Collections List | Canadian Letters

Stigant, Ernest

Sapper Ernest Stigant was born in England on January 17, 1876, and had served with the London Rifle Brigade prior to coming to Canada in 1901.

Stigant, a motor driver, enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on April 4, 1916 with the 2nd Field Troops, Canadian Engineers. He sailed to England in June of 1916 aboard the SS Missanabie, and served in France with the No. 6 Field Company, Canadian Engineers. Stigant was wounded May 13, 1917 at Neuville-Saint-Vaast near Arras and was hospitalized, first in France and then in England. He did not recover from his wounds and died on January 3, 1918 at the No. 16 Canadian General (Ontario) Hospital in Orpington, England.

External links:
Sapper Ernest Stigant’s service record (Serv/Reg# 505026) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Stigant can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Dunn, Francis Albert

Flight Sergeant Francis “Frank” Albert Dunn was born on February 24, 1907 to parents Albert Percival and Edna Frances Dunn.

Dunn enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force and served overseas with the 419 (Moose) Squadron. On the night of May 23, 1943 Dunn was the flight engineer aboard a Handley Page Mk II (JB862) that left RAF Middleton St. George on a mission to Dortmund, Germany. The plane was shot down early on May 24th. According to the Operational Log of 419 Squadron, “This aircraft took off to attack Dortmund with bomb load as above. Nothing further was heard from it after take-off, and its failure to return is presumed to be due to enemy action.” Dunn was the only survivor of the crew of seven and was subsequently taken prisoner.

Content notes:
The collection consists of a single letter written in early May of 1945 after his escape as a P.O.W. and his return to England.

Editor notes:
In addition to Dunn, the crew of the Halifax consisted of three other members of the R.C.A.F and three members of the R.A.F.V.R. (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve).

External links:
Aircrew flying with Dunn on May 23/24, 1943:
      R.C.A.F. W/O Arthur Stanley Green service record (Serv/Reg# R107004)
      R.C.A.F. F/S Joseph Prieur service record (Serv/Reg# R132590)
      R.C.A.F. F/S George Gowling service record (Serv/Reg# R139047)
      R.A.F.V.R. F/S Michael Harrison (Serv/Reg# 1194276) burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves
      R.A.F.V.R F/S Alfred Brockway (Serv/Reg# 1310694) burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves
      R.A.F.V.R. F/O Douglas Gartery (Serv/Reg# 128972) burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves

Kelly, Thomas Ewart

Private Thomas Ewart Kelly was born in Toronto, Ontario, on December 29, 1889, to Thomas H. and Margaret Kelly, one of five children and the only boy. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Toronto in the spring of 1914, with the intention to continue his studies and enter the legal profession. Prior to his enlistment he served in the Militia with the 12th York Rangers.

Kelly enlisted at Valcartier, Québec, on September 23, 1914, with the 4th Battalion. As part of the First Contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, he sailed to England in October 1915 aboard the SS Tyrolia. Kelly was serving with the 4th Bn. in Belgium when he was killed in action on April 23, 1915. According to his Circumstances of Death Registers card, he died “while acting as a runner at Langemarck, he was carrying a message from one part of the line to another, when he was struck by a rifle bullet and killed.” Kelly’s body was never found, and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium.

Content notes:
The collection consists of a single letter, written by Kelly in December of 1914, to his older sister, Mrs. Susanna Darlington of Don Lands (Toronto), Ont.

External links:
Pte. Thomas Kelly’s service record (Serv/Reg# 10665) can be viewed/downloaded through Library and Archives Canada.
Kelly’s Circumstances of Death Registers record card (see page #631), Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Kelly can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Filmer, Frank Stanley

Lieutenant Frank Stanley Filmer was born in Faversham, England on June 25, 1886 to parents Arthur Newell and Martha Filmer.

Prior to enlistment, Filmer was a Physical and Cadet Instructor with the 25th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery (C.F.A.). Filmer enlisted on December 1, 1915 in Lethbridge, Alberta. He sailed to England aboard the SS Missanabie in February of 1916 and served overseas with the 39th Battery, C.F.A., the 37th Battery, C.F.A., and the 10th Brigade, C.F.A.

