Cadet Douglas (“Dug”) Moncrieff Goudie was born in Liverpool, England, on May 8, 1895. Immigrating to Kamloops, British Columbia, prior to the war, he was a member of the Militia’s 102nd Regiment at the time of his enlistment with the 48th Battalion in Victoria, B.C., on April 19, 1915.

He shipped for England in July of 1915, and then to France in March of 1916 with the 3rd Canadian Pioneer Bn. (redesignation of the 48th Bn, January 1916). At his own request he transferred to the 29th Bn. in April of 1917. In July of the following year he joined the British Royal Air Force and was still in training as a Cadet when hostilities ceased (hence his final rank as “Cadet” in his service history, despite his previously held ranks of Private and Lance Corporal within the Canadian Expeditionary Force). Following his return to Canada he was demobilized at Kamloops on June 15, 1919.

The materials in the Goudie Collection were donated as part of the Sydney Winterbottom Collection. Goudie and Winterbottom had been friends in Kamloops before the war, and following Goudie’s transfer to the 29th Bn. in April of 1917, they served together in France until Winterbottom’s death at Passchendaele that November. In the letter section of the Goudie Collection is a letter that he wrote to their mutual friend Adrian Thrupp following Winterbottom’s death, as well as a reference list of links to the numerous letters by Winterbottom in which he writes about Goudie.

External links:
Cdt. Douglas Goudie’s service record (Serv/Reg# 430974) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Captain Alex James Kaine, MC, was born in Gorrie, Huron County, Ontario, on March 30, 1870, the seventh of ten children of parents John and Mary (née Pentland) Kaine. Prior to his enlistment in World War I, he worked as an immigration inspector, and had been a member of the Canadian Militia for almost twenty years.

Commissioned as a Lieutenant into the Army’s 8th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, (C.E.F.), he served as the First Contingent recruiting officer in Fort Frances, Ontario, and then as a training officer in Valcartier, Québec. Proceeding to England with the 8th Bn. on October 3, 1914, he remained in England with the C.E.F. until March of 1916 when he was discharged to serve in the British Army as a Lt. with the 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).

While serving with the Sherwood Foresters, Kaine was awarded the Military Cross on November 16, 1916. From The London Gazette (link below): “His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Military Cross on the undermentioned Officers and Warrant Officers in recognition of their gallantry and devotion to duty in the Field:— . . . Temp. Lt. Alex James Kaine, Notts. & Derby. R. For conspicuous gallantry in action. He gallantly led his company in attack. Later, with great skill and determination he consolidated the position won. He set a fine example.”

Health issues resulting from multiple wounds suffered while in action at the front led to his eventual discharge from the British Army in June of 1918. Kaine returned to Canada and settled in Fort Frances, Ontario.

The majority of the letters in the collection were written by Alex Kaine to his sister Robina (“Bina” or “Bi”) Kaine, who was working at the time as a schoolteacher in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Several of the letters were written to Robina Kaine by Ada (last name unknown), a relative living in Knock, Dublin, Ireland. Alex stayed with Ada for several weeks while recovering from a gunshot wound in 1916. Also included is a biographical document written by Alex’s sister Robina describing some of his wartime experiences; this has been posted below under the “Memoir” content section.

External links:
Capt. Kaine’s service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned*) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
The awarding of the  Military Cross to Kaine was published in The London Gazette on November 16, 1916 (#13012, p.2081). He was granted the honorary rank of Captain upon leaving the British Army, as published on June 25, 1918 (#30769, p.7602).

*WWI officers were not routinely assigned Service/Regimental #s

[Editor’s Note: There are conflicting records regarding Kaine’s date of birth. The date given above is taken from his service record with Library and Archives Canada.]

Major James Parker Hooper, MC, was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on February 21, 1888. Prior to WWI Hooper worked as an accountant, as well as serving for fifteen years in the Canadian Militia with the 82nd Regiment (Abegweit Light Infantry) and 4th Regiment Canadian Garrison Artillery. 

