Interview with Ray Drouin (Phillip Lemon)

Transcript

My name is Ray Drouin, my wife's name is Helen Johnson, and Phillip Lemon was our uncle.

Phillip Lemon was born in Alton, England, in 1897. His father – Henry Lemon from Alton – served twenty-four years, and retired as Sergeant Instructor in musketry with the 3rd Sommersetshire Regiment of Light Infantry in India. Henry, upon completing his (..) of twenty-four years, retired to England in 1893. He emigrated to Canada in 1906, joining his father James in Walter's Falls, Ontario. Phillip was nine years old when he left for Canada.

Phillip Lemon joined the 147th Grey Overseas Battalion for service in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on the 29th of November, 1915, at the age of eighteen. Regimental number: 838113. His trade on enlistment was listed as "farmer," and he lived at 586 - 2nd Avenue East, Owen Sound, Ontario. By the signature on Phillip's enrolment paper, it is obvious that his penmanship shows a certain level of education.

Following training in Canada, he transferred from the 147th Battalion to the 8th Reserve Battalion in Shoreham, England, on the 1st of Janurary 1917. Then he transferred to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR) on the 17th of February 1917. The 4th CMR was part of the 3rd Canadian Division, 8th Canadian Brigade. On the morning of 8 of April 1917, Easter Sunday, at five twenty-eight AM, he unit was part of the great offensive on Vimy Ridge. He was reported killed in action on the 9th of April 1917 at Vimy Ridge. He was twenty years old. He has no grave at Vimy, and his name is on the Vimy Ridge monument. His name also appears on page 275 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. His family received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal on his behalf. In his will, Phillip bequeathed all of his estate to Mrs. Harriet (..), his sister from (..), Ontario.