In June 1918 Filmer was awarded the Military Cross, with the London Gazette including the following description of his award:

“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as forward observation officer during a raid on the enemy lines. He went forward with the raiding party and entered the enemy’s lines. Though his signalling lamp was several times put out of action by shell fire, he succeeded in establishing prompt communication with artillery brigade headquarters. He showed great coolness and disregard of danger.”

Filmer returned to Canada at the end of the war and was demobilized in April of 1919.

Content notes:
The collection consists of an undated memoir describing the last days of the war and the Canadians entry into Mons.

External links:
Lieutenant Frank Filmer’s service record (Serv/Reg# not applicable) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
The awarding of the Military Cross was published in the London Gazette on June 22, 1918 (#30761 page 7427).

Hayward, Sidney Walter

Private Sidney Walter Hayward was born in Leyton, Essex, England on August 21, 1893.

Hayward was a locomotive fireman and had served previously in the 105th Regiment prior to his enlistment with the 53rd Battalion in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on December 21, 1914. He sailed for Britain in June of 1915 aboard the SS Scandinavian and was attached to the 28th Battalion in England. Hayward was buried by a shell near Kemmel, Belgium in December of 1915, resulting in shell shock (neurasthenia). He was sent to England for treatment where he was assigned to the Records Office as a clerk for eighteen months. Still suffering from the effects of his shell shock, he was returned to Canada as medically unfit in 1919 where he underwent further treatment at the Military Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Content notes:
The correspondence is between Sidney and his wife Dorothy, whom he met and married while in England.

External link:
Pte. Sidney Walter Hayward’s service record (Serv/Reg# 440131) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Beckett, John Maxwell

Lieutenant John Maxwell Beckett was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on March 2, 1888 to parents Ernest and Mary Beckett.

Prior to the war, Beckett served for three years with the with a local militia. Beckett enlisted with the 101st Battalion in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 4, 1916, and proceeded to England aboard the SS Olympic, arriving in July of 1916. He was sent to France in August of 1917 and served with the 3rd Division Signal Coy, Canadian Signal Corps, until he was killed in action on October 21, 1917.

Content notes:
The collection consist of a letter of condolence written by Beckett’s commanding officer, Major Allan Leavitt, to Beckett’s widow, Elizabeth, as well as a copy of the burial report.

External links:
Lieutenant John Maxwell Beckett’s service record (Serv/Reg n/a) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring him can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Major Allan Leavitt’s service record (Serv/Reg n/a) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Woodgate, Walter Charles

[The materials in this collection are currently being processed and uploaded. Some items may be incomplete or inaccessible at this time.]

Private Walter (Wally) Charles Woodgate was born in Montreal, Quebec on August 17, 1924 to parents Herbert Charles and Lily Woodgate.

Woodgate attested in Montreal on December 4, 1942 with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (R.C.O.C.), was transferred to the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (R.C.I.C.), and sent overseas to Britain in September of 1943. He was attached to the Perth Regiment, and was serving with that Regiment in Italy when he was killed in action on August 31, 1944.

Content notes:
The collection consists of correspondence to his family as well as correspondence from his brother Herbert John Woodgate (referred to as both Jake or Jack) who was serving with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.C.N.V.R.) at the time. The images of Woodgates’s Canadian Army Soldier’s Service Book are from his service record in Library and Archives Canada linked below.]

External links:
Private Walter Woodgate’s service record (Serv/Reg# D167124) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Woodgate can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Wilcocks, James Arthur Lawrence

[The materials in this collection are currently being processed and uploaded. Some items may be incomplete or inaccessible at this time.]

Flying Officer James Arthur Lawrence (“Larry”) Wilcocks was born on November 19, 1922.

Wilcocks enlisted in WWII with the Royal Canadian Air Force, beginning his training at No. 11 Elementary Flight School, Cap de la Madeleine, Québec, on December 4, 1941. Qualifying as Spitfire pilot, he joined No. 403 (Wolf) Squadron R.C.A.F. in May 1944, serving with them through many station rotations throughout England, Wales, France, Belgium and Holland. Following surrender of Germany, Wilcocks returned home to Canada in August 1945.

Content notes:
The collection contains a partial letter with a poem written by Wilcocks written in 1943, as well as photographs, including a 403 Squadron group photograph, and an undated photograph of Winston Churchill. There are also pages from his training at flight school his logbook, as well as a personal combat report from 1944.

