Born on 17 June 1882 to Joseph and Mary Lynn, in Belleville (Sidney Township), Hastings County, Ontario. When he was just 17 years old, Lynn identified his trade as that of a butcher and claimed to be 22 years old in order to enlist for service in the South African (Anglo-Boer) War, on 21 October 1899. Lynn served with the XV Battalion Belleville (he also served with the 15th Argyle Light Infantry and the 49th Hastings Regiment). He saw active service at Cape Colony, Paardeberg, and Driefontein. The Boer War was Canada’s first foreign war, and although Canada had entered as a British dominion, this war been cited as helped provide a sense of growing independence in Canada, as well as highlighting internal differences between the French, who sympathized with the Boers with what they viewed as British imperialism, and English-Canada, who “rallied to the British cause.” [Canadian Encyclopaedia]. Lynn returned home on 5 November, was discharged on 15 November 1900.
He subsequently trained as a civil engineer, and may have worked for the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission prior to re-enlisting on 24 September 1914 as part of the Canadian Infantry. Lynn rose through the ranks, becoming a Lieutenant, then Major. He earned an award for his service at Ypres and is mentioned in “Shoestring Solders” with the 1st Canadian Division defending Gravenstafel Ridge, 22-23 April, 1915; was mentioned in dispatches, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916, earned the Distinguished Service Order in 1917 for service with the 2nd Field Company Engineers. Edison Lynn died in Hampstead, London, in 1960.
