Coleman, Roy Robin

Service Highlights

  • Service Number: 21352
  • Born December 17, 1888 in Ontario.
  • Enlisted; Valcartier, Quebec on September 23, 1914,
  • Rank: Private
  • Served with the 11th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, part of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, whose lineage includes the 11th Battalion.
  • Served overseas during the First World War with the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
  • Next of kin listed in military records as Mrs. E. Patterson Coleman of Cookstown, Ontario.
  • Survived the war and was later discharged from service.
  • Commemorated through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program.

A Life and Service Remembered

Roy Robin Coleman was among the first Canadians to volunteer for overseas service when the First World War began in 1914. He was a surveyor before the war but decided to step up. He travelled to Valcartier, Quebec during the early mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and enlisted there that September, joining the ranks of the newly formed 11th Battalion. This was among one of the original battalions raised for overseas service at the start of the war.

The battalion was part of the first contingent of Canadian troops sent overseas and would go on to serve on the Western Front as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. These early volunteers formed the core of Canada’s fighting force during the opening years of the war.

Coleman’s service record reflects the experience of many Canadians who stepped forward in 1914 as the war began. Leaving their communities behind, they became part of a national effort that would see more than 600,000 Canadians serve during the conflict.

Although many personal details of Roy Robin Coleman’s post life remains limited we will continue to work towards reaching out to family to further confirm his details however, his service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force represents the commitment and sacrifice of a generation of Canadians who answered the call during the First World War. His story continues to be remembered through local remembrance efforts and the St. Marys Legion banner program.

Major Battles and Operations

  • Mobilization and training with the First Canadian Contingent at Valcartier, 1914
  • Overseas training in England, 1914 to 1915
  • Service in France with the 11th Battalion, CEF from February 1915
  • Second Battle of Ypres, 1915
  • Later service with the 11th Reserve Battalion as a reinforcement unit

Learn More

Library and Archives Canada – First World War Personnel File
https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=pffww&IdNumber=109318&ecopy=028263a

Canadian Great War Project
https://canadiangreatwarproject.com/person.php?pid=765410

Lives of the First World War
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5526842