External links:
F/O Wilcocks’ service record (Serv/Reg# J90860, R119281) is not open to public access through Library and Archives Canada at this time.

Knott, Gordon Jackson

Gunner Gordon Jackson Knott was born in Toronto, Ontario, on February 17, 1898. Details from his service documents indicate that he was a student at the time of his enlistment, living in Toronto at the home of his mother (identified in his service file only as Mrs. Margaret Davis).

He enlisted with the 67th Battery, C.E.F., in Toronto on May 16, 1918. Following his transfer to the 2nd Canadian Tank Battalion in late September, Knott shipped for England aboard the SS Victoria, arriving October 18, 1918, just as the war was nearing an end. He returned to Canada in late November, and was demobilized on December 27, 1918.

External links:
Gnr. Gordon Knott’s service record (Serv/Reg# 338578) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Puffer, Ralph Norman

[The materials in this collection are currently being processed and uploaded. Some items may be incomplete or inaccessible at this time.]

Leading Aircraftman Norman Ralph Puffer was born on November 14, 1924 in Clarina, Ontario, to parents Russell Elmer and Mabel Beatrice Puffer.

On September 3, 1943 Puffer completed the Attestation Paper for the Royal Canadian Air Force at No 11 Recruiting Centre, No 1 Manning Depot, at Toronto, Ontario, and taken on strength as an Aircraftman 2nd Class (AC-2). From there Puffer was posted to the No. 4 Wireless School in Guelph, Ontario, until March 1944 when he was sent to the Technical Training School at St. Thomas, Ontario. In August of 1944 he was promoted to Aircraftman 1st Class (AC-1) and sent the RCAF Station at Mountain View, Ontario. From there Puffer was sent to Lachine, Quebec and then to Britain in October of 1944, returning in June 1945 to Debert, Nova Scotia. Puffer was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC) in July of 1945 and discharged from service in September of 1945.

[Editor’s note: any dates, names, descriptions, etc. for the images were found on the backs of the photographs]

Brennan, Mary Helen

Corporal Mary Helen Brennan was born in Deseronto, Ontario, on July 7, 1910, to parents Daniel Franklin Brennan and Theresa Brennan. Prior to enlistment she was working as a secretary in Toronto, Ont.

Brennan enlisted in Toronto with the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (C.W.A.C.) on March 26, 1943. Full service details are unknown at this time. Her Canadian Army Soldier’s Service and Pay Book indicates she was stationed at No. 3 C.W.A.C. (Basic) Training Centre, Kitchener, Ont., April 15 to May 18, 1943.

Content notes:
The majority of the collection’s photos are of Brennan and other members of the C.W.A.C., although identification information is missing in many cases. The collection’s only letter was written by Sgt. Karen Hermiston, who served as the only female photographer in the Canadian Army throughout the war (a portrait of Hermiston is included among Brennan’s photographs).
Also included is the Particulars of Active Service certificate of LAC Wilfred Joseph Crover, who Brennan married on April 19, 1947.

External links:
Cpl. Mary Brennan’s service record (Serv/Reg# W21332) is not currently open to public access through Library and Archives Canada.
Sgt. Karen Hermiston service record (Serv/Reg# unknown) is not currently open to public access through Library and Archives Canada; more information about Hermiston can be found on the Veterans Affairs Canada website.
LAC Wilfred Joseph Crover’s service record (Serv/Reg# R184908) is not currently open to public access through Library and Archives Canada.

Conner, Byron Herbert

Private Byron Herbert Conner was born in Eastons Corners, Ontario, on November 21, 1894, to parents George Henry and Ida J. Conner.

He enlisted with the 128th Battalion in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on January 14, 1916. Shipping for England on board the SS Grampian the following August, Conner proceeded to France in November 1916, where he served with the 46th Battalion.

Conner returned to Canada and was demobilized May 31, 1919.

Content notes:
The collection contains a newspaper publication of a letter written by Connor in which he describes his experiences, in the war’s closing days, working as stretcher-bearer in the Battle of Valenciennes.

External links:
Pte. Byron Conner’s service record (Serv/Reg# 781874) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Patzer, Thadeus

Thadeus (“Ted”) Patzer was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on August 11, 1912, to parents Benjamin and Pauline Patzer.

