John Alexander McDougall was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1892 and later moved to Calgary, Alberta. He enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in December 1915, and served overseas in France. The collection consists of more than twenty letters and several photographs covering the period 1915 to 1918.
Frederick Edward Wilkinson was born in St. Albans, Hants, England, in March 1890. Prior to the war Wilkinson immigrated to Canada where he worked as a teacher in Regina, Saskatchewan. Wilkinson enlisted in March 1916 in Regina and served overseas with the Canadian Medical Corps. The collection currently consists of two letters written to one of his former pupils, Lois Purdy, and one Christmas card.
Charles Wilcox was born in July 1889 at Stanstead, Québec. Wilcox enlisted in October 1914 and served with the 4th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He served overseas in France and was wounded twice, the second time at Passchendaele late in 1917. Wilcox returned to Canada in 1919. The collection consists of nine letters that he wrote home while overseas. These letters are reproduced here with the kind permission of the Georgeville Historical Society and were originally published in the Georgeville Enterprise (Winter 1996).
George Ridgeway was born in Cheshire, England, in April 1887. He immigrated to Canada around 1912 and moved to Saskatchewan to farm. Ridgeway enlisted in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in January 1916 with the 128th Battalion, and served overseas in France and Belgium with the 49th Battalion. Wounded in 1917 he was invalided back to the military hospital in Moose Jaw, and discharged in 1919. After his discharge he returned to England. The collection currently consists of fifteen images.
William Lester Broome was born in Renfrew County, Ontario, in June 1897. He was farmer in Saskatchewan before he enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in April 1917. The collection consists of ten letters, some postcards, and one photograph of Broome.
South African (Boer) War Collection
Noble John Jones was born in Owen Sound, Ontario, and enlisted for service in South Africa in October 1899 at the age of 27. Jones served in South Africa until he was discharged in November 1900 having completed his year of service. The collection consists of more than forty letters from Jones to his family members back in Canada.
Richard Aubrey Bright was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in January 1910. He attended the University of British Columbia, graduating with a degree in civil engineering, and during the war served in England with the Royal Canadian Engineers. The collection consists of more than twenty five letters covering the period from 1940 to 1946 written to his sister Muriel ("Moo") and her husband Charles Dustin ("Dusty").
This collection contains over 30 letters from World War One published in The Nanaimo Daily News, a local newspaper published in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Newspapers across Canada regularly printed letters home from overseas, either letters written directly to the newspaper by the soldiers, or first written to the family and then contributed to the paper by the family. Collections such as those from The Nanaimo Daily Free Press provide a fascinating look at the relationship of community and war as played out in the pages of the local newspaper. The dates for which the letters are listed represent the dates on which they were published, as the original dates of the letters are not always indicated. Where the original date of writing is known it will be part of the letter text. Introductions to the letters and editorial comments as they appeared in the newspaper have been left as published. All transcriptions have been taken from copies on microfilm and as such there are no scans for this collection.
Born in 1889 in Ontario, Wilbert Gilroy studied dentistry and in 1911 moved to Winnipeg to take over a practice. He enlisted in Winnipeg in 1914 and was sent to France in 1915 with the Canadian Dental Corps. In 1917 Gilroy had himself attached to the Royal Flying Corps and flew with them during 1917 until wounded in October of that year. He returned to England and then subsequently to Canada where he continued to practice dentistry. The collection consists of 130 letters written from 1911 to 1917.
Edward Robert Hill served with the 58th Battalion. He was killed at Passchendaele in October, 1917. His brother, William Lowrie Hill served with the 49th Battalion until his death at Mount Sorrel in June, 1916. The collection currently consists of one letter and two photographs.
William Hill Johnson was born in Montreal, Quebec in March, 1893. Johnson enlisted in Montreal in June, 1915 and served in France until he was wounded in the summer of 1917. The collection consists of seventeen letters, his diary, photographs, and some postcards.
Gordon Alexander DeGear was born in Battleford, Saskatchewan, in 1891. Prior to the war DeGear had served in the Saskatchewan Light Horse and enlisted for overseas service at Battleford in May 1915. He served in France and returned to Canada in 1919. When completed the collection will consist of more than one hundred letters from DeGear to his family.
