William Menzies McLeish was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1891. He emigrated to Canada sometime prior to World War One, where he lived in St. Verdun, Quebec and worked as a clerk. McLeish enlisted in September, 1914, served overseas, and was taken prisoner sometime prior to December, 1917, based on information in a Red Cross Letter. He remained a prisoner of war for the duration until repatriated back to England. The collection consists of one letter from the Red Cross, photographs from England, and photographs and musical programs from the prisoner of war camp.
Vaughan Whitier Pearson was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1898 and was a student at The University of Toronto when he enlisted in April, 1916. He served overseas in France until the end of the war. Vaughan Pearson was the third of three sons to serve overseas, following his brothers Marmaduke and Lester, a future Prime Minister of Canada. The collection consists of six letters from Vaughan, a post card, a Christmas card, a newspaper clipping, and one photograph.
William Henry Bell was born in Chatham, Ontario in 1897 and moved to Innisfree, Alberta to farm with his family. Bell enlisted at Vegreville, Alberta in February, 1916 with the 151st Battalion. He was killed at Vimy Ridge, April 10, 1917. The collection consists of twenty letters and one poem.
Earle Shaw Grant was born in Hyndman, Ontario in September, 1896 and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia around 1907. Earle enlisted in July, 1917 with the Canadian Army Medical Corp, and then later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He survived the war and returned to Vancouver where he taught school. The collection consist of four photographs and an extended letter. The letter is comprised of type written excerpts from Earle's letters to his brother Harry, who compiled them in the present form.
George Arthur Henry Stevens was born in London, England in August, 1887. He emigrated to Canada sometime prior to the war and enlisted in Brandon, Manitoba in March, 1915. Stevens served overseas with the 45th Battalion and returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection consists of two letters, several photographs, some personal items, and an extensive collection of postcards sent to his wife.
Neil McMillan was born at Uragaig, Scotland in May, 1885. Sometime prior to the war he emigrated to Canada, settling in Toronto, Ontario where he worked as a teamster. McMillan enlisted at Toronto in February, 1916 and served overseas with the 48th Highlanders. McMillan was killed on August 8, 1918. The collection consists of one photograph of McMillan, photographs of the Colonsay War Memorial and of his CWGC headstone.
Ira Layton Holmes was born on Prince Edward Island in July, 1893. Holmes enlisted in Regina, Saskatchewan in January, 1915 and served overseas. The collection currently consists of two letters, a short diary from 1916, photographs, and miscellaneous items.
Ralph Richards was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1889. He emigrated to Canada sometime before the First World War, and enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Sydney, Nova Scotia in September, 1915. The collection consists of one photograph and one long memoir, writtten sometime during World War II, which recounts his experience during World War I as a prisoner of war.
John Walter Ellis was born in Reading, England in February, 1895. At some time unknown he emigrated to Canada and settled in Tillsonburg, Ontario. In May, 1916 he enlisted at Tillsonburg. He served overseas in France, where he was killed on May 13, 1917. The majority of the letters are addressed to his wife Katherine (Kitty) in Glasgow, Scotland who, when her husband enlisted, returned to Scotland to live with her parents. The collection consists of more than thirty letters, several photographs, and a small number of postcards.
Walter Kenneth Runciman was born in South Shields, Durham, England in June, 1886. After emmigrating to Canada he was a rancher in Alberta. Runciman enlisted in September, 1917 in Calgary, Alberta with the 78th Batallion. The collection currently consists of seven photographs.
Ludlow Jackson Weeks was born in Truro, Nova Scotia in September, 1899. Weeks enlisted with the No. 10 Halifax Siege Battalion in Halifax in May, 1917, having previously been rejected for being underage. He served overseas in 1918. The collection currently consists of more than forty letters, as well as postcards and photographs.
Thomas Poolton was born in Birmingham, England in May, 1888. At some time prior to the war Poolton emigrated to Canada and enlisted in Toronto, Ontario in November, 1914. He served overseas with the 20th Battalion and was wounded in 1916 as indicated by the postcards to him. The collection consists of a number of postcards to Poolton, as well as a number of miscellaneous items.
Walter James Lantz was born on Prince Edward Island in 1891 and enlisted at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in October, 1915. He served overseas as a gunner in France and was killed July 12, 1916. The collection consists of a memory book of photographs compiled by one of his friends and fellow soldiers and sent to Lantz's parents following his death. The entire individual pages have been reproduced as well as individual photographs on those pages.
