The Origins and History of the Bliss Family of Medicine Hat and the Infamous Bill Bliss

Introduction:

Growing up in Medicine Hat, Alberta during the 50’s and 60’s brings back many fond memories and many interesting experiences. As we grow older and reminisce with family and friends about the past, these memories, for whatever reason, seem to take on greater importance in our lives.

I have always enjoyed reading about history and most recently, I became fascinated with the history of WWI. This was prompted by the discovery of pictures of my wife’s grandfather Thomas Medlicott and her great uncle, Edward Medlicott, who were both members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and who served gallantly overseas in the Great War. Both of these brothers were fortunate enough return to Canada from that conflict, while another brother George Medlicott, a member of the British Army, was not as lucky. He paid the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield of France, (Flanders) having been killed in action on the 6^th of June 1918.

Recently, I had occasion to travel to France and Belgium and visited the Vimy Ridge Canadian War Memorial and famous WWI landmarks and cemeteries including familiar places or names like Ypres, Passchendaele and the infamous Hill 60, among many others. This evoked an even greater interest and passion in this remarkable chapter of our world history. READ ON