Private Russell Wortman Jepson

CEF no. 696

Russell Wortman Jepson was born on 8 April 1895 in London, ON. As a young adult he worked as a clerk for Smallman & Ingram’s store and resided with his mother M. Jepson, 2 older brothers Marsden and Fredrick, and his younger sister Lilian. He served 4 years in the Canadian Militia and moved to Winnipeg where he was employed with T. Eaton Co. On 21 September 1914, he enlisted in the 8^th Canadian Infantry Battalion. He arrived in Belgium in mid-February 1915, and survived the German’s first use of mustard gas at Ypres on 22 April 1915. He was killed three days later near Gravenstafel.

He is commemorated on page 21 of the First World War Book of Remembrance, (Memorial Chamber, Peace Tower, Parliament Hill).

Grave: unknown.

Commemorated on: Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.