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LCol Samuel S. Sharpe Lawyer, Parliamentarian, Soldier

LCol Samuel S. Sharpe Lawyer, Parliamentarian, Soldier. The Honourable Erin O ’ Toole Member of Parliament Durham. Personal History. Born March 13, 1873 (Zephyr, Ontario) Parents: George Sharpe & Mary Ann Simpson 7 siblings, 6 surviving to adulthood. Personal History.

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LCol Samuel S. Sharpe Lawyer, Parliamentarian, Soldier

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  1. LCol Samuel S. SharpeLawyer, Parliamentarian, Soldier The Honourable Erin O’Toole Member of Parliament Durham

  2. Personal History • Born March 13, 1873 (Zephyr, Ontario) • Parents: George Sharpe & Mary Ann Simpson • 7 siblings, 6 surviving to adulthood

  3. Personal History • Lawyer and solicitor for the Town of Uxbridge • Joined the 34th Militia Regiment • Sam and William first elected to Parliament in 1908 • Both re-elected in 1911

  4. Personal History • Raised new battalion • 116th Battalion, CEF • December, 1915 • Deployed to Europe • July, 1916 • Re-elected • December, 1917 • Only known Parliamentarian re-elected while serving in France

  5. Personal History • Awarded Distinguished Service Order • for gallantry under fire • Hospitalized in England in 1918 • for “General Debility” • Returned to Canada in 1918 • for treatment at Royal Victoria Hospital • Died by suicide in Montreal, May 25, 1918 • Battalion history simply states:

  6. Sam and William Note: William does not yet have a hat badge or collar dogs

  7. 116th Battalion, CEF History

  8. 116th Battalion, CEF History • Recruited in the County of Ontario • Commanded by LCol Sam Sharpe, an officer of the 34thRegiment • Headquartered in Uxbridge with companies in: • A Company: Uxbridge • B Company: Beaverton • C Company: Whitby • D Company: Oshawa • 1,145 soldiers and officers by May 1916

  9. 116th Battalion, CEF History

  10. 116th Battalion, CEF History • Sailed for Europe July 23, 1916 • Deployed to France on February 11, 1917 • Fought at: • Vimy Ridge • Avion • Hill Seventy • Passchendaele

  11. 116th Battalion, CEFVimy Ridge

  12. 116th Battalion, CEF History • Medals awarded during WWI: • Distinguished Conduct Medal: 27 • Distinguished Service Order: 7 • Meritorious Service Medal: 7 • Military Medal: 102 • Military Cross: 26

  13. So why does nobody know Sam Sharpe?

  14. Social Amnesia • Two Parliamentarians killed in WWI • Two Parliamentarians in the WWI Book of Remembrance • Only one Parliamentarian recognized in Parliament • George Baker died at the Battle of Ypres in 1916 • commemorated in perpetuity by a life-sized statue • Sam Sharpe has no recognition in Parliament • Baker and Sharpe commemorated differently because of their cause of death

  15. Social Amnesia To this date, the website states: “… to commemorate the life, dedication and sacrifice of the only sitting Member of Parliament to have died during the Great War.”

  16. Book of Remembrance

  17. Law Society of Upper Canada Great Library, Main Reading Room Toronto, Ontario

  18. Recognizing Sam Sharpe

  19. Recognizing Sam Sharpe • Injustice can be fixed • Plaque will be mounted in Centre Block, next to the Baker Memorial • Plaque will be cast in bronze and include a three dimensional relief of LCol Sharpe

  20. Plaque Proposal Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel S. Sharpe was a lawyer, parliamentarian and soldier. He practised law in Uxbridge, Ontario, before being elected to Parliament in 1908 and re-elected in 1911, as the member for Ontario North. When war broke out in 1914, LCol Sharpe helped raise a new Battalion from Ontario County. The 116th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, under his command, was stood up in December 1915. The 116th Battalion fought in the battles of Vimy Ridge, Avion and Passchendaele. The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) perpetuates the 116th Battalion and the honours it earned in the field. LCol Sharpe was re-elected in the general election of 1917 while serving in France with the 116th Battalion. LCol Sharpe was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for gallantry, but his service came at a severe personal cost. The stress of war took its toll on his mental health. LCol Sharpe was hospitalized in England for general debility (commonly called ‘shell shock’) and returned to Canada. LCol Sharpe died by suicide on May 25, 1918. LCol Samuel Sharpe’s story stands as a reminder that not all injuries are visible. Lest We Forget.

  21. Plaque Location Baker Memorial Sharpe Plaque

  22. Sam Sharpe as Educator

  23. LCol Samuel S. SharpeWe Will Remember The Honourable Erin O’Toole Member of Parliament – Durham

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