- ppcli
- Person
- 1890-1963
William Eric C. Irwin was born 24 January 1890 in Ottawa, the fourth child of Lieutenant Colonel De La Cherois Thomas Irwin, Inspector General of the Royal Canadian Artillery and Isabella Hamilton. He was a graduate of McGill University in Electrical Engineering and joined the 1st University Company in February 1915. He trained at Niagara-On-The-Lake and sailed for England on the SS Northland with the 1st Reinforcing Draft of the 38th Battalion in May 1915. He was taken on strength with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry as a Lieutenant 26 July 1915. He was wounded in both legs 2 June 1916 at the Battle of Mount Sorrel and mentioned in dispatches. He was hospitalized at Newcastle and Ramsgate, England and returned to Canada 7 December 1916. After receiving an operation on his leg at Montreal General Hospital he was posted to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Depot in Ottawa and promoted to Major 15 June 1917. In November 1917 he returned to England as part of a reinforcement draft. Returning to Canada in February 1918 he was assigned duties at Army Headquarters, becoming Chief of General Staff in Ottawa and had his leg operated on again in August 1918 in Toronto. After recovering he acted as Aide-de-Camp for the Duke of Devonshire during his tour of the Maritimes in December 1918. He was released sometime in early 1919. He died in 1963 in Toronto.