Campbell River Genealogy Society
~ LOST FAMILIES FOUND ~
JOSEPH FREDDIE GODIN
Service Personnel Information 1914–1918
| Attestation Paper | |
| Service/Regimental Number: | 703128 |
| Present Address: | Campbell River, B.C. |
| Birthplace: | Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada |
| Date of Birth: | 23 October 1882 |
| Next of Kin: | Mrs. W Shiels (Sister) |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Trade or Calling: | Logger |
| Previous Service in a Military Force: | No |
| Date of Enlistment: | 18 December 1915 |
| City and Province of Enlistment: | Campbell River, B.C. |
| Digitized Personnel Record: | Library and Archives Record Link |
Military Service Record 1914–1918
| Force: | Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force |
| Division (battalion or company): | 102nd (Comox-Atlin) Battalion, CEF |
| Unit: | 102nd Bn |
| Rank: | Private |
| Honours and Awards: | |
| Photograph: | Not currently available |
| Date of Death: | 30 November 1916 |
| Age (at death): | 34 |
| Country of Burial: | France |
| Cemetery: | ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION (ROUEN) Seine-Maritime, France |
| Grave Reference: | O. II. I. 2. |
| Location: | The St. Sever Cemetery and Extension (Rouen) is situated about 3 kilometres south of Rouen Cathedral and a short distance west of the road from Rouen to Elbeuf. |
| Book of Remembrance: | JOSEPH GODIN’S name can be found on page 92 of the 1916 First World War Book of Remembrance |
His Story
Joseph Frederick (Freddie) Godin (Joseph F. Godin) was born 23 October 1882 in Trois-Rivières (or possibly Michigan) – the
oldest child of Joseph Luke Godin and Marie Antoinette Bercier (m. 1880). Fred was not found in any censuses other than C1901
when he was in Marquette, MB with his parents and five siblings, Mary Louise (b. 1885), Emma (b. 1886), Eugene (b. 1888),
Arthur (b. 1892) and Albert (b. 1898).
He attested in Campbell River on 18 Dec 1915. He was a logger. His sister Mary Louise Shiel of Minitonas, MB was listed as his
Next of Kin. He was with the 102nd Battalion (Comox-Atlin). Five others of our Cenotaph men were also in this battalion. He went overseas on the Empress of Britain in June 1916. The battalion was in France by August. He was dead about three months later – on November 28, 1916. According to the War Diary, there were quite a few deaths and injuries during this month – although none on the 28th. He was most probably injured earlier, and died in a hospital in the Rouen area. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension (Rouen)(O. II. I. 2.).
Accompanying Information: The family lived in both Quebec and Michigan. By C1910 Joseph and Marie had moved to Illinois
where they died in 1932 and 1944. Fred’s brother Eugene and his family lived in Minitonas; Arthur and his family in Wisconsin.
His sister, Mary Louise, married William Grant Shiel and raised her family in Minitonas. One of their sons – Frederick Godin Shiel (named for Freddie) – served in WWII, and was killed by sniper fire in Italy in 1944.