William Shardlow was born January 18th, 1878 in South Normanton, Derbyshire, England. He immigrated to South Africa in 1898 and then participated in the Boer War from 1899 to 1902 as a member of the Imperial Yeomanry. The Imperial Yeomanry were a mounted force of the British Army. Post war from 1902 to 1907 he continued to live in South Africa serving as a member of the South African Constabulary which included Diamond Mine service. He later came to the U.S.A landing in New York and then travelled across the U.S. doing odd jobs. In 1911 he joined the North West Mounted Police with residence in Medicine Hat, Alberta. With the outbreak of war he enlisted with the Canadian Army in Lethbridge and became a member of the 8th Battalion who were nicknamed “the Little Black Devils of Canada”. They were an infantry unit. In 1916 William was married to Bella Whyte. They had four boys. He joined the Canadian Immigration Department in 1928 working at Coutts, Alberta and retired in 1944. Eventually moving to Lethbridge William passed away on February 1st, 1965.