Gordon Merritt Shrum was born in Smithville, Ontario, in 1894 and enlisted in April 1916 while a student at the University of Toronto. He served overseas and returned to Canada to teach in 1919. The collection consists of two letters written to Helen Nickle of Smithville. Other correspondents to Davis include the Bill Grassie Collection, the Daniel Austin Lane Collection, the Fred Nickle Collection, and the William Grassie Collection.
William Cunliffe was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, in August 1891. Prior to the war he immigrated to Canada and enlisted in September 1915 at Niagara, Ontario, with the 109th Battalion. Cunliffe served overseas with the 84th and then with the 75th Battalion until his return to Canada in 1919. The collection currentlly consists of several letters, postcards, a photograph, and miscellaneous personal items.
Private Victor McDonald was born in Annandale, Prince Edward Island on October 20, 1895 to parents George and Isabel McDonald.
McDonald enlisted with the 105th Battalion in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on December 15, 1915, having previously belonged to the 82nd “Abegweit Light Infantry” Regiment of PEI. He sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia in July 1916 aboard the HMT Empress of Britain and served with the 26th Battalion in France. Diagnosed with Tuberculosis in late 1918, McDonald was invalided back to Canada for treatment in May of 1919. He was sent for treatment for TB at the Kentville, Nova Scotia Sanatorium, where he died on January 6, 1920.
External links:
Private Victor McDonald’s service record (Serv/Reg# 712376) 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 McDonald can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
[Editor’s note: Throughout his service record the surname is spelled both as McDonald and MacDonald. Victor’s signatures in the files uses both forms. In places the McDonald has been corrected to MacDonald. His first name Joseph is not used in his service record but does appear elsewhere.]
Ephraim Gregory was born in Doves Holes, Derbyshire, England, in 1889. He immigrated to Toronto, Ontario, sometime around 1910 to be with his sisters. Gregory enlisted in Toronto in August 1915 and served overseas until the end of the war. He returned to Canada at the end of the war, but later returned to England where he died in 1978. The collection currently consist of one photograph of Gregory.
William Forder Smith was born in Bassingstoke, England, in August 1874. Prior to the war he immigrated to Armstrong, British Columbia, where he was a rancher. Smith enlisted at Vernon, British Columbia, in October 1917 and served with the 29th Battalion in France. He was killed in action on September 6, 1918. The collection consists of two personal letters, official reports and letters concerning his death, and three photographs.
Captain Alfred Herbert “Bert” John Andrews, MC, was born in Troy, District of Assiniboia, North-West Territories (present day Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan), in October 1880. Prior to his enlistment he was living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he worked as a barrister.
Andrews enlisted with the 34th Fort Gary Horse at Valcartier, Québec, on September 24, 1914. As part of the First Canadian Contingent, Andrews sailed for England on board the SS Lapland on October 4, 1914. He shipped to France in May 1915, where he joined the 10th Battalion. His first experience in the trenches was near Festubert, France, followed by a brief time at Hill 63, then nine months spent at Messines.
Commissioned as an officer on January 13, 1917, Andrews began serving as Lewis Gun officer in February. The following April, at Vimy, he was in charge of overseeing Lewis Gun positioning, equipment and training. He served as Adjutant beginning on October 28, 1917. While fighting in France with the 10th Battalion, Andrews was twice awarded the Military Cross, first on October 18, 1917, and again (as bar to Military Cross) on February 1, 1919. On the second occasion the London Gazette included the following description with the announcement of his award:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Villers-les-Cagnicourt and the Canal du Nord, 2nd to 4th September, 1918. He went into the attack in command of the battalion reserve company, and later was sent forward to command one of the leading companies. He handled his command splendidly, and pushed forward to the battalion final objective at the Buissy Switch, and redistributed his men with exceptional skill. The following day he led his company forward, and, under very heavy fire, established a line along the railroad west of the Canal du Nord, from which they could command all the intervening ground. He did excellent service.”
While serving overseas Andrews married Alice “Allie” Dixon on September 16, 1918. Alice accompanied him on his return to Canada, sailing together from Liverpool on April 23, 1919, abord the SS Metagama. Andrews was demobilized the following month, in May of 1919.
