Busted

Did CP write to both wives? No one will ever know. Why was he able to become a Corporal on enlistment and then a Sergeant-Major?

"The Canadian soldiers had quite a reputation in England. They were the best paid of all the British Empire soldiers and were known as a fairly undisciplined group, yet managed to avoid most serious trouble. Their unruly behavior was somewhat forgiven because of the reputation they earned as an outstanding group of fighting men on the battle field."  

Rouen, France WWI Memorial

That was probably a good description of old gramps - he had a knack for trouble. He was demoted to a private and was sent to Rouen, France for eight months in February of 1918. He trained at Machine Gun School in Rouen and served with the Canadian Engineers and in the 60th Company of the Canadian Forestry Corp (CFC).


The CFC was created because of the need for wood for duckboards, shoring timbers, crates, anything that needed wood.


So there he was in France cutting wood.