Clare Laking, Canadian World War I veteran, 106
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FIRST WORLD WAR VETERAN DIES AT AGE 106
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Nov. 27, 2005) - Clare Laking,
Canadian World War I veteran and resident at Sunnybrook and Women's
College Health Sciences Centre passed away on November 26, 2005. Mr.
Laking's passing leaves only four Canadian veterans from the Great War.
Mr. Laking was 106 and it is believed that he was the last Canadian
World War I veteran to have seen action, having fought on the front
line.
Clarence "Clare" Laking, was born on February 21st, 1899 on a farm near
Campbellville, Ontario. In 1917, at 18 years-of-age and against his
father's wishes, Laking enlisted in the 64th Battery in Guelph. His
father was a lay minister with the Old Methodist Church, and was
against war of any kind.
During WWI, Laking was a Private with the Canadian Field Artillery,
27th Battery, 4th Brigade. For a couple of months, while first in
England, Laking trained in Morse-code. He served two years in France as
a signaller, stringing telephone wire for field telephones along the
trenches. Part of his duties included trips to the front line to
observe where the first shell landed and then telephoning the
information to gunners at the rear. The army paid him $1.10 a day.
Laking was hit on the head by shrapnel near the end of the war. He
suffered only a small flesh wound and was in the first-aid station when
the war ended. He was awarded the French Legion of Honour and the
Golden Jubilee Medal.
After the War, Mr. Laking farmed again in the Peace River area and then
worked for a string of lumber companies for many years in Toronto.
(William Laking Lumber Co., Riverdale Lumber, and Boake Lumber Co.) In
1929, at age 30 he married Helen Paterson, a legal secretary. Together
they raised a family, and lived in Leaside for many years, an area that
is just north of downtown Toronto. His beloved wife passed away in
1993.
Laking has two children Keith and Sheila, four grandchildren and nine
great-grandchildren. Laking curled at the Royal Canadian Curling Club
until the age of 96 and at age 100 he gave up his season tickets for
the Toronto Maple Leafs. He held his driver's licence until he was 102.
Laking lived in the veterans' residence of Sunnybrook & Women's since
December 2003. He had been in good health until only weeks before his
passing.
There will be a private service for family members only. The family
requests that donations in his memory be made to the Veterans Comfort
Fund, c/o the Sunnybrook & Women's Foundation @ 416-480-GIVE or the
Hospital for Sick Children.
DGH
Laking, Clarence "Clare" (Toronto), Canadian Field Artillery, 27th
Batter Force Brigade, b. 21 February 1899.
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_veterans_of_the_First_World_War
islandersa
DGH
LA Times reported his name as Charles Clarence "Clare" Laking.
C