Ernie Rochon
| Date and Place of Birth: | August 4, 1893 Fort William, Ontario, Canada |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 3, 1917 near Vimy, France |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Unknown |
| Rank: | Private |
| Military Unit: | Manitoba Regiment, 44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry |
| Area Served: | France |
Ernest E. Rochon, son of Eli and Arzelie Rochon, was born in Fort
William, Ontario, Canada, on August 4, 1893. His father was a hotel
keeper and Ernie was educated at St. Boniface College, a public school
in Winnipeg.
Ernie’s older brother, George, played minor league
baseball with the Regina Bone Pilers of the Class D Western Canada
League in 1909 and with the Edmonton Gray Birds of the same league in
1913. George also played professional hockey with the Pacific Coast
Hockey Association’s New Westminster Royals from 1912 to 1914. Ernie was
also a gifted athlete and was well-known in the local area for his
curling skills on the ice, as well as his abilities on the baseball
field. In 1912, aged 19, he had an excellent summer with a local
semi-pro team and finished out the season with the Winnipeg Maroons of
the Class C Central International League.
It was to be Ernie’s only dabble with professional
baseball. In 1916, he entered military service with the Manitoba
Regiment, 44th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry and fought
in the trenches of France.
Private Ernest Rochon, aged 23, was killed in
action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge on June 3, 1917. His body was
never recovered and he is remembered at the Vimy Memorial in Calais,
France.
Date Added: December 12, 2019
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