"ABANDON SOAP.. ALL YE WHO ENTER"

Welcome to my web page of Canadian WW1 letters. These letters are written from July 1916 to demobilization in 1919 by John Cannon Stothers. John attested with the CEF in 1916 with his younger brother, Carman Edmund Stothers. They joined the 170th battalion (Missisauga Horse) and went overseas in October of 1916. By December Carman was in France with the 75th battalion and was at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917. He was wounded in a trench raid in June of 1917 and returned to Canada by December. He fully recovered from his wounds. John remained in England with a reserve battalion and eventually went to France in November of 1917. He was transferred to the 15th battalion (48th Highlanders) and was part of the Army of Occupation until 1919.

The letters have survived with the hindsight of Carman Stothers with additional comments and observations.  He complied them to preserve for family members in the 1960's. The letters have many references to friends and places in Southern Ontario.   I have transcribed them as they have been typed, with a few (?)when I am unsure of the spelling or reference.  Some of the letters have been omitted as they pertained mostly to family or farm references.

The title "Abandon Soap..." comes from a letter Carman Stothers wrote to John Cannon about conditions in the front line trenches. Perhaps it could have been also titled "Abandon  Hope....."from Dante's inferno.

One more final note: 14 Stothers enlisted in the CEF. All survived!

Cast of Characters

Stephen Stothers - brother (my grandfather)

Isaac Stothers - brother

Carman Stothers -brother

Bailie Stothers – brother

Rae Stothers - sister

Jim Paterson - friend enlisted with