World War One collections | Canadian Letters

Title

WWI

These collections contains any material relating to Canada from 1914 to 1918 from either the home front or the battlefront. External links in collection descriptions are either to online attestation papers at Library and Archives Canada or casualty and burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Adams, Geoffrey Walter

Acting Sergeant Geoffrey Walter Adams was born in Toronto, Ontario, on October 5, 1888, to parents John and Elizabeth Walters. Prior to enlistment he worked as a lawyer in Toronto.

Enlisting with the 67th Depot Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, in Toronto on June 19, 1916, Adams shipped for England on board the SS Empress of Britain in July of 1916. He spent several months in training before proceeding to France where he served with the 82nd and 48th Howitzer Batteries, Canadian Field Artillery. Adams was demobilized on February 7, 1919.

Content notes:
The collection includes a commemorative booklet of the 67th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force’s 60th Anniversary Celebration (1916-1976), posted below in the “Memoir” category.
All photos are of military content, and include subjects such as a field review by Sam Hughes, and a group photo of the draft of the 67th Battery, C.F.A., C.E.F., University of Toronto.
Also included are identification records kept of over 250 members of D 48th Battery, C.F.A. These have been grouped alphabetically and posted in the “Diary” category of the Collection Contents.

External links:
A/Sgt. Adams’s service record (Serv/Reg# 337947) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Adams, George Walter

Sergeant George Walter Adams was born in East Finchley, England, on September 25, 1896, to parents Walter and Emily Adams. Prior to enlistment he lived with his widowed mother in Toronto, Ontario, where he worked as a clerk.

He enlisted with the #2 Canadian Army Service Corps Training Depot, in Toronto on October 27, 1916. Adams was transferred to the 257th Battalion the following January, shipping with them to England on board the SS Missanabie February 16‑27, and then on to France on March 29, 1917. (The 257th Battalion was redesignated as the 7th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops, on March 8, 1917.) He remained with the 7th Bn. C.R.T. until his demobilization on March 21, 1919.

The Adams Collection contains letters written to George by his mother Emily Adams in the period following the cessation of hostilities with the Armistice of November of 1918, and prior to his return to Canada in March of 1919. Also included are transcriptions of the diaries he kept throughout the war years.

External links:
Sgt. George W. Adams’s service record (Serv/Reg# 513165) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated November 2022. The collection description has been expanded; the daily diary entries have been consolidated into a more user-friendly yearly format.]

Adamson, A.

The letter written by Sister A. Adamson was donated with the Private Arthur Shannon Collection. Very little is known about the provenance of the Adamson letter, the individuals or circumstances referenced within it, or of the writer herself, beyond the fact that she was working as a Nursing Sister at the 12th Casualty Clearing Station of the British Expeditionary Force on the date the letter was written, November 4, 1917.

Adkins, George Leslie

Pte. George Leslie Adkins was born to mother Alice Mary Adkins on March 4, 1889, in Banbury, England. He enlisted with the 49th Battalion, C.E.F., in Edmonton, Alberta, on March 25, 1915, and sailed overseas with his battalion from Montreal on June 4, 1915, on board the SS Metagama. Adkins arrived in England on June 14, 1915, and then embarked for France on October 9, 1915, where he remained with the 49th Battalion until the end of the war. He returned to Canada, sailing from Liverpool, England, on March 8, 1919, and was discharged in Edmonton, Alberta, later in March.

External links:
Pte. George Leslie Adkins’s service record (Serv/Reg #433085) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

The letter of August 27, 1928, which described his brother Martin’s death, was written by Inar William Anderson, DCM, who had served with Martin and George in the 49th Battalion. Lieutenant Inar William Anderson's service record can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
The service record for George’s brother Pte. Martin Adkins, who was killed June 27, 1916, can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada. Burial information for Martin Adkins is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Aikin, David

Private David Aikin was born in Belfast, Ireland, on September 21, 1892, to parents David and Jane Aikin. As British Home Children (Bernardo Homes), David, age 8, and his brother William, age 10, were sent to work in Canada in 1901, followed by their younger brother John, age 8, in 1905. Prior to his enlistment David lived in Wheatley, Ontario, with wife Elsie Myrtle Aikin and their two children.

Aikin enlisted March 17, 1916, in Chatham, Ontario, with the 186th Battalion, and sailed to England on the S.S. Lapland, arriving in April of 1917. Sent in June to join the 18th Battalion in France, Aikin was killed by shellfire on August 21, 1917. He was buried at Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension, Aix-Noulette, France.

