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Biography
Leslie Player
Leslie Player (Reg.No.4000111, A.20593) was born on October 9, 1896, in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, to parents William and Eliza (Bates) Player. He attended public school in Leeds from 1901 to 1910. On May 6, 1910, he and his family emigrated to Canada from Liverpool to Halifax on the SS Tunisia, arriving in Stratford on May 16. They lived at 20 Player St, where everyone living on the street was a Player, and Leslie returned to elementary school at Shakespeare School until he completed grade eight at age fourteen in 1910.
After leaving school, Leslie worked at several places, including Mooney Biscuit Factory, Levitts Cigar Factory, and the Grand Trunk Railway shops. In 1913, he signed as an apprentice mason and bricklayer with his grandfather, James Player, who was a self-employed general contractor ‘James Player & Sons Contractors’ in Stratford for several years, during which they built the Old Boat House, Market Building, and several stores and homes in the city. During his apprenticeship, Leslie worked in Detroit with his uncle, Fred Brown, until the fall of 1916 when he joined the 28th Regiment Militia in Stratford.
At 22 years old, Leslie Player signed his attestation papers on January 18, 1918, in London, Ontario, enlisting as a Private to the 1st Depot Battalion Western Ontario Regiment (WOR). With this unit he sailed overseas on the SS Cretio from Halifax to England, leaving on February 21, 1918, and arriving on March 4.
The following day, Private Player was transferred to the Overseas 4th Reserve Battalion stationed at Bramshott Camp in Hampshire, a major training and assembly facility for CEF forces. He was there for over a month until he was transferred on August 18, 1918, to the 1st Battalion Overseas stationed at Witley Camp in Surrey. With this battalion, Private Player sailed from England to France, arriving at the Canadian Base Depot in Etaples on August 20, 1918. Three days later, he arrived at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Centre near Montreuil, which managed troops and provided support to the front lines.
On August 27, 1918, Private Player left the 1st Battalion upon transfer to the 31st Battalion in the field. On September 9, 1918, he was wounded in field with a gunshot wound to his right arm. He was immediately admitted to the No.3 Australian General Hospital stationed in Abbeville, France. A couple days later he was transferred to the No.5 Convalescent Depot in Cayeux-sur-Mer, France, where he recovered from his wounds. He was discharged to B Depot at the Etaples Military Base where he underwent retraining before he could return to active duty.
After the war ended, they marched from Mons in Belgium to Bonn on the river Rhine and served with the army of occupation until April 1919. He returned to England and he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and sent to the Canadian Royal Engineers Unit (CREU) in Liphook where he taught mason and brickwork and tested all tradesmen who applied for Trades Pay as a bricklayer in the Canadian Army.
On May 2, 1919, he sailed from Southhampton on the SS Acadia and arrived in Halifax on May 22 and was discharged upon demobilization the same day.
Shortly after his discharge, he moved back to Stratford and worked for Bob Marson on several buildings, including the addition to Kroehler’s, Ballantyne Knitting Factory, Falstaff School, Seeback Hill Church, and several more. He then worked for Pounder Brothers for a period of two to three years. During this time, he worked on St. Johns United Church, Public Library, Bell Telephone, Ann Hathway School, Perth Mutual, and may more buildings.
In 1926, he was married to Pearl Krahling on September 18 in Gads Hill, Perth County. After their marriage, they lived in Stratford for two years, during which time his oldest son William Player was born on July 13, 1927. They moved to Gads Hill in 1929 into the old Krahling house and lived with the family, cut wood in the bush during the winter and helped John Krahling build the house on the west half of the farm at Lot 2 Concession 8, Ellice Township, Perth County. Building was completed in 1930, and Leslie purchased the old house from John at Lot 35 Concession 8, North Easthope Township, Perth County. Work was scarce but he took jobs plastering, rebuilding chimneys, and other renovation jobs as well as farmwork.
During the depression days, Leslie worked their lot into a productive garden and raised chickens, using an incubator to hatch their eggs. He papered rooms, helped hoe roots, anything to earn a dollar.
In July 1931 his son Stanley was born. They contracted to take care of the Schoolhouse. In February 1933 their daughter Margaret was born. He worked for contractors in Stratford who had jobs in Hanover, Woodstock, and surrounding community. In January 1937, their daughter Nelda was born. Somehow, they made ends meet.
In 1939 when the second World War broke out there was a need for tradesmen so on March 5, 1941, Leslie enlisted again at the No.1 District Depot in London, Ontario, with the Royal Canadian Engineers. On March 21 he was attached to the No.12 Recruit Training Centre in Chatham, Ontario, as a private. He remained there until May 19, when he was transferred to A5 Canadian Engineer Training Centre (CETC) at Camp Petawawa, Ontario. Upon his arrival the following day, he was ranked Sapper, the private-equivalent in the RCE.
He remained at A5 CETC for about a month, until he was transferred to No.1 Base Unit Construction Company (later the No.5 Canadian Construction Company) in Petawawa.
On July 26, 1941, he boarded the SS Duchess of York with the No.1 Base Unit Construction Company to Liverpool, England. His time with the RCE was to be spent helping build and rebuild camps, hospitals, and other important structures in England. Some of his relatives were still living in England, and most of his leaves were spent visiting them and renewing old friendships.
On August 11, 1941, Sapper Player was attached to the 6th Field Company RCE until September 6, when he was attached to 2nd Battalion RCE of the No.1 Canadian Construction Company. He was briefly attached to the 6th Field Company from October 6 to October 18 before returning to his battalion.
After a holiday leave, he was attached to Support Group Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps on January 15, 1942, and remained there for a month until he was attached to 2nd Training Battalion Royal Army Service Corps on February 12, 1942. He returned to the No.5 Canadian Construction Company and served there for a year before being transferred to the Engineer Reinforcement Unit (ERU) on February 17, 1943. In March 1943 Sapper Player was awarded a good conduct badge. Three months later, on June 3, 1943, he qualified for bricklayer B.
He quickly climbed the latter with the RCE, appointed to Acting Lance Corporal on July 3 to Acting Corporal on October 19, to Acting Lance Sergeant on April 18, 1944, to Acting Sergeant May 25, to Sergeant on August 25. On August 28, 1944, he qualified for Mason B.
With the war nearly over, on April 22, 1945, Sergeant Player left England for Canada on compassionate leave and reported at the No.1 District Depot in London, Ontario, on May 6, 1945. After the war ended, he was sent to No.10 Internment Camp Prisoners of War in Glencoe, Ontario, as camp engineer. He would take the prisoners out and watch over them as they hoed tobacco in the tobacco fields. When this was disbanded, he received his discharge on January 7, 1946.
Leslie was appointed a teacher in the Repatriation School in London for returned men wishing to learn trades. In the next few years, he worked at bricklaying and taught his sons the trade. His uncle James Player and two of his sons formed their company building houses, hospitals, schools, garages and maintenance buildings for the Department of Highways in Stratford, Lampton, Port Hope, Paris, New Liskeard, Bancroft, Ponte Poole, Hamilton, Kingston, and Chapleau.
By this time, due to family circumstances, Leslie sold the house in Gads Hill and bought the farm using his Veterans Land Act in 1949.
In 1966 Leslie retired from contracting and farmed for a few years gradually letting the stock go and share cropping until finally selling the farm to their grandson John Player in 1979 and rented the house. During retirement, he spent his time reading, gardening, knitting, baking bread, muffins, and cookies, going fishing, and tripping around to see the country.
Medals:
Defence Medal
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp
War Medal 1939-45
Good Conduct Badge