1

n the fall of 1915, Casey saw a poster in Union Station advertising for experienced railway workers to enlist in a Canadian Corps. He soon found himself spending six months in Northern Russia as part of a civilian Canadian Engineers unit (Major O'Brien's Railway Troops) helping build the Murmansk Railway. When revolution threatened this work, the British government ordered the unit's return to Winnipeg.

One day after returning home, Casey re-enlisted as a stretcher-bearer with the 11th (Western University) Field Ambulance Corps and spent over two years on various French fronts. In March 1917, Casey met a Parisian woman, Emmeliene Marie Pauvrehomme, while on leave in Paris. On October 11, 1918 Casey was wounded by a shell blast in Cambrai. In this incident, he sustained five broken ribs and a punctured lung, in addition to injuries to his head and legs. Following this, he was awarded British Military Medal for his bravery in action.

After corresponding since their first meeting, E. J. and Emmeliene married in December 1918 in the Cathedral of Madeleine in Paris and spent their honeymoon in Vierzion, France. The couple returned to England until Casey was granted permission to return to Canada in September 1919.

Although Casey did not re-enlist during the Second World War, his family was nonetheless touched by its devastation. Many of his carnival workers enlisted as did his son Ted. Twenty year old Flight Sergeant Theadore Casey was shot down and presumed dead in 1943 while serving with the RCAF, leaving behind a young bride, Mary Holden McDermott. Edgar's other son David died at the tender age of nineteen in 1950 while serving with the Canadian Navy.

In 1967, Casey was a guest of the Canadian Government at the 50th anniversary ceremonies in Ottawa, commemorating the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

2

Building The Murmansk Railway
Circa 1915
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

3

A Portrait of Private E. J. Casey in Uniform
Circa 1916
Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

4

Enlisting With the 11th Field Ambulance
Circa 1916
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

5

The Ambulance Man
Circa 1917
France

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

6

Private E. J. Casey in Uniform
Circa 1916
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

7

Qualifications For a Stretcher Bearer
Circa 1917
France

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

8

Front of Camp Twezeldown Postcard
Circa 1916
Camp Twezeldown, Farnham, Surrey, England

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

9

Reverse of Camp Twezeldown Postcard
Circa 1916
Camp Twezeldown, Farnham, Surrey, England

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

10

Passchendaele Ridge
Circa 1917
Passchendaele Ridge, France

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

11

Private E. J. Casey Serving Overseas
Circa 1916
Camp Twezeldown, Farnham, Surrey, England

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

12

Of Men With Hearts Of Gold
26 June 1917
France

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

13

Letter From E. J. Casey to Marion Simpson
15 September 1918
France

Credits:
William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

14

Battle at Vimy Ridge
Circa 1917
Vimy Ridge, France

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer