Stuart Cameron Kirkland was a 33 year old barrister who joined the 91st Battalion at St. Thomas on April 26, 1916. Less then a year later, assigned to the 18th Battalion, he was to participate in the attack on Vimy Ridge where he was wounded. Eventually invalided back to Canada were he served on a... Continue Reading →
“Despite even greater disappointments and tragedies…”: Letters home from Captain Jame Roy Grey
Letters to and from the Front give us a fascinating glimpse of the lives of the people that participated directly and indirectly with World War 1. Below is a letter from James Roy Gray that offers some insight into the experiences of a solider of the 18th Battalion and later as a member of the... Continue Reading →
Somewhere in Flanders: A letter from Captain Samuel Monteith Loghrin
This letter was written in the trenches in Flanders. The 18th Battalion had been at RIDGEWOOD in Brigade Reserve up until January 15, 1916 when it relieved the 19th Canadian Battalion at VIERSTRAAT. On the 16th of January a compatriot, Lieutenant Ambery was promoted to Captain that day but Major Sale was killed by rifle... Continue Reading →
Soldiering at Fair Ground Camp: London, Ontario; 1914
Then Captain Samuel Monteith Loghrin wrote a letter dated November 8th, 1914 gives some insight into the activities and responsibilities of an officer in the Canadian Army preparing for embarkation to England for further training and preparation before moving to Belgium to active service in the line. Note the envelope. The post mark indicated the... Continue Reading →
A SOLDIER AND A MAN
GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE FLAG HE LOVED Pte. Herbert Morgan, Beloved Veteran, Dead in France SERVED EMPIRE FOR 22 YEARS Letter from "Pal" Tells of His Death and Funeral Greater love hath no man for his King and country than Pte. Herbert Morgan, of 23 Cartwright street, who game his live on May 1... Continue Reading →
“I hope only I get about half a dozen of the “Huns” before they get me.”
A letter written by Pte. Sydney Hampton to his family 99 years ago, almost to the date, is illuminating. The 18th Battalion is in England training and in a month will embark for Flanders. Pte. Hampton letter illuminates and illustrates the attitudes of a Canadian solder at this time. It is interesting as from the... Continue Reading →
A Letter Home: The ’18th’ suffered terribly lately.
Note: Posted corrected to state true author of letter and to add text from second JPEG. On May 2, 1916 Major George Whitford Nelson's wife Edna wrote a letter to her family in Canada. The 18th Battalion had been in overseas action since September 1915 and had seen fighting in Flanders. It has been blooded... Continue Reading →
Blog Post by Elinor Florence: Two Letters From France
Elinor Florence has a wonderful blog with information pertaining to her interests about Canadian history and a recent blog post details two distinct letters by a family member of hers that served in the First World War. The juxtaposition of the tone of the two letters is startling and I recommend you read it. Excerpt... Continue Reading →
“He did his duty and did it well…”
Clipping from the Calgary Daily Herald May 8, 1916 LIEUT. F. DAWSON DIED LIKE SOLDIER DECLARES HIS O.C. F.J. Lawson Receives Letter Telling How Son Was Fatally Wounded That Lieut. Frank Lawson, of Calgary, who was mentioned a short time ago by The Herald, was killed in action in the St. Eloi fight, made the... Continue Reading →
A Servant Soldier’s Death
Holland, Mark: Service no. 53345 has a page but the research on this soldier has brought some more information as usual so I am posting the results in a post to highlight the life of the common Canadian soldier and how their death's were communicated. Note that the term "servant soldier" was a proper term... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 