He served in World War II with the Canadian Army. Patzer was one of several thousand Canadians who took part in the Aleutian Campaign Operation Cottage, the American-Canadian invasion of Kiska Island, Alaska.

Content notes:
The photographs in the collection were taken by Patzer during his time on Kiska Island, following the landings of the American and Canadian troops beginning August 15, 1943.

His brother Edwin also served in the war; see collection of F/O Edwin Frederick Patzer.

External links:
Thadeus Patzer’s service record is not open to public access at this time through Library and Archives Canada.

Duncan, David Gordon

Private David Gordon Duncan, son of John A. Duncan, enlisted at Toronto, Ontario, with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (R.C.A.S.C.), on September 7, 1939, just days before Canada’s official declaration of war with Germany.

Duncan shipped to England as part of Canada’s First Contingent in December 1939, serving in 1st Corps Ammunition Park, Canadian Active Service Force. He served throughout the war in England and Continental Europe. Collection documents identify “#3 Canadian Medium Regiment Park, R.C.A.S.C.,” as his final unit prior to his return to Canada, having been granted the opportunity of discharge in June 1945 based on his long length of service.

Content notes:
The Duncan materials include a set of five documents issued by the Canadian military to soldiers outlining expectations and procedures governing things such as leave in England (“Leave Without Tears,”) and the process of returning to Canada for discharge. Included with the collection’s letters is a personal greeting from King George VI to members of the “first contingent of the Canadian Forces to reach these shores.”

External links:
Pte. David Duncan’s service record (Serv/Reg# B83849) is not open to public access through Library and Archives Canada at this time.

Fraser, Jonathan Alexander

Sergeant Jonathan Alexander Fraser was born in Iderton, Ontario, on October 10, 1895. Prior to enlistment he was living and attending school in Toronto, Ont.

Fraser enlisted in Toronto on March 1, 1917, with the 71st Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The following September, while still in Canada, he joined the Ammunition Column of the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force (C.S.E.F.).

On October 11, 1918, Fraser departed for Siberia aboard the SS Empress of Japan, arriving in Vladivostok on October 26. He served primarily in Vladivostok, but also spent several weeks with headquarters staff deployed to Omsk. Fraser returned to Canada aboard the SS Empress of Russia in May 1919, and was demobilized the following month on June 12.

Content notes:
The photographs were taken during Fraser’s Siberian deployment, but exact dates/locations are unknown.
The March 1919 Nominal Role of Advanced Party Ammunition Column, C.F.A., C.E.F.S. has been posted in the “Letter” section (a technical work-around that ensures service number hyperlink functionality).
The collection’s only letter-type material is a military order written by Lieut. Raymond Hart Massey, best known for his post-war work as a celebrated actor. Massey also appears in the theatrical program (see Artwork category).

External links:
Sgt. Jonathan Alexander Fraser’s service record (Serv/Reg# 342093) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Lieut. Raymont Hart Massey’s service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Cochrane, Allen G.

Craftsman Allen G. Cochrane, son of Wayne and Hannah Cochrane, grew up around Arrowwood, Alberta.

He served overseas in WWII with the 1st Canadian Ordnance Base Workshop, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (mid-1944 onwards as Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), and later with No. 2 Canadian Advanced Base Workshop.Cochrane was demobilized following his return to Canada at the end of the war.

Content notes:
The collection’s letters were written by Allen Cochrane between May 1942 and June 1945, mainly addressed to his sister Phyllis Cochrane in Calgary (or in Arrowwood), Alberta. Often mentioned in the letters is their brother Gunner Keith Cochrane, M34923, who was serving overseas with the 15th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery.
Letter transcriptions have been limited to twenty-five only at this time.

External links:
Cfn. Allen Cochrane’s service record (Serv/Reg# M40905) is not currently open to public access through Library and Archives Canada.

Gullen, William Roy

Private William Roy Gullen was born February 12, 1881, in Brantford, Ontario, to parents James F. and Mariette Gullen of Echo Place, Ont., the oldest of five children, with four brothers and one sister. Prior to his enlistment, Gullen lived in Echo Place with his wife, Mary Belle, working as farmer. They had six children: Marguerite, Don, Stan, Jack, Bruce, and Ruth (his youngest son, Ivan, was born in October 1916 while Gullen was stationed overseas in France).

