My Military Ancestor – Arnott Grier Mordy

Day 2 of the 11-day Military Challenge

Arnott Grier Mordy was born in Almonte, Ontario and was working as an accountant at the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Winnipeg when WWI broke out.

In 1914 he enlisted and first served with the Cameron Highlanders, later being transferred to the 16th Canadian Scottish Division.

During the duration of the war Arnott attained the rank of Major, was severely wounded twice and gassed once. He was mentioned in dispatches twice and awarded the D.S.O.

Arnott married Evelyn Clouse after the war and they had two sons.

In 1957 Arnott dies in Ottawa and his obituary was printed in the Ottawa Journal

Ottawa Journal

Monday Dec. 2, 1957

A.G. Mordy Banker Dies Suddenly

Arnott Grier Mordy, at one time bank manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce Ottawa died suddenly at his home on Saturday at the age of 71.

Mr. Mordy was born in Almonte, the eldest son of James Mordy and Sarah Wilson. He received his early education at the Almonte High School under Dr. P.C. McGregor. At the age of 14 he joined the Quebec Bank in Pembroke, subsequently transferring to the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Montreal. In 1912 he was appointed accountant at the Winnipeg branch, and in August 1914 he enlisted in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada.

He served in France with the Sixteenth Battalion, the Canadian Scottish, from July 1915 to October 1918, attaining the rank of major and becoming second in command of the battalion. He was seriously wounded twice and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, as well as being twice mentioned in dispatches.

In 1919 he rejoined the Canadian Bank of Commerce, serving as the inspector in Head Office and subsequently in the Hamilton division. He was appointed successively manager at Kingston, Chatham and Ottawa serving here for 13 years before retiring in 1948.

He was a member of the Country Club and the Royal Ottawa Gold Club. For a number of years he served as president of the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa and Carleton County. He attended St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church where for some time he was chairman of the Temporal Committee. Later he was appointed an Elder of the Kirk Session and for four years he was chairman for the Glebe Trustees. For several years until his death he was Honorary Treasurer of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

In 1922 he married Evelyn Clouse of Toronto, who survives him, also two sons, Rockwell Peck and Alan Grier Urquhart, and one grandson John Arthur Grier, all of Ottawa.

The body is at Hulse and Playfair’s, 325 McLeod street, and the funeral service will be in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Internment will be in Auld Kirk cemetery, Almonte, Rev. Dr. Ian Burnett officiating.

Not bad for an Ottawa boy as the newspaper clipping described him.

#mymilitaryancestor