| Born |
December 11, 1895
|
| Died |
November 10, 1917, Age 21
|
| Force |
Army
|
| Division |
6th Bde., Canadian Field Artillery
|
| Home Address |
65 Walmer Road
[Map]
|
Francis Morton was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and attended Bridgewater Public School, the Model School, and Oakwood High School before entering UTS in 1910. He graduated in 1913 and went on to University College, where he was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity. In 1915, he enlisted as a gunner with the first University unit, the 25th Battery, 7th Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery. In his application form for enlistment (his attestations papers) [see below], his witness was Conn Smythe of hockey fame and; likewise, he was Conn Smythe's witness. Francis trained at Barriefield, near Kingston, and Valcartier, Quebec. He went overseas and continued his training in England until January 1916, when he was sent to the front in France. He served for two years, seeing action at Saint Eloi, Ypres, the Somme, Vimy, and Fresnoy. On the afternoon of 10 November 1917, Morton was commanding a gun crew at Passchendaele when a German shell burst behind the gun and sent a piece of shrapnel into his heart, killing him instantly. He is buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery near Ypres, Belgium, along with another UTS student, George Kilvert Holland. He is also commemorated in his parish church, Bloor Street Presbyterian, now Bloor Street United, together with his fellow parishioners and UTS alumni, Herbert Cumming, Fleetwood Daniel, John McLaren, and Wilfrid Tait. “They feared not Death and meeting it they won the Victor’s Crown.”
Attestation Papers
Commemoration
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