He enlisted in Brantford with the 125th Battalion on December 30, 1915, and sailed for England the following August aboard the SS Scandinavian. In October 1916 Gullen was deployed to join the 1st Battalion in France. He was serving with that unit at the time of his death on May 3, 1917, reported first as missing before confirmed as killed in action during an attack near Fresnoy, France. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, and on the Brant War Memorial in Brantford, Ont.

Content notes:
The majority of the collection’s letters were written by Gullen to his wife, children, parents, sister Irene and brother Frederick Cecil (wife Agnes).
Gullen used a secret code in some of his letters to bypass the military censors, adding dots below characters to spell out his location. An editor’s note listing all of the collection’s “code letters” has been added at the end of the letter section, see letter dated “2024.”
Originally posted early in the project’s history (~2003/2004) a significant review of all materials was done in August 2024 and the updated, reorganized collection was completely reposted at that time, including the addition of a number of previously unposted materials. Also added at this time were audio recordings of six letters by author Kristen den Hartog, which may be accessed through the Gullen letters’ main index page under “Collection Contents” below.

External links:
Pte. Gullen’s service record (Serv/Reg# 772521) can be viewed/downloaded through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Gullen can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

[Collection reviewed/updated Aug. 2024.]

Leech, John Hillyard

Private John Hillyard Leech (known as “Hillyard” or “Hill”) was born in Lansdowne, Ontario, on April 4, 1866, to parents John Leech and Sarah Webster Leech (née Moles). The family moved to Manitoba in 1879, settling in Brandon in 1882. In 1885 Leech served with the Winnipeg Battalion Light Infantry during the North West Rebellion. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, he was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1892. He soon joined his brother, Ernest Tennyson Leech, and two other colleagues to found the Winnipeg law firm of Leech, Leech, Sutton & Hamilton.

Married to Ida Laura Allin on July 5, 1888, the couple had two sons and one daughter: Hart, Vernon Mayne, and Eurith Hillida. Following the outbreak of WWI, their oldest son Hart was commissioned in June 1915. Lieut. Hart Leech was killed in action September 16, 1916, at Mouquet Farm (part of the Battle of Somme) with the 61st Battalion.

Fifteen months after the death of his son, on January 5, 1918, Leech managed to get himself enlisted as a Private with Winnipeg’s No. 10 Engineer & Railway Construction Recruiting Depot. He served with the Recruiting Depot for just over seven months before being discharged due to poor health.

Content notes:
The collection documents Hillyard Leech’s efforts to gather information about the death of his son Hart Leech. Correspondents such as Major General Sir Samuel Steele and Prime Minister Robert Bordon indicate that Hillyard Leech was able to make his personal appeal direct to the very highest levels, resulting in an unusual collection of formal, yet personal, military statements from soldiers who were serving in the field with Hart at the time of his death.
For additional materials relating to his son’s wartime service see CLIP’s Lieut. Hart Leech Collection.

External links:
Pte. John Hillyard Leech’s WWI service record (Serv/Reg# 2184539) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada. [Note: In order to enlist Hillyard lied about his age, giving 1874 as his year of birth.]
Also at Library and Archives Canada is a record of Leech’s service in the North West Rebellion (1885).
Lieut. Hart Leech’s service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Record links for other letter/document writers:
     Pte. Charles Billington’s service record (Serv/Reg# 151803).
     Captain Walter Buchanan Caswell, MC, service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned).
     Major Charles Fraser’s service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned).
     Sgt. James Kirk’s service record (Serv/Reg# 108326).
     Lieut. Howard James Garfield Morgan, MC, service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned).
     Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele, KCMG, CB, MVO: Fenian Raids (1866) medal record; Red River (1870) medal record; North West Resistance (1885) medal record; South African War service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned); WWI service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned). Military service information also appears in Steele’s North West Mounted Police record.
     Major Donald Williamson’s service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned)..

Witt, Ernest Maurice

Pilot Officer Ernest Maurice Witt was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, on October 22, 1909, to parents William Ernest Witt and Helen Maria McKenzie Witt (née Ellis). A graduate of the University of Manitoba, Witt studied education at the University of British Columbia. He worked as a high school teacher in Lake Cowichan. Married in 1938 to Helen May Newton, they had one child, Ernest Brian Witt, born in November 1940.

