Robert Hale was born in England in 1893 and immigrated in his late teens to Canada, where he settled in Montreal. He enlisted in February 1915 and served overseas until his discharge in 1919, being wounded three times during his service. The collection consists of more than forty letters written in 1915 and 1917 to his sweetheart Alice, whom he was to marry in 1920.
Cecil Moody was born in England in November, 1892, and immigrated to Canada prior to the war. Moody enlisted in October 1915 and served overseas with the 8th Canadian Field Ambulance until the end of the war. The collection currently consists of thirty-nine letters, as well as photographs and other miscellaneous items connected to his service.
Edward ("Ted") Loney was born in October 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1943 Loney joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and served as an anti-aircraft gunner until he returned to Canada in 1946. The collection consists of more than one hundred letters.
Harold Holt was born in Manchester, England, in May 1897. Prior to the war he immigrated to Victoria, British Columbia. Holt enlisted in September 1915 in Victoria and served overseas until his discharge. He was the brother of James Henry Holt, who served as James Henry. The collection currently consists of four photographs and some miscellaneous personal items.
Charles Henry Savage was born in Eastman, Québec, in September 1892. Savage enlisted at Sherbrooke, Québec, in February 1915 and served overseas with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles until his discharge at the end of the war. The collection consists of an extended memoir written after the war and two photographs.
The collection contains three letters from Robina Evelyn Lee home to her parents in Glasgow detailing her journey from Britain to Vancouver. She was coming to Canada as a war bride after marrying Alfred Roberston Lee, a member of the Canadian Navy whom she met in Britain during the war. Also included are other items such as some individual photographs, wedding photographs, and a photograph of the ship on which she came to Canada.
Donald Mackenzie was born in New Brunswick in 1877 and enlisted on November 9, 1914, in Victoria, British Columbia. Moore served as a Captain with the 30th Battalion. He was killed May 22, 1915. The collection consists of one newspaper clipping, three letters from Donald to his brother Art and one letter from their cousin Cyrus Peck regarding Donald's disappearance.
Thomas William Johnson was born in April, 1877 and enlisted at Swift Current, Saskatchewan in March, 1916. The collection consists of more than sixty letters that he wrote to his future wife 'Lulu'.
Frederick Boyt was born in Poole, England, in December 1893. He enlisted in Toronto, Ontario, on July 26, 1915. His brother William was born in Poole, England, in February 1896. William enlisted on the same day as his brother. The collection currently consists of four photographs and one postcard.
Harold Henry Simpson, MM, was born in March 1897 in Bayview, Prince Edward Island. Simpson enlisted in September 1915 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and served overseas in France, Belgium, and Germany until his return to Canada at the end of the war. The collection consists of more than one hundred forty letters from 1915 to 1919.
Wilfred Henry Stoll was born in July 1898 in Nottawa, Ontario, and enlisted at Collingwood, Ontario, in March 1916. He served overseas in France until he was discharged in 1918 for medical reasons. The collection consists of one photograph and one postcard.
Clifford Shaver was born in Mountain, Ontario, in 1896, one of ten children of William and Jessie Shaver. He enlisted on February 1, 1916, went to England in October of 1916, and then to France in May 1917. He was killed by a shell October 30, 1917, at the age of 21. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium. The collection consists of six letters that he wrote home, three letters of condolence written to his parents and published in the newspaper, as well as several photographs.
Private Albert Evans was born on May 1, 1899 in Burwardsley, Cheshire, England, to parents Edward and Emma Evans.
Evans enlisted at Youngstown, Alberta, on February 19, 1916, with the 175th Battalion, and sailed to England from Halifax, Nova Scotia, aboard the SS Saxonia in October 1916. Once in England Evans was transferred to the 21st Reserve Battalion, and then to the 50th Battalion, with whom he was sent to France in March 1917. While serving with 50th, Evans was wounded near Lens, France on August 21, 1917, and died of his wounds September 2, 1917.
[Editor note: His attestation paper mistakenly lists his birth year as 1899, not 1889. He was 26 at the time of enlistment]
External links:
Private Albert Evans’s service record (Serv/Reg# 696403) 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 Evans can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
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.
Sydney Thomas Hampson was born in England in October 1893. Prior to the war he immigrated to Canada and enlisted in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in January, 1915. The collection currently consists of thirteen letters, excerpts from his diary, photographs, and personal items.
Archie Thompson had worked on the Frank and Annie Fuller family farm in Quebec prior to the war. The letters were addressed to Donald Fuller, their son. Following his return from the war Archie Thompson moved to Montreal. The collection consists of four letters.
Henry Lawrence Davis was born near Ivy, Ontario, in 1913 and joined the RCAF in December 1940. He received his wings in September 1941 and was stationed to England in October 1941. Davis was killed with all his crew in a crash in Wales, May 28, 1942.
External links:
Flight Sergeant Henry Lawrence Davis’ service record (Serv/Reg# R85807) 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 Davis can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Frederick William Barnes, MM, was born in Birtle, Manitoba, in 1895. Barnes enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in January 1916 with the 61st University Battalion and later served with "C" Coy. 8th Bn., Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment), and was awarded the Miltary Medal. He was killed August 31, 1918, at the age of 22. The collection consists of one letter written to his sister in August 1918.
William James McNabb was born in Desboro, Ontario, in March 1891. He enlisted in December 1915 in Owen Sound, Ontario, with the 147th Grey Battalion. McNabb served overseas in France and Belgium until his death in October 1918. The collection currently consists of one letter, obituaries, a field service card, and his circumstances of death report.
Maurice Wilfred Bracewell was born in Yorkshire, England, in March 1895. Bracewell moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, prior to the war, where he enlisted in December 1915. Bracewell fought at Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, where he was wounded. He died in Vancouver in 1973. The collection consists of an undated memoir of his participation at Vimy Ridge.
James Henderson Fargey was born in Belmont, Manitoba, in December 1897. He enlisted in July 1915 in Winnipeg and served overseas with the 43rd Battalion. Fargey was killed in action October 15th, 1916. The collection currently consists of more than eighty letters, as well as photographs, postcards, telegrams, and other miscellaneous items.
Arthur James Hay was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1895 and enlisted July 22, 1915. Hay served oveseas in France with the 38th Bn. In 1917 he was wounded by a gas attack, and returned to Canada in July, 1918 as a result of his injuries. Arthur James Hay died in 1963. The collection consists of a photograph of Hay and a copy of his pension identification certificate.
William Harry Jennings was born in Forest, Ontario in 1883. He enlisted in August,1914, and served overseas in France where he was wounded in 1915. He returned to Canada sometime before the end of the war and died in 1925. The collection consists of two letters and two photographs.
Jack Malcolm Brown was born in Ontario in 1895. His only sibling, Olga Brown was born in 1903, and the two of them were orphaned when Olga was about one year old. The two children were then split up, with Jack going to live with a family in Lyndhurst, Ontario, and Olga going to live with her aunt in Frankville, Ontario. When Jack was eighteen he moved west to Saskatchewan to homestead. He worked as a teamster and enlisted at Prince Albert in December 1915. Brown served overseas in France and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection consists of over fifty letters written by him to his sister between 1914 and 1918.
George Bland was born on a Manitoba farm in 1919. He worked for Kraft Foods before applying to be part of the R.C.A.F. in 1941. He was asked to join a "secret project" as a Radar Mechanic, and worked in the U.K. and India until the summer of 1945. He returned to Canada, where he married and had three sons, and became the Vice-President of Kraft Foods before retiring in 1984. The Collection consists of letters, photographs,and his own personal recollections, and other miscellaneous items.
