William was the son of Hugh Chambers and Elizabeth McRae. He had four sisters, Jane, Annie, Martha and Charlotte. A brother, John McRae, died as an infant in 1872 and Charlotte died in 1884 at age eight. After completing high school William attended medical school at the University of Toronto. He graduated in 1902 or 1903 then continued his studies in England, earning a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and a diploma from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. He specialized in eye, ear, nose and throat problems and became a member of the Ophthalmological Society of Great Britain.
Dr. Chambers married Olive Watson Buchanan in Lewisham, London, England on July 26, 1913. They lived in Calgary where Dr. Chambers established a successful practice and also provided medical services at the local children’s clinic. A son, Ewan Buchanan, was born in Calgary on December 8, 1915.
The war started in August 1914 and Dr. Chambers enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps on September 19, 1915, getting a commission as a Captain. He served in Canada with Medical Services for almost four years and was discharged on demobilization on June 7, 1919 in Calgary. Around that same time Olive and Ewan went to England to visit relatives and they ended up staying in Great Britain until March 1920.
In January 1920 Dr. Chambers was returning from a short business trip to New York when the train he was on was involved in a tragic accident. It happened on the morning of January 25th near Corbeil, a small village southeast of North Bay, Ontario. The engine had stalled due to cold weather and the train was struck by another engine approaching from behind. Dr. Chambers was one of eight people who were killed, all of them in a rear passenger car. At least a dozen others were injured. Dr. Chambers’ remains arrived in Calgary on February 2nd and his funeral was held the following day.
His son Ewan graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a medical degree in 1943 then served as a U.S. army surgeon in France. Following the war he had a long career as an obstetrician in Baltimore, Maryland.
Bio courtesy of the Kenora Great War Project
William was the son of Hugh Chambers and Elizabeth McRae. He had four sisters, Jane, Annie, Martha and Charlotte. A brother, John McRae, died as an infant in 1872 and Charlotte died in 1884 at age eight. After completing high school William attended medical school at the University of Toronto. He graduated in 1902 or 1903 then continued his studies in England, earning a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and a diploma from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. He specialized in eye, ear, nose and throat problems and became a member of the Ophthalmological Society of Great Britain.
Dr. Chambers married Olive Watson Buchanan in Lewisham, London, England on July 26, 1913. They lived in Calgary where Dr. Chambers established a successful practice and also provided medical services at the local children’s clinic. A son, Ewan Buchanan, was born in Calgary on December 8, 1915.
The war started in August 1914 and Dr. Chambers enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps on September 19, 1915, getting a commission as a Captain. He served in Canada with Medical Services for almost four years and was discharged on demobilization on June 7, 1919 in Calgary. Around that same time Olive and Ewan went to England to visit relatives and they ended up staying in Great Britain until March 1920.
In January 1920 Dr. Chambers was returning from a short business trip to New York when the train he was on was involved in a tragic accident. It happened on the morning of January 25th near Corbeil, a small village southeast of North Bay, Ontario. The engine had stalled due to cold weather and the train was struck by another engine approaching from behind. Dr. Chambers was one of eight people who were killed, all of them in a rear passenger car. At least a dozen others were injured. Dr. Chambers’ remains arrived in Calgary on February 2nd and his funeral was held the following day.
His son Ewan graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a medical degree in 1943 then served as a U.S. army surgeon in France. Following the war he had a long career as an obstetrician in Baltimore, Maryland.
Bio courtesy of the Kenora Great War Project
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W.J. Chambers, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.
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