John Jenkins Penhale, DSO, was born in Cornwall, England, in February 1866. He was a mining engineer who settled in Sherbrooke, Québec, prior to the war. Penhale served overseas as the Lieutenant Colonel of the Divisional Ammunition Column of the CEF until his demobilization in 1919. The collection currently consists of one Christmas card from 1914.
John ("Jack") Butterworth was born in Manchester, England, in August 1894 and immigrated to Canada prior to the war. He worked as a farmer in Ingersoll, Ontario, where he enlisted in February 1916. Butterworth served overseas with the 5th Battalion CEF until he was demobilized and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of a small diary and two photographs.
George Malcolm Roach was born in Boston, Mass., U.S.A., in February 1894*. Roach first enlisted with the Canadian Grenadier Guards in November 1915 in Cowansville, Québec. He was subsequently discharged as medically unfit in February 1916 but reenlisted in May 1916 with the 117th Eastern Township Overseas Battalion in Magog, Québec. Roach served overseas and was wounded at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917, and due to his wounds discharged near the end of the war as medically unfit. The collection currently consists of a large collection of post cards sent home to Canada by Roach.
*(on his attestation papers of 1916 his year of birth is given as 1895).
James Reid Gillies was born in Dundee, Scotland, in October 1895 and immigrated to Canada in 1906. He enlisted in May 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and served overseas with the C.A.S.C. The collection currently consists of two photographs, a Christmas card, and his discharge certificate. See also the collection of John Gillies his brother.
John Gillies was born in Scotland in September 1882. He immigrated to Canada prior to the war and enlisted in July 1915 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the 78th Battalion. Gillies went overseas but was discharged in December 1916 on compassionate grounds, and died in Winnipeg in November 1918. The collection currently consists of three photographs and his discharge certificate. See also the collection of James Reid Gillies, his brother.
Edward John Wilson Ryan, DSO, was born in Mille Isle, Québec, in September 1884. Ryan enlisted in New Westminster, British Columbia, in December 1915 and served overseas with the 102nd Battlaion. He returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of one photograph, his discharge certificate, and orders given on November 12, 1918, to the 102nd.
Percy Charles Willmot, MC, was born in Birmingham, England, in April 1886 and immigrated to Canada prior to the war. Willmot enlisted in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1914 and served overseas with the 25th Battalion. He was invalided back to Canada in 1919 and died in December of that year. The collection currently consists of three letters and one Christmas card written to a schoolgirl, Doris Fulbrook of Benito, Manitoba, whose class had knitted scarves for soldiers in 1915, and Willmot had received her scarf. The complete Percy Willmot collection can be found at the Beaton Institute Archives, Cape Breton University.
John McNeill was born in Hull, Yorkshire, in December 1875. McNeill enlisted in November 1914 in Victoria, British Columbia, with the 30th Battalion. He served overseas with the 15th Battalion until he was wounded in August of 1918, and subsequently discharged as medically unfit in March 1919. The collection currently consists of more than 75 letters and several postcards.
Frank Cronk Smith, MC, was born in Brockville, Ontario, in May 1891. He enlisted in Toronto in February 1916 with the 169th Battalion. Cronk served overseas with the 169th and the 20th Battalions, was wounded in August 1918, and demobilized and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of one photograph, his officer commissions, a Christmas card, and copy of the Canadian Daily Record from December of 1918.
Marvin Neil Dunfield was born in Quyon, Québec, in September 1883. He enlisted in July 1915 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the 90th Winnipeg Rifles. While serving overseas Dunfield was wounded in 1916 and again in 1917, and subsequently invalided back to Canada in 1918. The collection curently consists of five letters and one postcard.
South African (Boer) War Collection
George Launchberry Dore was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and enlisted at Pincher Creek, N.W.T., in December 1899 at the age of 23. He served in South Africa with the 2nd Bn. Canadian Mounted Rifles and was discharged in January 1901. The collection currently consists of two letters.
Arnold Smith was born in Carholm, Ontario, in November 1892. He enlisted with the Canadian Grenadier Guards in December 1915 in Montreal, Québec, and served overseas with the 87th Bn., and then returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection currently consists of several letters, postcards, and his diary from 1917.
Private Lawrence Charles Sinclair was born in Bersimis, Quebec on April 29, 1895 to Cuthbert and Mary Jane Sinclair. Having previously served with the 34th Fort Garry Horse, Sinclair enlisted with the 61st CEF Battalion in Winnipeg, Manitoba on June 5, 1915 and sailed to England aboard the SS Olympic in April 1916. He proceeded to France where he served with the 3rd Battalion. Sinclair was wounded in October 1916 and killed in action on April 23, 1917. Lawrence Sinclair is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial. The collection currently consists of more than fifty letters, photographs, postcards, and other miscellaneous items.
