Capt. Edwin
L. Berkinshaw
Capt. Berkinshaw was
killed in action on 3 Jun 1916 at Ypres sallent. He was 22 years
of age.
His parents are Mr. &
Mrs. W. H. Berkinshaw of Calgary. His maternal grandfather was the
late Mr. Levi Beemer of Hamilton, a brother of Squire John Beemer
of Colborne, and a native of that village. His mother and sister
were here when the sad news of his death was received. They were
visiting Mrs. Charles H. Collver, Mrs. Berkinshaw's sister.
Capt. Berkinshaw began his
connection with military matters early in life. At 15 he was cadet
captain at the Western Canada College. The following year he was a
lieutenant in the Canadian Signalling Corps.
In 1914 he passed with
honors his examinations for captain and field officer at Winnipeg.
He was at that time serving as lieutenant of the Signal Corps of
the 15th Light Horse, Calgary, from which the 12th Overseas
Mounted Rifles was mostly made up.
Since going to England,
Captain Berkinshaw qualified at Aldershott both as musketry and
machine gun instructor.
He gave up the post of
adjutant of the Lord Strathcona Horse Reserve and dropped his rank
to captain to go to the front as a lieutenant of the 128th C.M.R.
on 13 Apr last. He was keen to be among those actually in the
fighting line. His time there was short, only six weeks.
