SSNS Home > Senior Years > Curricula 9-12 > Grade 11 > Canadian History > Remembrance Day > University Co. Soldiers > Johnston, Ardell
Johnston, Ardell Alfred, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, formerly of Grafton, North Dakota. Occupation: clerk. Military Service: Private, Reg. No. McGill 115, 2nd University Co., PPCLI, Attestation Papers. Diary Reference: “Left Saskatoon at noon in company with three others named [W. J.] Mitchell, [Robt. C. M.] Fergus and [A. A.] Johnston,” 1:27 May ’15; “Tipped the kid Johnston off for a job on the pack corps. He told me that C. D. Richardson died of wounds during the battle.,” 4:12 Apr ’17. A. A. Johnston was probably “Kid” Johnston, who could have been a youthful-looking 21 year old. A. A. Johnston would have been well-known to Frank and likely to have known C. D. Richardson, who was also from Saskatchewan and a member of the 4th University Company. The other possibility is George Kingsley Johnston, of Pefferlaw, Ontario, who was also 21 years of age. He transferred to the PPCLI in June 1916 from the 81st Bn. and was wounded at the Battle of Courcelette, 15 September 1916. He may have returned to the field by April 1917.
Date of Death 17 December 1918. See casualty details, Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Buried at the Glasgow Western Necropolis, Glasgow, Scotland. Grave reference: P. 2834. According to Hodder-Williams, Pte. Johnston died of sickness, which may have been the devastating influenza that killed millions of people around the world in late 1918-early 1919.