Seymour Tyler was born in 1898, and died in February of 1985.
Seymour enlisted in the No.2 Construction Battalion in 1916 and served in
France. He was wounded at Camel Hill in 1917 while serving with the 8th
Winnipeg Battalion (Little Black Devils). During World War I (1914-1918) he
received the British War Medal, and the Victory (or Inter-Allied War) Medal.
During the 1982 reunion of the No.2 Construction Battalion, Seymour said;
"Do not let anyone tell you different, no man is any braver than a
Black man. He has everything that it takes, and he has proven it, although he
has not received recognition for his courage. After all, the Black man went
over there, he trained like a soldier and died like a soldier, he fought like a
soldier, and that is all any White man can do."
In 1939 Band Sargeant Tyler went on active service with his militia unit, and went overseas with the Carleton & York Regiment in December 1939. Tyler had the honor of leading his regiment ashore when their ship landed in Greenock, Scotland.
A source of great pride to Band Sargeant Tyler was the silver bugle presented to him by the Warrant and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Carleton & York Regiment. During a parade at Aldershot, His Majesty King George VI spoke with Seymour about this proud possession. In 1941 Seymour was wounded during an air raid attack and he was invalided back to Canada.
During World War II (1939-1945) he received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with bar, and the Defense Medal.
Following the war, Tyler worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway for 19 years as a Sleeping Car Porter.
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Brunswick Community College - Saint John.