838758 Pte. Richardson Kendall Haskett was born in Markdale, Ontario, on July 14th, 1893, the youngest son of George and Mary Haskett's eight children. Amongst these children where two sets of twins, which included Richardson and his sister, Katherine.
Known as Kendall, or Ken, he was working as a jeweler when he enlisted in the 147th Battalion, in Owen Sound, on February 1st, 1916. His older brother, Gladwin Washington Haskett (b. 1889), a foreman, had preceded him into the forces, enlisting at Niagara, through the 31st Regiment's quota of men destined for the 37th Battalion. Another brother, George Chester Haskett (b. 1885), a railway construction foreman, was conscripted and signed on in Toronto, in January of 1918, being assigned to the 1st C.O.R., under service number 3231710.
Billeted locally over the winter, Kendall would have lived at home until the unit left for centralized training in the spring of 1916. The 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in May to finalize the administration and organization of the unit, just prior to their departure for Camp Niagara later that month. As the conditions in this Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June.
In September the unit received their orders to proceed overseas. While en route for Halifax there was an outbreak of diphtheria and they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month. The unit finally sailed for Great Britain, aboard the SS Olymic, on November 14th 1916.
On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion, whose task it was to supply reinforcements to the 58th Battalion and the 4th C.M.R. The then Lance-Corporal Kendall Haskett voluntarily reverted to the rank of Private and was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. on September 27th, 1917, though he was immediately admitted to hospital with an infected foot.
Rejoining the unit in November, he was once again medically evacuated in January of 1918, suffering from a number of aliments including Trench Fever. Although discharged from hospital in May of 1918, medical conditions kept him in England for the duration of the war. On January 20th, 1919, Kendall transferred to the fledgling Canadian Air Force as a technician.
838758 Private Kendall Richardson Haskett, was struck off strength of the Canadian Air Force on July 17th, 1919.
All three serving brothers survived the war.
Credit and many thanks go George Auer for the above biography.