William Pearce Jones was born in North Wales in September 1896. Prior to the war he immigrated with his family to Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and enlisted in Victoria, British Columbia, in September 1915 with the 67th Battalion. Jones served overseas with the 102nd and 29th Battalions until he was killed in action April 15, 1918. The collection currently consists of more than twenty letters and several photographs. He was the son of John Jones, who also served.
Lucien Victor Hogarth was born in April, 1898 in Stephen Township, Ontario. Hogarth enlisted in May, 1916 in Exeter, Ontario with the 161st Huron Battalion. He served overseas in France with the 47th Battalion until he was demobilized and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currrently consists of four letters, Christmas cards, and numerous photographs
Stanley William Evans was born in Calgary, Alberta in April, 1923. Evans enlisted in Calgary in September, 1941 and served overseas in Britain and Europe before he was demobilized in October, 1945. The collection consists of more that forty letters and several other items.
John Jones was born in North Wales in February 1873. Prior to the war he immigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver, British Columbia. Jones enlisted in Victoria, British Columbia, in May 1916 with the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles. He served overseas with the 5th Battalion, was wounded in 1917, invalided back to Canada, and discharged as medically unfit in 1918. The collection currently consists of four letters. He was the father of William Jones (below) who was killed in 1918,
John Jowsey was born in Yorkshire, England in August, 1897, and settled in Monte Creek, British Columbia prior to the war. Jowsey enlisted with the 172nd Battalion in January 1916 in Kamloops, British Columbia. He served overseas in France for more than seven months until it was discovered that he had enlisted underage. Jowsey was returned to Canada and discharged in October 1917. Jowsey had given his birth date as August 18, 1900, so in fact enlisting when he was still only 15. The collection currently consists of four letters.
George Ansley Davis was born in Stoney Creek, Ontario, in November 1893. He enlisted in December 1915, and served overseas with the 54th Battalion until he was demobilized and returned to Canada in the spring of 1919. The collection currently consists of six letters and one field service card.
Alfred Henry West was born in Muskoka District, Ontario, in May 1889. West enlisted with his brother Charles on January 18, 1916 in Victoria, British Columbia, with the 103rd Battalion. He served overseas with the 54th Battalion. West was wounded in July 1917 and was discharged as medically unfit in 1918. The collection currently consists of five letters.
Charles Edgar West was born in Muskoka District, Ontario, in July 1891. West enlisted with his brother Alfred on January 18, 1916, in Victoria, British Columbia, with the 103rd Battalion. He served overseas with the 54th Battalion until he was demobilized and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of three letters.
William Lloyd Hollett was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia in September, 1913. He served overseas with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. until his death on October 26, 1944, age 33. The collection currently consists of more than forty letters.
External links:
Private William Lloyd Hollett’s service record (Serv/Reg# F11177) 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 Hollett can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Charles Evans was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in May 1895 and attested at Valcartier, Québec, in September 1914. Evans sailed with the First Contingent in October 1914 and served with the 8th Battalion. He was killed in the Second Battle of Ypres on April 24, 1915, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate. The collection currently consists of eight letters and several personal items.
John Goldthorp Hutchinson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in January, 1890. Hutchinson enlisted in September, 1914 and was part of the First Contingent to France, where he served with the 8th Battalion. He was wounded in April, 1915 at the second battle of Yprres. Hutchinson was killed on June 14, 1916. The collection currently consists of two letters to the mother of Charlie Evans whom he served with and went missing April 24, 1915.
Thomas Otto Stewart was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in December 1888. He later moved to Fort William, Ontario, where he enlisted in October 1914 with the 68th Battalion. Stewart served overseas with the 68th until he was killed June 6, 1916. The collection currently consists of one letter to his friend Harry Evans whose brother, Charlie, had been missing since April, 1915.
Nelson Zelotist Woodruff was born in Elmvale, Ontario, in October 1894 and enlisted in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in July 1915 with the 68th Battalion. Woodruff served overseas with the 2nd Tramway Company until he was demobilized and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of one letter.
