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Record #4495
Name :
: Bertram HALLS (1910 - 1986)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 27 Apr 1910

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 1986
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Middlesex, Clapton, London
Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 26 Jul 1924
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Ausonia

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Salvation Army
NotesBert, my father age 7 lost his father to the 1st world war in France during 1917. His mother took in a "lodger" and later became married to this man. My fathers older brother whom he loved very much died at at the young age of 16. My father gradually felt outcast and unwanted in his mothers home and at age 14 he went to Canada to work on farms. The Salvation army arranged for his journey to Canada and the group he travelled with were listed as home children.

Although he never said, I am wondering if he was rejected to the extent that he had to be taken in by a childrens home. I have a photograph of him with his father and brother and he told me he had purposefully cut his mothers picture from the photograph because of his treatment.

He told me his story of his 3 years in Canada and most of it he enjoyed, made friends and was treated very well. He worked with Hereford cattle and horses, the work was hard but he loved it. He did have a very tragic experience when his friend, the son of the family he was staying with was killed in a terrible shooting accident whilst they were out in the horse drawn buggy. The boys were not aware of gun safety and the shotgun was left cocked. It went off when they drove over bumpy ground. My father drove his mortally wounded friend back to his home. His friend died some 3 days later.

I believe his friend was named Walter Mills but I am not sure. My father stayed with 3 families during this time, the Johnsons of Elkhorn, the Mills of Kirkella and the Smithsons of Kirkella Manitoba.

He told me stories of riding on the trucks of coal trains, no fare was paid and I don't quite know where he was going to. He did say he sneaked over the border to America a few times and got in to trouble. He said that he saw a young black man being beaten, so he went in to help him and ended up being hand cuffed by a sheriff to a weighing machine. He ended up being deported from America.

I do have a lovely sepia photo of one of the homes he stayed at and you can see the vast prairie in the background. If anyone is interested maybe I can put the picture on the web site.

My father came back home to England after 3 years, he did not go home but went to a workhouse just for a day and then obtained work and somewhere to live.

My father died in 1986. 
ContributorsCreated : 2008-11-22 21:36:13 / From original database

Last Updated : 2009-01-17 16:26:39 /

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 289 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
18925 ABERY, Harold Thomas1908ENG, LND, Marylebone Mar 1927 : Melita CAN Salvation Army  
3151 ACRES, John1910ENG,     Jun 1924 : Ausonia CAN Salvation Army  
3176 ADAM, William1906ENG,     Jul 1924 : Ausonia CAN Salvation Army  
5816 ADAMSON, Bernard William1913ENG, KEN, Woolwich Aug 1924 : Ausonia CAN Salvation Army  
22543 ADDISON, John1911ENG,     May 1922 : Metagama CAN Salvation Army  
19040 AITKEN, Ian1909ENG,     Mar 1927 : Melita CAN Salvation Army  
21998 ALLAN, Priscilla ENG,     Apr 1925 : Athenia CAN Salvation Army  
7895 ALLDRIDGE, George Gage Notcut1910ENG, SAL, Newport (Salop) Jul 1925 : Montrose CAN Salvation Army  
18790 AMBROSE, Alfred1912ENG,     Mar 1927 : Melita CAN Salvation Army  
5237 ANKER, Kenneth1915ENG, LND, Enfield Mar 1930 : Scythia CAN Salvation Army  
13296 ANKER, Sidney Gerald1911ENG, LND, Enfield Feb 1928 : Montclare CAN Salvation Army  
8858 ANNESS, James Edward1901ENG, LDN, London Jul 1914 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
27617 ATKINS, George Frederick1905ENG, ESS, Rochford Jun 1914 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
27618 ATKINS, Jane Ellen1900ENG, ESS, Rochford Jun 1914 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
27619 ATKINS, William Richard1903ENG, ESS, Rochford Jun 1914 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
23364 AUSTIN, Leonard ENG,     Sep 1922 : Metagama CAN Salvation Army  
27598 AVERY, Edith Mary1901ENG, KEN, Cranbrook, Hawkhurst Jun 1914 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
5321 AXFORD, John1913ENG, LDN, London Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN Salvation Army  
5322 BACKLER, John1914ENG, LDN, London Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN Salvation Army  
7860 BACON, Ivy Lilian1913ENG,    , Edmonton Jul 1923 : Montrose CAN Salvation Army  
22903 BAKER, Kathleen D1900ENG,     Sep 1912 : Ascania CAN Salvation Army  
5240 BALLINGER, Edward1914ENG,    , West Malvern Mar 1930 : Scythia CAN Salvation Army  
11941 BANKS, Bernard1910ENG, SRY, Bermondsey Jun 1924 : Athenia CAN Salvation Army  
5323 BARKER, Alfred1915ENG,    , Flagborough Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN Salvation Army  
22743 BARKER, William Alfred1893ENG,     May 1908 : Kensington CAN Salvation Army  
5242 BATTLEY, Leonard1916ENG,    , Dagenham Mar 1930 : Scythia CAN Salvation Army  
14819 BAUGHAN, Emily1916ENG,    , Shoreditch May 1922 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
14820 BAUGHAN, Ernest1913ENG,     May 1922 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
19315 BEASLEY, Edgar1905ENG,     Jul 1922 : Megantic CAN Salvation Army  
4453 BEATTIE, Frank 1912ENG, CHS, Rock Ferry Aug 1929 : Antonia CAN Salvation Army  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 289 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries