John and I visited the Hamilton Cemetery before Remembrance Day and walked through the section with the stones of our fallen soldiers. This one caught my eye for two reasons, Robert's young age and his last name, being the same as the county I grew up in.
Robert Halton attested on January 28th of the same year when he was 17 years 9 months old and was living at 43 Beechwood Avenue at the time with his father Alfred Edward. He was born 10 March 1898 in Bolton England, was 5'6" and had brown eyes and auburn curly hair.(1)
I did a quick search and quickly found his death record. Robert died on 19 May 1916 in Hamilton after 10 hours of haemorrhaging due to an accidental shooting. He was a forge mechanic.(2) His service record states that he accidentally shot himself (3) Geez, definitely not what I was expecting. I'll have to work my way over to the Burlington Public Library and see if I can get more details from the Hamilton Spectator.
RIP Robert, you were too young to die so senselessly.
(1)https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B3966-S049
(2)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 227
(3) Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)
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