Sergeant Sidney Joseph Unwin

1. Sergeant (Army).
2. Gunner (Army).

Military Medal

Son of Mrs. Julia Unwin, of The White House, Hook, Basingstoke, Hants.

After serving for three years in Boer War with the 1st City of London Artillary, he emigrated to Banff, Alberta and became engaged in the guiding and outfitting business, "having learned to love the life of the open as he slept under the Southern Cross during the Boer War". A diploma conveying to him the personal thanks of his King and of Parliament for valued and devoted service in the Boer War was displayed on the wall of his home in Banff.

His adventures appear in two books : "Old Indian Trails" by Mary T. S. Shaffer, and "Trail Life in the Canadian Rockies" by B.W.Mitchell. When Mary Shaffer's nephew, Eric Sharples, was killed in the war, Sid asked for three days leave to search for his body, but was unsuccessful and it was never found. Mary Scaffer named Mount Unwin in Jasper National Park after him.

B.W.Mitchell writes in "Trail Life in Canadian Rockies" :"A sentence from the last letter he ever wrote reveals the spirit of the man; "Aside from having my right arm blown off at the shoulder,being totally deafened by shell-fire,and having my head full of shell fragments, I'm fine and dandy." This was no affectation of courage; he meant it. When he was thus horribly wounded, he had just ordered his gun crew to leave the battery and go back to their dug-out because, "it's too dangerous; the Boche has the range", and he was serving his gun alone. They got him back to Blighty (England) ; and he was listed as convalescent, when a hearty laugh jarred one of the shell fragments into a vital corner of his brain and all was over. God rest a noble spirit."