External links:
Private Lawrence Charles Sinclair’s service record (Serv/Reg# 460609) 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 Sinclair can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Edwin "Eddie" Frederick Patzer was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan in August, 1920. He was a star defenceman with the Yorkton Terriers during the 1940-41 and 1941-42 seasons. Patzer enlisted with the RCAF and was flying with the 432 Squadon when he was shot down and killed over Germany, February 21, 1945. The collection currently consists of personal and official correspondence, photographs, as well as miscellaneous items as clippings and cards.
External links:
Flying Officer Edwin Frederick Patzer’s service record (Serv/Reg# J87362) 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 Patzer can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Thomas Leo O'Keefe was born in Okanagan, British Columbia, in January 1889. At the time of his enlistment in Victoria, British Columbia, in February 1915 he was a law student. O'Keefe served overseas with the 7th Canadian Cavalry as an ambulance driver until he was discharged in the spring of 1918 on compassionate grounds. The collection currently consists of his discharge certificate and two photographs.
Francis Joseph O'Keefe was born in August 1892 in Okanagan, British Columbia. O'Keefe enlisted with the 172nd Battalion in Kamloops, British Columbia, in February 1916, but died on March 21, 1916, of pneumonia while training in Kamloops. He was buried at the O'Keefe Ranch cemetery, on the family ranch in Vernon, British Columbia. The collection currently consists of one postcard and one photograph.
Kenneth Wheatley Priske was born in 1923 and joined the RCAF. He was part of 10 Squadron RCAF when he was shot down and killed May 2, 1944. The collection currently consists of two newspaper clippings, a telegram, and a photograph.
External links:
Pilot Officer Kenneth Wheatley Priske’s service record (Serv/Reg# J88911) 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 Priske can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Sydney Brown was from North Bay, Ontario. He was born in 1918 and enlisted with the RCAF. Brown was flying with the 420 Snowy Owl Squadron when his Wellington bomber was shot down and he was killed April 15, 1943. The collection currently consists of a dozen photographs and some miscellaneous materials. See also the collection for Zave Brown, his brother, who was killed in 1945.
Zave Brown was born in September, 1925 and enlisted with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Brown served overseas with the RHLI until his death in Holland on March 9, 1945. The collection currently consists of a number of personal photographs of Zave and of his time in the service. See also the collection of his older brother Sydney who was killed in 1943.
Alexander Windram was born at Eyemouth, Berwickshire, Scotland, in February 1881. Prior to the war he immigrated to Canada and settled in Fraser Mills, British Columbia. Windram enlisted with the 131st Battalion in New Westminster, British Columbia, in February 1916. He served overseas with the 7th Battalion and was killed at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. Windram also had two brothers, William and John, who also served in the CEF and who were both killed in 1917. The collection currently consists of seven postcards from Alexander Windram and one photograph.Materials used with the kind permission of the City of Coquitlam Archives.
Hughie Patrick ("Sandy") Brown was born December 29, 1935, in Trail, British Columbia. He enlisted in 1953 in Vancouver, B.C., and served as a Para Rescue SAR Tech and later SAR Jumpmaster with the R.C.A.F. until his honourable discharge in 1979. He completed 735 aircraft jumps in the peacetime service and rescue of both civilians and military personnel over his career, and retired with the rank of Sergent. This collection consists of three photographs and Brown's flight log.
John McGuire Taylor was born in November of 1917. Taylor served with the RCAF during WWII until his aircraft was shot down over North Africa, where he was taken prisoner in November of 1941. He remained a prisoner of war for the remainder of WWII. After being taken prisoner in Africa, Taylor was a POW in Italy, and then finally sent to Germany, where he spent time in Stalag Luft 3. The collection consists of an extended, illustrated memoir written while as a prisoner, as well as photographs, letters, cards, and his flying log.
Roland Hayes was born in Armstrong, British Columbia in October, 1895. He worked as a farmer until he was concripted in 1917. Hayes served with the 72nd Battalion in England and France and returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection currently consists of one letter and two photographs. We are grateful to the Historic O'Keefe Ranch in Vernon, British Columbia for sharing these materials.
Private Walter Elliot Middleton enrolled with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 16, 1940. Middleton served overseas in the United Kingdom, Europe, and in the Mediterranean before returning to Canada and demobilized on September 4, 1945. The collection consists of a letter written on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
