Gordon Murray Beaton makes it to the end of the war in Purfleet on Thames England as part of the Canadian Railway Group there. Still, though the documents don’t expressly state it I get the impression that for the first time the military start to show some frustration with him. For even here in Purfleet far from the action of the war he has difficulty. The noise coming from some of the machinery involved in manufacturing the rails and the cars trigger his shell shock at times. He does make it to the end of the war, but just barely. He is struck off strength of the Canadian Railroad Troops in mid November 1918 shortly after the war is over. As a result Sergeant Beaton is extremely fortunate. He doesn’t have to deal with the frustration that the rest of the troops face getting back home to Canada. He is among the first to arrive back in Halifax Canada after the war. He arrives on the Aquitania at the end of November. He is then discharged from the London Ontario Depot on December 14, 1918. Isabella Ross Beaton finally has her husband back. Lorraine has her Dad back. Gordon has survived the Great War . He has plans to enroll in a Dental School. The last stamp on his discharge certificate pertains to his conduct and character. It reads , “Very Good.” Yes, on the surface, it all looks very good.
