Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Herbert Lance Wicks was born on 15 September 1882 to parents George, a farmer, and Mary Jane (nee Egglestone) in Hamilton Township, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada.  In 1901, Herbert (18) was living in Ontario with his widowed mother, Mary (54) and his brothers George (28), Stanley (24), Albert (22) and Hilliard (20).  Herbert and his brothers were all working as general labourers.

Herbert enlisted in the Canadian Army on 12 April 1916, as an artillery gunner having previously been an insurance agent in civilian life. He had served with the Coburg Heavy Battery as a reserve soldier for nine years. Sargent Wicks was serving with the Canadian Siege Artillery when he passed through Peterborough East Station and signed the visitors’ book on 3 December 1917.  He wrote “Good luck to the girls of the soldiers rest hut and may they have a bright and prospis good year and God bless there good work”.

No further details of his military service are known but he returned to Canada on the RMS Mauretania on 9 May 1919.

He married Margaret Amelia Wicks, nee Cool, on 22 March 1911, in Coburg, Canada. In 1911, they were living in Victoria Street, Ontario and Herbert was working as a tinsmith.  Their son Laird Borden, was born in 1913 and in 1921 the family were living in Buck Street, Ontario.

Herbert died in Cobourg, Canada on 20 December 1937.  The cause of death was endocarditis and typhoid fever.

Do you recognise the name?  Please get in touch if you can tell us more.