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James Francis Gordon Stirling, born 16 July 1889 in London, England; died September 1916 in France. 
Gordon Stirling with "Wipers" in the trenches, August 1916, one month before his death.
Gordon's will leaving his dog "Tim" to Nina. The will reads:
Gordon Stirling. No. 2613, Lord Strachcona's Horse (R.C.), Canadian Contingent. Written at Devizes, at the Bear Hotel, Oct. 23rd 1914. Hope to be with you again at Salmon Arm B.C. before this date comes round again. "Tim", my fox terrier dog, is to become the property of Nina Stirling if anything fatal happens to me. Signed Gordon Stirling Oct. 23rd 1914. Louie Strathy (witness) P.S. Also the silver cigarette case in one of the trunks containing my clothes, etc.
Notes for James Francis Gordon Stirling: clipping from Salmon Arm newspaper in Nina Stirling's album:
Lt. Gordon Stirling Killed in Action
We regret to have to report the death from wounds of Lieutenant Gordon Stirling, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. R. Stirling of this city which took place on Friday last, September 22nd.
The late Lieut. Gordon Stirling had been in the B.C. Horse at Kelowna for three years before the outbreak of war. When war was declared he at once enlisted in the Strathcona Horse and left for England with his regiment as Orderly to Colonel McDonald. After the Lord Mayor's Show in London, in which pageant he was one of those chosen to represent the Canadian Troops, he was offered a temporary commission in the Horse Guards familiarly known as "the Blues" and after a period spent in training in this capacity went to the front as Second Lieutenant in that regiment.
He was shortly afterwards employed as Remount Officer for his regiment and obtained several drafts of horses in England which he took charge of and duly delivered to his regiment at the front. Being subsequently invalided with Trench Fever he spent sometime in a hospital after which he was removed to London for convalescence. In order to get back to the firing line as quickly as possible, and as cavalry was not wanted at the time. he took the opportunity offered him of a permanent commission in the Scots Guards and, after machine gun training, joined the machine gun section of Guards Brigade at the front subsequently being made second in command of the Brigade machine guns.
He went through much severe fighting with no injury excepting a slight wound in the hand caused by a bomb and in June last obtained the Military Cross for valour in going out under heavy fire to bring in two wounded men who were lying out in the open. The circumstances under which this perilous duty was performed were exceptional in the extreme. Word was brought in by a wounded artillery officer, who crawled back into the camp, that two wounded men were lying out under fire. Lieut. Stirling at once went to their assistance but finding the men too badly wounded to move. had to return for stretcher bearers. Two of these went back with the gallant Lieutenant but one lost his nerve and could not continue the journey so it devolved upon Lieutenant Stir1ing and the other gallant fellow (who secured the D.C.M. for his bravery) to do their best. They brought back one of the wounded men and then returned to the scene and succeeded in getting the other back to the line.
Singularly enough neither Lieutenant Stirling nor the stretcher bearer who assisted him received any wounds whilst undertaking this perilous duty but unfortunately one of the injured men was hit a second time whilst being carried into safety. It took about an hour to perform this arduous task during which Lieutenant Stirling had his steel helmet hit several times whilst his tunic was fairly riddled.
A cablegram containing the sad news of the death of this brave young officer was received by his parents last week-end. No word had been previously received as to his being wounded at all and it is therefore surmised that the wounds which were the cause of his death must have been inflicted at one of the daring battles which took place in the course of last week when the Guards and others succeeded in capturing. three lines of German trenches.
Submitted by Elspeth Flood
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