James Henry Holt was born in Manchester, England, in October 1892. Prior to the war he immigrated with his family to Victoria, British Columbia. Holt enlisted in December 1914 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and served under the name of James Henry. He was the older brother of Harold Holt. Holt served in France with the 25th Battalion until his death in October 1916. The collection currently consists of a memorial ribbon commemorating his death, and a photograph of his grave.
Private Thomas Henry (“Harry”) Baird was born on February 28, 1893, at Grant Settlement, Ontario, to parents Andrew and Mary Jane Baird.
Baird enlisted in Ottawa, Ontario, with the 77th Battalion on July 31, 1915, and sailed for England aboard the SS Missanabie in June 1916. He transferred to the 73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) on July 3, shortly before his deployment to France in August. Baird went missing in action and was determined to have died February 4, 1917.
Content notes:
The Baird letters were mainly written home to his family between July and December of 1916 while he was serving in the trenches in France. Both physical damage and writing style have made transcription challenging. In the supplementary documents accessed through the external links below, both “Thomas Henry Baird” and “Harry Baird” appear in Baird’s records as his full given name.
External links:
Pte. Baird’s service record (Serv/Reg# 144246) 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 Baird can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated January 2022. Transcriptions reviewed and emended. Collection Description expanded. Collection name updated – originally posted as “Harry Baird.”]
James Hepburn, born in Scotland in 1891, enlisted in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 1915. He was badly wounded at the Somme, losing his right arm. The collection consists of one letter written to his father from the hospital in England, while he was recovering from his wound, as well as pages from his paybook and some miscellaneous items.
John ("Jack") Davey was born in Somerset, England, in September 1888. He imigrated to Canada 1911-1912 and enlisted in September 1914. Davey was wounded and taken prisoner in April 1915. While a prisoner he had his leg amputated, and then was later returned to England during a prisoner exchange. The collection consists of more than fifty letters between himself and his wife Kate.
Shorey Johnson Neville was born in Cottonwood, Saskatchewan, in September 1888. Neville enlisted at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in May 1916 and then served overseas in France until he was injured and sent to England. Due to his injuries he remained in England with the Khaki University until demobilization, at which time he returned to Canada. The collection consists of ten letters written from 1916 to 1917.
William John Parker was born in Birmingham, England, in August 1878. Prior to the war he immigrated to Canada where he worked as a plumber. Parker enlisted in July 1915 in Guelph, Ontario, and served overseas with the 34th Battalion. The collection currently consists of two letters written while at Bramshott.
William Ewart Mawson was born in St. Bees, Cumberland, England, in 1888, and immigrated to Canada around 1912. He enlisted in July 1915 in Toronto and served overseas until his death on June 10, 1916. The collection consists of one letter written home by Mawson and one letter from 1919 from the War Office detailing efforts to locate his grave.
Arthur Norman Morris was born in Manchester, England, in 1893. His date of emigration is unknown. He enlisted in Regina, Saskatchewan, in July 1915 and served in Belgium with the 9th Canadian Field Ambulance. The collection consists of two letters.
Frank Cyril Pye was born in Essex, England, in February 1896 and later moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pye enlisted in Winnipeg in December 1915 and was serving with the Nova Scotia Regiment at the time of his death on August 11, 1918. The collection consists of twenty four letters to his sister Flo, as well as images, postcards, and miscellaneous items.
John James Jackson was born in Dudley, Worcestershire, in 1883 and immigrated to London, Ontario, around 1911. He worked as a foreman in a brickworks and spent two years in a militia artillery unit before joining the 142nd Battalion in London on December 14, 1915. The collection consists of a long letter, written to his wife and children, describing the battalion’s voyage to England in 1916.
George Byron Bennett was born in July 1897 in Spencerville, Ontario. Bennett joined the C.E.F. in early 1918 and was sent overseas to England in 1918. The collection currently consists of two letters written by Bennett.
William Arthur Hughes was born in North Wales in 1894 and immigrated to Canada sometime prior to the war. He enlisted in Vancouver, British Columbia, in September 1915, and served overseas until his death on September 2, 1918. The collection consists of one letter written in 1916.
