Update #17 - Ephemeral Thoughts
I recently launched a new blog called Ephemeral Thoughts. I’ve always enjoyed the hunt for old paper and photographs and many pieces have a connection to the First World War. I thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight and link to a few posts you might be interested in.
I've posted more than a dozen photos and postcards of unknown soldiers of the Great War to Flickr. I also recently added a very interesting concert programme given by the First Brigade Canadian Mounted Rifles on Dec. 22, 1915. You'll find more information and links under Ephemeral Thoughts WW1 listings.
Update #16 - Doing Our Bit, Victoria BC 1914-1918 2
This is my 2011 Remembrance Day tribute to the 620,000 Canadians from across the country who "did their bit" during the Great War and to the nearly 67,000 who never made it home.
"Doing Our Bit" features photographs of recruits from Victoria, BC marching through the streets of the city to the C.P.R. steamships that would take them to their trains in Vancouver.
Update #15 - A wonderfully evocative frontline letter written by Gunner Robertson
This is one of my favourite First World War letters. It was penned in September 1917 by Gunner Bayard Robertson to his brother Ted and contains a wonderful description of the dugout that was his temporary home. I can clearly imagine him sitting at the little table next to the fire waiting for the water to boil as the 18-pounders hammered away above.
While Bayard seemed contented with his current location he was by no means out of harms way. He and the 58th Howitzer Battery had recently taken up a position just southwest of Lens. Several weeks earlier this was the site of a bloody battle in which the Canadians won a hard fought victory at Hill 70 but ultimately failed to dislodge the Germans from city of Lens. The 10-day operation resulted in huge losses on both sides with 8,677 Canadians being reported killed, wounded or missing.
Read all of Gunner Bayard Roberton's letter here.