The July 2025 article covered part 1 of the 5 July 1916 visit by friends and family to the 116th Battalion at Camp Niagara. The photos in both articles come from Mabel Sharpe’s scrapbook. Mabel was the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Sharpe, commanding officer of the 116th.
The first photo shows a mix of officers and civilians in front of a large tent. Lieutenant Colonel Sharpe is second from left. Major Robert Smith is at the far right. His wife is presumably the woman beside him. Like Lieutenant Thomas Hutchison in last month’s article, Major Smith was a newlywed in this photo. He married Mary Edwards on 14 June 1916. The Sharpes hosted a dinner party in honour of both officers and their wives at the Queen’s Royal Hotel in July 1916. The other two officers and the civilians are not identified.
Major Smith was a pre-war member of the 34th Ontario Regiment, having joined in 1904. In August 1914 he led the first contingent of Ontario County volunteers to Camp Valcartier. His time in the Canadian Expeditionary Force saw him serve in many units. Besides the 116th Battalion, he spent time in the 2nd Battalion, 6th Battalion Canadian Railway Troops, Canadian Remount Depot, 2nd Reserve Battalion, and the Canadian Railway Troops Depot. At the time of this photo Major Smith was the second-in-command of the 116th Battalion. He returned to the Ontario Regiment after the war and was the commanding officer from 1932 to 1936. Smith was called back from retirement in 1940 to command the Regiment’s Reserve Battalion. He retired for the final time in 1944, but stayed connected to the Regiment for his entire life. Robert Smith passed away on 29 May 1972, age 86.
Major Frederick Moody and his mother Jennie are shown in the photo below. Major Moody served in the Canadian Engineers and the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada prior to the war. He initially joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the 83rd Battalion and transferred to the 116th in February 1916. Major Moody was a company commander at the time of this photo. Moody married Anne Stickle in June 1919. Frederick Moody passed away on 29 January 1975, age 87.
Major Henry Cooke and his wife Hazel (nee Vicars) are in the next photo. In another connection with last month’s article, Hazel was the sister of Muriel Hutchison, wife of Lieutenant Thomas Hutchison. Major Cooke was a company commander in this photo. He is seen holding their daughter Marian who was about two-and-half years old at the time. Cooke was a pre-war member of the 34th Ontario Regiment, having joined in 1902. He was also a lawyer and law firm partner in Uxbridge with Lieutenant Colonel Sharpe. After the war Cooke moved to Kenora, ON and resumed practising law. He stayed in the Militia and eventually became the commanding officer of the Kenora Light Infantry. Cooke was active in various Kenora community groups. Henry Cooke passed away on 24 April 1936, aged 52.
The next photo shows Lieutenant John Proctor and his mother Susan. Proctor’s father had passed away in 1915. Lieutenant Proctor was part of the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps while he was attending the University of Toronto and joined the 116th Battalion in January 1916 with no prior military service. At the time of this photo he was a platoon commander. Later in the war, when the Battalion was in France, he was the scouting officer. Lieutenant Proctor was killed due to a train accident on 31 March 1919 a day or two before he was due to return to Canada.
It’s not clear if the image of the soldiers below is from this day, but it seems likely as there are two civilian men in the background. It was common for the soldiers to put on a display of military skills during these visitor days. The soldiers are holding Ross rifles with bayonets attached. None of the men are identified.
As with last month’s article, this month will conclude with an update on the women in the photos. Susan Proctor passed away on 24 September 1939, aged 69. Hazel Cooke died on 18 September 1968, aged 82. Information on Jenny Moody is difficult to find. Marian Cooke, the daughter of Major Cooke, passed away on 9 November 2003, about a month short of her 90th birthday.
Rod Henderson
Rod Henderson is the Regimental Historian of the Ontario Regiment. He served as a Sergeant in the Regiment and is the author of “Fidelis Et Paratus: A History of The Ontario Regiment (RCAC), 1866-2016”.