He enlisted with the 98th Canadian Siege Battery (C.S.B.) in Charlottetown, P.E.I., on September 23, 1915. Shipping for England on the S.S. Lapland in late November of 1915, Hooper proceeded to France with the 98th C.S.B. in May of 1916. He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) on January 1, 1917. Following his return to Canada Hooper was demobilized May 18, 1919.

The Hooper Collection shares with the Gunner Walter James Lantz Collection the memorial album created by Hooper for Lantz’s parents following the death of their son on July 12, 1916. When the Lantz collection was originally posted, the author of the memorial album was unknown, as Hooper had signed only with his initials “J.P.H.” Recent research has identified “J.P.H.” as James Parker Hooper and the Hooper collection has been added in recognition of his role in the creation of this remarkable album chronicling the 98th C.S.B. soldiers working in the observation posts at the front-line trenches in and around the Somme/Mametz region of France. The photographs were taken by Hooper and Lantz in the days and weeks immediately preceding Lantz’s death in July of 1916.

The photo album can also be viewed on Gunner Walter James Lantz’s WWI Collection page, along with information on other identified members of the 98th C.S.B. who appear in the album’s photographs.

External links:
Major Hooper’s service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned*) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Hooper’s Military Cross award was published in The London Gazette on January 1, 1917 (#29886, p. 45).

*[WWI officers were not routinely assigned Service/Regimental #s]

This collection consists of letters and/or related articles published in the Ladysmith Chronicle newspaper. The materials were compiled by the Ladysmith and District Historical Society in conjunction with the Ladysmith Archives. There are currently ten individuals represented in the collection; the links below are to their individual collections within the World War One section.

Appleby, William*
Day, Thomas*
Fisher, John Lindsey
Grant, John*
Kemp, Edward Harold*
Lapsansky, John Robert*
McCoy, Frank
Morrison, Frederick James Duncan*
Pickup, Alfred James
Simpson, Thomas Nesbit*

Soldiers who are represented on the Ladysmith Cenotaph are denoted with an asterisk (*) after their name.

Second Lieutenant Alfred James Pickup was born in Croydon, Surrey, England, on October 21 1887, to parents James and Louisa Pickup. After immigrating to Canada in April of 1912 he worked as bank clerk in Ladysmith, British Columbia, before moving to Victoria, B.C.

With the outbreak of war he returned to England in September 1914, where in December he was commissioned as an officer with the 13th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, British Expeditionary Force. He was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, when he was killed in the Battle of Loos on September 26, 1915. Pickup is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, at Pas de Calais, France.

The letters in the Pickup Collection were published in the Ladysmith Chronicle newspaper and were compiled, along with those of other local WWI soldiers, through the work of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society (links shown below).
The complete list of soldiers in the can be found in the Ladysmith and District Historical Society collection.

External links:
A member of the British Army, 2/Lt. Alfred JamesPickup (Serv/Reg# 1794) does not have a publicly available service record.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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.

Lance Corporal John "Jack" Lindsey Fisher was born in Wales in 1887, and immigrated to Canada in 1899, and by 1910 was living in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Having previously served with the British Army Royal Artillery, Fisher returned to England and enlisted with the Royal Engineers on May 23, 1916. He was discharged following gas-related injuries in August 1917, and returned to Canada.

The letter in the Fisher Collection was published in the Ladysmith Chronicle, and was compiled along with those of other local WWI soldiers through the work of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society (links shown below).

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

External links:
L/Cpl. Fisher (Serv/Reg# 649-F-11207) is listed in the Imperial Gratuities records at Library and Archives Canada, but information is limited to the record identification only.
The record of his Medal card with the Royal Engineers, (Reg# 158208), is held by the National Archives, Kew, U.K.; registration is required for access.
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.

Flight Lieutenant Lawrence John Drewry was born in Whonnock, British Columbia, on December 21, 1916.

He enlisted during WWII with the Royal Canadian Air Force, initially training in Brandon, Manitoba, and later at the Royal Air Force Flying College on Darrell’s Island in Bermuda. He spent much of the war serving as a R.C.A.F. officer attached to the R.A.F., Middle East, with the No. 47 & No. 294 Squadrons.

The letters in the collection were written by Drewry to his twin sister Mildred (newly married as Mrs. John Flynn) while she was living first in Ottawa and then back home in Whonock (as it was spelled at that time).

