The following information was gathered by Patti Mitton, a Genealogical Consultant outside of Ottawa. I thank her for volunteering her time to assist in tracking down the details of Charles Audley Jeffs military record. The following information is taken directly from her email message to me, as she is far more eloquent than I am. If you are ever looking to hire someone to search the Canadian National Archives, you will not find better than Patti Mitton.
CEF SERVICE FILE OF PTE CHARLES AUDLEY JEFFS, #56133 (L.A.C. RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4809, Sequence 61).
Attestation Papers: Clerk; Not married; Born 14 September 1889, Shrewsbury, England. Next-of-kin was his father, S. J. Jeffs (in the paysheets, his name is shown as Samuel John Jeffs), 36 Coton Crescent, Shrewsbury, England. His previous military service consisted of 4 months with the 19th Lincoln Regiment. He enlisted at Toronto on 16 March 1915, and his unit sailed on 13 May 1915.
(The file also contains a sheet and pay card under the service number 56342, indicating that he had first enlisted in the 19th Battalion on 7 November 1914, but was Struck off Strength (S.O.S.) on 12 December 1914 as medically unfit for service within three months of enlistment).
His Casualty Form shows that the 19th Battalion CEF arrived in England on 22 May 1915, on board the SS SCANDINAVIAN. Pte Jeffs was transferred to B Coy at West Sandling on 7 September 1915 and embarked for overseas from Folkestone to Boulogne on 14 September 1915. He was transferred ‘in the Field’ to the 4th Brigade, Machine Gun Company on 25 December 1916.
(According to the website cited below, the 2nd Division included the 4th Canadian Brigade, which in turn included the 4thCanadian Machine Gun Company, formed in January 1916, and moved into the 2nd Canadian Machine Gun Battalion in March 1918).
From 13 to 18 October 1916, he was ill with PUO (a notation indicates that he suffered from both “trench fever” and “trench throat”).
On 1 March 1918, he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, and his unit was absorbed upon reorganization into the 2ndBattalion, CMGC from 19 March 1918. On 26 September 1918, he was attached as loader to the 2nd Divisional Train. He was granted 14 days leave (UK) on 5 December 1918 and rejoined his unit from leave on 25 December 1918.
At Le Havre, as of 12 April 1919, he was S.O.S. from the 2nd Bn, CMGC to the Canadian Machine Gun Reserve Pool (CMGRP), evacuated to hospital from the field, and was treated for tonsilitis. On 28 April 1919, he was S.O.S. to the Canadian Machine Gun Corps Depot (CMGCD). On 14 May 1919, he was S.O.S. to Canada from Witley, and sailed from Liverpool on board the SS MINNEKAHDA, an American Transport Line ship, arriving at Halifax on 23 May 1919. I searched the actual passenger list and the entry is on Page 27, Dispersal Draft No. 2007F, Sailing no. 55, Dispersal Area F; #56133, Pte Jeffs, Charles Dudley (sic). Corps: CMGC; Unit : 2 Battalion; Original Unit: 19 Battalion; Category Occupation Group: A1 - 1; Next of Kin: Father; Religion: M (i.e. Methodist); Place of Residence: Toronto (L.A.C. RG 76, C 1 b, Passenger Lists, Halifax; SS MINNEKAHDA, microfilm reel T-14795). At Montreal, he was Taken on Strength (T.O.S.) on 14 May 1919, and discharged there by reason of demobilization on 25 May 1919.
His medal card indicates that he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal; his service in France dated from 14 September 1915. (It is not clear to me why there was no indication of his receiving the 1914-1915 Star; he should have qualified for it, since he was in the Field prior to 31 December 1915. Perhaps there is one among those now held by the Allaways). The medals were despatched to him on 8 June and 19 September 1921. Two addresses are shown on the card, with the first being crossed out and replaced by the second. 1. Care of W. Hanson, 44 King St E., Toronto; 2. 175 Bain Ave., Toronto.
The Discharge Certificate shows that Pte Charles Audley Jeffs, # 56133, enlisted in the 19th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF at Toronto on 14 March 1915, and served in the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps in France. He was discharged by reason of demobilization on 25 May 1919 in Montreal, Military District #4. He was then age 29, 5’9”, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. A notation in the upper right hand corner indicates that he was awarded a War Service Badge, Class A.
Pte. Jeffs’ service appears to have been with various units within the 2nd Division throughout the War. The following website lists the units of the 2nd Division, its movements and Battle Honours.
http://www.1914-1918.net/
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If he did indeed arrive in Canada in 1910, he may be the individual shown as Charles Jeffs, bank clerk, born in England, whose name appears in the 1911 census returns of St Laurent, Montreal, at 190 Elgin Street. Unfortunately, no age or year of immigration is shown (ancestry.ca).
