Francis (Frank) Michael Scandiffio was born on December 24, 1913 and served as a Pilot Officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war. Frank was killed on July 15, 1944. The collection consists of twenty-nine letters written home by Tom as well as official correspondence relating to his death. See also the correspondence of his brother Thomas.
Thomas Edward Brady was born in Lindsay, Ontario in November, 1896. He enlisted in Kingston, Ontario in November, 1914 and served overseas with the Canadian Forestry Corps. Brady died in October, 1918. The collection consists of several photographs of Brady and some postcards.
Ronald Francis Broome enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba in August, 1940. Broome served overseas during the war with the 3rd Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. The collection currently consists of letters, photographs, his paybook, a regimental history, a copy of The Maple Leaf Scrapbook, and other miscellaneous items.
Ralph Tilburt was born in Michigan in 1893 and emigrated to Canada in 1907. He enlisted in 1917 at Sussex, New Brunswick, served overseas, and returned to Canada after his discharge in the spring of 1919. The collection consists of one letter and one photograph.
This collection consists of letters of the Duff family from 1914 to 1918. It includes letters from Louis Duff, who enlisted in Moose Jaw in 1914, and his brother Cecil, who enlisted in Winnipeg in March, 1916. As well there are letters between Louis and Cecil’s mother Rosa and her sister Lily (Aunt Lily in the correspondence from the brothers), correspondence from Harry Richey, the uncle of Louis and Cecil, and correspondence from Dr. Thomas Leask, related to the Duff family by marriage. The collection consists of thirty-four letters.
Ewen Nicholson was born in Grimsay, Scotland in May, 1892, and emigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada in 1912. Nicholson enlisted in September of 1914, and served overseas in Belgium and France in 1915 and 1916. He was killed June 3, 1916. The collection currently consists of more than forty letters.
John Hill Robertson was born in Wellington, British Columbia in June, 1898. Robertson was recruited in October, 1917 and served overseas in England and France until he was demobilized and returned to Canada in 1919. The collection consists of more than thirty letters, as well as postcards, photographs, and his paybook.
Arthur Donovan Corker was born in February, 1894 in Victoria, British Columbia. Corker enlisted in September, 1914 and was part of the First Canadian Contingent. He was serving with the 7th Battalion when he was taken prisoner during the Second Battle of Ypres on April 24, 1915. As a prisoner, Corker attempted to escape six times, was recaptured, and finally succeeded in his seventh attempt in 1918. The collection consists of one letter written shortly after he made his escape to Holland. As well, Corker did an interview in 1983 describing his escape, which is part of the University of Victoria archives. To listen to Corker, click here.
Vaughan Whitier Pearson was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1898 and was a student at The University of Toronto when he enlisted in April, 1916. He served overseas in France until the end of the war. Vaughan Pearson was the third of three sons to serve overseas, following his brothers Marmaduke and Lester, a future Prime Minister of Canada. The collection consists of six letters from Vaughan, a post card, a Christmas card, a newspaper clipping, and one photograph.
Frank Tilbury was born in London, Ontario, in 1877 and enlisted in the 135th Battalion on 13 December 1915; he listed his occupation as musician, and noted that he had previous service in the 26th Regiment and the 1st Hussars. The diaries, which run from August 1916 to August 1917, cover his training in England and his service at the front with the 60th and 116th Battalions.
Thomas James Aston was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA in February 1889. Aston enlisted in Toronto, Ontario in July, 1915 and served overseas until his discharge in 1919. The collection currently consists of miscellaneous pages from his paybook.
William Henry Bell was born in Chatham, Ontario in 1897 and moved to Innisfree, Alberta to farm with his family. Bell enlisted at Vegreville, Alberta in February, 1916 with the 151st Battalion. He was killed at Vimy Ridge, April 10, 1917. The collection consists of twenty letters and one poem.
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.
Victor Arthur Green was born in Kent, England in January, 1895. Green emigrated to Canada prior to the war and enlisted in Victoria, British Columbia in November, 1914 with the 88th Fusiliers. He was wounded three times, including at Vimy Ridge, and was awarded the DCM. The collection currently consists of sections of his pay book, telegrams, a newspaper clipping, several photographs, and an undated memoir of his service experiences.
Ralph Richards was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1889. He emigrated to Canada sometime before the First World War, and enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Sydney, Nova Scotia in September, 1915. The collection consists of one photograph and one long memoir, writtten sometime during World War II, which recounts his experience during World War I as a prisoner of war.
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.
Arthur Bryan Morlidge was from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. He served with the 419 Squadron as a Flying Officer until he was shot down and killed in October, 1942. He is buried in the Netherlands. The collection currently consist of personal correspondence, official correspondence concerning his death, and some photographs.
John Walter Ellis was born in Reading, England in February, 1895. At some time unknown he emigrated to Canada and settled in Tillsonburg, Ontario. In May, 1916 he enlisted at Tillsonburg. He served overseas in France, where he was killed on May 13, 1917. The majority of the letters are addressed to his wife Katherine (Kitty) in Glasgow, Scotland who, when her husband enlisted, returned to Scotland to live with her parents. The collection consists of more than thirty letters, several photographs, and a small number of postcards.
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, British Columbia 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.
Daniel Austin Lane was born in Pelham Union, Ontario in December, 1894, and enlisted in April, 1916. At the time of his enlistment he was a student at the University of Toronto and while there had studied Arabic at Victoria College. Due to his Arabic studies he was recruited to join the South Persian Rifles by the British and arrived in the Persian Gulf in August, 1917. Lane returned to Canada and practiced law in Calgary. He died in 1966. The collection consists of more than thirty letters written to his friend Helen Davis, as well as several photographs.
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.
Arthur Calvin Smith was born in Dunnville, Ontario in April, 1897. Smith enlisted in February, 1916 in Dunnville, Ontario with the 114th Battalion, Brock's Rangers. While overseas he was transferred to the 19th Battalion. He was wounded in the Battle of Lens August 16, 1917 and died the same day. The collection currently consists of more than forty letters, photographs, postcards, and other miscellaneous items.
Joseph McCartney was born in Liverpool, England in 1882 and emigrated to Canada sometime prior to the war. He enlisted in Calgary, Alberta in May, 1916. McCartney had worked for the Allin family near Whitby, Ontario, and continued to corresponded with their daughter Curtie during the war. He was killed in France on April 8, 1918, age 36 years, and is buried in the Thelus Military Cemetery at Vimy Ridge. Three of the letters were written by Joe to Curtie, and one letter was from Curtie to Joe. That letter of March 8, 1918 was returned to Curtie following Joe's death in France. One letter is from his brother in England to Canada requesting the return of Joseph's personal effects. This collection consists of five letters written between December 1917 to September 1918.
Harry Henry Foote was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1892 and enlisted in September, 1914. The collection consists of one letter written enroute to England in October, 1914 and one photograph taken at Valcartier, Quebec in 1914.
George Leslie Scherer was born in Ridgetown, Ontario, in September, 1896. Scherer enlisted in Toronto, Ontario in January, 1916 with the 134th Battalion (raised by the 48th Highlanders). He reached the front early in 1917, and fought his first major battle at Vimy Ridge in April. He was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry at Hill 70, and a bar to the decoration later in the war. Severely wounded on 2 September 1918, he was discharged back to duty on 6 December 1918. The collection consists of more than fifty letters to Catherine Crawford and to his sister Ruby, who lived in Teeterville, Ontario.
