Description
North West Canada Medal 1885, no bar, Private Gustave “Gus” Turner, 63rd Rifles, Halifax Provisional Battalion.
Contemporarily engraved in upright capitals: “Pte G. Turner, 63rd Rifles, H.P.B.”
Gustave Turner is confirmed on the medal roll as having served with the Halifax Provisional Battalion during the 1885 War, Canada’s “First War”.
The Halifax Provisional Battalion was put together in 1885 in response to the war.
It was under the command of Lieut Col James J. Bremner, consisting of 350 Soldiers making up 3 companies from the Princess Louise Fusiliers, 3 Companies of the 63rd Halifax Rifles (formerly Halifax Volunteer Battalion), and 2 Companies from the 1st Halifax Brigade of Garrison Artillery, with 32 Officers.
Gustave Turner hailed from the companies supplied by the 63rd Halifax Rifles, the 1886 Militia Pay Lists show him as still a member of the 63rd Regiment, Halifax Rifles.
The 1885-6 Active Drill register records him as “Gus Turner”.
In 1907 Governor General Earl Grey declared: “This Battalion went out as Nova Scotians, they returned Canadians.”
According to the roll of the “Members of the Militia Force lately on Active Service in the North-West, claiming to be entitled to Grants of Land.”
Gustave Turner was a Private in the Halifax Provincial Battalion, 21 Years old, unmarried and lived at 184 Argyle Street.
For his services with F Company, Halifax Provisional Battalion, he received Scrip note 387 from the Minister of the Interior for 80 Dollars.
The Canadian Archives have a copy of his documentation and an excellent scan of his official Land Grant.
