100 Years Ago Today: In Flanders Fields
On May 3, 1915 newly promoted Lt-Col. John McCrae penned “In Flanders Fields“, inspired by the death of his good friend Lt. Alexis Helmer. To commemorate the centenary of this […]
Author Archives
Jakealoo
Remembering Pte. Wilfred Harrison, 8th Battalion CEF
Wilfred Harrison, a Private in the 8th Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles) CEF died at the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley 100 years ago today. Wilfred was my first cousin (3x removed), […]
Remembering Captain John Geddes, 16th Battalion CEF
Captain John Geddes died on April 22, 1915 leading his men in the midnight attack on Kitchener’s Wood. His final moments were captured in Mark Zuehlke’s fine book ‘Brave Battalion‘: “Captain Geddes had been […]
Kitchener’s Wood: Pte Denholm’s Curious Keepsake
Private John Denholm‘s First World War scrapbook contains an unusual piece of ephemera, a postcard written to a German soldier named Robert Kirchner. Denholm went to the trouble of having […]
Kitchener’s Wood: the letters of Sgt. Charles Herbert Peck
“The hardest thing that I have saw is a young fellow from Annapolis valley. I took a liking to him in Valcartier and keep him with me up to the […]
The Men Behind the Flag
Efforts are now underway to raise the funds necessary to ensure the historic Red Cross flag remains in Australia and you’ll find details on how you can help later in this […]
Remembering Pte. Frederick V. Webber, 54th Battalion CEF
Recently I was contacted by David Webber, the grandson of Private Frederick Vickery Webber who served with the 54th Battalion CEF during the First World War. David recognized his grandfather […]
Vimy Ridge: “But I Would Not Have Missed It For Anything”
On June 1st 1917 Private Guy Edmund Smith (#153485) wrote a letter from a convalescent camp in Boulogne to his good friend Richard Brooker in Winnipeg. The 24-year old Private […]
Last Rites: 879 soldiers who died at No. 1 Canadian C.C.S.
Volunteers from the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa have created a very helpful database listing 879 Great War soldiers, mostly British and Canadian, who died at No. 1 Canadian […]
Going Home: Repatriating a First World War flag
In December 2013 I wrote about an Australian First World War Red Cross flag that I was surprised to find for sale in a shop in my hometown of Victoria, British […]
