Years ago, before our work with BHCARA and the Honour Roll for the boys from WWI, we came across a young boy living with one of our families in Manitoba. After a bit of work we realized he was a British Home Child, and beyond confirming that, we really didn’t know what to do with what we’d learned. Our Ireland-Carr family had kept Annie Stone, much like the McDowell-Faulkner family kept young George with them. In moving on, we have always believed in publishing our findings in hopes of making a connection. No one has ever stepped forward knowing George Sadler.
You can imagine my absolute shock when a familiar name came up on the BHC WWI Honour Roll. There among the hundreds of boys was Private George Sadler. After having lived in Manitoba with our family for over a decade, he enlisted in the First World War and fought and died protecting our freedom.
Private George Sadler is a tricky case. Despite our endless hours of research, which we’ll post below – Despite the release of his WWI personnel file – Despite BHCARA’s endless efforts at learning more… Despite the McDowell-Faulkner descendants really wishing to know who George was, and who his family were; We’ve had absolutely no luck with making progress in learning about the Sadler family.
When Private Sadler’s military file was released we’d actually held hope that there would be more information leading to a Next of Kin – As George listed his brother William and that hasn’t lead to any other discovery, despite having a potential Service Number (797009) for him that doesn’t match a Canadian record. The additional information presented itself as Miss Winnie Haydon (Also recorded as Playdon) of 50 Rookery Road, Handsworth (Also noted as Wandsworth), Birmingham, England. Sadly, Winnie was only noted as a ‘friend’, although I like to think maybe there was a romantic involvement between the two.
In ‘Winnie’, we have two most likely potential individuals. Winifred Mary Haydon or Winnifred Dorace Playdon. As neither woman, nor any other we have managed to find holds the address as above, we can only speculate. Personally I feel the second, Winnifred Playdon is the woman we’re seeking, as she was a Domestic Servant in 1911 and died in 1921 without marrying. I know the guys will all roll their eyes and claim I’m a romantic sap – And it’s true, but something about Miss Playdon seems to make me think it’s her we’re looking for.
Winnifred Dorace W Playdon, born in 1888 in Birmingham, England, daughter of Sarah Webster and James Playdon can be seen on the Census below, as a Domestic Servant for the Worall family in Olton, Sunnyside, Solihull, Warwickshire England.
The second possible woman fitting as ‘Winnie’ is Winifred Mary Haydon. She is the daughter of Mary Borrowclift and William Henry Hayden, born in 1897 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England living at 8 Wood Green Villas on Camden Street. Winifred works as a cardboard box maker for a pen making company. She might go on to eventually marry James Henry Robinson in 1923, that’s a hard call without further research on the family.
And finally, posting what we do know about Private George Sadler. If anyone has any insight they’d like to share, we’d love to talk to you!
The following records have been discerned for Private George Sadler. Service Number: 830592.
Library and Archives Canada
Surname: SADLER
Given Name: George
Age: 10
Sex: M
Ship: Dominion
Year of Arrival: 1905
Departure Port: Liverpool
Departure Date: 1905-08-03
Arrival Port: Quebec
Arrival Date: 1905-08-12
Party: Barnardo Homes
Destination: Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario
Comments: 433 children, males to Toronto and Winnipeg and the females to Peterborough. There were nine adults on the end of the list who were travelling with the group. Frederick Franks, a boy aged 7, was listed as going to Peterborough.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Reference: RG 76 C1a
Microfilm: T-485
Type of Record: Passenger Lists
1906 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta places George as a Hired Boy in Manitou Village in the household of Andrew Joseph McDowell. Andrew’s sister, Sarah had been widowed and her and her children are also in residence. George is listed as 11 years of age, from England having immigrated in 1905.
1911 Canadian Census records place George as a Labourer in Manitou Village, still in the household of Andrew Joseph McDowell. Andrew had married Ella Bradley and they had one daughter, Charlotte Mary, at that point. George is listed as 16 years of age having been born in Jun of 1894 and having immigrated from England in 1905.
Attestation papers were signed 29 Jan 1916 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. George Sadler was born 21 Jun 1895 in Birmingham, England. He was a Barber by trade and lived at the Hamfields Barber College. His Next of Kin was his brother, William Sadler of 8 Court, 5 Ward Street, Birmingham, England. 5′ 6 1/2″ in height with black hair and brown eyes, he had a scar over his left eye. His religion was listed as Church of England.
Posted to the 144th Battalion and transfered to the 44th Battalion.
Noted as G. H. Sadler, No. 830592, 18th Battalion on his Will.
Next of Kin noted as Miss Winnie Haydon (Also recorded as Playdon) of 50 Rookery Road, Handsworth (Also noted as Wandsworth), Birmingham, England.
Service Number 797009 was written next to his brother’s name and address, William Sadler, 8 Court 5 Ward, Birmingham, England.
Commonwealth War Graves Registers states that he was Killed in Action. Circumstances of Casualty states that he was engaged in a bombing raid on the enemy trenches west of Avion when he was killed by shell fire. His body was not recovered, his name is listed on the Vimy Memorial, Vimy, Nord Pas de Calais, France.
Noted on Barnardo’s Annual Report of Barnardo Old Boys who died during WW1. Canadian Contingent 1914 – 1918, by 1920 it was declared that George T Sadler had perished.
‘George Sadler’ is recorded on the First World War Commemorative Plaque in St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in New Haven, Manitou, Pilot Mound, Manitoba, Canada. Photograph reproduced from ‘Reflections of the Past of the New Haven Community’ with thanks to the New Haven community for their efforts in historical preservation.
Find A Grave Memorial# 56683243
