HENE, JOHN

172412 Private John Hene was born on 29 Oct 1882 in Indiana, USA. His mother, Theresa Hene resided in Armour Lake County, Indiana. John had been employed as a safe and piano mover, a teamster and a labourer before enlisting in 1916. He was unwed, stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and was a member of the Church of England. At the time of his attestation he lived at 69 Davids St, Toronto but soon changed his address to 13 Archer St, Toronto.

Timeline of Military Service

Previous service with the 10th (Royal Grenadiers) Regiment for 5 years
1916, 12 Jan – medical and enlisted – Toronto Recruiting Depot
1916, 15 Jan – Taken On Strength (T.O.S.) 83rd (Queen’s Own Rifles) Infantry Battalion, CEF
1916, 28 Apr – departs for England from Halifax aboard S.S. Olympic
1916, 01 May – assigned pay of $20 per month to his niece Mrs. Ellen Hampton of 24 Gerrard Ave, Toronto begins
1916, 07 May – arrives in Liverpool, England
1916, 07 Jul – T.O.S. 12th Reserve Infantry Battalion, C.E.F. – Shorncliff, Kent
1916, 23 Jul – taken “on command” of Musketry Camp – Lydd Ranges, Kent
1916, 26 Jul – “To France”
1916, 28 Aug – T.O.S. 3rd (Toronto Regiment) Infantry Battalion, C.E.F. – France
1916, 28 Aug – address changed to 142 Sheridan Ave, Toronto
1916, 01 Sep – assigned pay now to 45 Taylor St, Toronto
1916, 12 Sep – departed for 1st Canadian Entrenching Battalion, C.E.F.
1916, 15 Sep – joined 1st Canadian Entrenching Battalion, C.E.F.
1916, unknown – rejoined 3rd (Toronto Regiment) Infantry Battalion, C.E.F. – in the field
1916, 07 Oct – moved into front line trenches – Le Cais, France
1916, 08 Oct – while on the advance he was wounded by a shrapnel bullet entering the posterior aspect of the lower one-third of his left leg causing a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula – Somme Offensive
1916, 08 Oct – of the 14 officers and 481 other ranks who went into the assault only 1 officer and about 85 other ranks were left
1916, 10 Oct – admitted to No. 6 British Red Cross Hospital – Etaples, France
1916, 11 Oct – transferred to England – H.M. Hospital Ship Dieppe
1916, 12 Oct – admitted General Military Hospital – Colchester, Essex
1916, 16 Oct – x-ray show a piece of metal (shrapnel bullet) between broken ends – incision made and removed – General Military Hospital – Colchester
1916, 23 Oct – mother has moved to Cedar Lake County, Indiana
1916, 13 Oct – T.O.S. Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre – Shoreham, West Sussex
1916, 06 Dec – medical report – wound closed and fracture firmly unified
1917, 11 Jan – transferred to Granville Canadian Special Hospital – wound nearly healed – Ramsgate, Kent
1917, 01 Feb – recommend invalided to Canada by authority of Medical Boards – Shornecliffe, Kent
1917, 19 Feb – sailed from Liverpool aboard H.M. Hospital Ship Essequibo
1917, 19 Feb – admitted to Convalescent House – Military District No 2 – Toronto
1917, 19 Feb – may have resided with his niece at 45 Taylor St, Toronto
1917, 01 Mar – assigned pay to niece stops
1917, 11 Mar – medical report – 15% decreasing to 5% degree of permanent incapacity and unfit for military service – Discharge Depot Medical Board
1917, 01 Apr – T.O.S. Military Hospitals Commission – Command D Unit, CEF Toronto
1917, 30 May – left leg now 1 1/4 inch shorter than right and requires a special boot to compensate – Spadina Military Hospital
1917, 27 Jun – considered for pension – Board of Pension Commissioners for Canada
1917, 31 Jul – discharged Army Class C as medically unfit for service
1917, 31 Jul – final pay to be forwarded to niece, now at 202 Oak St, Toronto
1962, 19 Jul – died at age 79 – Sunnybrook Hospital
1962, 10 Oct – authorized to place a memorial on his grave – Department of Veteran’s Affairs – Ottawa