Guysborough County Enlistments—August 1917

Two Guysborough County natives enlisted for service with Canadian Expeditionary Force units during the month of August 1917.


1. Chester Alvin Strople (2075565) was born at North Intervale, Guysborough County on December 28, 1885 [1883 on attestation papers], the son of James Robert and Mary Eliza (Lipsett) Strople. Two of Chester’s brothers—Howard Nightingale and Whitfield Raymond—also enlisted for service during the First World War.

Chester appears to have spent some time in the United States prior to the war, crossing the border from South Dakota to Fort Frances, ON in October 1912. He gave his address as “Camp Leaside,” Toronto and occupation as “farmer” at the time of his attestation with the 5th Regiment, Royal Highlanders of Canada at Montreal QC on August 6, 1917. The Montreal-based militia unit had raised three battalions for overseas service. Two battalions—the 13th and 42nd—were still deployed on the Western Front at the time of Chester’s enlistment with a draft of reinforcements destined for service with one of the RHC’s overseas units. No further details are available on Chester’s military service.

Following his time in uniform, Chester returned to the Montreal area. He was working as a shoemaker at the time of his April 30, 1919 marriage to Elodia Sybil Stanley at Montreal. The couple settled in Mercier, QC following their marriage. No further information is available on Chester’s later life.


2. James Muriel "Jim" Pride (Pryde) (2303817) was born at Sherbrooke, Guysborough County on July 28, 1897, the son of Solomon E. and Jessie (Grant) Pride. Jim enlisted with the Nova Scotia Railway Construction and Forestry Draft at Camp Aldershot, NS on August 8, 1917.

James Muriel "Jim" Pride (right).

Jim’s days in uniform were short-lived. Hospitalized at Halifax on September 11, 1917 for treatment of a perforated eardrum, a thorough medical examination determined that his hearing was significantly impaired. As a result, Jim was discharged as “medically unfit” at Windsor, NS on October 31, 1917.

Following his discharge, Jim relocated to Ontario. He was working as a machinist at the time of his marriage to Jessie Matilda Grant at Toronto, ON on March 2, 1921. Online sources indicate that Jim passed away in 1959. No further details are available on his later life.