Both of David Aikin’s brothers also served in WWI. Private John Forrest Aikin, with the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, was killed in Belgium on June 2, 1916. Private William Aikin, who had enlisted alongside David in Chatham in March of 1916, was the only one of the three to survive the war and return home to Canada.

Content notes:
The Collection’s only letter chronicles Aikin’s 1917 deployment overseas, beginning March 22 in Chatham, Ont., and ending April 8 upon his arrival at Liphook, England, for training at Bramshott. Included is a description of the S.S. Lapland’s collision with a mine on April 8, just prior to docking at Liverpool.
Surname spelling is highly inconsistent throughout external links and documents, variously appearing as “Aiken,” “Aikens,” “Aikins,” “Aitken,” “Aitkin,” etc.

External links:
Pte. David Aikin’s service record (Serv/Reg# 880497) and Home Children record (#162105) can be viewed/downloaded through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Aikin can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
The Canadian Expeditionary Force Roll of Honour for the Fallen British Home Children of Canada, and the Registry of British Home Children Who Died in the First World War, aremaintained by Home Children Canada (British Home Children Advocacy & Research Association).

Pte. John Forrest Aikin’s service record (Serv/Reg# 112169) and Home Children record (#57649) at Library and Archives Canada.
Pte. William Aikin’s service record version 1, version 2, (Serv/Reg# 880498) and Home Children record (#99979) at Library and Archives Canada.

Aitken, James Orian

Driver James Orian Aitken was born in Treherne, Manitoba on August 21, 1895, the son of widowed father Robert Aitken. Working as a school teacher in Baldur, Manitoba, he enlisted with the 76th Battery Canadian Field Artillery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on November 27, 1917 and proceeded to England on the SS Canada, arriving April 22, 1917. Whle overseas Aitken served with the 4th C.D.A.C. At the end of the war, Aitken returned to Canada aboard the SS Aquitainia, embarking from South Hampton, England, on May 18, 1919, and arriving in Halifax May 25, 1919. He then proceeded to Montreal, Québec, where he was demobilizes later that month.

External links:
Driver James Orian Aitken's service record (Serv/Reg #1250186) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Anderson, John Henry

Corporal John Henry Anderson, known as “Henry,” was born January 26, 1892, in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, to parents Augustus J. and Albertina Anderson. In 1898 the family moved from the United States to Canada.

Anderson was working as a brakeman on the Canadian Pacific Railway prior to his enlistment with the 54th Battalion in Vernon, British Columbia, on May 28, 1915. Anderson proceeded overseas to England with the 54th Battalion, and was sent to France on January 5, 1916, where he was attached to the 7th Battalion. He was killed in action during the battle for Vimy Ridge between April 8-10, 1917. He was buried at Arras Road Cemetery, Roclincourt, Pas de Calais, France.

Content notes:
Two of the collection’s letters were sent home by Anderson from France in early 1917. The other two are condolence letters to Anderson’s family written by fellow soldiers following his death at Vimy; one is from Corporal Hugh Gordon Baxter, the other author is unknown. Included in the photographs is a group picture of the officers and N.C.O.’s of the 7th Battalion, No. 4 Company, taken in France in January of 1917.

External links:
Cpl. John Henry Anderson’s service record (Serv/Reg# 442007) 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 Anderson can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Cpl. Hugh Gordon Baxter’s service record (Serv/Reg# 116358) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated December 13, 2022. Letter transcription and image files have been reviewed and any errors found corrected. Photo descriptions have been added, and one duplicate photo removed. The Collection Description has been revised and expanded.]

Andrews, Alfred Herbert John

Captain Alfred Herbert “Bert” John Andrews, MC, was born in Troy, District of Assiniboia, North-West Territories (present day Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan), in October 1880. Prior to his enlistment he was living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he worked as a barrister.

Andrews enlisted with the 34th Fort Gary Horse at Valcartier, Québec, on September 24, 1914. As part of the First Canadian Contingent, Andrews sailed for England on board the SS Lapland on October 4, 1914. He shipped to France in May 1915, where he joined the 10th Battalion. His first experience in the trenches was near Festubert, France, followed by a brief time at Hill 63, then nine months spent at Messines.

