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Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War I
Yarmouth Connections
Alfred Joseph Muese (Muise)
Regiment:
Canadian Infantry
Battalion:
115th Battalion / 112th Battalion / 25th Battalion
Regimental Number:
742306
Rank:
Private
Date of Birth:
December 30, 1898 (on Attestation Paper)
Place of Birth:
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Trade:
Labourer
Marital Status:
Single
Place of Enlistment:
Saint John, New Brunswick
Date of Enlistment:
December 31, 1915
Address at Enlistment:
186 Briton St., St John, New Brunswick
Age at Enlistment:
17
Height: 5 Feet 5 3/4 Inches
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Next of Kin:
William (Muese) Muise (Father), Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Alfred was born the son of William and Annie Muise of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The
family lived on Commerical Street.
In December, Alfred was in St. John, New Brunswick where his sister Mary (Fannie)
(Muise) Friars lived. On December 30, 1915 Alfred turned 17. The following day he
enlisted with the 115th Battalion in St. John, New Brunswick. Like many other young
Canadian men, he gave an incorrect birth year on his Attestation paper, making him 18
years of age. He also gave his name incorrectly as Alfred Joseph Muese, changing the
correct spelling of “Muise”. He listed his older sister, Mary, as his next of kin. She lived in
St. John and in those days, it was far away from Yarmouth and his parents were ‘not
looking over his shoulder’.
On May 5, 1916, Alfred was transferred to the 112th Battalion. On July 23, 1916 he
departed Halifax with the 112th Battalion on the S.S. Olympic arriving in Liverpool on July
31, 1916. On October 5, 1916 he was transferred from the 112th Battalion to the 25th
Battalion and arrived at the Canadian Base Depot in France on July 6, 1916.
From there, he departed for the front lines on July 20, 1916 and arrived there on
July 22. He served for six months before the assault on Vimy Ridge. On April 29, 1917
during the Vimy Ridge attack he was killed in action. He fell near another soldier from
Yarmouth, Eugene Lewis.
Alfred was one of four brothers who served during World War I.
A year after the death of Alfred Joseph Muise another brother was born and he was
named Joseph Alfred Muise, and was also called Alfred. His brother’s daughter was named
after both Alfred Joseph and Arthur although they feminized the name to be Josephine
Artha Muise.
Date of Death:
April 29, 1917
Age at Death:
18
Cemetery:
Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
(Listed as A. J. Muise)
Medals:
British War Medal, Victory Medal
Commemorated on Page 298 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
This page is displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa
on June 30 and July 1
Listed on the Nominal Roll of the 112th Battalion.
Notes:
The Yarmouth monument lists Alfred Joseph Muise as: “Muise, John A”
Private Alfred Joseph Muise on his attestation paper wrote his name as “Muese” . In the
official war records his father’s name is listed as both Muese and Muise.
Sources:
Library and Archives Canada (Attestation Paper)
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
Canadian Great War Project
Veterans Affairs Canada
Census Records 1901
Additional Information:
“A Monument Speaks” A Thurston; 1989 (p 247)
Private Alfred Joseph Muese (Muise)
Additional war records are available at:
Library and Archives Canada
A letter written by Lieutenant Charles Trask to his parents
in Yarmouth provided information on the death of Private
Muise. Lieutenant Trask arrived in the line on April 29, 1917.
...one
of
my
corporals
found
Eugene
Lewis’s
body
a
few
nights
before
we
came
out
of
the
trenches
and
also
that
of
another
Yarmouth
boy,
A.
Muise.
They
were
both
killed
instantly
and
within
a
few
yards
of
each
other.
We
had
them
buried
that
night
in
the
usual
manner.
Some
day
I
hope
to
be able to tell his people exactly where he is. ...
Attestation Paper
(click to enlarge)
Photo: Courtesy of Josephine Artha Muise.
James (Jimmy) William Muise, (#734000) born February 27, 1901
served with the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was gassed at
Passchendaele and after four months in the 16th General Canadian
Hospital was invalided home. A student at the time, he enlisted on
February 18, 1916 at the age of 14 giving his year of birth 1898 on his
attestation paper.
George Stanley Muise, known as Stanley (#69619) born October 26,
1894, who served with the 26th New Brunswick Battalion was wounded,
having been shot through the chest, and was also invalided home in the
fall of 1917. However, he re-enlisted February 6, 1918
(#3256352).
Arthur Muise, (#67314) born, January 10, 1896, served in France
with the 25th Battalion.