New Hamburg Legion continues search for families of local veterans

By Galen Simmons

The New Hamburg Legion continues to seek out family members of local First World War veterans as part of its ongoing effort to document and preserve their stories in the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command Military Service Recognition Book.

Bob Berg, the Legion’s military service recognition book coordinator, has been researching veterans with connections to Wilmot and surrounding townships as he prepares submissions for the book’s upcoming volume. As with previous editions, Berg is hoping to connect with descendants who may be able to provide photos, personal stories and additional biographical details to help bring the histories of these veterans to life.

While military service records provide basic information, Berg said those documents often lack the personal context that helps tell the full story of a veteran’s life.

By connecting with family members, he hopes to learn more about who these veterans were beyond their service records and to include those stories alongside their photographs and biographies in the recognition book.

The project focuses primarily on veterans from Wilmot, Wellesley, East Zorra-Tavistock, Blandford-Blenheim and neighbouring communities. Berg is currently researching a new list of First World War veterans with ties to the area and is hoping family members may come forward with additional information.

The latest veterans Berg is researching include:

World War I

Wilmot Township and neighbouring communities

• Sgt. Howard Leslie Bean: Born Aug. 12, 1897, in Wilmot Township

• Pte. Harvey Henry Bechtel: Born March 11, 1898, in Baden

• Pte. Llewellyn Emmanuel Brill: Born April 18, 1895, in New Hamburg

• Gnr. James Alexander Dewar: Born Jan. 3, 1896, in Wellesley

• Pte. Robert Dietrich: Born Oct. 11, 1892, in Baden

• Pte. Gordon Christian Eby: Born Sept. 6, 1890, in Kitchener

• Pte. William Otto Erb: Born Jan. 4, 1893, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Irwin Michael Fleischauer: Born Sept. 24, 1894, in Wellesley

• Gnr. Harry George Forler: Born Dec. 18, 1892, in Philipsburg

• Lt. Norman John Goebel: Born May 4, 1889, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Robert James Halls: Born April 5, 1890, in New Hamburg

• W.O. Cecil Alexander Hamilton: Born Feb. 2, 1894, in New Hamburg

• Sgt. Edward George Hartung: Born Sept. 9, 1898, in Gadshill

• Pte. Milton Daniel Hartung: Born Aug. 25, 1895, in Gadshill

• Pte. William Melvin Hebel: Born July 11, 1896, in Lisbon

• Pte. Alvin Emerson Hiller: Born Nov. 25, 1894, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Oliver Hiller: Born May 11, 1898, in New Hamburg

• N/S Lavina Kropf: Born Sept. 28, 1885, in Wellesley

• Pte. Andrew Lantz: Born May 26, 1896, in Wilmot Township

• Capt. John Milton Livingston: Born March 3, 1888, in Blyth

• Pte. Harvey Albert Ludwig: Born Oct. 4, 1897, in New Hamburg

• Pte. John George Marth: Born June 1, 1891, in Petersburg

• Cpl. Chester Kastner Merner: Born Oct. 26, 1892, in Sebringville

• Spr. Hugh Patrick Miehm: Born Nov. 29, 1891, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Walter Raymond Miehm: Born June 5, 1899, in Waterloo

• Pte. John Ernest Randall: Born Aug. 14, 1899, in Baden

• Gnr. Roy Jacob Reid: Born Oct. 23, 1897, in New Hamburg

• N/S Jean Robertson: Born May 3, 1886, in Wellesley

• Pte. George Milton Rush: Born Dec. 30, 1896, in Wilmot Township

• Pte. William Edward Russell: Born Oct. 16, 1893, in Baden

• Pte. William Alfred Ruthig: Born Sept. 5, 1895, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Peter John Schmehl: Born June 17, 1893, in Perth County

• Pte. Herman Eugene Schultz: Born July 19, 1889, in New Hamburg

• Sgt. Oscar Frank Schultz: Born Aug. 16, 1887, in Stratford

• Pte. William Seftel: Born Oct. 4, 1895, in Wilmot Township

• Gnr. Andrew Allan Shuyler: Born June 20, 1896, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Victor Joseph Smith: Born March 19, 1894, in New Dundee

• Pte. Alfred Thomas Thomas: Born Oct. 13, 1874, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Arthur Wellington Thomas: Born Aug. 27, 1894, in New Hamburg

• Pte. Lorane Thomas: Born Feb. 18, 1895, in Waterloo

• Sgt. Joseph James Vance: Born July 18, 1894, in East Zorra Township

• Lt. Ross Walker Veitch: Born May 5, 1898, in Plattsville

• Pte. Herbert Max Wanklin: Born May 9, 1896, in Wilmot Township

• Bmbr. Theodore Franklin Wiese: Born Oct. 4, 1897, in New Hamburg

Berg is also continuing to accept submissions for veterans who served in the Second World War or during the Cold War and who have connections to the local area.

Families interested in sharing information about a veteran or submitting a biography and photo for inclusion in the recognition book can contact Berg at rwbergy@gmail.com or by phone at 519-745-0212.