George Leslie Scherer, MM, 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 September 2, 1918, he was discharged back to duty on December 6, 1918. The collection consists of more than fifty letters to Catherine Crawford and to his sister Ruby, who lived in Teeterville, Ontario.
Kenneth Walter Foster was born in London, England, in 1897 and immigrated to Canada sometime prior to World War I. He enlisted in Vernon, British Columbia, in July 1915 and served overseas until the end of the war. The collection consists of four photographs and one extended memoir written sometime after the war detailing his service. Foster died in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1947.
James Howard Bennett was born in Spencerville, Ontario, in 1894, enlisted in February 1916 and served overseas in France. The collection consists of more than three dozen letters covering the period 1916 to 1918.
South African (Boer) War Collection
Robert, Charles, and George Rooke were born in England and moved with their parents William and Hannah Rooke to Saskatchewan to homestead. Robert Percy Rooke, age twenty-two, enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on February 9 1900 with the Lord Strathcona's Horse. His brother Charles Winn, age twenty-four, also enlisted on January 9, 1900, with the Lord Stathcona's Horse. Both served in South Africa and returned to Canada early in 1901. They both re-enlisted with the Canadian Mounted Rifles, along with their brother George Cyril, age twenty, who enlisted in December 1901, and served in South Africa until the end of the war. The original letters have been donated by the family to the National Archives in Ottawa. The collection consists of more than 40 letters written by the brothers to their family back in Canada.
Nicolas MacNeill was born in Colonsay, Argyllshire, Scotland, in February 1892. He immigrated to Canada in 1913 where he worked as a bank clerk. MacNeill was a part of the First Canadian Contingent, enlisting in September 1914. He served overseas until his death in April 1915. The collection currently consists of two photographs and his obituary.
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.
Charles Roy Stratton was born in Brockville, Ontario, in September 1890 and then later moved to Montreal. Stratton enlisted with in Kingston, Ontario, in February 1916 with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. The collection currently consists of a portion of his diary, more than forty photographs, and some miscellaneous documents.
James Eldon Lane was born in Bruce County, Ontario in February, 1887. He later moved to New Westminster, British Columbia where he worked as a barrister. Lane enlisted in November, 1915 in Kingston, Ontario with the 50th Field Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. He was wounded in July, 1918 and invalided back to Canada in 1919. The collection currently consists of one letter, three photographs, and a newspaper clipping.
This collection contains over 250 letters from World War One published in the Cobourg World, a local newspaper published in Cobourg, Ontario. Newspapers across Canada regularly printed letters home from overseas, either letters written directly to the newspaper by the soldiers, or first written to the family and then contributed to the paper by the family. Collections such as those from the Cobourg World provide a fascinating look at the relationship of community and war as played out in the pages of the local newspaper. All letters in the collection have been previously published in the newspaper and were also later collected by local historian Percy Climo in a book entitled Let Us Remember: Lively Letters from World War One. The dates for which the letters are listed represent the dates on which they were published, as the original dates of the letters are not always indicated. Where the original date of writing is known it will be part of the letter text. Introductions to the letters and editorial comments as they appeared in the newspaper have been left as published. All transcriptions have been taken from copies on microfilm and as such there are no scans for this collection.
Jules Julien DeCruyenaere was born in 1894 in Rollegham, Belgium. In 1912 he immigrated to Canada to join his brother Alfred, with the rest of his family arriving in 1914. He enlisted in 1916 with the Winnipeg 100th Grenadiers. He survived the war and returned to Winnipeg, where he died in 1980. The collection consists of four letters written home between 1916 and 1918, and five photographs.
Malcolm Theodore Taylor was born in Herefordshire, England, in May 1897 (a note on his attestation papers says that his birth certificate shows his date of birth as 1899). Prior to the war Taylor immigrated to Canada and enlisted in May 1916 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the 107th overseas Battalion. The collection currently consists of three photographs and one postcard.
Lieutenant Coningsby William Dawson, Canadian Expeditionary Force, was the author of the 1917 book Carry On: Letters in War-Time. The book's letters, along with more information on Lt. Dawson, can be found in the Special Items Collections section of the website.
David Robertson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in September 1890 and immigrated to Canada sometime prior to the war. Robertson enlisted in September 1914. He was severely wounded and taken prisoner in 1915, repatriated, and then discharged in 1916 as medically unfit for service. The collection currently consists of several letters, postcards, personal items, and the first issue of the Maple Leaf magazine.
