The Youngest Drummer: Ned McRobie

Children shared in the excitement and the uncertainty of the era. Many would remember the first world war as a period of great high adventure, capped by the return of fathers or brothers from exotic places and distant wars. Many others, especially those whose loved ones never came home, would remember it as a time of economic hardship, grinding tragedy, or unbearable grief.

The war affected all children, but older children participated directly in a wide variety of ways, often through recreational clubs, community groups or service organizations. Boy Scouts and Girl Guides collected money for the Canadian Patriotic Fund and other social support agencies. Young girls made bandages for the medical corps and knit articles of clothing for care packages. Children assumed greater responsibilities in homes and in the labour force, and many worked on farms or in businesses at an early age.

This uniform belonged to Edward ‘Ned’ McRobie who was the son of John McRobie, Petrolia‘s mayor during the First World War. Ned was made the mascot of Lambton’s 149^th Battalion in 1915 and travelled throughout Ontario with his parents to aid the provincial recruiting drive. Postcards of him in uniform were sold for 10¢ each with proceeds going towards Canada’s Patriotic Fund which assisted families of soldiers in need. During the First World War children assumed greater responsibilities in homes and many worked on farms or in businesses at an early age.