Commissioned as an officer on January 13, 1917, Andrews began serving as Lewis Gun officer in February. The following April, at Vimy, he was in charge of overseeing Lewis Gun positioning, equipment and training. He served as Adjutant beginning on October 28, 1917. While fighting in France with the 10th Battalion, Andrews was twice awarded the Military Cross, first on October 18, 1917, and again (as bar to Military Cross) on February 1, 1919. On the second occasion the London Gazette included the following description with the announcement of his award:

“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Villers-les-Cagnicourt and the Canal du Nord, 2nd to 4th September, 1918. He went into the attack in command of the battalion reserve company, and later was sent forward to command one of the leading companies. He handled his command splendidly, and pushed forward to the battalion final objective at the Buissy Switch, and redistributed his men with exceptional skill. The following day he led his company forward, and, under very heavy fire, established a line along the railroad west of the Canal du Nord, from which they could command all the intervening ground. He did excellent service.”

While serving overseas Andrews married Alice “Allie” Dixon on September 16, 1918. Alice accompanied him on his return to Canada, sailing together from Liverpool on April 23, 1919, abord the SS Metagama. Andrews was demobilized the following month, in May of 1919.

Content notes:
Andrews kept diaries throughout WWI, covering August 1914 to December 1918. Around 1923 or so he used these diaries to create a complete typewritten history of his time in service, beginning with his enlistment and ending with 10th Battalion’s month-long post-Armistice march across Belgium to the Rhine Bridgehead position inside occupied Germany.
The diaries are rich in descriptive and explanatory detail, covering time spent in both non-commissioned and commissioned officer ranks. Significant places/events covered are: 1st Contingent at Valcartier, SS Lapland, Salisbury Plain Camp, Festubert, Hill 63, Messines, Ypres, Blendecques O.T.S., Vimy, Hill 70, Buissy Switch, Passchendaele, Battle of Amiens, and post-Armistice Belgium and Germany.

External links:
Cpt. Andrews’s service record (Serv/Reg# 14502 and 14506) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
The first awarding of the Military Cross to Andrews was published in The London Gazette on October 18, 1917 (#30340, p. 10712); his Bar to Military Cross was published February 1, 1919 (#31158, p. 1631).

[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated April, 2023. Jpg files of Andrews’ original typewritten document have been added, as well as one additional photo. Diary transcriptions and content descriptions reviewed and amended. Collection Description updated and expanded.]

Appleby, William

Private William “Billy” Appleby was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, to parents William and Sarah Appleby on May 12, 1885. He was living in Ladysmith at the time of his enlistment with the 103rd Battalion in Victoria, British Columbia, on January 27, 1916.

He shipped for England on board the SS Olympic in July of 1916, and proceeded to France on October 6, 1916, where he served with the 29th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, also known as “Tobin’s Tigers.”

Appleby was killed in action at Vimy Ridge during an advance on April 9, 1917. He was buried at Bois-Carre British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

Appleby’s name is listed on the Ladysmith Cenotaph along with forty other soldiers who were born, lived, or worked in Ladysmith, B.C., and who died during the First World War. Seven of these soldiers, including Appleby, had wartime letters published by The Ladysmith Chronicle newspaper (see links below).

The complete list of soldiers in the can be found in the Ladysmith and District Historical Society collection.

External links:
Pte. William Appleby’s service record (Serv/Reg #706843) 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 Appleby can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
His name is inscribed on the Ladysmith Cenotaph, Rotary Memorial Peace Garden, Ladysmith, B.C.
A collection of WWI soldiers' letters published in The Ladysmith Chronicle was undertaken by the Ladysmith & District Historical Society through their work with the Ladysmith Archives.

Appleby’s younger brother Private Herbert Appleby was killed serving with the 7th Battalion at Ypres on June 3, 1916. Pte. Herbert Appleby’s service record (Serv/Reg #428109).

Armstrong, Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas Armstrong, the brother of Alex Armstrong of Cumberland, British Columbia, served with the 6th Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps. Armstrong died November 24, 1915, of wounds received at Gallipoli age 34. The collection currently consists of more than sixty images from his photograph album.

External links:
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Armstrong, Roy Clarence

Private Roy Clarence Armstrong was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to parents Minnie and George Armstrong, on February 22, 1898. He was working as a clerk in Winnipeg at the time of his enlistment with the 184th Battalion in Winnipeg on March 20, 1916.

He shipped for England aboard HMT Empress of Britain on October 31, 1916, and arrived in Liverpool, England, on November 11, 1916. Armstrong was transferred to the 78th Battalion and was killed in action during the battle for Passchendaele on October 30, 1917. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium.

