On the 22nd of September 1914, the war was in its 39th day[i]. A young man, all of 20-years joined the 1st Battalion CEF which had only been created 20-days before. This soldier, reg. no. 1288904[ii] served with that battalion with a clean record, but it was determined that on October 2, 1914 at Valcartier,... Continue Reading →
Lieutenant Walter Garlick Worth’s Photographs
The Worth family has quite a history and some rare photos of one of their members brings part of his recuperation after being wounded a Vimy Ridge into a sharper focus. Walter Garlick Worth was part of a family that was industrious. His father, Dyson, was involved in the yarn industry, beginning at the ripe... Continue Reading →
“…it is an old trick of his…”: Sifton’s Actions in a New Light?
Special thanks to Michael Ritchie, the author and caretaker of the blog, Letters From Vincent, from which this material was sources. Lieutenant Eastwood was a member of the 18th Battalion from Peterborough, Ontario and Michael is diligently transcriping the letters from his Great-Grandfather. At 5:15 a.m. on the morning of April 9, 1917 the weather... Continue Reading →
Letter Home Describing Attack on Vimy and Wounding of Lt. S.C. Kirkland
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 →
Blog Resources for Vimy Ridge
Though not exhaustive there are resources related to the 18th Battalion and its experience at Vimy Ridge. War Diary of the 18th Battalion: April 1917 War Diary Summary: April 1917 April 1917 Casualties Vimy Ridge: Instructions for the Offensive The Stress of Combat: Captain Lloyd at Vimy Ridge A Letter From a Soldier Who Served... Continue Reading →
A French Town Remembers
The French town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle is situated adjacent to the Vimy Ridge Memorial and I had the pleasure of taking a coffee at the Leleu Martine Cafe in September 2015 when my sister and I visited the Vimy Memorial and battlefield. The cafe had many mementos reflecting the Canadian presence in the sector of France and... Continue Reading →
The Stress of Combat: Captain Lloyd at Vimy Ridge
There is no doubt that Captain E.R.V. Lloyd served with bravery and distinction during the World War 1 with the 18th Battalion. Enlisting as an “Original” on November 3, 1914 in Windsor, Ontario, he rose through the ranks. First as a private soldier and then had the rather unusual circumstance of being promoted from the... Continue Reading →
April 1917 Casualties
April 1917 is a historical focal point in Canadian history. The Battle of Vimy Ridge is lauded over every year as a seminal moment in Canada's history and from this author's point of view the attention is well deserved. The battle was effectively fought and realized its aims with dash and elan. There were problems... Continue Reading →
HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE: The Death of Private Albert Edward Miller of Highgate, Ontario
A rare find was made today while researching the casualty list for April 1917. During the research process of enumerating and collecting information of all the 18th Battalion soldiers who died during that important month in the Battalion’s history a unique, an as yet, singular document was found. Private Albert Edward Miller, reg. no. 226140... Continue Reading →
A Letter From a Soldier Who Served During the Vimy Attack: Graphic Description of Vimy Ridge
A letter from Lieutenant Stuart Cameron Kirkland published in the Aylmer Express, May 24,1917 and edited for clarity: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF VIMY RIDGE Some of the Sights Encountered Lieut. Stuart C. Kirkland, who is now in England recovering from a wound in his arm received at the battle of Vimy Ridge, writes the following... Continue Reading →
Summary of Service of Sergeant James Quaey Nelson, reg. no. 53947
You can't do history alone. A relative of Sergeant Nelson contacted this blog in response to a soldier's page created recently and this dialogue has enhanced my understanding of this member of the 18th Battalion. Thanks to Dennis Nelson for forwarding this information. Below is a service summary he created and I have edited it... Continue Reading →
Letter About Vimy: “Of course he was dead so I suppose it didn’t inconvenience him any.”
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 →