Capt. Paulin Dies in England

Tuesday forenoon a cable informed Mrs. A. H. Paulin that her husband, one of the best known and most popular officers of the 133rd Battalion, was seriously 
ill of appendicitis.

A second cable, three or four hours later, from Lieut. 
W. R. Gibson, to Col. H. B. Donly, placed on the later the melancholy duty of conveying to Mrs. Paulin the
sad news that her husband had succumbed to the operation that had been undertaken. In the performance of this duty he had the help of 
Mrs. L. F. Aiken.

Captain Paulin suffered from an attack of appendicitis shortly before the battalion went across. He was advised to have an operation, but declined, saying: "If I do I'll not get to the front."

It is needless to add that the news has been received on all sides with expressions of most poignant regret.

Captain Paulin went overseas as second in command of "A" Company of the 133rd Battalion, but had, since getting across, already won promotion and was, at the time of his illness, O.C. of "D" Company, 3rd Reserve Battalion at West Sandling. Captain Mason was his second in command, and he had over two hundred former 133rd  rank and file in his company.

A long and newsy letter came from him to the writer only on Monday.

Arthur Hilton Paulin was born in Owen Sound, and was in his 37th year. He had been a resident of Simcoe about 23 years. He was engaged in the plumbing and hardware trade here, for a long time with his brother-in-law, Mr. John Rutherford, as his partner.

Besides his widow, who was born Miss Minnie Osborne, daughter of Mr. Robert Osborne, one of Simcoe's oldest residents, he is survived by one son, Arthur, a fine youth in his early teens.

Instructions have been cabled to Sandling asking the military authorities there to dispatch the body to Canada at the first opportunity.

THE LATE ARTHUR HILTON PAULIN
A Tribute to a Beloved Comrade
by the Chaplain, Capt. H. C. Newcombe
on Behalf of the Officers and Men of the 133rd Battalion

Captain Arthur Hilton Paulin of the 133rd 
(Norfolk's Own) Overseas Battalion, C.E.F., gave up his life for his country at Helena Hospital, Shoracliffe, England, on Tuesday, morning, March 13, 1917. Though he fell not upon the field of battle, he died as a hero dies. The hour of dissolution had for him no terrors.

At duty's call he had placed himself without reservation at his country's service, knowing full well as he did so that the cost to himself might be the supremest sacrifice a man can make. In the recruiting and organization of the 133rd Battalion, he spared himself no effort. Among his fellow officers he was recognized at once as one of the finest and most capable, a recognition accorded him to the end.

At the time of his decease he held the responsible position of commanding officer of D Company of the 3rd Reserve Battalion, C.E.F., stationed at West Sandling, Kent, Eng. 

Here his duties were so ably and faithfully performed and his genius for leadership so splendidly demonstrated that his early promotion was quickly assured. 

His soldierly qualities and rigid yet kindly discipline won for him the respect and openly expressed admiration and loyalty of the men under his command. 

His was a manly spirit, generous at all times, and gentlemanly under all circumstances. He was ever anxious and and careful concerning the comfort and welfare of his men, none ever appealed to him for a favor in vain. His thought for self was lost sight of in his thought for others.

Little wonder that we loved him. He moved as a prince among us. His very presence appealed to the soldierly instrincts of all. He was our friend, true and trusted and trusting. An ideal soldier himself, with a devotion to country and to duty unexcelled by any, he ever looked for his ideal to be exemplified on the part of all his comrades-in-arms.

His death came to us as a shock. It was something unlooked for, and for which we were unprepared; but in this it was possibly more so with us than with himself. 
We did not realize it at the time, but as we look back there comes to us the memory of quiet and pensive days, days when his thoughts seemed preoccupied, and although no complaint passed his lips, a growing consciousness of what the future might have in store may have been making its impression upon him.

Today, with heads bowed beneath a keen sense of our loss, we mingle our tears of heartfelt sympathy with his sorrowing wife and dear laddie. Neither are we forgetful of his aging parents and other kindred near and dear to him.

For them all we pray the consolation of Divine grace to comfort them in their heart-breaking sorrow and to sustain them in the lonely hours of their grief, may the loving touch of the Great Physician heal the wound of their sore-stricken hearts.

To our departed comrade we say: Fairwell farewell, till 
we salute thee on the morn when the bugle sounds the 
last "Fall In."

West Sandling, Kent, Eng.
March 16th, 1917

---

Two Stages of a Long Journey
The Funeral of Capt. A. H. Paulin

West Sandling, 21 Mar 1917
From: Capt. M. C. Newcombe,
            Chaplin, 133rd O.S. Battalion
To: Lieut.-Col. H. B. Donly, Simcoe, Ontario

Dear Colonel Donly -- I am writing you a few lines today, with the thought that perhaps you may be interested in our last leavetaking of the remains of our friend, the late Captain A. H. Paulin.

We assembled at 9:30 a.m. today to convey the body of Captain Paulin to its point of embarkation, the railway station at Sandgate. The scene was an impressive one. In addition to his brother officers of the 133rd Battalion, and others from the 3rd Reserve Battalion, there was also present a guard of about one hundred men, composed chiefly of those remaining of the 133rd. Many of these had served in Captain Paulin's own company. 

