Samuel James Caulfield

Police Constable 142, Toronto Police Force | Lance Sergeant, 116th Battalion (Central Ontario) CEF

Samuel James Caulfield was born on the 12th of August 1890 in Ballymena Ireland. Immigrating to Toronto as a young man, he served in the Royal Canadian Regiment in Canada’s Permanent Force. Afterwards, in April 1914, he joined the Toronto Police Force, and was assigned the badge number 142. Caulfield, a single young man who lived at 62 Greenwood Avenue, walked the beat out of No. 10 Police Station in the Main St and Gerrard St E area.

On January 24th 1916, Constable Caulfield enlisted in Toronto’s 169th Battalion (109th Regiment) CEF. In October 1916 he sailed on the SS Metagama to England, where his unit was broken up for reinforcements and he was transferred to the 116th Battalion (Ontario County), CEF. Being an experienced former soldier, he was promoted several times. Caulfield arrived in France in February 1917, and proceeded to the front.

On a quiet, warm and sunny Sunday, June 24th 1917, Caulfield was struck in the neck by a bullet or shrapnel and hospitalized until he rejoined his unit that August.

On the night of Thursday, December 20th 1917, Caulfield was a member of an advance party from his battalion beginning the relief of a section in the trench line near Lens, France. As the last man in his party moving through a communication trench towards the front line, an enemy shell exploded to Caulfield’s rear and he was struck by shrapnel. He was evacuated to a casualty clearing station, but succumbed to his wounds.

Constable Samuel James Caulfield is buried at the Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery in France.

Research Sources:

  • H. Grasett – Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the City of Toronto for the Year 1914, Page 64. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1915.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Service File of No. 678241 Samuel James Caulfield.
  • Library and Archives Canada. War Diaries of the First World War – 116th Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1917/02/08 – 1919/02/28.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Circumstances of Death Registers Card – 678241 Samuel James Caulfield.
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Casualty Details for No. 678241 Samuel James Caulfield.
  • Toronto Daily Star (1917, December 26th). “Toronto Casualties, Morning List”.
  • Toronto Daily Star (1917, December 26th), Page 12. “Sergt. Caulfield Wounded”.
  • M. Carmichael. 116th Battalion CEF – The Great War [Facebook Group] – “Sergeant Samuel James Caulfield”.