The Moorecroft Boys - A Family's Sacrifice

Last Remembrance Day I wrote about my grandfather-in-law Frederick Alexander Moorecroft and his service in World War One. You can read about his story here. He wasn't the only member of the Moorecroft family to serve and this year I'd like to share the stories of three of his brothers.

Arthur Davis Moorecroft came to Canada from Ireland as a child in 1873. By 1886 he had married Agnes White, a Markham girl and began raising their family of 8 children. In the 1911 census we find them living at 60 Galt Avenue in the Gerrard and Jones area of Toronto. 

This house would be the family home for many years. According to the census eldest daughter Ethel had married and left the home. Second daughter Alma had died at less than a year old in 1889. Remaining at home were the five Moorecroft boys: Arthur Albert born in 1889, Robert Herman born in 1891, Frederick Alexander born in 1893, Percy Lorenzo born in 1895 and Albert Shedden born in 1902. Last but not least was the youngest daughter Madeleine (who would die at the age of 7 in 1915).

Life for the Moorecroft would change with the start of World War One. Within 8 months the four eldest Moorecroft sons had joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force:

Fred enlisted August 13^th1915 at the age of 22

Percy enlisted August 14^th1915 at the age of 18

Herman enlisted October 7^th1915 at the age of 23

Arthur enlisted April 8^th1916 at the age of 26.

All promptly shipped out to France.


PERCY LORENZO MOORECROFT 1895-1924

Percy enlisted in the 15^th Battalion, 1^st Canadian Division. His unit sailed on May 20^th 1916, the same day as his brother Fred – I wonder if the brothers spent any time together on the ship. Percy was in and out of hospital during his tour of duty. He is treated in France in 1918 for Disordered Action of the Heart (DAH) a condition brought on by stress or fatigue, Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (PUO) or Trench Fever and Bronchitis.

Percy sailed for home on the Empress Britain and arrived in Halifax February 25th 1919. He was discharged as Medically Unfit on March 25th 1919. His medical file stated that he would not be able to return to his pre-war job as a plumber. According to the 1920 and 1921 Toronto City Directory he is living again at 60 Galt Street and working as an electrician. But by the time the 1922 Directory he is no longer living at home. Percy has taken up residence in the Mountain Sanatorium in Hamilton. The hospital was opened in 1906 to care for patients suffering from tuberculosis, a highly contagious disease. Patients came from all across Canada to be provided with bed rest, fresh air and good food. Here is a picture of the Sanatorium that I took before it was torn down in 2014.

Some patients stayed for many years but Percy's stay was brief as his Casualty Record outlines. He died on April 12th 1924

Percy's lung disease was deemed to be caused by his war service. The family declined the official military tombstone. Despite the note on the record the family never did erect a tombstone at St John's

ROBERT HERMAN MOORECROFT 1891-1975

Herman enlisted in the 18th Battalion Canadian Infantry.

This patriotic event was noted in the Toronto Star on October 9th 1915. He sailed for England on March 29th 1916 on the S.S. Olympic and headed to France on September 27th 2016.



Earlier Herman had spent 3 years in the 2nd Canadian Engineers so he was transferred to the Canadian Mounted Rifles as a Sapper. A sapper performed military engineering duties such as bridge building, laying minefields and working on road repairs, dangerous work indeed.





Herman experienced health issues as well during his tour of duty in France. He was in and out of hospital for pleurisy (inflammation of the lungs and chest which causes pain while breathing) and was tested for tuberculosis. Unlike his brother Percy, Herman did not contract TB. The chest pain appears to have been caused by a wall falling on him, likely as he performed his sapper duties. He also was treated for digestive issues (no doubt due to stress) and rheumatism (likely from the dampness in the trenches).

Herman sailed for Halifax on November 10th 2018 on the Neuralia. He was admitted to the Brant Military Hospital in Burlington to be treated for debility resulting from the pleurisy and was discharged on December 20th 1918 with a clean bill of health.

Herman returned to civilian life and his home at 60 Galt Street. The 1921 City Directory lists his employment as a fireman. I found this awesome picture of Herman in the October 10th 1921 Toronto Star.

Herman moved around a bit in the 1920s and applied for naturalization in the US in 1926 but by the mid 1930s he returned to Toronto. Another gem from the Toronto Star, February 22nd 1937.



Herman never married. It appears he looked after his parents in their old age then remained in the Galt Street home until he died in  1975. He is buried beside his brother Percy in St. John's Norway

ARTHUR ALBERT MOORECROFT 1889-1918

Arthur enlisted in the 3^rd Canadian Battalion on April 5th 1916. At the time of enlistment he was single but that changed before he left Canada on March 26^th 1917 - on January 4th 1917 he married his sweetheart Ada Fraser. Here is Arthur in his uniform:

Arthur arrived in France on April 8^th 1917. There is nothing remarkable in his service file until a skirmish on September 27th 1918 when he sustained a gunshot wound to the head. He died the next day.

