Thomas Charles Longboat
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name:
Longboat,
Thomas Charles
Date of birth: 1887-06-04
Place of birth: Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Next of kin: Loretta Longboat, wife. Caledonia, Ontario
Marital status: married
Occupation (attested): Professional Runner
Occupation (normalized): Professional Sportsman
Address:
Caledonia, Ontario
Religion: Church of England
Date of death:
1949-01-09
MILITARY INFORMATION
Regimental number: 862805
Rank detail
- Despatch Runner, 2nd Canadian Engineers Battalion, Canadian Engineers (Army). 1918-05-30 to 1919-05-09
- Despatch Runner, 107th Pioneer Battalion, Canadian Engineers (Army). 1917-01-18 to 1918-05-28
- Lance Corporal, 180th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Army). 1916-06-01 to 1917-01-18
- Private, 180th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Army). 1916-02-25 to 1917-01-06.
Note: Transferred from 125th Battalion
- Private, 125th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Army). 1916-02-17 to 1916-02-25.
Note: Transferred to 180th Battalion
Degree of service: Europe
Survived war: yes
Battle wounded/killed: Wounded
Commemoration location: Canadian Sports Hall of Fame
RESEARCH INFORMATION
LAC ID:
536020
Service file: B5730-S027
Uploader's Notes: An Onondaga from the Six Nations Grand River Reserve, a world champion long-distance runner. In 1907, he won the Boston Marathon. In 1909 he won the world professional marathon championships at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. As a despatch carrier with the 107th Pioneer Battalion in France, Longboat ran messages and orders between units. He also kept in competitive form by racing in inter-battalion sporting contests, many of which he won. At the 1918 Canadian Corps Dominion Day competitions, Longboat won the eight-mile [13-kilometre] race. The famous runner was wounded twice during his time of service. Once he was declared dead, but he survived the war and returned to Canada in 1919 [Wounds are not shown in Longboat's military service record, which would have shown such casualties. This information may have come from reporting errors by the Press, or rumours]. Tom Longboat died in 1949 at the age of 62. He is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Indian Hall of Fame.
Uploader's Research notes: An Onondaga from the Six Nations Grand River Reserve, a world champion long-distance runner. In 1907, he won the Boston Marathon. In 1909 he won the world professional marathon championships at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. As a despatch carrier with the 107th Pioneer Battalion in France, Longboat ran messages and orders between units. He also kept in competitive form by racing in inter-battalion sporting contests, many of which he won. At the 1918 Canadian Corps Dominion Day competitions, Longboat won the eight-mile [13-kilometre] race. The famous runner was wounded twice during his time of service. Once he was declared dead, but he survived the war and returned to Canada in 1919 [Wounds are not shown in Longboat's military service record, which would have shown such casualties. This information may have come from reporting errors by the Press, or rumours]. Tom Longboat died in 1949 at the age of 62. He is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Indian Hall of Fame.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Date added: 2005-03-09
Last modified: 2021-07-10