William Joseph Sanderson Connor

Police Constable 239, Toronto Police Force | Lieutenant, 4th Battery, 1st Brigade Canadian Field Artillery

William Joseph Sanderson Connor was born on the 21st of February 1885, at Carlow, Ireland. Connor settled in Toronto as a young man and served in the Canadian Militia with the 9th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery in Toronto and had the honour of representing the Battery in London at the King’s Coronation in 1911. In September 1912, Connor was sworn in as Police Constable No. 239 of the Toronto Police Force. After seven years with the Militia, he resigned in order to focus on his police service. By 1914, he was serving in the Toronto Police Mounted Squad. Connor was single and lived at 620 Ontario Street.

In September 1914, Constable Connor re-enlisted with Toronto’s 9th Battery, in the 3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery – the same unit in which Toronto Police horses had been donated for service. Shortly thereafter, Connor was appointed Battery Sergeant-Major of the 3rd Brigade Ammunition Column. He proceeded to England, then France, and served on the Western Front with his unit. After fifteen months service at the front, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant, due to his courageous conduct.

Connor was then engaged in training soldiers in England before returning to the front as an officer in the 4th Battery, 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery. By early July 1916, the 4th Battery was in the Culvert Position of the Ypres salient, where “the least activity on the position brought upon us an HE  [High Explosive] storm.” On July 4th 1916, Connor was in front line trenches acting as a Forward Observation Officer directing his battery’s artillery fire onto the enemy. Later in the day, Connor was severely wounded by an enemy mortar and evacuated to a field ambulance. He died the following day, Wednesday, July 5th 1916.

Constable William Joseph Sanderson Connor lies buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery in Belgium.

Research Sources:

  • H. Grasett – Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the City of Toronto for the Year 1914, Page 56. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1915.
  • B. Wardle – The Mounted Squad: An Illustrated History of the Toronto Mounted Police 1886-2000, Page 47. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2002.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Service File of No. 42619  William Connor.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Circumstances of Death Registers Card – No. 42619 William Connor.
  • Library and Archives Canada. War Diaries  of the First World War –  1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, 1914/10/17 – 1917/12/31.
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Casualty Details for No. 42619 William Connor.
  •  The Globe (1914, August 3rd), Page 6. “Toronto Policemen May Go To Front” .
  • The Globe (1914, August 29th), Page 6. “Efficiency Marked Artillery’s Departure”.
  • Toronto Telegram (1916, April). “Lt William Connor Now”
  • The Toronto Daily Star (1916, July 7th), Page 8. “Lieut Van Nostrand Missing, Lieut. WJC Connor Dead”.
  • Toronto Telegram (1916, July). “Death of Lt. WJS Connor”
  • Toronto Telegram (1916, September). “Lt Connor Not Reservist”
  • The Toronto Daily Star (1920, May 28th). “To Unveil Memorial in Berkeley Church”.
  • National Memorial Album of Canadian Heroes. Toronto: National Progress Publishing Co., 1919. (Photo)
  • The Canadian Newspaper Co. Ltd. The Great Adventure With the 4th Battery CFA, Pages 18-19. London: King & Jarrett Ltd, 1919.