WWI 1914-15 Star - 21st and 87th Battalions CEF - Officer - Westbeare

WWI 1914-15 named to: Lieut. F. H. Westbeare 21st. Bn. C.E.F.

Frederick Henry Westbeare was born in England in 1893. He had a year's previous militia service in the band of the Toronto Grenadiers. He was working as a hotel clerk when he joined the 21st Battalion, CEF in Kingston, Ontario in November, 1914. He served initially as a Private, eventually promoted to Sergeant and then received a commission in 1916 and proceeded to the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards) He was reported as accidentally severely wounded on 9 May, 1917. (GSW - right ankle, right knee, chest, penetrating) when a grenade exploded prematurely during training. This event is extensively documented in his service file. He was invalided first to the UK and then back to Canada.

Westbeare continued to serve after the war and received an Efficiency Decoration in 1942. The details of his later militia and possible WWII service remain unresearched. He passed away in 1958.

The medal shows a messy attempted erasure of the name. It is named in a manner attributed to late issues and replacement medals (possibly he wished it to depict his commissioned rank?) and based on his service should not have been named to him as an officer. A BWM and VM named to him in a similar manner sold within the past couple of years at an auction in Quebec - so are extant. A curious specimen, but there is potential for extensive further research.