Hello Heather......
Just checked the Casualty list for a Charles Bridger and as you have found there is no one listed with the initial "C"......
The funny thing is the name Jenning's...... I do not know how common it is but I have two Jennings in my collection......
JENNINGS, S. (Samuel)
REG. NO.: 4653
RANK: PRIVATE
REGT: ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS
I understand that he is the son of a truant officer originally from Scotland but after his mother died the family Father and 5 Children went to Ireland...... The father died and the children were put into care and as soon as they were old enough the Boys were put into the Army and the Girls were put into service...... After his service with the Inniskilling's he stayed in the Army and served with the Gordon Highlanders (his fathers old regiment)...... He died in Liverpool but I do not have a date yet.......
JENNINGS, P. J. (Percy John)
REG. NO.: 22749
RANK: LANCE-SERGEANT
REGT: 33rd COMPANY, ROYAL EAST KENT, 11th BATTALION, IMPERIAL YEOMANRY
BORN: CANTERBURY, KENT, 1881
DIED: BANFF, ALBERTA, CANADA 1947
Percy John Jennings was born at Canterbury, Kent, England on August 31st, 1881. After completing his elementary education he studied science and was articled with an engineering firm in England for three years. In 1903 to 1908 he was assistant engineer engaged on preliminary surveys, estimates and design of water supply dams, pipelines, river crossings, etc. at Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony, South Africa. Later he was resident engineer on the construction of Sand River Dam, and Bolk River Dam, in South Africa. He came to Canada in 1908, and contracted in Manitoba to build 250 miles of telephone lines. The next year he joined C.P.R.'s (Canadian Pacific Railway) irrigation department. He first worked under Col. J. S. Dennis on the construction of the company's irrigation system north of Stathmore, Alta. In 1911 he joined the irrigation branch of the Department of the Interior. After service in World War One he returned to the Department of the Interior and worked on various irrigation systems in Southern Alberta. In 1931 he was made Superintendent of Banff National Park where he remained until retiring in 1946. He was also in charge of the Royal Visit in 1939 of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He had then been superintendent of Banff National Park for fifteen years.
Major Jennings served from 1900 to 1902 in the South African campaign with the 33rd Company (Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles) Imperial Yeomanry, and he joined the 4th Canadian Pioneers as a Captain and Adjutant when the First World War broke out, serving overseas for three and a half years. On arrival in England with the 4th Pioneers he was seconded to the British Army, Royal Engineers. He received a mention in despatches and the O.B.E. [Military], (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), for services in East Africa along the Abyssinian border, where he met Salomi chiefs to arrange terms of punishment for treachery during the war. He had been the first white man to enter that territory in two years. Major Jennings was again awarded the O.B.E. in 1946 for "special and extra services rendered during the war" but as he had already been awarded the Officer (Military) in that grade, the second award was canceled. He was re-nominated for the C.B.E. [Civil] (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) but passed away before the award was confirmed.
Major Jennings was one of the original members of the Alberta Military Institute, he was director in 1928 and 1929, while serving in 13th Detachment Corps of Guides (Militia) from 1921 to 1925 he was appointed district intelligence officer at M.D. (Military District) 13 Calgary. He was a charter member of the Calgary Branch of the Engineering Institute, Chairman of the Branch in 1922-23 and Councilor representing the Branch in 1928. He was also a member of the Alberta Association of Professional Engineers.
Mike