External links:
F/L Drewry (Serv/Reg# J8629) survived the war; his service record is not open to public access at this time.

Lieutenant Robert Hampton (Hammie/Hammy) Gray, VC, DSC, was born in Trail, British Columbia, on November 2, 1917, to parents John Balfour Gray Sr. and Wilhelmina (née McAllister) Gray. Hampton had one older sister, Phyllis Wilma, and one younger brother, John (Jack) Balfour Jr. The young family soon moved to Nelson, B.C., where Hampton’s father established a business as a jeweller and watchmaker. After completing high school in Nelson in 1936, Hampton initially enrolled at the University of Alberta, later transferring to the University of British Columbia.

With Canada now at war, Gray enlisted on July 18, 1940, at HMCS Tecumseh in Calgary with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR). After an initial training period in England, Gray was assigned to the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm for training as a fighter pilot.

While serving aboard the HMS Formidable Gray was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for “determination and address in air attacks on targets in Japan” following the sinking of a Japanese destroyer on July 28, 1945. (The London Gazette, August 21, 1945). He was killed on August 9, 1945, while leading an air raid on the naval base at Onagawa Bay, Japan. Gray was posthumously awarded the Commonwealth’s highest military decoration, the Victoria Cross (VC), “for great valor in leading an attack on a Japanese destroyer in Onagawa” (The London Gazette, Nov. 13, 1945).

The letters in the Hampton Gray Collection begin shortly after his 1940 enlistment and continue through the war to the summer of 1945. Almost all were written by Hampton to his parents in Nelson, B.C., or to his sister Phyllis in Calgary, Alberta. Many of the letters mention Hampton’s brother Jack who was serving in England with the Royal Canadian Air Force. More information on Jack Gray, including over thirty of Jack’s wartime letters, can be found in the John (Jack) Balfour Gray Collection.

External links:
Lt. Gray’s Service Record (Reg/Ser# V13438) is available online through Library and Archives Canada.
Burial information is available at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A memorial page honouring Gray can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

The awarding to Gray of the Distinguished Service Cross was published in The London Gazette on August 21, 1945 (# 37232, p. 7221); the awarding of the Victoria Cross was published on November 13, 1945 (# 37346, p. 5529).

Among the many memorials and tributes made to Lt. Gray’s service:
Gray is one of fourteen Canadians honoured at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario; is among those commemorated on the Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant, Halifax, Nova Scotia; and is a member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

On March 12, 1946, the Geographic Board of Canada designated “Grays Peak” within the Kokanee Mountain Range, British Columbia, in remembrance of both RCNVR Lt. Robert Hampton Gray and his brother RCAF Flight Sergeant John Balfour Gray.

His mother, Mrs. Wilhelmina Gray, was appointed as the 1969 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother, participating in the 1969 Remembrance Day wreath laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of all mothers of children who have been lost while in military service.

[Editor’s note: Additional materials for the Robert Hampton Gray Collection, along with other members of the Gray family, have been recently received and are anticipated to be made available online in the spring of 2023.]

Flight Sergeant John "Jack" Balfour Gray Jr. was born in Trail, British Columbia, on January 21, 1921, the son of John Balfour Gray Sr. and Wilhelmina (née McAllister) Gray. Jack had two older siblings: sister Phyllis Wilma and brother Robert Hampton. The family soon moved to Nelson, B.C., where Jack’s father established a business as a jeweller and watchmaker.

Jack enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F.) in Vancouver, B.C., on June 28, 1940. Following training as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, he served in England with the R.C.A.F. 144 (R.A.F.) Squadron, Bomber Command. On February 27, 1942, while returning from night operations over Germany, Jack was killed along with his three fellow crew members when their Handley Page Hampden bomber crashed at Warmsworth, near Doncaster, in Yorkshire, England. He was buried at the Doncaster (Rose Hill) Cemetery.

The letters in the collection are written by Jack to his mother and father in Nelson, B.C., and to his sister Phyllis (m. Gautschi). Among those most frequently mentioned in the letters are his brother Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, VC, DFC, who during this time was training as a pilot with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. Hampton was killed on August 9, 1945, just days before the end of the war. Also frequently mentioned is Jack’s closest friend, R.C.A.F. Flight Sergeant Henry "Harry" F.C. Humphries.

