Pte. Eugene Whitman Crowell

219th Overseas Highland Battalion

Nova Scotia

1916

This studio portrait postcard photo of Eugene Crowell was taken before the 219^th Battalion went overseas. Eugene wears the standard Canadian Army uniform, including the 1913 Canadian pattern seven button service dress jacket. Only his balmoral with distinctive full feathers and cap badge, and his collar badges, indicate his service in one of the battalions of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. Note the swagger stick he is holding.

Short Biography

Eugene Whitman Crowell was born in Port La Tour, Shelburne County, NS, on April 6, 1895, the son of Letitia Perry (formerly Crowell) and Enos Crowell. He had no prior military experience before enlisting in the 219^th Battalion’s detachment in nearby Clark’s Harbour, on April 3, 1916. He was given the rank of private and assigned the service number 283392. His attestation paper lists Cape Negro Island, Shelburne County as his present address, his occupation as fisherman, and his next of kin as his mother. His father was deceased.

In the spring of 1916, Eugene’s detachment joined with the other detachments of the 219^th Battalion in Aldershot, NS, where training began in earnest with the other battalions of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. He went overseas to England with his unit on the RMS Olympic in October. In January, 1917, following the disbandment of the 219^th Battalion, Eugene was transferred to the 17^th Reserve Battalion before being assigned to the 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) a few months later in April. He joined his new unit in France.

On June 12, 1917, The 85^th Battalion relieved another battalion on a section of the front in France known as “The Triangle” or “Electric Light Station”, in front of Angres. Eugene was killed in action the following day, on June 13, 1917. The Germans had unsuccessfully attacked the 85^th Battalion during the relief operations and subsequently pounded the Canadian positions with both high explosive and gas shells, wounding and killing many men.

Eugene was laid to rest in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France. He was 22 years old.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  16-1 (5-3.3)
Image Information:  Scan of original photo postcard
Source:  Walter Millen Collection, Great Village, NS