Eric Hearle was born in 1893 and enlisted in Hamilton, Ontario in September, 1914 with the 4th Battalion. As a result of wounds received in France he returned to Canada and studied at the University of Guelph. Following his studies Hearle became an assistant entomologist with the federal government. The collection consists of thirteen letters and twelve postcards. It also contains more than 130 photographs, beginning in 1914 with the camps in Canada and England and including a series from convalescent hospitals in Canada. Hearle died in 1934 at the age of 41.
George Arthur Henry Stevens was born in London, England, in August 1887. He immigrated 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.
South African (Boer) War Collection
Walter Hill Moodie was born in Québec City, Québec. In October 1899, at age 28, Moodie enlisted in Kaslo, British Columbia, with the 2nd Bn. R.C.R. He served overseas in South Africa until his discharge in October 1900. The collection currently consists of a series of letters that he wrote during that time back to the Kaslo newspaper the Kootenaian.
William Stanley Lane was born in June, 1891. Lane was a law student at his time of enlistment in November, 1914 with the 29th Battalion. He served in France as signaller and was killed on April 6, 1916 in the Battle of St. Eloi. Three of his brothers also served - James Eldon Lane, Robert Wallace Lane, and Walter Ross Lane. The collection currently consists of seven photographs, four newspaper articles, and several miscellaneous items.
This collection consists of four letters written to the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation during World War II. Two of the four letters recognize the contributions made for relief efforts for orphans both in Canada and in Britain, while another letter is from the Soviet Minister to Canada for contributions made for clothing to the Soviet Union. The fourth letter is announcing the awarding of the British Empire Medal to Chief Peter Moses, BEM.
Reginald John Paul was born on December 14, 1895, in Burin, Newfoundland. He enlisted on December 21, 1914, and served with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Paul served both at Gallipoli and on the Somme and was killed on the first day of the Somme, July 1, 1916. The collection consists of two letters from the chaplain to his family, and one photograph. Paul's service file is available online through the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador (The Rooms).
James Gibson was from Irving's Landing, British Columbia. He served as a Pilot Officer with the 425 Squadron RCAF. He died July 29, 1944 and is commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial in The United Kingdom. The collection consists of one airgraph home to his father, one group photograph, a birth certificate and several condolence messages regarding Gibson's death.
External links:
Pilot Officer James Gibson’s service record (Serv/Reg# J90957) 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 Gibson can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Leading Aircraftman Joseph Lorne Moore enlisted with the RCAF in 1943 at the age of nineteen 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.
Eternal links:
L.A.C. Joseph Lorne Moore, (Serv/Reg# R208467), survived the war; his service record is not open to public access at this time.
[Editor’s note: A name and linking error was made in the Joseph Lorne Moore Collection in December of 2022, misidentifying and linking to the service file of of fellow RCAF member Lorne Joseph Moore. Corrected July 2023.]
Norman Ewart was born in Toronto, Ontario, in December 1892. Ewart enlisted in September, 1915, and served overseas until his return to Canada following the war. The collection consists of more than 100 postcards sent by Ewart, as well as one letter.
John ("Jack") Fenton Humphrey was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, in October 1922. He enlisted with the R.C.A.F. and trained as an aircraft mechanic in 1941 and was sent overseas to Britain. In 1943 Humphrey trained as a rear gunner and then was sent again overseas. He returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection currently consists of more than thirty letters written by Humphrey during the war.
Austin Newton Van Allen was born in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1919. He grew up in Alberta and enlisted with the RCAF in the fall of 1940. Van Allen flew with the 116th Squadron and died on September 9, 1941. The collection consists of more than twenty letters and several photographs.
John Gardner was born in Belfast, Ireland, in October 1890. He immigrated to Ottawa, Ontario, where he enlisted in November 1915 with the 77th Overseas Battalion. Gardner served overseas with D Coy., 47th Battalion, and was killed January 3, 1917. The collection consists of two postcards and a newspaper article regarding his death.
Frank Beecher Doran was born in Iroquois, Ontario, in 1894 and was a school teacher in Iroquois when he enlisted in March 1916. He served in France with the Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment) and then later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He was killed on August 13, 1917. The collection consists of five letters written home to his sister.