In a number of his letters Jack writes about the film Target for Tonight, the Academy Award winning documentary film about an R.A.F. bomber crew conducting a bombing raid over Germany. Jack’s squadron participated in the production of the film, with Jack (and his friend Harry) appearing several times in the scenes where the aircrews are being briefed. More information is available in CLIP’s Special Items Collection Target for Tonight.

External links:
F/S John Balfour Gray’s service record (Serv/Reg# R58225) 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 Gray can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

Lieut. Robert Hampton Gray's service record (Serv/Reg# V13438) is available online through Library and Archives Canada.
F/S Henry F.C. Humphries (Serv/Reg# R54094) survived the war; his Service Record is not open for public access at this time.

The film Target for Tonight, hosted by the Imperial War Museums website; the film has been divided into six separate media files of between six to eleven minutes each in length.

[Editor’s notes:
Collection reviewed/updated June-July 2022. Transcriptions proofed and corrections made where applicable, and content descriptions reviewed/expanded. Some new materials  have been added; no materials have been removed but duplicate postings, if present, will have been corrected.
On given name/surname use: “Jack” has been used rather than the surname/given name in order to clearly distinguish between other similarly named family members, both here and in related Gray family Collections. (”Jack” was the name most widely, and often exclusively, used by friends and family.)]

Sergeant Thomas Nesbit Simpson, MM, was born in Northfield (present day Nanaimo), British Columbia, on August 16, 1890, son of William and Elizabeth (neé Good) Simpson. He enlisted with the 31st Regiment British Columbia Horse on August 13, 1914, followed by a transfer that September to the 5th Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade, and three weeks later shipped for England.

The following February of 1915 he arrived in France where he continued to serve with the 5th Battalion. Simpson was awarded the Military Medal “for bravery in the field” one month prior to his being killed in action while taking part in the Somme offensive at Courcelette. The date of his death is anomalously recorded throughout official records as September 26/27, 1916. He was buried at the Courcelette British Cemetery, Courcelette, France.

Simpson’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 Simpson, 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:
Sgt. Simpson’s service record (Serv/Reg# 13306) 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 him can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Simpson’s name is inscribed on the Ladysmith Cenotaph, Rotary Memorial Peace Garden, Ladysmith, B.C.
The awarding of Simpson’s Military Medal was published in The London Gazette on August 23, 1916 (# 29719, p. 8365).
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.

Private John Robert Lapsansky was born in Wellington, near Ladysmith, British Columbia, on April 17, 1893, to parents Joseph and Katharine Lapsansky. He enlisted in Valcartier, Québec, with the 7th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) on September 23, 1914, and sailed with his unit for England in October of 1914.

Lapsansky died at No. 50 Casualty Clearing Station on February 2, 1919, from broncho-pneumonia, and was buried at Huy (La Starte) Communal Cemetery in Belgium.

Lapsansky’s name is listed on the Ladysmith Cenotaph along with forty other soldiers who were born, lived, or worked in Ladysmith, British Columbia, and who died during the First World War. Seven of these soldiers, including Lapsansky, 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. Lapsansky’s service record (Serv/Reg#16662) 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 Lapsansky can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. 
Information and photos of the Ladysmith Cenotaph, Rotary Memorial Peace Garden, Ladysmith, British Columbia.
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.

Pioneer John Grant was born in Fort Augustus, Scotland, on October 19, 1886, to parents Charles and Margaret Grant. Prior to enlistment he was living in Ladysmith, British Columbia, working as a carpenter. He enlisted with the 1st Pioneer Battalion in Victoria, B.C., on September 22, 1915.

Arriving in England on November 30, 1915, Grant proceeded to France in March of 1916. He was killed in action on June 13, 1916, in the trenches between Ypres and Mount Sorrel. His body was never found and he is commemorated at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.

Grant’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 Grant, 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:
Pioneer Grant’s Service Record (Serv/Reg# 154184) 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 Grant can be visited online at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Pnr. Grant is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium, and 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.