Arthur was buried in France and his young widow was notified of the death. It was noted in the Toronto Star on October 11th 2018.

Ada received a Special Pension Bonus of $80 for the loss of her husband. Albert is remembered in the Book of Remembrance housed in the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.

The Moorecroft family's experiences were no different than that of any other Canadian family during World War One. Two sons dead from war related injuries, one permanently disabled from his war wounds and one seemingly untouched but no doubt mentally scarred by his experiences. 

I'll close with these two clippings from the Toronto Star in 1917. The Morse Street and Leslie Street Schools remember the Moorecroft boys and so do we on Remembrance Day 100 years later.

A Soldier of the First World War

Frederick Alexander Moorecroft was born on the 10th of August 1893 in Buttonville, Markham Township. He was the fifth child and third son born to Arthur Davis Moorecroft and Agnes Jane White. Shortly after his birth the family moved into the east end of Toronto settling at 60 Galt Avenue near Jones and Gerrard. The family were to remain at this address for most of the next century. Here is what 60 Galt Avenue looks like today.

From the writer's personal collection

In 1911 the family was listed in the census. Fred was 17 years old and working as an electrician:

1911 Census of Canada, Library and Archives Canada

Everything would change with the start of the First World War. Within 8 months the four eldest Moorecroft boys would enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Fred was the first to enlist, on August 13th 1915. His brothers would quickly follow. 

On his attestation papers Fred listed his trade or calling as Engineer. He had been employed at the Lancashire Dynamo & Motor Company at the time of his enlistment.

Canadian Machinery, Vol. VIII, Feb 1912, vintagemachinery.org

It was a source of pride to have enlisted men in your family or having attended your schools:

Toronto Star April 12th 1917

Toronto Star May 18th 1917

From Fred's military file I was able to track his experiences. He was assigned to the 92nd Overseas Battalion and sailed for Europe on May 20th 2016 on the Empress of Britain. In July 1916 he was transferred to the 15th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. He was part of the legendary 48th Highlanders. On July 31st 1916 he sailed for France on active duty. Unfortunately he was wounded twice in action. This card from his file tells the story:

Library and Archives Canada, Soldiers of the First World War

On 27 Sept 1916 he was admitted to hospital with a shrapnel wound to the right elbow. He was treated and returned to his unit on 24 Oct 1916 despite the fact that he was left with weakness and limitation of movement in the right arm.

The following year Fred was seriously injured. On February 26th 1917 at Vimy Ridge he was hit by shrapnel. This caused a severe compound fracture to his right knee and calf, as well as his right hand. He also sustained a gunshot wound to his left knee and  flesh wounds of his right arm. In the field his right leg was amputated above the knee.

The description of the original treatment was horrific – no attempt was made to suture the amputation and the femur was exposed. By the time Fred was transferred to England all his wounds had become septic. His leg had to be re-amputated. The injury to his hand was also severe.  Three fingers were lost and his index finger was deformed with limited mobility.

News of the injury was reached Canada:

Toronto Star, March 3rd 1917

Fred spent most of 1917 in hospital. He underwent five surgeries and experienced excruciating pain from the amputation. On December 29th 1917 he was finally well enough to head for home. He sailed on the JS Araguaya and landed in Halifax on January 10th 1918. His return was noted in the local news:

Toronto Star January 22nd 1918

1918 was filled with more treatment for his injuries. Fred was treated as an outpatient at Davisville Medical Hospital which was located at the corner of Davisville and Yonge Streets. This painting by Francis Stanley Turner captured the situation well. Fred could have been the soldier in the wheelchair.

From the collection of the Canadian War Museum

Fred complained of nervousness and insomnia since returning to Canada. He had been supplied with a government prosthetic leg with which he was not satisfied. Though he was treated as an outpatient he still was required to check in with the authorities. Between June and November 1918 he had several periods where he was noted as AWL (away without leave) and having deserted. When he was finally discharged as medically unfit on December 9th 1918 he was docked 59 days pay for being AWL. I like to think he had met his wife to be and just wanted to be left alone but we will never know why he didn't check in when required. Despite his unauthorized absences his conduct and character at the time of discharge were noted as good. 

Fred married Adeline Nichols on January 4th 1921. They had one son, Frederick Albert Moorecroft. Fred Sr. did not return to his former employment as an engineer. Voter lists note he was employed as a bookkeeper. No doubt he continued to experience problems from his war injuries - in 1935 he is listed as a resident at the Christie Street Military Hospital. He died on March 23rd 1956 and is buried in Pine Hills Cemetery in Scarborough.

From the writer's collection

Frederick Alexander Moorecroft was my spouse's grandfather. I wish I could have met him.