1914 from Saskatchewan as well as Fort William and Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) in Ontario, and sent to Britain as part of the second Canadian contingent in June 1915. In September 1915, the 28th Battalion was sent to the front lines in France. In 1917, it participated in the allied victories at Vimy Ridge and the Third Battle of Passchendaele. A member of the 28th Battalion, Private G. Price was the last solider to be killed on the Western Front. Following the armistice, the battalion was involved in the occupation of Germany and then repatriated to Canada in May 1919.

On 21st March, 1918 John Boyd was awarded a Military Medal for bravery in the field during the Battle of Passchendaele. (London Gazette Issue 30540, 23rd February 1918

John was appointed Lance Corporal on 22nd August 1918 and transferred to 15th Battalion Canadian Infantry on 12th November 1918 and posted to Bramshott Camp, and then Kinmel Army Camp in North Wales.

Kinmel Park Camp was a segregation camp used to house Canadian Soldiers awaiting repatriation to Canada after the end of WW1. Unfortunately the conditions at that time were extremely harsh with a lack of every kind of commodity, the camp was overcrowded and the services were poor, there were shortages of clothing, food and blankets. As a result of this situation, a vast number of servicemen and women became ill and many succumbed to the Influenza Epidemic or complications associated with this infection. Sadly John contracted Bronchial Pneumonia,and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died on 15th February 1919.

John is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery at Bodelwyddan.

John is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.