Somewhere in France: World War One Letters and War Diaries

Inside you will find information from the Canadian Archive's including War Diaries on the 11th and 12th Canadian Machine Gun Company (CMGC), a photo gallery, and Canadian World War One letters written by the Stothers family.

An interest in genealogy led to the discovery of family members who participated in the Great War. My maternal grandfather served with the 12th CMGC and 2 great uncles with the CEF - one with the 75th Battalion, who was wounded in a trench raid in 1917, and the other with the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders).

On receiving my grandfather's war record and subsequent war diaries from the Canadian Archives, I discovered he survived Passchendaele in Oct. of 1917. Unfortunately, a close friend, Alexander Herbert Rutledge, did not.

Further investigation revealed my paternal grandfather (and great grandmother) received war letters written to them by his brother, John Cannon Stothers. These war letters from WW1 are very well written, and although battles are not described, his soldiers, thoughts, feelings, humour, and life in the CEF, and the Great War as relating to Canada, are well interpreted and have historical value.

New! Letter added for April 6, 1917

New! Carman Stothers wrote this letter on board the H.M.T. Mauretania, from Oct 25th -Oct 30th 1916.