James DeArze Gill McKie served with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry and the 2nd Canadian Guards. During World War ll he served with the PPCLI in Italy. McKie retired with the rank of Sgt. Major in 1962, having served in the Canadian Army since 1937. He died in 1987. The collection currently consists of three letters and one photograph.
John McCallum LeRoy was born in Quebec in October 1886, and later moved with his family to Bogend, Saskatchewan. LeRoy enlisted in January 1915, in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. He served overseas with the 5th Battalion Canadian Infantry until his death on April 28, 1917. The town of LeRoy, Saskatchewan, formerly Bogend, is named after him. The collection currently consists of six letters, two photographs, a postcard, a note from the Red Cross, his Circumstances of Death record, and a report regarding his death from a soldier.
Thomas Joseph Roche was born in Toronto, Ontario in April, 1918 and enlisted with the RCAF where he served as WO II. He served overseas with the 106 Sqdn. Roch'e aircraft and crew were lost on a raid against Hamburg, Germany on July 28, 1943. The collection currently consists of one letter, and two photographs.
External links:
Warrant Officer Thomas Joseph Roche’s service record (Serv/Reg# R115295) 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 Roche can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Walter Thomas "Tommy" Robus was born in Shoreditch, England in August of 1893. Robus was the first man to enlist from the town of Norwood, Ontario. He enlisted in August of 1914 with the Second Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, arriving in France in February of 1915. Robus served in France for the duration of the war as a member of the colloquially-named “Suicide Club” First Canadian Contingent bomb squad, and saw the Second Battle of Ypres and The Somme. Robus was wounded on four occasions, returning to France each time before his final return to Canada in December of 1918. This collection currently consists of Robus’ letters written to Rev. A. M. Irwin of Norwood, Ontario and newspaper articles written after his death.
Wilfred Entwisle Bury was born in England in 1881 and moved to the Vermillion, Alberta, area in 1909. Bury enlisted in Vermillion in January 1915 and served overseas with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles (Saskatchewan Regiment) until his death on November 15, 1917. See also the Ernest Mosley Taylor, also from Vermillion, to whom he was related by marriage. The collection currently consists of six letters.
Humewood School is a school in Toronto, Ontario which during WWII sent parcels to ex-Humewood students who were serving during the war. This unique collection currently consists of more than forty letters of thank you back to the school for Christmas parcels sent for Christmas of 1944.
Jack Crawley was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in October 1893. He enlisted in December 1914 in Brandon, Manitoba, and served overseas with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. Crawley was killed June 5, 1916. His photograph is also a part of the Perry Sanderson collection. Sanderson mentions him in his letters; he was killed one day after Crawley. The collection currently consists of one photograph.
Wesley Andrew Stevenson was born in Norwood, Ontario, in November 1898. He enlisted in August 1916 at Kingston, Ontario, with the 74th Battery, C.F.A. Stevenson was one of the correspondents with Reverend Arthur Mansell Irwin from Norwood, Ontario, whose collection also apppears in this project. The collection currrently consists of one letter.
Malcolm David Sloan was born in Norwood, Ontario, in 1896 and was enlisted in 1917 under the Military Service Act and served in England in 1918. Sloan was one of the correspondents with Reverend Arthur Mansell Irwin from Norwood, Ontario, whose collection is also contained in this project. The collection currently consists of one letter.
Russell Scriver was born in Norwood, Ontario, in October 1896. He enlisted with the 57th Regt. in December 1915 in Peterborough, Ontario. Scriver was one of the correspondents with Rev. Arthur Mansell Irwin from Norwood, Ontario, whose collection also appears in the project. He was serving with the 18th Battalion at the time of his death on October 9, 1918. The collection currently consists of one letter.
Erle Beavis Laing was born in Havelock, Ontario in August, 1895. He was enlisted under the Military Service Act and served in England until his return to Canada in 1919. Laing was one of the correspondents to Reverend Arthur Mansell Irwin from Norwood, Ontario, whose collection is also contained in this project. The collection currently consists of one letter.
