Private Robert Gilmore Beatty, known as “Gilmore,” was born in Orangeville, Ontario, on March 15, 1897. He enlisted in Toronto with the 204th Battalion on April 4, 1916.

He shipped overseas on the SS Saxonia in April 1917. His time in France was spent with a variety of units, primarily with the 164th Battalion. He survived the war with no major injuries and was demobilized on May 5, 1919.

External links:
Pte. Gilmore Beatty’s service record (Reg/Ser# 237458) is available online through Library and Archives Canada.

The Pte. Gilmore Beatty letters are part of the Gladys Hornibrook Collection. Living in the small village of Sundridge, near North Bay, Ontario, Gladys was only thirteen years old when World War One began. While the majority of her correspondence was with her uncles in overseas service, the letters, photos, and other memorabilia that she saved from the war years included two “pen-pal” letters received from Pte. Beatty. While they were stationed in France one of Gilmore's fellow soldiers put an advertisement in the Canadian "Family Herald" seeking a pen-pal. Overwhelmed by the response, he shared the letters with other interested soldiers and Gilmore was given one from Gladys.