Today marks the one hundred and six year anniversary of the death of my maternal great-grandfather Joseph Alexandre Ulderique L’Oiseau. Ulderique also known as Henry Bird died at the Battle of St Eloi on the night of April 9, 1916.
Private Ulderique L’Oiseau
21st Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
4th Infantry Brigade
2nd Canadian Division
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,”[1]
The fields of Flanders, the final resting place of my great-grandfather Private Ulderique L’Oiseau, service number 59600.[2] He was one of the nearly 61,000 Canadians who died in World War One.[3]
Joseph Alexandre Ulderique L’Oiseau (Ulderique) was the youngest of seven children.[4] He was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada on March 7, 1872. A seventh child for Aurelie D’Aragon dit Lafrance and fifth child for Joseph L’Oiseau.[5]
Aurelie married Joseph L’Oiseau after the death of her first husband Cyrille L’Oiseau. During my research I discovered that Cyrille and Joseph were distant cousins.
Very little information can be found about Ulderique’s early years, but he can be found on the 1881 Canadian Census living near Montreal in Hochelaga Village with his parents and three older siblings.[6] By the age of 17, he had moved to Kingston, where he married Mary Ann Maville (Annie) on April 29, 1889.[7]
Following their marriage Ulderique and Annie remained in Kingston, where Ulderique worked as a barber at TJ Healey’s barber shop.[8] Ulderique and Annie had nine children, the youngest William Adolphe was born in 1909.[9]
Ulderique enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) at the age of 42. His attestation papers were signed in Kingston, Ontario on November 11, 1914 and he was assigned to the 21st Battalion.[10]
In the years prior to his enlistment Ulderique had served in the military reserve. His previous service included three years with the 14th Rifle Brigade of the Princess of Wales Own Regiment and one year in the 5th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery.[11]
When Canada entered the war in August 1914, there was no shortage of men eager to answer the call to enlist. Reasons such as patriotism or a sense of adventure were some of the motivating factors.[12] It is not known why Ulderique, at the age of 42, with a wife and young children still living at home would enlist. He was at the higher end of the age limit, which at the time was 18-45.[13] The percentage of married men who served was also relatively low at only 20%. During “the first year of the war the wives of married men could demand that their husbands be released from service”.[14]
In an article from the local paper, The Daily British Whig dated Aug 20, 1914 Col. Morrison describes the practice of woman preventing their husbands from going to war as being used too liberally, describing Canadian woman as being unpatriotic.[15]
It appears that Kingston, a city with a long military history did not suffer from a lack of patriotism. The call to enlist went out and many local men including Ulderique enlisted.[16]
At the time of his enlistment, statistically Ulderique was in the minority. During the early stages of the war 70% of Canadians enlisting were British born subjects.[17] Ulderique was native born, his lineage tracing back over many generations to the founding of New France (Québec).[18]
The 21st Battalion remained in Kingston for training through to the spring of 1915.[19] During this time Ulderique received disciplinary action on two occasions. On March 18th he was fined $2.00 and on April 20th he was fined $6.00. No information regarding the nature of the offences is recorded but given the most common reason for disciplinary action was drunkenness, it is possible this was the reason for the disciplinary actions.[20]
On May 5th the Battalion departed Kingston by train for Montreal. They arrived in Montreal on the 6th and proceeded to the docks where they departed on the troopship the Metagama.[21] The Metagama docked in Devonport England on May 16th.[22]
From Devonport the Batallion proceeded to West Sandling camp near Kent. Over the next few months, the 21st Battalion remained at West Sandling to undergo training. Diary entries are consistent over this time outlining the daily operations which included musketry training, bayonet fighting class, physical drills, and other training exercises. Instances of hospitalisations and disciplinary actions are also recorded.[23] On May 24th Ulderique received disciplinary action for drunkenness and was fined $6.00.[24]
On September 1st the Battalion was inspected by His Majesty the King in preparation for deployment to the front.[25]
