Pte. Eugene Hasting Page

219th Overseas Highland Battalion

Aldershot, NS

1916

Pte. Page stands outside at attention with his rifle. He wears a balmoral with full length feathers and cap badge, standard headgear for the 219^th Battalion. The remainder of his uniform is standard non-highland army issue, including the seven button tunic. Note the pine trees behind him. The camp at Aldershot was often remembered for its sand and pines trees.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  18-5 (38-1.2)
Image Information:  Scan of original photo postcard
Source:  Terry McCully Collection 2024

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Short Biography and Record of Service

Eugene Hasting Page
Service Number 282511

Eugene Hasting Page was born in Osborne, Shelburne County, NS, on May 2, 1897, the son of Joseph Henry and Emma Sophia Page.  He was living in nearby Lockeport , working as a bank clerk, when he enlisted in the 219^th Overseas Highland Battalion during their recruitment drive. His rank was private. On March 9, 1916, he joined their Lockeport Detachment. Eugene had no militia experience but had served three years in the cadets. He was 18 years old at the time of his enlistment.

In the spring of 1916, Eugene’s detachment relocated to the large training camp at Aldershot, NS, where the various detachments of the 219^th Battalion united for the first time as a unit. The battalion became a part of the newly formed Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. Training began in earnest alongside the three sister battalions of the brigade. Eugene was with the 219^th Battalion when the whole brigade sailed from Halifax for England on the troopship RMS Olympic in October, 1916. A few months later, in January, 1917, following the disbandment of the 219^th Battalion in England, Eugene was transferred to the 17^th Reserve Battalion before being assigned to the 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) who were at the front. On April 22, 1917, the same day he joined the 85^th Battalion in France, he was hospitalized with quinsy, a complication of tonsillitis. It was near the end of May before Eugene rejoined his new unit.

On October 29, 1917, Eugene was wounded during the heavy fighting at Passchendaele. He received a shrapnel wound to a finger on his left hand. It was almost two weeks before he was able to rejoin the battalion. In early April, 1918, Eugene fell ill with tonsillitis for the second time, and was again hospitalized in France. On May 13, 1918, after being discharged from the hospital, Eugene was transferred to the Canadian Corps Survey Section, a new unit that had just organized in France. It was a small, specialized unit, and had a strength of less than 200 officers and men. Its duties were mainly flash spotting and the accurate setting of artillery battery positions. Upon transfer to his new unit, Eugene was promoted to the rank of corporal. He remained with this unit until the end of the war. He was awarded a Military Medal for bravery for actions during this period. Eugene returned home via England, and was discharged from the army soon after his arrival in Canada, in April, 1919. His rank upon discharge was acting sergeant.

After the war, Eugene returned to work with the Royal Bank of Canada. He married Gwendolyn Edith Marr and the couple raised a family together. In the early days of his banking career, Eugene had the opportunity to travel the world. He worked a number of years at bank branches in the British West Indies and in South America before settling back in Nova Scotia. He worked in the bank’s main office in Halifax and later took branch manager positions in various locations in the Maritime Provinces including Westville, Pictou, Bridgewater, Moncton and finally Halifax again. After a very successful banking career, he retired in 1957.

Throughout his life, Eugene was actively involved in numerous community projects and organizations. He became an honorary member of the Navy League of Canada after organizing and training the Nelson Sea Cadets in Bridgewater during the Second World War.

Sadly, on March 2, 1958, at the relatively young age of 60, and after less than a year of retirement, Eugene passed away after a brief illness. He was laid to rest in Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax. His wife Gwendolyn passed away on October 8, 1984, and was laid to rest next to her husband.

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