External links:
Pte. Roy Armstrong’s service record (Serv/Reg# 874936) 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 Roy Armstrong can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Arnold, Sarah Ellen

Nurse Sarah Ellen Arnold worked at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England, during the war. While there, she kept a journal in which she asked the patients to write. After the war Sarah married John Harold Bridgeman, one of the Canadian soldiers she had nursed.

External links:
Private John Harold Bridgeman's service record (Serv/Reg #440109) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Askew, Edwin Charles

Private Edwin Charles Askew was born in London, England, on October 12, 1885, to parents George Frederick Askew and Harriet Askew.

Askew enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the 144th Battalion on December 28, 1915. He shipped to England aboard the SS Olympic, leaving Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 18, 1916, arriving in Liverpool, England, on September 25. Due to illness Askew remained in England until 1918, and was then demobillized and returned to Canada in the spring of 1919.

External Links:
Pte. Edwin Charles Askew's service record (#830032) can be viewed/downloaded in pfd format through Library and Archives Canada.

Astbury, Neville Ayrton

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.

Aston, Thomas James

Private Thomas James Aston was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A., on February 10, 1889, to parents William and Jane Aston.

Aston enlisted with the 74th Battalion in Toronto, Ontario, on July 19, 1915, and proceeded overseas from Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the SS Empress of Britain, arriving in Liverpool, England, on April 9, 1916. After being sent to France, Aston was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, with whom he served until he returned to Canada aboard the HMS Baltic in March 1919, and was demobilized later that month in Toronto, Ontario.

External Links:
Pte. Thomas James Aston's service record (#135963) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Bainbridge, Sidney

Private Sidney Bainbridge was born in Carlisle, England, on April 13, 1893. Bainbridge was a theological student at the University of Alberta when he enlisted with the 5th Overseas University Co. in Montreal, Québec, on December 13, 1915. He proceeded overseas to England on the SS Olympic in April 1916, and then to France in June 1916 where he was attached to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. While serving with the PPCLI Bainbridge was wounded, and a result of his wounds was invalided back to Canada on the hospital ship HS Letitia in June 1917 and then demobilized in July 1918.

External Links:
Pte. Sidney Bainbridge's service record (#487386) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Baird, Gavin Gibson

Gavin Gibson Baird was born in Toronto, Ontario, to parents Robert Baird and Annie (nee Forester) Baird.

Baird joined the Royal Flying Corps while in Canada early in 1917. He began training in Toronto, Ontario, then at Belleville, Mohawk, and Borden, Ontario before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the RFC in September 1917 in Toronto. Baird then proceeded to England aboard the SS Metagama later that month and then to France, where he flew with the 148 Squadron. The collection consists of a memoir written in the form of letters to his nephew in 1929, which according to his family, was based on the content of diaries kept while with the RFC.

Baird, Thomas Henry

Private Thomas Henry (“Harry”) Baird was born on February 28, 1893, at Grant Settlement, Ontario, to parents Andrew and Mary Jane Baird.

Baird enlisted in Ottawa, Ontario, with the 77th Battalion on July 31, 1915, and sailed for England aboard the SS Missanabie in June 1916. He transferred to the 73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) on July 3, shortly before his deployment to France in August. Baird went missing in action and was determined to have died February 4, 1917.

Content notes:
The Baird letters were mainly written home to his family between July and December of 1916 while he was serving in the trenches in France. Both physical damage and writing style have made transcription challenging. In the supplementary documents accessed through the external links below, both “Thomas Henry Baird” and “Harry Baird” appear in Baird’s records as his full given name.

External links:
Pte. Baird’s service record (Serv/Reg# 144246) 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 Baird can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

[Editor’s note: Collection reviewed/updated January 2022. Transcriptions reviewed and emended. Collection Description expanded. Collection name updated – originally posted as “Harry Baird.”]

Balfour, James Stevenson

James Stevenson Balfour was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1894 and later attended The University of Saskatchewan. He enlisted in April 1915, and found himself in France in July 1915, where he served until wounded in June 1916. He recovered, returned to duty, and in 1917 joined the Royal Flying Corps as an observer. He later trained as a pilot and had qualified as a flying instructor when the war ended. The collection consists of thirty-five extended letters, twenty photographs and one post card.

Ball, Herbert Franklin

Hebert "Bert" Franklin Ball was born in February 1889 in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in Alberta where his family was homesteading. Herbert enlisted in Edmonton, Alberta, in January 1915 with the 51st Battalion, and later served overseas with the 38th Battalion. Ball was killed November 18, 1916. The collection currently consists of two photographs, one clipping, and ten letters.