Name: George Archer Turnbull Regimental Number: 415514 Rank: Sergeant (40th Battalion) Private (Canadian Mounted Rifles ) Battalion: 40th Battalion/5th Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles Date of Birth: September 5, 1895 Place of Birth: Arcadia, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia Enlistment Date: April 5, 1915 Enlisted at: Digby, Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 19 Height: 5 Feet 8 Inches Complexion: Fresh Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Martial Status: Single Trade: Bank Clerk Religion: Church of England Next of Kin: Mrs George D Turnbull (Mother), Digby, Digby Co., NS Date of Death: September 15, 1916 Age at Death: 21 Memorial: Vimy Memorial, France Commemorated on Page 175 of the First World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 20 Listed on the Nominal Roll of the 40th Battalion Listed on the Memorial of Holy Trinity Church, Yarmouth, NS. Listed on the Yarmouth War Memorial George Turnbull, known by the name Archer, was born in Yarmouth County; however, the family moved from Yarmouth when Archer was a small child. They lived in Calgary for a short period but after December 1907 the family lived in Clark’s Harbour and soon after moved to Digby, Nova Scotia. Archer attended the Digby Academy and spent two years at King’s College in Windsor. When the war started Archer was an employee of the Royal Bank of Canada in the town of Digby. He joined the 40th Battalion at Digby in February 1915 at the age of 19. He left Digby with the 40th Battalion for Aldershot and Valcartier and crossed to England a year prior to his death. In England he was offered a Lieutenant’s commission and would have been made an instructor. He declined the opportunity and asked to be made a private in order to get on the firing line as soon as possible. He was sent as a reinforcement from the 40th Battalion to the 5th Mounted Rifles and was in France about three months when he was killed in action. While burial information was given by Sergeant Loggie, the ground was much fought over and the remains were never recovered or identified. The following letter was received by his mother: