Gordon Stanley Thornton was born in Peterborough, Ontario in June, 1887. At the time of his enlistment in August 1915 he was practising as a barrister in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Thornton served with the 78th Batt., rising to the rank of Major by the end of the war. He was wounded in 1918 and returned to Canada after the war. The collection currently consists of fifty eight letters, some personal items and telegrams, and a photograph.
Jay Moyer Batiste was born in Toronto, Ontario in January, 1897. Moyer enlisted in Toronto in October, 1915 with the 95th Overseas Battalion and served overseas with the Western Ontario Regiment. He was killed at Vimy Ridge, April 9, 1917. The collection consists of more than seventy letters written between 1915 and 1917 and one photograph.
John Ernest McLurg was born in Prospect Hill, Ontario in 1875 and enlisted in September, 1914. He served in France and Belgium until he was taken prisoner at Ypres in April, 1915, when he was then transferred to a prisoner of war facility for officers at Heidelberg, Germany. McLurg remained at Heidelberg until he was paroled to Switzerland in 1916, spending a year there until he returned to Canada in 1918. The collection consists of a memory book kept while at Heidelberg, which includes photographs of the camp and his fellow officers, artwork, and miscellaneous inscriptions.
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.
Samuel Giles McNeil was born in Townsville, Queensland, Australia in June, 1895. He emigrated to Canada sometime prior to the war and enlisted in April, 1915 in New Westminster, British Columbia. He served overseas, returned to Canada at the end of the war and died in Nanaimo, British Columbia in 1954. The collection currently consists of two postcards sent to the parents of Frederick Henry Smith.
Charles Wilcox was born in July, 1889 at Stanstead, Quebec. 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).
Hadden William Ellis was born in Dundas County, Ontario in March, 1894. He moved with his family to Weno, Alberta and was a student at the time of his enlistment in Calgary, Alberta in April, 1916. Ellis served overseas with the Canadian Light Horse and was killed in action September 24, 1917. The collection currently consists of more than two dozen letters, miscellaneous documents, and six photographs.
Harold Hartley Littler was born in Liverpool, England in December, 1881. Littler enlisted in Port Alberni, British Columbia and then was later sworn in at Victoria, British Columbia in November, 1915. The collection consists of a short memoir written by Littler in the 1920s which describes his time from enlistment until his return home.
Harry Davies was born in Hamilton, Ontario in December, 1897. He enlisted in March, 1916 in Hamilton, Ontario with the 205th Battalion. Davies went overseas in 1917, was wounded in August, 1918, and invalided back to Canada in early 1919. The collection currently consists of his diary from December, 1916 to June, 1919, as well as several photographs.
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').
William Austin Cauthers was born in March, 1925, the son of William and Margaret Cauthers of Mansfield, Ontario. Cauthers served as a Pilot Officer with the 407 Sqdn. of the R.C.A.F. He and his crew went missing when their Wellington MK IV failed to return on a mission over the English Channel on June 22, 1944. The collection currently consists of fifteen letters and three photographs.
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.
Clifford Henry Callcott was born in August, 1916 and served overseas with the RCAF as a mechanic from 1943 to 1945. The collection consists of nine letters, photographs, cards, and miscellaneous items. Callcott died in 1969.
William Vincent Gauthier was born in North Rustico, Prince Edward Island in October, 1897 and enlisted in Charlottetown in 1915. Gauthier served oveseas Enland, France, and Belgium until his return to Canada at the end of the war. The collection consists of a memoir written by Gauthier sometime after the war.
Joseph Thomas Wright was born in Toronto in 1907. He served overseas in Africa and Europe during the war and then returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection consists of one letter written to his sister Bea from Italy in September, 1944.
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 MacKinnon was born in Scotland in June, 1886. He emigrated around 1912 to Canada and enlisted in Edmonton, Alberta in December, 1914. MacKinnon served overseas with the 31st Battalion until his death on November 7, 1915. The collection currently consists of one letter. See also the collections of his nephews Ronald and Archibald MacKinnon.
Victor McDonald was born on Prince Edward Island in 1895. He enlisted in December, 1915 and served overseas during WWI. Due to exposure to gas during the war he spent the rest of his life in hospital in Nova Scotia after his return to Canada. He died in hospital shortly after the war ended. The letters are to his brother Leo, who was at the time studying to be a teacher in Charlottetown. The collection consists of twelve letters written by Victor to Leo, both during his time of service and from the hospital shortly after his return.
Albert Playfoot was born in Kent, England in June, 1894. He emigrated to Canada prior to the war and enlisted with the 70th Battalion in October, 1915 and served overseas in France with the 58th Battalion until his demobilization in 1919. The collection currently consists of two photographs and his discharge certificate.
Roy Clarence Armstrong was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in February, 1898 and worked as clerk before enlisting in Winnipeg in March, 1916. Armstrong served overseas with the 78th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment) until his death in October, 1917 in the battle for Passchendaele. The collection consists of more than sixty letters, as well as numerous photographs, postcards, and other items.
Hubert Willliam "Bert" Lovell was born in born in England in November, 1891. Lovell enlisted in Edmonton, Alberta in January, 1916 and served overseas with the 8th Canadian Field Ambulance. The collection consists of two photographs and a transcription of his notes for a speech given at the 8th Canadian Field Ambulance Reunion Dinner in Calgary, 1931.
Earnest 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.
Albert Edward Roscoe was born in Belfast, Ireland in December, 1890 and then came to Canada as a Barnardo boy and lived with the Bateman family near Stirling, Ontario. Prior to the war he moved to the west and took up farming. Roscoe enlisted September 24, 1914 and served with the 5th Bn., Canadian Infantry (Saskatchewan Regiment). He was killed May 24, 1915 and his name is one of the over 11,000 names found on the Vimy Memorial of Canadian soldiers whose graves are not known. The collection consists of two letters and one photograph.
Edward Bryer was born in May, 1920, the son of George and Annie Bryer of Marchwell, Saskatchewan. He enlisted with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and served overseas until his death on August 3, 1944. Bryer is buried in Brettevill-sur-laize Canadian cemetery in France. The collection currently consists of seven letters.
William George Stevens was born on August 7, 1915, the son of George and Beatrice Stevens of St. James, Manitoba. He enlisted with the RCAF and flew with the 106 (R.A.F.) Squadron as a Pilot Officer (Air Gnr.). Stevens was shot down and killed April 27, 1944. The collection consists of two photographs, a pass, and an official letter regarding his status as missing.