On September 12th the Machine Gun section departed for the front from Southhampton. Ulderique along with the remainder of the 21st Battalion departed camp on the 14th and proceeded to Folkstone.[26] They boarded the steamer the St. Seiriol and proceeded to cross the channel arriving in Boulogna at 9 am.[27]
The battalion continued to St Omar and then to Dranoutre where they were engaged in the trenches for the next few weeks, eventually moving on to Ridgewood on October 22nd.[28]
Fighting continued in the trenches N and O near Ridgewood alongside the 20th Battalion until April 5th. During this time diary entries report minimal daily casualties.[29] During this period Ulderique once again receives disciplinary action. He is sentenced to 14 days Field Punishment No. 1 and fined $6.00 for being absent from camp from 5pm December 26th to 5pm December 27th.[30]
On April 5th the 21st Battalion proceed to billets in La Clytte. They remained there until April 8th when they relieved the 27th Battalion at P trench in St. Eloi.[31] On April 7th, Ulderique is once again disciplined, this time for drunkenness and sentenced to 14 days field punishment No. 1 and fined $2.00.[32]
The Battle of St. Eloi took place between March 27th and April 19th. St. Eloi, situated about 5 kilometres south of Ypres, had been a scene of vicious fighting throughout the war. It was an important event for the 2nd Division as it was their first set battle.[33]
The night of April 8th the 21st Battalion along with the 12th and 19th were ordered to attack the craters.[34] The fighting was fierce, and by morning the 21st had suffered a total of 36 casualties.[35]
The fierce fighting continued and on the night of April 9th Private Ulderique L’Oiseau was killed.[36] Ulderique was buried a few days later in Ridgewood Cemetery, Voormezeele, West Flanders, Belgium.[37] His wife Annie was notified of the death of her husband by telegraph dated April 19, 1916.[38]
Following the war, the family received the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Memorial Plaque, Scroll and Memorial Cross.[39]
Ulderique is honoured alongside other fallen soldiers from Kingston on the wall of Remembrance and on a memorial plaque in City Hall.[40] His grave is marked by a simple white headstone embellished with a maple leaf, erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[41]
Below is a photo taken a few years ago when Ulderique’s grandson Sanford Jamieson, and Sanford’s children made the journey to visit his grave site.
Footnotes
[1] John McCrea, ‘In Flanders Fields’, Poetry Foundation, 1915, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47380/in-flanders-fields, accessed 20 August 2021.
[2] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada, RG150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 5719-23, LOISEAU U, unpaginated.
[3] Canadian War Museum, “The Cost of War”, https://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/after-the-war/legacy/the-cost-of-canadas-war/, accessed 20 August 2021.
[4] Baptism of Cyrille Loiseau, baptised 01 August 1848, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 2966625; Baptism of Charles Eustache Loiseau, baptised 23 October 1851, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 5502666; Baptism of Joseph Alexandre Loiseau, baptised 14 February 1854, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 5502804, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/, accessed 20 August 2021; Marriage record of Joseph Ludger Loiseau and Marie Louise Landry, 31 July 1882, la Nativité-de-la-Brenheureux-Vierge-Marie, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968, Ancestry.com, accessed 20 Aug 2021; Baptism of Joseph Elie Emmanuel Loiseau, 19 April 1867, Montreal; Baptism of Marie Georgiana Loiseau, 26 January 1870, Montreal; Baptism of Joseph Alexandre Ulderique Loiseau, 7 March 1872, Montreal, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection,) 1621-1968, Ancestry.com, accessed 20 August 2021.
[5] Baptism record of Joseph Alexandre Ulderique Loiseau.
[6] 1881 Canadian Census, Library and Archives Canada, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/, accessed 20 Aug 2021.
[7] Marriage of Ulderique Loiseau and Mary Ann Miville, 25 Nov 1889, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada marriages 1826-1936, Ancestry.com, accessed 22 August 2021.
[8] Digital Kingston, Kingston Frontenac Public Library, “City Directories 1855-1923”, https://research.digitalkingston.ca/records-and-documents/city-directories/city-directories-1855-1923, Accessed 24 Aug 2021.
