John Gregg Shaw, a proud Canadian!

John Gregg Shaw was born in Ballymena, Ireland on the 16th of June 1892. Having died as a result of his birth, his father blamed him for his mother’s unfortunate and untimely death. This lack of forgiveness being a growing cloud under which John Shaw lived caused him to run away from home at an early age.
The first evidence of stable employment in John’s life was recorded on the ‘Certificate of the Service of John Shaw in the Royal Navy.’ After enlisting at Chatham in England on 30th of March 1911, John served as a Stoker 1st Class on ships that included HMS Pembroke and Lancaster.
At the outbreak of World War One John continued to serve with the Royal Navy but found himself drawn to the adventurous lure of the land campaign. The excitement of fighting the enemy at closer quarters became too much when on July 6, 1916 John jumped ship while in Esquilmalt, British Columbia. Preferring to fight on land than sea, that very same day he joined the Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force. Fearing retribution for his impetuous act this time his attestation paper shows him enlisting only as Private John Gregg of the 103rd Battalion. By the 23rd of July of that same year, John Gregg had embarked from Halifax for Britain.
While still in England, John was transferred from the 103rd to the 29th (Vancouver) Battalion and on 6th of October he finally marched as a soldier in France. On arriving in the field on November 3rd, 1916, John was first ‘wounded in action’ on March 3rd of 1917. After being hospitalized and convalescing in Le Treport, John Gregg rejoined his battalion in the field on the 4th of April 1917 only five days previous to what would become one of the most famous battles for his adoptive homeland.
As part of the 2nd Division, 6th (Iron) Infantry Brigade, on April 9th 1917, the 29th Battalion waited patiently to do their part in the battle for Vimy Ridge. Recorded in their ‘War Diary’ of that same day; ‘at 8:05 a.m. the 29th Battalion moved forward from the Assembly Area to its allotted position beyond the Lens Arras Road and formed up ready for the advance. At 9:35 a.m. on the barrage moving forward, the battalion followed through behind it, and captured Thelus Line without opposition. A few Germans were seen running from Thelus Trench and every other man of the Front Wave advanced firing from the hip. Lewis Guns were also fired from the hip at those men.’ And so the bravery of the29th was recorded that day with many, including Private John Gregg not knowing how important their deeds were to their young nation.
To what extent John Gregg was involved in these now famous deeds remains unknown, suffice it to say the glory of the battalion was willingly shared by they that fought the battle with those that proudly carried its banner.
Later on the 12th of May John was part of a ‘Carrying Party’ attempting to bring water to members of his battalion who had not been re-supplied for two days. While navigating the danger of the battlefield, John was wounded again. This time a shell exploded behind him almost burying him alive. After being rescued he was found to have shell wounds to both his legs. For Private John Gregg the war in Europe was over.
After more than one operation he was transferred from France to England and then finally back to Canada in early 1918. With his deeds earning him a place in the history of his new country, John Gregg then left his military career behind him and resumed his life as John Gregg … Shaw as a proud Canadian citizen.