Arthur Mansell Irwin was born in July of 1867 in Dalyrimple, Ontario and came to Norwood, Ontario between 1913 and 1914 as Pastor of Norwood Methodist Church. As a church and community leader, Irwin mentored Norwood's youth and maintained diligent correspondence with many young men serving overseas during WWI. Irwin's son Pte.Karl Webster Irwin also served overseas, leaving Norwood in 1917. This collection consists of multiple clippings and articles pertaining to Canadian servicemen from Norwood, as well as one letter and two telegrams. Irwin's correspondence with numerous Canadian soldiers from Norwood comprise multiple collections on this website and are linked to this collection.
Hartley Samson Ivey was born in Campbellford, Ontario in June, 1894. He enlisted with the 73rd Battalion in Kingston, Ontario in February 1917 and served overseas until his return in 1919. Ivey was one of the correspondents to Reverend Arthur Mansell Irwin from Norwood, Ontario, whose collection is also contained in this project. The Ivey collection currently consists of one letter and one newspaper clipping.
William Edward Drader was born in London, Ontario in April 1884. Drader enlisted with the 66th Canadians in Edmonton, Alberta, in December 1915. He served in England before returning to Canada in April 1919. This collection currently consists of six letters and one photograph.
Andrew Byron Bennett was born in Spencerville, Ontario, in July 1890. Bennett enlisted with the 202nd Battalion in Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1916 and served overseas in France with the 31st Battalion. The collection currently consists of one letter written by Bennett.
Eugene Robert Drader was born in London, Ontario, in July 1891. Drader enlisted in Calgary, Alberta, with the 51st Battalion in June 1915. He served in France and was killed in action while with the 49th Battalion on September 16, 1916. This collection currently consists of over 20 letter and 4 photographs.
Joseph Earl Drader was born in London, Ontario, in March 1887. Drader enlisted in Edmonton, Alberta, with the 138th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force in March 1916. He served in France until his return to Canada at the end of the war. This collection currently consists of over ten letters and two photographs.
Calrence Wilbert ("Bert") Drader was born in London, Ontario, in February 1889. Drader enlisted with the 66th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Edmonton, Alberta, in March 1916. He served in France and earned before being invalided back to Canada in March 1919. This collection currently consists of over ten letters and a single portrait.
George Roderick Chisholm was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, on March 15, 1897. Chisholm enlisted with the 78th Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in April 1916. He served in France and was killed at Vimy Ridge April 9, 1917.This collection consists of a note written by Chisholm three days prior to the attack on Vimy Ridge and his Circumstances of Death record.
Ernest Corbett was born in Orangeville, Ontario, in February 1893 and later resided in Wellington, British Columbia. He enlisted in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in March 1916 and served overseas with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. Corbett was killed August 21, 1917. The collection currently consists of one letter and one photograph.
Donald Elwood Pinder was born in Guelph, Ontario, in 1924. During WWII he served in the Merchant Marine, as well as in the Canadian Navy. Pinder served on the Nipigon in convoys in the North Atlantic, and for a short time on the Haida. The collection currently consists of numerous photographs and documentation from his time in the navy.
Sydney Arthur Row was born in Whitewood, Saskatchewan, in June 1897. Row enlisted in Winnipeg in October 1914 and served overseas with the 27th Battalion. Row may possibly been only 17 at his time of enlistment, although his attestation papers state his age as 18. Both his brothers Francis Dibley Row and John Row Jr. served oveseas with him in the 27th. The collection currently consists of five letters.
Michael John Quinlan was born in July, 1915, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Quinlan of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Quinlan served with the RCAF as a Pilot Officer until his death in March, 1944. The collection currently consists of thirteen letters and three photographs.
External links:
Pilot Officer John Michael Quinlan’s service record (Serv/Reg# J85433) 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 Quinlan can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Stanley Winfield was a member of the Allied Control Commission (Disarmament) assigned to Germany in the late spring of 1945. The collection consists of the notes for the training course for personnel assigned to the Commission, as well as a short memoir written in the summer of 1945 while in Germany detailing his experiences as part of the Commission.
John Stewart was born in Ballamoney, Ireland, in 1924. He immigrated to Canada at age 5 and settled in Pickardville, Alberta. He served overseas with the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and was wounded in Holland. He returned to Canada at the end of the war. The collection currently consists of two photographs and three telegrams.
