Joseph Alfred Lapine  was born on 23rd August 1891.

I think that I may have located the Lapine family on the 1901 Census for Canada on Ancestry.co.uk but there are some details that are slightly different. For example the spelling of the surname is Lepine and the date of birth given for Joseph is 23rd August 1892 not 1891 which is the date on his Attestation Papers.

Joseph’s Army records tell us that he was drafted into the 1st Depot Battalion of the Western Ontario Regiment on 9th January 1918 at Windsor Ontario. He gave his address as Tuscarora Street, Windsor, Ontario. His next of kin was his Mother, Mary Lapine at the same address.  His trade was given as Sailor.  Joseph had previously served for 3 years with the 96th Regiment at Fort William. (Thunder Bay)

After basic training in Canada, Joseph embarked for England aboard the S.S.Durham Castle on 9th October 1918 and on arrival  was posted to Whitley Army Camp to complete training. Joseph remained at Whitley Camp until 21st October 1918.

As hostilities by then  were coming to an end,  he was transferred to Kinmel Camp to await repatriation to Canada. Tragically Joseph contracted Bronchial Pneumonia, and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died on 23 October 1918.

(From Archives and Library of Canada),

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.

He is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan.

Joseph is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.