Dwight Wilson
Encyclopedia
Percy "Dwight" Wilson was the second-to-last surviving Canadian
veteran of the First World War
.
Born in Vienna, Elgin County, Ontario
, he signed up as a 15-year old boy in 1916. When asked about his actual age he told the recruiting officer 16, but faced with soaring casualty rates for each meager yard of territory won and lost, that was good enough for the Canadian Army. On the two week voyage crossing the North Atlantic to England
, he entertained the other troops on the R.M.S. Grampian liner with his wonderful singing voice. On arrival, Wilson's youth was quickly discovered, and he never went near the battlefield, before being returned to Canada in 1917. Still determined he enlisted again, winding up once more at Camp Petawawa for military training. The war ended before he got another chance overseas.
He and Eleanor were married in 1927 and they stayed together until she died at the age of 94. They had two sons: Dean and Paul. Shortly after the Second World War
began, he enlisted for a third time. Instead of being too young, he was now too old, and he spent the war as a captain in the Perth County Reserves.
Wilson lived at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
in the Veterans Residence in Toronto
for the last year of his life. He died at the age of 106 from complications of a broken hip that had occurred two weeks earlier. His death left John Babcock
, who lived in Spokane, Washington
, United States
, as the only surviving Canadian First World War veteran.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
veteran of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Born in Vienna, Elgin County, Ontario
Elgin County, Ontario
Elgin County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario with a current population of approximately 46,000. The county seat is St. Thomas.It consists of:*Town of Aylmer*Municipality of Bayham*Municipality of Central Elgin...
, he signed up as a 15-year old boy in 1916. When asked about his actual age he told the recruiting officer 16, but faced with soaring casualty rates for each meager yard of territory won and lost, that was good enough for the Canadian Army. On the two week voyage crossing the North Atlantic to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he entertained the other troops on the R.M.S. Grampian liner with his wonderful singing voice. On arrival, Wilson's youth was quickly discovered, and he never went near the battlefield, before being returned to Canada in 1917. Still determined he enlisted again, winding up once more at Camp Petawawa for military training. The war ended before he got another chance overseas.
He and Eleanor were married in 1927 and they stayed together until she died at the age of 94. They had two sons: Dean and Paul. Shortly after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began, he enlisted for a third time. Instead of being too young, he was now too old, and he spent the war as a captain in the Perth County Reserves.
Wilson lived at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, abbreviated SHSC and known simply as Sunnybrook, is an academic health sciences centre located in Toronto, Ontario....
in the Veterans Residence in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
for the last year of his life. He died at the age of 106 from complications of a broken hip that had occurred two weeks earlier. His death left John Babcock
John Babcock
John Henry Foster "Jack" Babcock was, at age 109, the last known surviving veteran of the Canadian military to have served in the First World War and, after the death of Harry Patch, was the conflict's oldest surviving veteran...
, who lived in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as the only surviving Canadian First World War veteran.