Bookkeeper Walter James Buchanan of Goderich, Ontario enlisted with the 71st Battalion on 21 September 1915. At the age of 21 he had 4 years of militia experience and lived in a small Ontario town routed in its connection to Lake Huron and the surrounding farms. At the time of his enlistment he never would... Continue Reading →
The Lonely Soldier: Remembering a Leave
18th Battalion Association[i] Windsor and Detroit Branch *MEMORIES[ii]* Some time ago, we were watching the Television Program, “No Time for Sergeants”. The skit was about a lonesome soldier. It was funny. The lonesome soldier was no myth. He was real. It all stated the night we left London. Many of the officers and many of... Continue Reading →
Ill Health and Finances: The Tragedy of Lieutenant Harold Van Allen Bealer
Sometime in the early spring of 1915 a young man from Pennsylvania with gainful employment with Ingersoll-Rand as a draughtsman took a trip to Philadelphia to inquire with the British Consulate on how best to pursue an engagement with the Imperial Forces so he could participate in the war. The advice led him, with four... Continue Reading →