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![The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War]({"id":"51d19cbf-02fa-4aef-93b0-e12748a7e2ac","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"15628_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":22705,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-03T10:47:43.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-03T10:47:43.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #15628","alt":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","caption":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","creator":"Memory Project Image #15628 - Veteran #5433","source":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/15628_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/15628_600.jpg","credit":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","pivot":{"mediable_id":"2a3f443a-57f6-4064-b236-eeb271c4ece9","media_id":"51d19cbf-02fa-4aef-93b0-e12748a7e2ac","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"31a4ddcd-a670-405b-95f4-bf20e0fba837","media_id":"51d19cbf-02fa-4aef-93b0-e12748a7e2ac","title":"Memory Project Image #15628","alt":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","caption":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","creator":"Memory Project Image #15628 - Veteran #5433","source":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","locale":"en","credit":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War"},{"id":"98b12256-31a2-4bfe-b7a3-a16b0cd39e23","media_id":"51d19cbf-02fa-4aef-93b0-e12748a7e2ac","title":"Memory Project Image #15628","alt":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","caption":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","creator":"Memory Project Image #15628 - Veteran #5433","source":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War","locale":"fr","credit":"The Victory Medal and General Service Medal awarded after the First World War"}]} "Memory Project Image #15628")
![Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.]({"id":"6191b864-5e1f-45ab-8e53-14db7cb118b7","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"15630_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":17624,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-03T10:47:46.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-03T10:47:46.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #15630","alt":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","caption":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","creator":"Memory Project Image #15630 - Veteran #5433","source":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/15630_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/15630_600.jpg","credit":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","pivot":{"mediable_id":"2a3f443a-57f6-4064-b236-eeb271c4ece9","media_id":"6191b864-5e1f-45ab-8e53-14db7cb118b7","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"2e792ac7-d157-4df0-8d8f-ca1322ca9910","media_id":"6191b864-5e1f-45ab-8e53-14db7cb118b7","title":"Memory Project Image #15630","alt":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","caption":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","creator":"Memory Project Image #15630 - Veteran #5433","source":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","locale":"en","credit":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches."},{"id":"bf7bcd5d-b9e2-46dc-9186-87f7742a0942","media_id":"6191b864-5e1f-45ab-8e53-14db7cb118b7","title":"Memory Project Image #15630","alt":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","caption":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","creator":"Memory Project Image #15630 - Veteran #5433","source":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches.","locale":"fr","credit":"Hat badge used by the Pioneer Division during the First World War. Worn by the group responsible for reinforcing trenches."}]} "Memory Project Image #15630")
![A leather wristband used before dogtags]({"id":"7b518bfd-d549-4ca3-b480-f5b39e4c08d6","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"15629_600","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":13901,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-03T10:47:45.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-03T10:47:45.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #15629","alt":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","caption":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","creator":"Memory Project Image #15629 - Veteran #5433","source":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/15629_600.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/15629_600.jpg","credit":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","pivot":{"mediable_id":"2a3f443a-57f6-4064-b236-eeb271c4ece9","media_id":"7b518bfd-d549-4ca3-b480-f5b39e4c08d6","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"625d3d2b-19df-4afa-9563-cb9104647315","media_id":"7b518bfd-d549-4ca3-b480-f5b39e4c08d6","title":"Memory Project Image #15629","alt":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","caption":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","creator":"Memory Project Image #15629 - Veteran #5433","source":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","locale":"en","credit":"A leather wristband used before dogtags"},{"id":"d06369b6-4405-411f-a4a7-ebe9e2dc18a2","media_id":"7b518bfd-d549-4ca3-b480-f5b39e4c08d6","title":"Memory Project Image #15629","alt":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","caption":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","creator":"Memory Project Image #15629 - Veteran #5433","source":"A leather wristband used before dogtags","locale":"fr","credit":"A leather wristband used before dogtags"}]} "Memory Project Image #15629")
My name is Larry West. I live in Winnipeg. I have my grandfather’s information that I found out a couple of years back that he was with the 44th Battalion, which I found out was part of the New Brunswick Battalion. He joined in 1915 and he was in until 1918. He went in as a corporal and he came out of the three-year war and was discharged as a corporal. He was wounded overseas, I can’t tell you exactly where he was wounded but he was wounded and came back on leave. He had his recuperation time and then went back in again. He was discharged in 1918 and came back to Winnipeg.
What I have found, I was at a memorial for Vimy Ridge. He does have three plaques that he hand carved with brass that he pounded out. He’s got plaques for Vimy Ridge, Sorrel, and all the places that the 44th Battalion fought through the war. I don’t have them in my possession right now. They are in the possession of the Royal Winnipeg Rifle Museum here in Winnipeg at Metro Armouries. A strange thing that we did find was a leather wristband with his name, his battalion, and his service number, I guess similar to what we know today as dog tags. My kid brother and I have that and we are going to donate it to the Royal Winnipeg Rifle Museum. The 44th Battalion I do believe amalgamated somewhere in around 1928 or 1929, but I’m not too sure of the particular time. Anyway, this stuff will be in the Royal Winnipeg Rifle Museum in the near future.
He did serve in Vimy and a few other places I do believe. I have his discharge certificate. He was discharged on 21 August 1919 and like I said, he was a corporal when he came o.