Daniel Austin Lane was born in Pelham Union, Ontario in December, 1894, and enlisted in April, 1916. At the time of his enlistment he was a student at the University of Toronto and while there had studied Arabic at Victoria College. Due to his Arabic studies he was recruited to join the South Persian Rifles by the British and arrived in the Persian Gulf in August, 1917. Lane returned to Canada and practiced law in Calgary. He died in 1966. The collection consists of more than thirty letters written to his friend Helen Davis, as well as several photographs.
Joseph McCartney was born in Liverpool, England in 1882 and emigrated to Canada sometime prior to the war. He enlisted in Calgary, Alberta in May, 1916. McCartney had worked for the Allin family near Whitby, Ontario, and continued to corresponded with their daughter Curtie during the war. He was killed in France on April 8, 1918, age 36 years, and is buried in the Thelus Military Cemetery at Vimy Ridge. Three of the letters were written by Joe to Curtie, and one letter was from Curtie to Joe. That letter of March 8, 1918 was returned to Curtie following Joe's death in France. One letter is from his brother in England to Canada requesting the return of Joseph's personal effects. This collection consists of five letters written between December 1917 to September 1918.
Sydney Thomas Fisher was from Victoria, British Columbia. Fisher joined the RCAF, was attached to 35 Squadron RAF, and was shot down on September 15, 1941, and remained a prisoner of war until the end of the war. The collection currently consists of his correspondence both before and during his time as a POW, as well as clippings and other miscellaneous items.
George Henry Tripp was born in London, England in July, 1897. He emigrated to Huttonville, Ontario and enlisted in July, 1915 at Toronto, Ontario with the 74th Battalion. Tripp served overseas with the 19th Battalion and was killed May 9, 1917. The collection consists of fifteen letters he wrote to his friend Lola Passmore. For more letters to Lola Passmore, see the collection of that name in the WWI collections.
John Ernest Fitzgerald was born on January 27, 1925, the son of John and Effie Fitzgerald of New Westminster, British Columbia. Fitzgerald served as a Flight Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was killed August 27, 1944 when his Lancaster was shot down. Fitzgerald and all the crew members are buried in Denmark. The collection consists of more than forty letters, twelve photographs, telegrams, and other personal items. See also the excellent Danish site for more information about the crash and crew.
George Henry Redman was born in Norfolk, England in September, 1892. He enlisted in Pincher Creek, Alberta in February, 1915. Redman served overseas with the Fort Garry Horse until his death in April, 1918. The collection consists of more than thirty letters from Redman to members of his family, as well as photographs, postcards, and telegrams.
Harry Henry Foote was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1892 and enlisted in September, 1914. The collection consists of one letter written enroute to England in October, 1914 and one photograph taken at Valcartier, Quebec in 1914.
The two letters in the collection were originally published in a Charlottetown newspaper in late 1916 and the clippings were part of a scrapbook kept by one of the residents of the city during the war. Few details are known about either the individuals in the letters or the circumstances of publication. The Cudmore letter was from John Richard Cudmore, born on Prince Edward Island in May, 1898. Cudmore enlisted in March, 1916 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Herbert H. King enlisted and served with the Newfoundland regiment. Both soldiers appear to have survived the war. If anyone can provide any further information about these letters, please contact The Canadian Letters and Images Project.
This collection consists of one letter and five photographs. The letter is from Norman Robertson to his parents in 1918 commenting on the death of one his brothers in France in light of the death of his own infant daughter.
Arthur Lewis Fernyhough was born in Fenton, Stoke on Trent, England in September, 1890. Prior to the war he emigrated to Canada, where he worked as a butcher. Fernyhough enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba in December, 1915 with the 144th Battalion. The collection currently consists of photographs, postcards, his paybook, the Returned Soldiers' Handbook, the 144th Winnipeg Rifles Song Book, and other miscellaneous items.
Edward Porter was born in Norfolk, England in August, 1889. Prior to the war he emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, where he enlisted in November, 1915. The collection currently consists of his paybook.
Alexander Hubert Matthews was born in Albeton, Prince Edward Island in January, 1892. He was one of twelve children of Anthony and Barbara Matthews. He enlisted in February, 1917 and served overseas as a sapper with the no. 58 Railway Operating Co. The collection consists of a postcard, pages from his paybook, and a certificate of gallantry from the Royal Engineers Transportation Branch.