Harold Lawrence Irwin was born in Franklin, Manitoba in March, 1894. He later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia and enlisted in Vancouver in June, 1915. Irwin served overseas in England and France until his death on July 3, 1918 while serving with the 1st Tramway Coy., Canadian Engineers. The collection currently consists of more than one hundred letters, as well as numerous photographs and postcards.
William Markle Pecover was born in Lucknow, Ontario, in October 1894 and enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the 184th Battalion in April 1916. Pecover was wounded in 1917 and discharged in the spring of 1918 as medically unfit for further service due to his wound. The collection currently consists of more than one hundred letters from his time in the service.
Frank Honeywell Magee was born in Lowell Mass. in June 1894. Prior to the war Magee worked as a teamster in Kelowna, British Columbia, before enlisting in March 1915 in Vancouver with the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles. He served overseas in France with the 7th Battalion until his death on January 24, 1917. The collection currently consists of three letters, a postcard, and a photograph.
James Francis Watson was born in June, 1924. He enlisted in November, 1942 in Fort William, Ontario. Watson served with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, R.C.I.C. until his death in France on August 4, 1944. The collection currently consists of sixteen letters, clippings, and several photographs.
External links:
Lance Corporal James Francis Watson’s service record (Serv/Reg# H195561) 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 Watson can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
William Hubert Corrigan was born in Brandon, Manitoba, in July 1881. Corrigan enlisted in Regina, Saskatchewan, in May 1916 and served overseas with the 217th Battalion and the 209th Battalion, after having served the previous seven years with the 90th Winnipeg Rifles. He was demobilized and returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection currently consists several photographs and postcards from his time overseas.
Desmond Ivan Crossley was born in 1910. Crossley joined the RCAF in 1940 and served as an instructor in the Commonwealth Air Training Program until his discharge in 1945. The collection currently consists of two letters from former students written to him, as well as numerous photographs.
Joseph Goulding Sproule was born in Toronto, Ontario, in June 1897, the younger brother of Hugh and Noble Sproule. Sproule enlisted in Toronto, Ontario, in October 1915 with the 81st Battalion and served overseas in France with the 3rd Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps. He was discharged at the end of the war and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of more than twenty five letters, as well as numerous postcards and photographs.
Hugh Charles Sproule was born in Toronto in January 1898, the twin brother of Noble Sproule listed below. Sproule enlisted in September 1914 and sailed as part of the First Contingent in October 1914. He served with the 3rd Battalion until his death sometime between the 22nd and 26th of April 1915. The collection currently consists of nine letters from Hugh, official correspondence, and one postcard.
Robert Andrew Garvie was born in Owen Sound, Ontario in November 1887. Prior to the war the family moved west, and Garvie was recruited at The Pas, Manitoba in October, 1917. He served overseas with the 9th Battalion Canadian Engineeers, was wounded in September, 1918 and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consist of an undated memoir and two photographs.
Harold Sidney Bowler was born in Hazlemere, England, in July 1885. Prior to the war he was living in Vancouver, British Columbia, but attested in Le Treport, France, in May 1915. Bowler served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in France until he was invalided back to Canada in late 1917 due to illness. The collection currently consists of his paybook, postcards, and a large collection of photographs.
Harold Bruce McLagan was born in Carluke, Ontario, in September 1884. McLagan enlisted in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in January 1916 with the 128th Battalion. He served overseas with the 9th Canadian Machine Gun Corps until his death on November 4, 1917. The collection currently consists of fourteen letters from McLagan.
Noble Sproule was born in Toronto, Ontario, in January 1895, the twin brother of Hugh Sproule listed above. Sproule enlisted in September 1914 at Valcartier, Québec, and sailed overseas with the First Contingent in October 1914. Sproule served with the 3rd Battalion until he was killed July 9, 1916. The collection currently consists of five letters, two postcards, and several miscellanous items.
