Theme: Storm
Updated: 1 May 2018 - another photo added at the bottom.
Updated: 1 May 2018 - another photo added at the bottom.
I am very excited to share with you a newly found photo of Terry’s paternal grandfather Harry Eustace BOORMAN, thanks to a recent email from an informative military enthusiast and volunteer with The 15th Field Artillery Regiment RCA Museum and Archives in Vancouver - thank you Stu McDonald! This photo shows two men on horseback in military uniform - the officer on the right is Harry - and was found on the City of Vancouver Archives site. It was taken during the First World War, a time of horrific loss, turbulence and destruction overseas, so I think it fits right in with the “storm” theme this week. Wars are the biggest man-made storms I can think of.
“W.S. Holland and Major Boorman on 'Credential' at Little Mountain”, ca 1916/17 (WWI uniforms), Vancouver, BC, Canada
http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/w-s-holland-and-major-boorman-on-credential-at-little-mountain
According to John D. Redmond, Assistant Curator with the 15th who joined our conversation: “The date given, '1911' is incorrect, as the uniforms are WWI. Officers in 1911 did not wear open collar tunics, and ORs tunics had seven smaller buttons, and were of a different cut. Also, of course, there was no artillery unit here [in Vancouver] in 1911.”
So this photo was more likely taken in 1916, the year Harry enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). Or perhaps in 1917, which could more easily have been read as 1911 during indexing. The location of “Little Mountain” is now in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park near Cambie at 33rd in Vancouver. Perhaps they used this area for their training? And the magnificent horse that Harry is mounted on was named ‘Credential’, a very fitting reference to Harry’s civilian occupation of Financial Agent.
So this photo was more likely taken in 1916, the year Harry enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). Or perhaps in 1917, which could more easily have been read as 1911 during indexing. The location of “Little Mountain” is now in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park near Cambie at 33rd in Vancouver. Perhaps they used this area for their training? And the magnificent horse that Harry is mounted on was named ‘Credential’, a very fitting reference to Harry’s civilian occupation of Financial Agent.
Portrait ofHarry Eustace Boorman
Looking more closely at Harry BOORMAN's WWI military file on the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) site, Harry declares (on 4 May 1916) that he served with the 72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada in Vancouver, and formerly 6 years with the 5th Regiment Canadian Artillery (RCA) in Victoria BC. Both of these militia units became volunteer reserves during the Great War. For the war effort, Harry signed up on 22 Mar 1916 as a Captain, and was assigned to the 68th Depot Battery as their commanding officer (Acting Major). This would explain the reference to “Major Boorman” in the photo title (see above caption).
A news article posted in the Vancouver Daily World on 25 Mar 1916, page 23, gives more details about Harry’s appointment to the 68th Battery:
A news article posted in the Vancouver Daily World on 25 Mar 1916, page 23, gives more details about Harry’s appointment to the 68th Battery:
VANCOUVER OFFICER TO COMMAND BATTALION
Captain. H. E. Boorman, It is Announced Will Head 68th Unit.
What will be known as the 68th Battery of Artillery has been authorized as the contribution of Vancouver district to the brigade which will be raised in the west under Col. A. T. Ogilvie, formerly officer commanding Military District No. 11. Capt. H. E. Boorman (local major), it is understood, will be placed in command of the battery, the organization of which will be proceeded with immediately.
Captain Boorman, Colonel Ogilvie and other military officers were in conference this morning at military headquarters. There are some 150 men now in training at artillery barracks. This detachment, it was intended, should form the third overseas draft, but it may now be diverted to form the nucleus for the new battery.
Training will be conducted under nearly active service conditions as is possible.
Other officers of the 68th brigade will be drawn from the officers of the Vancouver Volunteer Reserve. Mr. A. H. Stewart, formerly of the London Scottish and the Hongkong Rifles, will probably be second in command, while Mr. J. M. Stewart will also be transferred to the battery.
Provisional Lieutenants Macdonald, Borland, Wilde and Cooke will be taken on the strength of the new unit also.
The 68th battery, it was announced, will have permanent headquarters in Vancouver, and overseas drafts will be supplied through it.
