This roll of honour plaque was erected by the Black Creek Pioneer Village and the British Home Children Advocacy and Research Association on July 28th, 2014. It is dedicated to the 10,000 British Home Children who served and the almost 1000 who gave their lives during the First World War.
From 1863 – 1939, approximately 118,000 children were sent to Canada from the UK. Known as the British Home Children, they ranged in age from toddlers to adolescents, and were sent abroad by institutions such as Barnardo’s, Quarrier’s, The Salvation Army, and the Church of England to become indentured farm workers and domestics. Some were welcomed into homes – many more endured the harshest of conditions. When war broke out in 1914, many BHC saw an opportunity to return to their home country and enlisted as soldiers in an attempt to reunite with the families from whom they were taken. Almost 1000 British Home Children lost their lives in this war serving as Canadian soldiers.
