Col. Walter Maughan 1876 - 1961

Walter Maughan 1876

Walter Maughan was born 4-Sep-1876 and died 26-May-1961 in Montreal, QC. CA, and is buried at Cimetiere Mont-Royal, Outremont, Quebec. On his birth registration, completed 27-May-1952, Walter lived at 1321 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC (near Crescent St.), he notes that he is the last of his siblings alive, and his parents, John and Margaret lived at 76 Wellington Place at the time of his birth. He was a City Passenger Agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Walter married Eva Lilian Gertrude Rymal on 12-May-1904 in Toronto, Ontario. Eva was born 26-Nov-1880 in Esquesing, Halton, ON, and died 18-Feb-1967 in Montreal, QC. CA. Eva's parents were John Warren Rymal (1853-1929) and Elizabeth Florence Griffen (1858-1922).

Walter and Eva along with other members of their family are burind at Mount Royal Cemetery. When their sons John Walter Maughan and George Burwell Maughan were born they were listed as living at 76 Roxborough St. W., Toronto (the house has been torn down and completely rebuilt as of 2015).

They had three children:

  • John Walter Maughan born 14-Sep-1907 in Toronto, Ontario, died 20-Oct-1944 at the Montreal Neurological Hospital in Montreal, Quebec after a fall the prior Tuesday. He was the vice president and managing director of Leach Textile Ltd. in Huntingdon, Quebec. Leach Textiles was founded by Alex Fawcett & Hiram Leach. John Married Gladys Catherine Vass in 1930 in Montreal. She was the daughter of Frederick Albert Vass and (unknown) and was born in Montreal 16-Jan-1906, and died in Montreal 27-Dec-1982. John attended Lower Canada College and then McGill University.
  • John Frederick Maughan
  • Susan Maughan
  • George Burwell Maughan born 8-May-1910 at Grace Hospital in Toronto and died 16-Jun-2003 in Guadalajara, Mexico. More about George Burwell Maughan can be found here.
  • Arthur Herbert Maughan 5-Mar-1912 - 17-May-1992. Arthur was born at home at 89 Avenue Rd. in Toronto. Arthur married Margaret Tooke who predeceased him. His obituary in the Montreal Gazette reads in part: '...survived by his loving family, brother George, neices Marylin Field-Marsham and Susan Courtemanche, nephews John, G.B. (George Burwell), Walter and David Maughan and brother-in-law Walter Tooke, four grand-nieces and ten grand-nephews.'

    • Grave of Walter Maughan

    References to Col. Walter Maughen

    Harry Livingstone's Forgotten Men: Canadians and the Chinese Labour Corps in the First World War - by Dan Black - This book recounts that during WWI, more than 80,000 Chinese labourers were secretly transported from China across Canada to the Western Front where they built bridges and roads, repaired tanks, unloaded supplies, and then, after the war, cleaned up the grisly battlefields. Though the use of Chinese labourers for the war has been known, the story of their journey and their work, and the role of Canadians in recruiting and transporting them, has not been fully told.
    'In Montreal there was Colonel Walter Maughan, the CPR's assistant general passenger agent who was responsible for issuing the top-secret train schedules and memos to select employees, high-ranking government officials and top military personnel.'

    Abbotsford Post, 1918 - Headline: Demobilization of Troops

    'The demobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force is perhaps the most important problem now confronting the Dominion Government, and the transportation of the troops from the port of landing to their destination is a work which will require skilful handling. On reaching Canadian soil, after their hard fought battles in foreign countries, the veterans will deserve all the consideration that can be given to them.
    It was therefore a wise decision on the part of the Dominion Government when they decided that the Canadian Railway War Board should appoint a committee that will make all the arrangements necessary for the transoportation of the soldiers through Canada.
    The War Board so constituted the committee that it is representative of the three principal railways. Ever since the beginning of the war officials of the Canadian Pacific Railway have been conspicuous as leaders in the contry's patriotic efforts, and now Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Maughan, Assistant General Passenger Agent of the C.P.R., has been chosen as chairman of the committee thawt is to undertake the responsibility for train transportation of the soldiers to their places of abode in Canada. Lieutenant-Colonel Maughan's long experience and his thorough knowledge of railroad affairs make hime thoroughly qualified to fill the position for which he has been selected.
    In March, 1892, at the age of sixteen years, Walter Maughan joined the staff of the Canadian Pacific Railway as a clerk in the Toronto offices. In September of the same year he was transferred to Hamilton to act in a similar capacity. In 1895 he was again brought back to the Toronto offices, and in March 1897 he became city passenger agent in the Queen City. On November 1st, 1913, he became assistant district passenger agent in Toronto. One month later he was promoted to become assistant general passenger agent in Montreal.
    Lieutenant-Colonel Maughan is representing the C.P.R. on the newly formed committee. Mr. H. H. Melansen will represent the Canadian Government Railways, and Mr. C. W. Johnston the Grand Trunk Railway.
    By a co-ordination of effort it is believed that the representatives of the three big Canadian railways can so regulate railway transportation arrangements as to insure the safe and comfortable return of the Canadian soldier men to their homes. The headquarters of the committee will be in Ottawa, where the committee will be in direct touch with the Canadian Government.
    A preliminary meeting of the committee was recently held in Montreal, when the Minister of Militia was represented by Colonel E. E. Clarke, Director General of Supplies and Transportation. The problem of transportation was discussed in all its phases, and the cvommittee will leave nothing undone to ensire safe transit, and feeding facilities of the highest character for the Canadian soldier men who so bravely answered to the call of duty when the country was in danger.