Police Constable 20, Toronto Police Force | Private, 58th Battalion, CEF
James Hamilton was born at County Down, Ireland on July 15h, 1895. Resettling in Toronto, Patterson was hired by the Toronto Police Force as Police Constable No. 20 in May 1915. Hamilton walked the beat out of No. 2 (Bay St) Police Station. He was a single young man who lived at 32 Brunswick Avenue.
On April 12th 1916 Constable Hamilton, a native Irishman, joined Toronto’s 208th Battalion (Canadian Irish), CEF. After local service, sailed for England on the HMT Justicia, landing in May 1917. After becoming an instructor and an acting sergeant, Hamilton reverted to the rank of private at his own request in order to be sent to the front faster. Hamilton joined the 58th Battalion, CEF as a replacement in France in February 1918, and proceeded to the front. Later that year, on Wednesday, August 28th 1918, during the Battle of the Scarpe, Hamilton was killed in action attacking the enemy-held Artillery Hill – a machine-gun and pillbox dotted strongpoint northeast of Soiry, France.
Constable James Hamilton lies buried at Vis-En-Artois British Cemetery in Haucourt, France.
Research Sources:
- H. Grasett – Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the City of Toronto for the Year 1914, Page 63. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1915.
- Library and Archives Canada. Service File of No. 249365 James Hamilton.
- Library and Archives Canada. War Diaries of the First World War – 58th Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1918/02/01 – 1919/03/12.
- Library and Archives Canada. Circumstances of Death Registers Card – No. 249365 James Hamilton.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Casualty Details for No. 249365 James Hamilton.
- Toronto Daily Star (1918/09/19), Page 17. “Toronto Policeman Killed”.
- Toronto Daily Star (1918/09/20), Page 5. “Pte. Jas. Hamilton Killed”.
- The Globe [Toronto], Page 9. “Pte. James Hamilton Killed.”
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