Norman Sydney Richards was born in Bristol in 1897 and immigrated to Salmon Arm, British Columbia, in 1914. He returned to England to enlist and went to France in 1917, where he was severely wounded and remained in England recovering until 1919. In 1919 he married a woman who had worked as a V.A.D. in the hospital and together they returned to Salmon Arm in 1919. Richards died in 1986 at the age of 89. The collection consists of miscellaneous documents relating to his life and service.
William Lowry was born in Bannbridge, Ireland, in 1893 and immigrated to Prince George, British Columbia, sometime prior to World War I. He enlisted in January 1916, served in France and was wounded late in 1916. He was sent first to England and later back to British Columbia to recover. The collection consists of seventeen letters covering his convalescence both overseas and in Canada.
Murray Welsh, DCM, was born in Kincardine, Ontario, in August 1889. Welsh enlisted with the Fort Garry Horse in June, 1915. He served in France and earned the DCM before his death on March 30, 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial. The collection currently consists of nine letters, photographs, and personal items.
South African (Boer) War Collection
Robert Robinson enlisted in Toronto, Ontario, in January 1900 at the age of twenty-five, and served with the Canadian Mounted Rifles during the South African War. The collection consists of three letters written back to Canada from April 1900 to September 1900.
John Melody Dever was born in Montreal, Québec, in June 1897. He enlisted in August 1916 at Kingston, Ontario. Dever served overseas in France until the end of the war, when he returned to Canada. The collection consists of several postcards, photographs, his signalling certificate, and a copy of Arthur Currie's special order for the troops of March 27, 1918.
Roderick Anderson Todd was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1890 and immigrated to Canada prior to the war. He enlisted in Victoria, British Columbia, in February 1914. He served overseas in France and was wounded in 1917. The collection currently consists of fifteen letters written by Todd, most of them while in hospital.
James Wells Ross was born in Toronto, Ontario, in August 1890. At the time of his enlistment in September, 1914, he was a medical student at the University of Toronto. He served overseas during the war, and at the end of the war returned to Canada to practice medicine. The collection consists of several diary enteries and more than eighty letters, the majority of which are an extended dated journal entry that begins in 1914. See also the Gladys Hope Sewell Ross collection in WWI (his wife) and the Colin Sewell Ross collection in WWII (his son).
William Joseph Johnston was born in Victoria, British Columbia in March, 1875. Johnston enlisted in Victoria in January, 1916, with the 1st Canadian Pioneers, and subsequently served overseas with the 9th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops. He was wounded in France and invalided back to England, where he died in October, 1917. The collection currently consists of thirty letters, several photographs, and a very large postcard collection.
John ("Jack") Arthur Cowles was born in Oxford, England, in March 1893. He was a member of the Balliol Boys Club, a club run by the students, graduates, and tutors of Balliol College in Oxford. It was under the Club's auspices that Jack came to Canada in 1913. Jack enlisted with the Canadian forces in Saskatchewan in 1914. Cowles served overseas with B Coy. 28th Battalion and he was killed June 6, 1916. The collection consists of several letters to his sister and to the Balliol Boys Club, three postcards, four photographs, and a letter of condolence from Sam Hughes.
Daniel Spencer Reid was born in Middle Musquodobit, Nova Scotia, in October 1896. Reid enlisted in October 1915. He served overseas with the 85th Overseas Battalion, the Nova Scotia Highlanders. Reid was killed at Passchendaele, October 30, 1917. The collection consists of more than thirty letters and one postcard.
Lt. Harvey Simion Burnard was from Theodore, Saskatchewan. Burnard enlisted in January, 1942 and served overseas with the South Saskatchewan Regiment, R.C.I.C until he was killed at age twenty-five on July 25, 1944 in France. The collection consists of more than fifty letters written by Burnard.
Herbert Laurier Irwin was born in Weston, Ontario in 1896. Irwin enlisted in Toronto, Ontario in October, 1915 with the 41st O.S. Battery and served overseas in France and Belgium. The collection consists of twelve letters, four postcards, and two photographs.
[Editor’s note: The materials in this collection are currently being reviewed/updated. Some materials may be incomplete or inaccessible during this update period.]
