The Life Of Michael Peter Carney

On June 14th, 1898, the well-known couple Bridget and Thomas Carney gave birth to their son Michael Peter. The Carney family came to Arnprior on April 23rd, 1890, and soon after, they were complete with two daughters and two sons at their home at 111 Macdonald Street. Their family branched out to Smiths Falls and Iroquois Falls. They would often go to St. John Chrysostom Church as a Roman Catholic family.

Before The Battles

Michael enlisted in the military on March 2nd, 1917. His rank was gunner. Gunners were responsible for surveillance, target acquisition, and indirect fire to engage the enemy.

Training in Kingston

Located near the community of Barriefield, on the east bank of the Cataraqui River across from Kingston, the Barriefield Military Camp was founded as a military installation at the start of World War 1 in 1914. Thousands of soldiers lived and trained at this camp, including Michael Peter Carney, while preparing for combat.

Discharge

Michael Carney was discharged from the military on April 18th, 1917. He was previously reported as 18. However, his discharge papers state that he is, in fact, 16. Therefore, he was discharged on account of being underage. His discharge place was Kingston, Ontario. He was in the army for 47 days.

Although Michael Peter Carney's time spent preparing for WW1 was short, it sent a strong message as a Canadian. He was willing to help fight for his country and displayed great loyalty. It was very common for young men to lie about their age to enlist in the military. These soldiers put their lives at risk, while still being underage, and many faced various hardships. While some soldiers survived, numerous others perished on the battlefields, but their brave sacrifices will be remembered.

Resources

Arnprior and McNab/ Braeside Archives

Canadian Great War Project

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada

By Sadie Neville & Ella Gauthier

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