The body was borne from the Mortuary upon the shoulders of eight Captains, and placed upon the gun carriage awaiting it. There it was draped with the Union Jack. The guard, with arms reversed, moved off at slow march. The band, with muffled drums, immediately preceded the gun carriage, which was drawn by four black chargers with grooms mounted. Beside the carriage, on either side, marched the bearers, and immediately behind the remaining officers marched, with order of seniority reversed. Colonel Buell of the 3rd Reserve Battalion and Colonel Pratt of the 133rd marching in the rear.

In this order the cortege made its way down the winding road, to the roll of the drum and to the solemn strains of the Dead March, until the foot of the hill was reached.

On arrival at the station the train was already waiting and the body was borne to the railway carriage to begin its journey across the sea to Simcoe, Ont. As the train pulled out the guard stood at attention and the officers at Salute, the last tribute we could pay to the mortal remains of him whom we mourned as comrade, brother, friend.

As the body goes by express it was unaccompanied by escort. This was deemed unnecessary by the military authorities. May the comforting presence of the Heavenly Father be with the sorrowing one on his arrival, and may strength be given to sustain them in the trying days to follow.

Most sincerely,
H. C. Newcombe, Capt.,
Chaplain, 133rd O.S. Bn.

Captain Paulin's body arrived in Simcoe on the G.T.R. Toronto train a little before noon on Friday, April 13th, twenty-two days after leaving Sandgate, England, and precisely one month from the date of his death.

No notification had come to Simcoe of the probable arrival of the body and no one was at the depot to receive it. It was, however, quickly transferred to the undertaking establishment of Mr. Coates, where it remained until Saturday night, hundreds of people visiting the place to get a last view of a gallant soldier, very greatly esteemed by all, whose tragic and unexpected death had touched deeply the hearts of our people.

The funeral to the family plot in Oakwood Cemetery took place at 3 o'clock Monday, and called together the greatest number of people ever seen at such an occasion in Norfolk.

Motor cars, filled with men anxious to pay a last tribute of respect to the dead soldier, came from almost all parts of Norfolk; for in his work of recruiting for the guard, Captain Paulin had worked in many neighborhoods and everywhere he had made genuine and lasting friendships.

The town itself put aside everything that it might to honor one it admired. It was no perfunctory pulling of blinds. The stores closed. And practically every industrial establishment shut down for the half day.

The funeral cortege itself was a long one. It passed from the deceased's home in the North Ward to the cemetery, a distance of a mile or more, along streets lined with hushed women and head-bared men. At the cemetery itself the crowd numbered thousands.

At the house, there was a religious service conducted by Rev. A. B. Farney of Trinity Church. This was followed by a Masonic service in charge of W. Bro. H. A. Johnson, Master of Norfolk Lodge, of which Captain Paulin was a Past Master. R.Wor.Bro. James M. Waddle of Port Dover assisted.

As the cortege moved off to the cemetery, it was headed by a firing party from the 215th Battilion, which arrived by the 2:40 radial. This party was under the command of Captain Gundry. Several other officers accompanied it. Next came the band of the 215th Battalion; followed by the Masons to the number of about 100. On either side of the hearse walked the pall-bearers: 
Major G. A. Curtis, Captain Stewart Buck, 
Major W. G. Jackson, Capt. A. I. Slater, Major D. Burch, Lieut. Blaney, Lt.-Col. L. F. Aiken, Li.-Col. H. B. Donly. Following the hearse was a long line of carriages and motors containing relatives and friends.

The proceedings at the grave-side were most impressive. Mr. Farney read effectively the beautiful burial service as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. The Masons finished the reading of the service of their ritual, deposited their evergreen tokens on the casket still resting on the supports and covered with the Union Jack, and joined in the grand Honors of the Order. Then, as the casket was lowered, there rang out in perfect unison the three farewell volleys to a soldier; the pall-bearers stood at attention while the buglers sounded the Last Post, and all the respect and tribute that his home community could pay to 
Captain Arthur Hilton Paulin had been accomplished.

Friends from a distance attending the funeral were
Mrs. J. McGrattan and Mrs. J. Wallace of Midland;
Mr. George Paulin of Wroxeter;
Dr. Hess of Brantford;
Mrs. J. Powell and Harry Powell of Woodstock;
Mr. James Paulin of Pt. Perry; 
Mrs. W. Green of Wiarton.

The floral offerings were particularly beautiful, possibly the finest ever seen in Simcoe. They included:
Lure, from Col. Buell and the officers of the 3rd Reserve Battalion, Sandling;
Broken Circle, from Col. Pratt and officers of the 133rd Battalion;
Broken Wheel, from Col. Townsend and the officers of the 30th Regiment;
Harp, from the N.C.O.'s and men of the 133rd Battalion;
Sheaf, from the Masonic Order, Simcoe;
white lillies from Simcoe Oddfellows;
double spray from the 133rd Band;
spray from Leader's Class, Baptist Sunday School;
spray from the Ladies' Aid of the Presbyterian Church;
pillow from Mrs. Paulin;
pillow from the choir of St. Paul's Church;
wreath from the Returned Soldiers of Simcoe;
wreath from Sir John Graves Simcoe Chapter, I.O.D. E.;
spray and wreath from father, mother, sisters and brothers of the deceased;
sprays: Master Arthur Palin, Mr. Robert Osborne,
Major & Mrs. W. G. Jackson, Colonel & Mrs. Donly,
Dr. Hess & Miss Holden, Mrs. & the Misses McCool,
Mrs. Gibsons, Mr. & Mrs. Falls, Mr. & Mrs. Force, 
Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre, Mr. Wm. Barlow.