Rex Calvin
Fellow officer
Mentioned: 1916, 1917, 1918
Comrades in the field Reginald Marsh Calvin, born November 16, 1889: the younger of two brothers in the Canadian Engineers, and brother of the diary's Jack Calvin (their service records give the same home and next of kin). In March 1916, when Smeed Bull is wounded, Robertson notes that Bull is "taking R. Calvin's place." Rex is then "still in England" through the spring of 1917 (one of the officers senior to Robertson on the promotion list, but unavailable), and is back in France by March 7, 1918, "now that the V Div. is bust up," the same day Teddy Birkett returns.
On the Corps seniority list Robertson kept he appears just below his brother, with the same seniority date of 2 December 1915, transcribed there as "Calvin, R.N.": probably a misreading of "R.M."
Appears in the diary · 3 entries
1916
- 1 March 1916… o lazy to go up the line. - Wrote letters & visited 2nd Army Troops Co’y - Smeed Bull shot thro’ thigh - Taking R. Calvin’s place - R.E. (1) Major. - 59th Div. visiting us for instructions. Relief night.
1917
- 17 May 1917… to England – McCuaig is running the 3rd A.T. Co'y & as he is next on the list will probably get his step, – as Rex Calvin is still in England. – That leaves Fether top man & he should get his at corps so that if …
1918
- 7 March 1918… l. Jolly well tired to-night. – Rode Simpson’s nag up to Boswell’s this aft & I won’t be able to walk tomorrow. Rex Calvin was in this morning. – Teddy Birkett is back & a lot of others will be too now that the V …