World War One collections | Page 2

Title

WWI

These collections contains any material relating to Canada from 1914 to 1918 from either the home front or the battlefront. External links in collection descriptions are either to online attestation papers at Library and Archives Canada or casualty and burial information at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Grant, John

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.

Grassie, William Edward

William Edward Grassie was born in Smithville, Ontario in 1893 and was a student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario when he enlisted in March, 1916. He returned to Canada at the end of the war and taught high school in Port Credit, Ontario. The collection consists of two letters written to his friend Helen Davis. Other correspondents to Davis include the Daniel Austin Lane Collection, the Gordon Shrum Collection, and the Fred Nickle Collection.

Gray, Charles and Walter

Charles Robert Gray was born in Kent, England, in March 1891. Sometime prior to the war he immigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto, Ontario. Charles enlisted in Toronto in April 1915. After training in Canada and England he was sent to France. Charles was killed on June 3, 1916. Walter Henry Gray was the younger brother of Charles. He was born in Kent, England in June 1895. Sometime prior to the war he immigrated with his family and settled in Toronto, Ontario. Walter enlisted in Toronto in April 1915, the same day as his older brother. He served overseas with his brother and was seriously wounded in the same attack in June 1916 that killed his brother. He was discharged in December 1916 and returned to Canada. The collection consists of twenty five letters as well as several photographs. The original collection was donated by the Gray family to The Ontario Archives in Toronto.

Gray, John

Private John Gray was born in Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on April 13, 1874. The middle of nine children, John immigrated to Canada with his younger brother Edgar in 1903. Prior to his enlistment he was living in Oak Bay, Victoria, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with his wife Edith (née Dyson) and their four young children Alex Dyson, Olive Emmie, John Harvey, and Edna Jean. He worked as an upholsterer for David Spencers Co.

On March 23, 1916, he enlisted in Victoria with Canadian Army Medical Corps. Shipping for England on board the SS Olympic in July 1916, he was sent to the Cheriton C.A.M.C. Training Depot before proceeding to France in September 1916. On arrival he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital, C.A.M.C. where he served out the remainder of his time overseas until his demobilization on May 24, 1919.

The letters in the collection were written during the war by John Gray to his daughter Olive who would have been between the ages 5 and 8 at the time. The typed transcriptions of the diaries and notebook were done by Olive Collington (née Gray), most likely in the early 1990’s. In "Collection Contents" below the diaries can be read under the "Diary Entries" heading, and the notebook under "Memoirs"; Gray's "Active Service Canadian Pay Book" is under "Printed Matter."

External links:
Pte. John Gray’s service record (Serv/Reg# 524785) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.

Green, Victor Arthur

Victor Arthur Green, DCM, was born in Kent, England, in January 1895. Green immigrated to Canada prior to the war and enlisted in Victoria, British Columbia, in November 1914 with the 88th Fusiliers. He was wounded three times, including at Vimy Ridge, and was awarded the DCM. The collection currently consists of sections of his pay book, telegrams, a newspaper clipping, several photographs, and an undated memoir of his service experiences.

Greenard, Ralph Frank

Ralph Frank Greenard was born in Toronto, Ontario in December 1896. Greenard enlisted with the 103rd Battalion in Victoria, British Columbia in January 1916. His unit sailed for England in July 1916, and when in France he served in the 29th Battalion. He suffered a gun shot wound at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917, and after hospital treatments in France and England he returned to Canada in October 1917. He was discharged as medically unfit due to the complications of the wound. It would appear that in the confusion of the attack he was hit by one of his own machine guns from behilnd. For that information see his Medical Board sheet in the collection which can be found in his CEF Service File. The collection currently consists of one letter written while in hospital in May1917 as well as the information from the Medical Board.

Greenleese, Elwood Silverman

Elwood Silverman Greenleese was born in Thurso, Quebec in 1899 and enlisted in Montreal in September, 1916. Greenleese died in 1922. The collection consists of four letters and one photo.

Greenway, Samuel

Samuel Greenway, from Cedar (Nanaimo) British Colulmbia was born in May, 1889 and enlisted in Vancouver in January, 1918. He served overseas with the 7th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) until his death in September, 1918. The collection currently consists of fourteen letters, several photographs, telegram, and some official correspondence.

Gregory, Ephraim

Ephraim Gregory was born in Doves Holes, Derbyshire, England, in 1889. He immigrated to Toronto, Ontario, sometime around 1910 to be with his sisters. Gregory enlisted in Toronto in August 1915 and served overseas until the end of the war. He returned to Canada at the end of the war, but later returned to England where he died in 1978. The collection currently consist of one photograph of Gregory.

Gudmunson, Gudmunder Frederickson

Gudmunder Frederickson Gudmundson was born in Iceland in August 1891. Prior to the war he immigrated to Mozart, Saskatchewan. Gudmundson enlisted in June 1916 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The collection currently consists of one postcard from France, three photographs, and a display of his medals.

Gullen, William Roy

William Roy Gullen was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1881 and enlisted in Brantford in December, 1915. He served overseas in France and was killed in action May 3, 1917. The collection consists of more than 100 letters and three photos.