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Victory Medal
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Biography
Private Albert Alexander Hattie was born October 3, 1898 at Copper Lake, Antigonish County. He was the son of Alexander William Hattie and Elizabeth Jane “Libbie” Murray. His brother James Edgar MacHattie also served in the First World War. While some of his family members changed their surnames to MacHattie, Hattie did not change his surname. Before enlistment, Hattie worked as a farmer at Copper Lake.
Hattie enlisted in Antigonish April 21, 1916 with the 193rd Nova Scotia Highlander Battalion. He sailed from Halifax to England on the S.S. Olympic October 12, 1916 and disembarked in Liverpool October 19, 1916. Shortly after his arrival, Hattie was diagnosed with pnuemonia at Witley camp, Surrey on October 28, 1916 and was admitted to Bramshott Military Hospital in Hampshire. On January 13, 1917, he was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Bearwood, Wookingham, Berkshire. Following his recovery from pnuemonia, Hattie was posted to the 17th Canadian Reserve Battalion in Bramshott January 23, 1917. A little over a month later, Hattie was transferred to Canadian Machine Gun Depot in Crowborough March 3, 1917. On August 19, 1917 he was transfered to the Machine Gun Pool in Seaford and was sent to France on August 20, 1917 to serve with the 4th Machine Gun Corps. Hattie then transfered to the 13th Machine Gun Corps on October 11, 1917. This unit was later absorbed into the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps on March 19, 1918. Hattie served in France until March of 1919 when he returned to England and was sent back to Canada in April. He was discharged due to demobilzation in Halifax April 29, 1919.
Family history says that Hattie endured boughts of pnemonia and two boughts of mustard gas while serving. He spoke of his experiences in the war in his later years. These were recorded and shared with the museum and are posted below.
After the war, Hattie returned to Copper Lake and farmed on his family’s farm. He also worked as a land surveyor and travelled around Nova Scotia for his job while continuing to reside at Copper Lake, Antigonish County. Hattie died January 8, 1988 at R.K. MacDonald Home in the town of Antigonish, Antigonish County.
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