A 33-year-old hotel porter stood in line on 5 January 1916 with the 124th Battalion. He was a native of England and served 7 years with the 1st Sussex as a Bandsman. He was born and lived in Brighton, in Sussex, and the chance to join the war, go home and fight for his country... Continue Reading →
Proving Himself to be a Good Soldier: One of 40 male family members fighting for Empire.
The soldier sits, relaxed, on a stool. A comrade, face out of frame, leans into him as he sits. He holds a swagger stick, a common affectation of the Canadian troops of the other ranks. The photo is sadly indistinct, and we cannot see the details of his face, but he is looking directly at... Continue Reading →
Summary of Service: Bryce, William Wilson: Service no. 770063
A recent contact by a relative allowed a more detailed examination of the service record of Private William Wilson Bryce. Below is a summary of service high-lighting the more significant aspects of his service. Private Bryce's service record only has one demerit for being absent without leave very early in his service and his experiences... Continue Reading →
A Numbers Game: Curious Case of Sequential Regimental Numbers and 4 Soldiers of the 116th Overseas Battalion
There are four men represented by sequential regimental numbers that are tied by their common experience and their relationship to each other. Two men were brothers and three men were Barnardo Boys. The fourth man shared the experience of serving with them and their act of enlisting tied them together until their ultimate fates. The... Continue Reading →
The Mosaic of Life: Bigamy and Fraud in the 18th
Note: Additional information will require amendments to this blog. A member at the 18th Battalion Facebook Group found more information. The Players Private, later Sergeant Alfred Brittle Eliza Brittles, wife of Sergeant Brittle Private Charles Brookman Minnie “Brookman” Clark, wife of Private Brookman and William Clark William Clark, a rigger at a munition plant in... Continue Reading →
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 