WWII
These collections contains all materials relating to Canadian from 1939 to 1945. Some individual collections may contain materials beyond this time frame. External links in collection descriptions are to casualty and burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Jackson / Clark Family
One part of the collection consists of letters written by Harry Clark, Jr., to his mother, Jane (Jennie) Clark, in London, Ontario, after he had enlisted in the Canadian Army. The other letters were received by a distant relative, Kathleen Jackson (née Hastings), while she was recovering from tuberculosis in London, Ontario. The letters, which describe conditions in wartime Britain, were written by relatives of Kathleen’s father Hugh Hastings, who died while convalescing from wounds sustained in the First World War.
Lapointe, Paul
Paul Lapointe was born in Chicoutimi, Quebec on Jan 30, 1905. He enlisted on February 26, 1943 and sailed overseas on July 19, 1944. He served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He returned to England on August 1, 1945 and back to Canada on January 23, 1946. Paul Lapointe passed away on November 7, 2002. This collection consists of four letters and one diary in the original French with English translations, as well as photographs and miscellaneous documents.
Lee, Robina Evelyn
The collection contains three letters from Robina Evelyn Lee home to her parents in Glasgow detailing her journey from Britain to Vancouver. She was coming to Canada as a war bride after marrying Alfred Roberston Lee, a member of the Canadian Navy whom she met in Britain during the war. Also included are other items such as some individual photographs, wedding photographs, and a photograph of the ship on which she came to Canada.
Loney, Edward (Ted)
Edward (Ted) Loney was born in October, 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1943 Loney joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and served as an anti-aircraft gunner until he returned to Canada in 1946. The collection consists of more than one hundred letters.
MacCausland, Vincent Sanford
Vincent Sanford MacCausland was born in Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island on February 1, 1913. He enlisted in March, 1940 with the RCAF before being attached to the 617 Squadron RAF. MacCausland was killed on a raid on May 17, 1943. The collection consists of fourteen letters and several photographs.
Martyn, William Wallace Haig
William Wallace Haig Martyn was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in December, 1915. He joined the RAF in 1936 and during the war he flew with Squadron Nos. 802, 758, 759, 760, and 880 and was awarded the DSC. The collection consists of more than 140 letters written by Martyn from 1939 to 1945.
Montague, Gerald Vincent
Gerald Vincent Montague was born in London, England in August, 1910. He emigrated to Canada in the 1920s. Montague enlisted in September, 1939 and served with The Canadian Scottish, 7th Division, 3rd Battalion, C Company in France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany before returning to Canada in 1946.
Moore, Joseph Lorne
Joseph Lorne Moore enlisted with the RCAF in 1943 at the age of 19 and served overseas with the 436th Squadron stationed in India. The collection consists of more than sixty letters, as well as photographs and other personal items.
Morlidge, Arthur Bryan
Arthur Bryan Morlidge was from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. He served with the 419 Squadron as a Flying Officer until he was shot down and killed in October, 1942. He is buried in the Netherlands. The collection currently consist of personal correspondence, official correspondence concerning his death, and some photographs.
Mouat, William Ivan
William Ivan Mouat left Salt Spring Island in British Columbia to join the RCAF and was sent overseas in 1941. In July 1943 Mouat was shot down over Belgium and remained a prisoner of war until he was liberated in May 1945. The collection consists of eighteen letters, seven telegrams, three photos and other documents related to his experience as a prisoner of war.
Nelson, Alfred Fern
Alfred Fern Nelson was born in Victoria, British Columbia in July, 1924 and served overseas with the Calgary Highlanders. Nelson was wounded in France in the summer of 1944 and then taken prisoner in the fall of 1944. He remained a prisoner of war in Germany until the end of the war. The collection consist of more than thirty letters.
Neufeld, Leslie Abram
Leslie Neufeld Abram was born in Nipawin, Saskatchewan in 1922. Neufeld was part of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, "C" Coy, some of the first Canadians to land in France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was killed early on the morning of the 6th in an assault on a concrete bunker. The collection consists of his last letter home written on June 4th, a photograph, and some poems written by Neufeld while in high school.
Paterson, T.A.
This collection currently consists of one letter written in 1943 to Tom Paterson from his father while Tom was serving in Italy.
Quinlan, Dennis John
Flight Officer Dennis John Quinlan was born in Edmonton, Alberta on April 4, 1920 and later moved to Calgary. Quinlan joined the R.C.A.F. in September of 1940 and participated in 25 operations before he was killed on August 17, 1942, at the age of 22.
Richards, Edward Gordon Coke
Flight Sergeant Edward "Ted" Gordon Coke Richards was born on October 10, 1916 and served as a gunner with the 49th Squadron. He was killed on a raid over Germany, March 15, 1945, leaving behind a wife and infant daughter in Canada. The collection consists of five letters, two photographs, and seventeen poems he wrote while stationed overseas.
Rimer, Val
This consists of a letter written home by Val "Max" Rimer to his mother, December 1943 from Italy. Also included is a postcard depicting the Queen Elizabeth, the ship which took Rimer to Europe and brought him home to Canada.
Ross, Colin Sewell
Colin Sewell Ross was born in November, 1921 and lived in Toronto, where he studied at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto from 1940-1941. In 1941 he joined the army. Ross served with the 4th Canadian Armoured Division and the 29th Canadian Armoured Recce Regt., fighting in France, Belgium, and Holland, and finished the war with the rank of Lt.-Col. Following the war he returned to the University of Toronto and graduated in medicine in 1950. Ross died in April, 2001. The collection consists of photographs and some personal items from his time in the army. See also the James Wells Ross collection in WWI (his father) and the Gladys Hope Sewell Ross collection in WWI (his mother).
Scandiffio, Francis Michael
Francis (Frank) Michael Scandiffio was born on December 24, 1913 and served as a Pilot Officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war. Frank was killed on July 15, 1944. The collection consists of twenty-nine letters written home by Tom as well as official correspondence relating to his death. See also the correspondence of his brother Thomas.
Scandiffio, Thomas Peter
Thomas (Tom) Peter Scandiffio was born on April 12, 1913 and served as a Warrant Officer Class II with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war. Thomas was killed June 6, 1943. The collection consists of more than twenty letters written home by Tom as well as official correspondence relating to hi deaths. See also the correspondence of his brother Frank.