Witt enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force in August 1941 in Vancouver, B.C. Trained first as a navigator and then bomb aimer, Witt spent several months in late 1942 with R.C.A.F. No. 428 Squadron, before joining R.C.A.F. No. 405, in January 1943.

On July 14, 1943, Witt was flying a night mission to Aachen, Germany, when his Halifax II aircraft HR905 went missing. It was later determined that he had been killed when his plane crashed at Asten, Holland. Witt was buried in the Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Also killed were R.C.A.F. No. 405 Sqdn. members: F/L Roy Gordon Morrison, DFC; F/O George Glover McGladrey, DFC; P/O Thomas Henry Navin Emerson, DFM; and F/S Douglas Glenn Bebensee, DFM, as well as Royal Air Force member S/L Denzil Lloyd.Wolfe (Wolfe was Canadian but enlisted in England with the R.A.F.). Two other crew members, R.C.A.F. F/L D.M. Clarke, and R.A.F. F/L D.J. Smith (New Zealand) survived and were taken prisoner.

Collection contents:
The collection’s letters were written by Witt to his wife and parents between February and June 1943.

External links:
P/O Ernest Maurice Witt’s service record (Serv/Reg# J17710) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Witt can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Links to records of aircrew killed with Witt on July 14, 1943:
     R.C.A.F. F/S Douglas Glenn Bebensee, DFM, service record (Serv/Reg# R68061)
     R.C.A.F. P/O Thomas Henry Navin Emerson, DFM, service record (Serv/Reg# J18062)
     R.C.A.F. F/O George Glover McGladrey, DFC, service record (Serv/Reg# J6843)
     R.C.A.F. F/L Roy Gordon Morrison, DFC, service record (Serv/Reg# J9764)
     R.A.F. S/L Denzil Lloyd Wolfe, DFC, (Serv/Reg# 39805) burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and memorial page at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Norton, Joseph Robert

Private Joseph Robert Norton was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, on May 28, 1892. He was a student at Columbian College in New Westminster, British Columbia, at the time of his enlistment.

Norton enlisted on November 14, 1917, with the 2nd Depot Battalion in Victoria, B.C. He shipped to England in May 1918 aboard the SS Ajana where he joined the 1st Canadian Reserve Battalion, and in September was deployed to France to join the 72nd Battalion. Demobilized back to Canada following the end of the war, Norton was discharged in June 1919 in Calgary, Alberta.

Content notes:
The collection’s single letter, written by Norton in June 1918, was found together with a letter by Pte. Norman Robert Cassels Bryce in an abandoned house in Armstrong, B.C.

External links:
Private Joseph Robert Norton’s service record (Serv/Reg# 4082506) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Young, John James

Sapper John James Young was born in Lingfield, Surrey, England, on March 2, 1885. His date of immigration to Canada is unknown. Prior to enlistment Young had served four months with the 88th Regiment Victoria Fusiliers.

Enlisting on March 18, 1915, in Victoria, British Columbia, Young joined the 48th Battalion (redesignated as the 3rd Canadian Pioneers in January 1916). He sailed for England in July 1915. Young was deployed to France the following March, where he served mainly with the 123rd Canadian Pioneer Battalion. He returned to Canada at the end of the war and was discharged in May 1919.

Young was married during the war while on leave to England in December 1916. The maiden name of his wartime bride, Mrs. Gladys M. Young, is unknown.

Content notes:
The collection contains two diaries kept by Young, covering the period of Jan. 1, 1917, to Sept. 25, 1918. Transcription is limited at this time to Aug. and Sept. 1918 only, a period during which the Allies began the Hundred Days Offensive that would bring the war to an end. Also included are two paybooks and a 1919 military-issued receipt listing “Articles of Personal Equipment.”

External links:
Spr. John James Young’s service record (Serv/Reg# 430710) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Dillon, Fred

Fred Dillon served during WWII with No. 7 Canadian Light Field Ambulance, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (R.C.A.M.C.), a mobile medical unit that served in the European Theatre in support of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, 1st Canadian Corps. The R.C.A.M.C.’s Field Ambulance units operated in close proximity to active combat areas, and were responsible for providing medical aid and evacuation of the wounded. Dillon returned safely to Canada following the end of the war.

