Benjamin "Ben" Allen: Private in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (WWI)
Private Ben Allen
MS 74: Private Ben Allen, March 3, 1916. Service Number: 770099
Benjamin “Ben” Allen was born in Ymir, on July 17, 1897. Shortly after, he moved to Rossland with his parents, James and Isobel Allen. James worked for one of the major railway companies or the customs office. While Ben was still a baby, the family left Rossland and relocated to Toronto, Ontario.
On January 11, 1916, Ben enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), Canada’s main military force during the First World War. At age 18, Ben became a Private in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment). The regiment embarked from Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 7, 1916, and arrived in Liverpool, England, on August 18, 1916.
During the war, Private Ben Allen served in France, arriving at the French frontlines on December 6, 1916. Private Allen was wounded multiple times throughout the conflict and suffered from a prolonged case of bronchitis in February 1917. Tragically, Private Allen was killed during the Battle of Vimy Ridge between April 9-10, 1917, at the age of 19. He was interred at the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France.
Private Allen was survived by his mother, Isobel, who subsequently inherited his service medals. In 2007, Private Allen’s medals and other material relating to his military service were donated to the Rossland Museum at his mother’s request.
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