James Wilfred “Wicky” Ross of Belleville, Ontario lied about his age to enlist on April 13, 1916. He said he was eighteen when he was sixteen, and ended up serving as a driver with the 52nd Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery in France.

His father died when he was four years old and Ross got a job as a water boy for the Grant Trunk Railroad at age twelve to help support his mother, brother, and sister. During this time he was also going to school.

When his mother was informed that he arrived safely in France, the War Department asked, “What shall we do with him?” His mother replied, “I guess I will let him stay if that’s where he wants to be.”

After the war he worked for the railroad and married Winnifred Babcock. They had five children—Jean, Joan, Lorene, Jay, and Lois. Ross was an avid ball player and was part of the 1919 Grand Trunk Nationals ball team that won championships. In the 1980s, Ross had his name added to the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame.

His agility on the ball field came in handy one day at the Belleville Station when he dashed in front of an oncoming train to save a child that had wandered on to the tracks. The train missed them by merely inches.

He died in 1979.

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