From the LAC “Guide to Sources Relating to Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force - Artillery” (on page 111):
68th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery
Organized in March 1916 as a draft-giving depot battery under the command of Captain H. Boorman. Known as Boorman’s Artillery. Authorization published in General Order 69 of 15 July 1916. Mobilized at Vancouver. Recruited in British Columbia. Absorbed by No.11 Artillery Depot in October 1918. Disbanded by General Order 191 of 1 November 1920.
Archival references:
Appointment of officers RG 24, vol.1372, file HQ 593-6-1-ART
Inspection reports, clothing and equipment RG 24, vol.1683
Harry remained in Canada for the duration of the war, leading the recruitment of infantry soldiers as directed by Ottawa. He was very successful in his appointed task, as many soldiers signed up with the 68th through a series of at least 20 different drafts. Recruits were then trained and assigned as replacements to other existing units overseas.
The City of Vancouver Archives has portraits of a number of these uniformed draft groups, sometimes including officers. Harry probably delegated the honour of posing with these recruits to some of his officers. But I think I've found Harry in a 1917 group portrait of the 68th unit, complete with dog mascot. It looks like Harry, wearing a very serious expression, sitting front row centre:
The City of Vancouver Archives has portraits of a number of these uniformed draft groups, sometimes including officers. Harry probably delegated the honour of posing with these recruits to some of his officers. But I think I've found Harry in a 1917 group portrait of the 68th unit, complete with dog mascot. It looks like Harry, wearing a very serious expression, sitting front row centre:
68th Battery C.F.A. - May 21, 1917 - Photo 33B by Stuart Thomson
http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/68th-battery-c-f-may-21-1917
I have to include a final photo of the 68th, showing them on parade through downtown Vancouver. No doubt this was a promotional tactic to try and gain more recruits, and it was probably a fairly long route based on the number of parade photos in the archives. Could the Captain riding alone behind the buglers be Harry? I don't think it's the same horse; 'Credential' did not have a large white blaze on his face, or at least it wasn't apparent in the top photo. In the following parade photo, I was also interested in seeing the surroundings: buildings, streetcars and onlookers in Vancouver, as Harry would have known them.
CVA 99-469 - 68th C.F.A. parade [along the 100 Block of East Hastings Street]
http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/68th-c-f-parade-along-100-block-of-east-hastings-street
These photos represent a part of Harry's life that we knew very little about, and we still hope to learn even more. In 1916 when he enlisted, Harry would have been age 35, already married with three children, and a fourth before war's end. Referred to as Captain H.E. Boorman on his last CEF pay certificate, Harry was demobilized on 31 Jan 1919, when he returned to civilian life and his residence at 1678 Davie Street in Vancouver.
There were to be more storms ahead in Harry's life, but he weathered these war years, respected and in a position of authority in service to his country.
| Added 1 May 2018: Another impressive photo has now been uncovered, thanks to Leon Jensen, webmaster of the Vancouver Gunners website (including the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA among other organizations). He found this large group photo (see below) of the 68th Battery CFA in the collection of 15th Field Artillery Reg't Museum & Archives (accession #985.115.01). And this time the photographer, Stuart Thomson, has penned in Capt. Boorman's name! It is dated 22 May 1918, in the final year of the Great War. Harry is quite recognizable in this photo, and apparently more relaxed and comfortable in his position as Commanding Officer of this large WWI Battery. As we have not yet found a single formal military studio portrait of Harry, I have cropped him out of this group photo for his personal file, and to complement this large photo, displayed here with permission from the 15th Field RCA Museum and Archives. |  Acting Major H E Boorman, OC, 68th Battery, Vancouver BC, 1918 |
68th Battery C.F.A. - Vancouver, B.C. May 22nd 1918 - Capt. H.E. Boorman O.C.
Displayed with permission of the 15 Field Regiment, RCA, Museum and Archives; collection accession #985.115.01
http://www.vancouvergunners.ca/whats-new/group-photo-update8357418
An overview of Terry's paternal BOORMAN line can be found on our Boorman page.
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