Content notes:
Andrews kept diaries throughout WWI, covering August 1914 to December 1918. Around 1923 or so he used these diaries to create a complete typewritten history of his time in service, beginning with his enlistment and ending with 10th Battalion’s month-long post-Armistice march across Belgium to the Rhine Bridgehead position inside occupied Germany.
The diaries are rich in descriptive and explanatory detail, covering time spent in both non-commissioned and commissioned officer ranks. Significant places/events covered are: 1st Contingent at Valcartier, SS Lapland, Salisbury Plain Camp, Festubert, Hill 63, Messines, Ypres, Blendecques O.T.S., Vimy, Hill 70, Buissy Switch, Passchendaele, Battle of Amiens, and post-Armistice Belgium and Germany.
External links:
Cpt. Andrews’s service record (Serv/Reg# 14502 and 14506) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
The first awarding of the Military Cross to Andrews was published in The London Gazette on October 18, 1917 (#30340, p. 10712); his Bar to Military Cross was published February 1, 1919 (#31158, p. 1631).
[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated April, 2023. Jpg files of Andrews’ original typewritten document have been added, as well as one additional photo. Diary transcriptions and content descriptions reviewed and amended. Collection Description updated and expanded.]
Ernest George Gardner was born in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1894 and enlisted at Liverpool, Nova Scotia on March 1, 1916. The collection consists of one letter written in 1917.
Henry Rumsey was born in Montreal in February 1897. He enlisted at Montreal in March 1916 and served overseas in France. The collection consists of one photograph of him in 1916 and one poem he wrote in France in 1917.
Lieutenant Neville Ayrton Astbury was born in Northop, Flintshire, North Wales, on April 6, 1889, to parents Edward and Jane Astbury.
Astbury enlisted with the 66th Battalion in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 12, 1915, and proceeded overseas aboard the SS Metagama in September 1915. He was transferred to the 49th Battalion, with whom he was serving when killed in action on September 16, 1916.
External Links:
Lieut. Neville Ayrton Astbury's service record can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information can be found through The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
His Circumstances of Death record can be found through Library and Archives Canada.
A memorial page honouring Neville Aryton Astbur can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
The materials here were kindly provided by the Northop Parish Memorials Project.
Walter Fick was born on the Isle of Man in April 1884. Sometime prior to the war he immigrated to Canada and worked in Toronto, Ontario, as a conductor on the Toronto Street Railway. Fick enlisted in Toronto on May 1, 1916. He served with the 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment). Fick died in hospital in England in 1918. The collection consists of one letter to his wife Mona, several Red Cross letters, two telegrams, and three photographs.
Arthur John Cook was born in Chelmsford, England, in 1892 and immigrated to Canada prior to the war. Cook enlisted in Edmonton, Alberta, in November 1914. He served overseas until the end of the war. The collection currently consists of his 1918 diary and one photograph.
Flying Officer Jack Morris Styles was born in Midland, Ontario, on June 7, 1924, to parents Reuel Clarence and Jessie (née Morris) Styles. Prior to the war he worked as a bank clerk with the Royal Bank in Arnprior, Ontario.
Styles joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943, training as a navigator before heading overseas to England in April of 1944. He served with the R.C.A.F. 426 “Thunderbird” Squadron. He was killed on February 3, 1945, along with his crew when their Halifax bomber crashed while returning from a mission over Germany. Styles was buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Brookwood, England.
External links:
Flying Officer Jack Morris Styles’ service record (Serv/Reg# J42042) is not available at this time.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Styles can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated August 2022. Letter transcription errors have been corrected and layout/formatting updated as needed. Additional biographical information has been added to the Collection Description.]
Herbert "Bert" Hill White was born July 30, 1880, in Grey County, Ontario. Sometime after his father's death in 1895 Bert moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his brother and mother then resided. He returned to Canada in 1916 and enlisted in October 1916 as part of the Canadian Railway Battalion. White served overseas as a member of the Canadian Railway Battalion until his return to Canada in 1919. This collection consists of his diary from 1916 to 1919, and one photograph. He died in Ottawa in 1943.
