David John Vaughan was born in Sneem, Kerry Ireland on 16th August 1873.
The Select Births and Baptism Records 1620-1911 on Ancestry.co.uk show that David John Vaughan’s parents were called Edward Vaughan and Johanna Vaughan, nee O Sullivan.
I cannot find a census return for the family in 1891 or 1901 but I have uncovered a census for 1911 on Ancestry showing that Johanna Vaughan was Head of the household. She was a 48 year old widow living at House 9 Burgatia ( Rosscarby,Cork). She was a District Nurse and had a son called Joseph who was a 12 year old scholar.
Her older son David John Vaughan, had emigrated to Montreal, Canada on 3rd August 1906 aboard the S.S.Tunisian. ( Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935) on Ancestry.
David’s army records tell us that on the 30th November 1907. in Toronto, he enlisted into the Royal Canadian Regiment for General Service of three years. His medical papers described him as being 31 years and 3 months old, 5ft 8ins tall with a medium complexion, brown eyes and brown hair tinged with grey. (He was in fact 34 years of age, having been born in 1873).
He was appointed Lance Corporal on 1st November 1908, Corporal on 1st November 1908, Sergeant on 28th June 1909 and having served three years was re-engaged on 24th November 1910 and transferred to the C.M.S.C. the Corps of Military Staff Clerks where he served until 30th November 1916 rising to the rank of Sergeant Major,(Warrant Officer). David was re-engaged with the C.M.S.C. from 30th November 1916 until he enlisted for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1917.
He was shown on the 1911 census for Canada as a soldier living in Wolsley Barracks, Ontario. He had been born in Aug 1873 in Ireland. There are records of Infantry training dated 1907 and 1908 as well as a Certificate of Military Instruction stating that Corporal David John Vaughan attended the Royal School of Infantry at London, Ontario for a month in Nov-Dec 1908 and that he had qualified for the rank of Sergeant in the R.G.A. (Imperial Army)
World War 1. David enlisted into the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force at London, Ontario on 12th June 1917. He named his mother Johanna Vaughan as next of kin. His address was Rosscarberry, Cork, Ireland and his trade was Sergt. Major (Warrant Officer) C.M.S.C. and address as Wolseley Barracks, London, Ontario. His date of birth was incorrect as it is shown on the Service Papers as 16th August 1876 when in fact David was born in 1873. He stated that he had served for 8 years with the R.G.A. (Imperial Army) 3 years 8 months with the Royal Canadian Regiment and 6 years with the Corps of Military Staff Clerks.
David Vaughan embarked for England aboard the S.S. Grampian and arrived in England on 23rd August 1917 when he was posted to Shorncliffe Army Camp. He embarked for France after being transferred to the C.F.C.B.D. the Canadian Forestry Corps Base Depot and remained there until 18th January 1919 when he was posted to Seaford Army Camp and then on to Kinmel Army Camp on 22nd January 1919. Sadly David contracted Bronchial Pneumonia,and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died on 14th March 1919.
David’s medals and decorations were sent to his brother Joseph Vaughan, H.M.S. Dauntless, Plymouth, England. The plaque and scrolls and memorial cross were sent to another brother, George Vaughan, Station Road, Brockhust, Dosport, England.
(from Library of Canada Archives)
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.
David John Vaughan is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan.
He is commemorated on the Virtual Canadian Memorial.
Additional Information.
To read about the history of the Royal Canadian Regiment prior to WW1, please follow the link.
http://regimentalrogue.com/researching_the_rcr/the_rcr_and_southwestern_ontario_units.html
To read about the C.M.S.C. please follow the link.
https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/corpsbranches/staffclerkscorps.htm
To read about the Canadian Forestry Troops, please follow the link.
