Wilson David Calma (1892 – ?) was born in Michigan on October 25, 1892. He was working as a shopkeeper in Houseys Rapids, Ontario, when he was called up to join the 1st Depot Battalion of the 1st Central Ontario Regiment, in Toronto on November 11, 1917. A conscientious objector, he refused to sign the conscription papers. As a result, he was sentenced to two or more years in prison. He was released a few months after the end of the war, on February 28, 1919 . His brother, Harold Calma, was also a conscientious objector and imprisoned during the war.
Service Record Details
Date of Birth: October 25, 1892
Date of Attestation: November 11, 1917 (refused to signed papers)
Age at Enlistment: 25 years
Height: 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches
Weight: 122 pounds
Description: Medium complexion, blue eyes, brown hair. Methodist
Home Address: Houseys Rapids, Ontario
Trade: Store keeper
Married: No
Details of Family: Mother, Emma Calma, living in Houseys Rapids, Ontario.
Next of Kin: Mother (Emma Calma)
Branch of Service: Canadian Expeditionary Force
Theatre of War: Not applicable
Interesting Details from the Service Record
- February 21, 1919 – Calma undergoes a medical examination a week prior to being discharged from prison in Kingston, Ontario. (Pages 15–16)
- February 28, 1919 – His discharge papers note that he had been sentenced "by court-martial to penal servitude (or imprisonment)" for two years or more. (Page 27)
- Undated – A card bears the note, in red ink, "CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR REFUSES TO SIGN." (Page 20)
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