Content notes:
Collection materials were donated directly from the Netherlands, by a family that Dillon had stayed with while stationed in Groningen, Holland. Among the photographs are two unit-type pictures of the No. 7 Can. Lt. Fld. Amb. taken in 1945 (based on unit history for Groningen, presumably between April 22 and May 22). The photographs and message written by No. 7’s “Bill Hutt” are those of acclaimed Shakespearian actor William Ian DeWitt Hutt, CC, OOnt, MM. The collection also contains a programme for the 5th Canadian Division’s travelling show “Hold Your Hat.”

External links:
[rank unknown] Fred Dillon’s service record (Serv/Reg# unknown) is not open for public access at this time.
Corporal William Hutt’s service record (Serv/Reg# B93303) is not open for public access at this time.
The official history of the R.C.A.M.C., including information about the No. 7 Canadian Light Field Ambulance, is provided online by the Government of Canada’s Directorate of History and Heritage: Official History of the Canadian Medical Services, 1939-1945, Vol 1 Organization and Campaigns (for a general explanation of the structure and deployment of Field and Light Field units, see book-pages 186, 198; No. 7’s deployment to Groningen, pg. 289).
The Canadian Army Newsreels series includes film clips of “Hold Your Hat” – see Newsreel No. 94, just after the eight minute mark (a short description is provided on page 99 of the War Amps guide to the newsreel collection).

Bryce, Norman Robert Cassels

Private Norman Robert Cassels Bryce was born March 23, 1896, to parents James Adam Bryce and Katharine Bryce in Paisley, Scotland. The family was living in Vernon, British Columbia, at the time of his enlistment.

Conscripted in November 1917, Bryce enlisted with 1st Depot Battalion, British Columbia Regiment, in Vancouver, B.C. In August 1918 he was sent to England aboard HMT Atreus, where he joined the 1st Canadian Reserve Battalion. Bryce returned to Canada and was demobilized in September 1919.

Content notes:
The collection’s single letter was found together with a letter by Pte. Joseph Robert Norton in an abandoned house in Armstrong, B.C. The letter was written by Bryce from hospital in October 1918 during his recovery from influenza.
Note on name spelling: “Cassels” appears variously throughout Bryce’s service record also as “Casells” and “Cassells.”

External links:
Pte. Bryce’s service record (Serv/Reg# 2023379) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Clarke, Wilmot Gercon

Captain (Chaplain) Wilmot Gercon Clarke was born in Brighton, Ontario, on April 8, 1866. A Methodist clergyman prior to the war, Clarke lived in Bowmanville, Ont., with his wife Lois and their two teenage daughters, Nora and Doratha.

Clarke enlisted on May 29, 1916, at Bowmanville, Ont., and was appointed to commissioned rank as a Captain, with the 235th Battalion, Chaplain Services. Shipping for England on board the SS Metagama in May of 1917, he served in England and France. Following his return to Canada in 1919, Clarke was demobilized on December 26.

Content notes:
The collection contains a letter of condolence that was written by Clarke following the death at sea of Pte. David Wesley Kerr during the voyage to England aboard the SS Metagama.

External links:
Capt. Wilmot Clarke’s service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Pte. David Kerr’s service record (Serv/Reg# 853573), can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Scofield, Robert James

Flight Officer Robert James Scofield was born July 7, 1925. He enlisted in World War II with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Training initially in Canada, Scofield qualified as Air Gunner in September 1942 at No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School in Fingal, Ontario. He was deployed overseas to England in February 1943, and in May of that year joined the R.C.A.F. strategic and tactical bombing unit No. 408 “Goose” Squadron. Scofield survived the war, and was living in Nanaimo, British Columbia, at the time of his death in 2000.

Content notes:
Included in the collection is Scofield’s R.C.A.F. flight log book with entries covering the period of May 1942 to January 1944. There is also a hybrid diary-scrapbook in which Scofield kept notated newspaper clippings relating to some of his operational flights over Germany. Transcriptions have been provided for the handwritten portions of these, and each entry includes both the diary-scrapbook images, along with the relevant log book entry for that flight.
Please note that while F/O is the highest rank appearing for Scofield within the collection materials, his final rank on discharge is unknown.

External links:
F/O Robert James Scofield’s service record (Serv/Reg# R139883 and J19017) is not open for public access at this time.

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