Private Keith Bruce Crosby was born in Carleton, Yarmouth Co., Nova Scotia on April 25, 1897, to parents Howard A. and Lillian S. Crosby.
Crosby enlisted in the 40th Battalion on August 6, 1915, at Aldershot, N.S. The following October he shipped for England on board the SS Saxonia, and in March 1916 was deployed to France where he served with the 24th Battalion. Crosby was killed April 11, 1916, in action at Reninghelst, Belgium, and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
Content notes:
All but one of the letters was written by Crosby while training in Canada and England, and addressed to his father or to “Celia” (full name/relationship unknown).
External links:
Pte. Keith Crosby’s service record (Serv/Reg# 415769) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
WWI Circumstances of Death Registers record card (page #727), Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Crosby can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
[Collection reviewed/updated September 2024.]
Robert Rollo Paul was born in Lavant, Ontario, in April 1888. Paul enlisted in October 1914, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He served overseas with the 28th Battalion and returned home to Canada at the end of the war. The collection currently consists of a memoir recounting his escape from a Prisoner of War Camp.
Willard Hogarth ("Bill") Hutchinson was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick April 16, 1897 and enlisted in Fredericton, New Brunswick in January, 1916. He served overseas in France and returned to the Maritimes in 1919. The collection currently consists of eleven letters written from 1916 to 1919.
Melville Alexander Bradshaw was born in Toronto, Ontario, in August 1898. While still a student, Bradshaw enlisted in November 1916 in Toronto, Ontario, with the 67th O.S. Depot Battery, C.F.A. The collection currently consists of two photographs and his diary from 1918.
Stewart Hastings Bull was born in Windsor, Ontario in 1916. He was educated at the University of Toronto and enlisted with the Essex Scottish in 1940. Bull was wounded at Caen, France by a mortar a few months after D-Day. He was hospitalized for several months and never returned to the front. Bull finished with the rank of Major. The collection consists of his memoir of the war transcribed from a recording by Bull in September, 2002 at the age of 86, as well as two photographs of Bull from 1941.
Thomas S. Sharland was born in York Township, Toronto, Ontario, in June 1882. Sharland enlisted in Toronto in April 1915 and served overseas until 1919. The collection consists of four letters, postcards and several photographs.
William George Calder was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, in 1898 and later lived in Ashcroft, British Columbia, prior to the war. He enlisted in Vancouver, British Columbia, in May 1916, served overseas, and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection consists of more than forty letters, extensive images, both photographs and postcards, as well as diaries and numerous miscellaneous items.
Joseph Roy Ferguson was born in Innisfil, Ontario, in July 1884. Ferguson enlisted in Toronto, Ontario, in October 1915 with the 4th Overseas University Battalion. The collection consists of one extended letter written on the SS Lapland during his voyage to England, and two photographs.
This collection consists of three letters from the North Shore Archives, Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, dated between December 1916 and November 11, 1918. Used with permission of the North Shore Archives Society.
Einar Stefansson Long was born in Iceland in December 1891. He immigrated to Canada prior to the war and was a student in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Long enlisted in February, 1916, in Winnipeg. He served overseas with the 8th Battalion and was killed on August 9, 1918. The collection consists of one photograph of Long and his friend Gudmunder Gudmundson.
Richard Roe was born in Greenock, Scotland, in August 1895. Sometime prior to the war he moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where he was employed as a carpenter. Roe enlisted in Victoria on March 12, 1915, and served overseas with the 28th Battalion. Roe was killed on October 8, 1915, by the accidental discharge of a rifle from his own troops. The collection consists of one letter of condolence to his parents.
Earl Bolton was born in Ingersoll, Ontario, in 1889 and then later moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he was employed as a grinder. He returned to Canada and enlisted in London, Ontario, in February 1918. Bolton saw service in France beginning in August 1918. He was wounded and died October 9, 1918. The collection currently consists of three letters.
Alexander Ewen was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1881 and immigrated to Canada prior to the war, where he lived in the London, Ontario, area. He enlisted in September 1914 and served overseas. The collection consists of eight letters and four photographs.