[9] Baptism of Margaret Ann Loiseau, 4 December 1892, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1760-1923, Ancestry.com, accessed 20 August 2021; Marriage record of Fortineau Loiseau and Adelaide Yoemans, 3 April 1918, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1926, Ancestry.com, accessed 20 August 2021; Baptism of Alice Doris Loiseau, 6 January 1896, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada Records, Catholic Church. Saint Mary’s Cathedral (Kingston, Ontario), FamilySearch.org, accessed 20 August 2021; Birth of Mary Ann Loiseau, 8 October 1897, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada Births, 1858-1913, Ancestry.com, accessed 20 August 2021; Marriage Record of Leo Paul Loiseau and Gertrude Josephine Derosiers, 19 Feb 1924, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1936, Ancestry.com, accessed 20 August 2021; Baptism of Mary Rose Loiseau, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1760-1923, Ancestry.com, accessed 22 August 2021; Baptism of Delia Mary Loiseau, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1760-1923, Ancestry.com, accessed 22 August 2021; Birth of Joseph Ulderique Loiseau, 30 October 1907, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario Canada Births, 1858-1913, Ancestry.com, accessed 22 August 2021; birth of William Adolph Loiseau, 11 Aug 1909, Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada Births 1858-1913, Ancestry.com, accessed 22 August 2021.
[10] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated.
[11] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated.
[12] The Canadian Encyclopedia, ‘The Great War Soldier’, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-canadian-great-war-soldier, accessed 24 Aug 2021.
[13] The Canadian Encyclopedia, ‘The Great War Soldier’.
[14] The Canadian Encyclopedia, ‘The Great War Soldier’.
[15] Digital Kingston, Kingston Frontenac Public Library, ‘Daily British Whig’, 20 August 1914, Pg. 1 https://vitacollections.ca/digital-kingston/3677133/page/2?n=.
[16] Peter Gower, ‘Lost on the field of battle’, Kingston Whig Standard, 11 April 2005 news clipping held by Tracey Orchard, Brisbane.
[17] The Canadian Encyclopedia, ‘The Great War Soldier’.
[18] Tracey Rines (Tracey Orchard) family tree, Ancestry.com.
[19] PWOR.ca, ‘21st Battalion History’, https://pwor.ca/museum/21st-battalion-history/, accessed 24 Aug 2021.
[20] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated; Canadian War Museum, “Discipline and Punishment”, https://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/life-at-the-front/trench-conditions/discipline-and-punishment/, 11 Mar 2022.
[21] PWOR.ca, ‘21st Battalion History’.
[22] PWOR.ca, ‘21st Battalion History’.
[23] Diary entries 15 May 1915 to 31 July 1915, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF, Library and Archives Canada, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/war-diaries.aspx. Accessed 10 August 2021.
[24] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated.
[25] Diary entries 1 August 1915 to 1 September 1915, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF
[26] Diary entries 12 September 1915 to 14 September 1915, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF
[27] PWOR.ca, ‘21st Battalion History’.
[28] Diary entries 15 September 1915 to 22 October 1915, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF.
[29] Diary entries 23 October 1915 to 5 April 1916, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF.
[30] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated.
[31] Diary entries 5 April 1916 to 8 April 1916, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF.
[32] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated.
[33] Scholars Commons @ Laurier, Tim Cook, ‘The Blind Leading the Blind: The Battle of the St. Eloi Craters’, https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1049&context=cmh, Accessed 12 Aug 2021.
[34] Cook, ‘The blind leading the blind: The Battle of the St. Eloi Craters’; Diary entry 8 April 1916, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF.
[35]Diary entry 8 April 1916, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF.
[36]Diary entry 9 April 1916, Confidential War Diary of the 21st Battalion CEF.
[37] 21st Battalion CEF, ‘Ulderique Henri Loiseau aka Henry Bird’. http://21stbattalion.ca/tributehl/loiseau_u.html, accessed 24 Aug 2021.
[38] ‘Lost on the field of battle’.
[39] Service record of Ulderique Loiseau, unpaginated.
[40] ‘Ulderique Henri Loiseau aka Henry Bird’.
[41] Commonwealth War Graves Commission, ‘Find War Dead’, https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/, accessed 24 Aug 2021.
Branches of my tree 