Commanding Officer 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders) 1914 – 1915
LCol J.A Currie VD was born in Nottawa February 25, 1868 and was with the 48th Highlanders since The Regiment was founded in 1891. In 1892 he was a Captain Company Officer.
Prior to the war Currie had been an author, journalist and Member of Parliament for Simcoe North. He was the Commanding Officer of the 48th at the outbreak of the war and subsequently became the first CO of the 15th Battalion C.E.F when it formed at Valcartier in 1914 as part of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division. He took the Battalion to Salisbury, England for initial training before it went to Belgium in February 1915. LCol Currie was replaced as CO after the Canadian’s first major battle at 2nd Ypres and returned to Canada where he was promoted Colonel and made Commandant of Camp Borden.
In his literary pursuits, Currie authored “A Quartette of Lovers” in 1892, a collection of poetry, and later penned “The Red Watch: With the First Canadian Division in Flanders” in 1916, detailing his wartime experiences.
Currie’s political career included serving as the Member of Parliament for Simcoe North and later representing Toronto Southeast Seat A and St. Patrick in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario during the 15th to 17th Parliaments.
He passed away on June 28, 1931, and is interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.