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.
Raymond Ellsworth Ives enlisted in 1916 and served overseas in France, including Vimy Ridge. The collection consists of four letters, ten photographs, and a short personal memoir from enlistment to Vimy.
Arthur Leighton was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England in 1880, and later moved to Manitoba where he found work as a farmhand. In 1901 he enlisted in the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles and saw action in South Africa during the Boer War. Following the war he attended the University of Manitoba and was called to the Bar in 1908. In 1908 he married Alice Sophia Wright, born in Brittania Ontario in 1887. In 1912 they moved to Nanaimo where he practised law. In 1915 Arthur joined the 72nd Seaforth Highlanders in the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade as a commissioned lieutenant and was later promoted to captain. Alice followed Arthur to Europe, arriving in England in 1916, where she became a volunteer at St. Dunstan's Hostel for Blind Soldiers and Sailors. Arthur was wounded in the knee and spent some time in England recovering before returning to France. They returned to Nanaimo in 1919 where Arthur continued to practise law and Alice became involved in many charitable societies. The collection consists of 125 letters, a large proportion of which are letters from Alice to Arthur. References in Alice's letters indicate that Arthur wrote to her everyday while in France from 1916 to 1918, but unfortunately that portion of the correspondence has not survived. Included as well are many non-correspondence items such as receipts and certificates directly related to their wartime experience. The original letters are held by the Nanaimo Community Archives and are used with their permission
Ralph Gooding Ball was born in Hilldale, Alberta, in September 1900. Ball lied about his age and enlisted in Victoria, British Columbia, in September 1916. He was discharged on compassionate grounds in January 1918 at the request of his parents after the deaths of his two brothers, Herbert and Samuel. The collection currently consists of two letters, one photograph, and one clipping.
Roger Wilson was born in Kendall, Westmoreland, England, in April 1896. Wilson came to Alberta, Canada, in the spring of 1914 where he worked as a farmer. He enlisted in December 1915 in Calgary, Alberta, with the 89th Battalion and then later served overseas with the 31st Battalion. Wilson died on April 9, 1917, in the attack at Vimy Ridge. The collection currently consists of four letters written by Wilson and a newspaper notice of his death.
Allan Matheson Conquergood was born in Kincardine, Ontario, in May 1872. He enlisted in July 1916 in Winnipeg with the 239th Battalion, the Railway Construction Corps, and served overseas. The collection currently consists of his diary from 1917.
John Row Sr. was born in London, England, in July 1871. He later immigrated to Canada where he practised as a druggist, first in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, later in Whitewood, Saskatchewan, and finally operated a pharmacy in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Row enlisted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in July 1915 and served overseas with the Medical Corps until his return to Canada in 1919. The collection consists of more than twenty letters covering the period from 1915 to 1919.
William Robert Bell was born in Drew, Ontario, in 1915 and joined the R.C.A.F. in 1941. William Bell served overseas in Britian and returned to Canada in 1945. He died in 1977. The collection includes twenty-eight letters from William. See also the correspondence from his bothers James Bond Bell and Elmer David Bell.
Lance Corporal John C. Oxborough was born in India in 1889, moved to England in the mid-1890s, and then immigrated to Canada sometime after 1901. Both John and his brother William enlisted in January 1915 in Calgary and later served with the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles (British Columbia Regiment). John was killed October 31, 1917. The collection consists of two letters, one postcard, and several photographs.
James Percy Faulkner was born in Mount Denson, Nova Scotia, in April 1886. Faulkner was recruited in 1918 and sent overseas to Bramshott for training. The collection consists of numerous photographs and postcards that Faulkner sent home to his family.
South African (Boer) War Collection
William J. Macdonald, a medical student, enlisted in Toronto on December 29, 1899, with the 9th Toronto Field Battery. He was 24 years of age. Macdonald served overseas with "C" Field Battery, Royal Canadian Field Artillery until he was discharged in January 1901.
Andrew Hurst Skidmore was born in Areola, Saskatchewan, in 1894. Skidmore enlisted in September 1914 and served overseas during the war with the 1st B.C. Regiment, being wounded several times. The collection currently consists of three newspaper clippings, three postcards, and one photograph from his time in hospital in England.
