Robinson, Allan L.

WW II Letters Home – Robinson / Marsh Family From:   Pte. Allan Robinson To:       Mrs. Clarence Marsh (Margaret) Date of letter:  October 27, 1941 Envelope Postmark:  Oct 27, 191, Kitchener, Ontario To:  Mrs. Clarence Marsh, Dresden, Ontario     Kitchener, Ont. Oct. 27/41   Dear Margaret:             Well, I am writing a few […]

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Royal Canadian Service Corps Song Hit

Issue NO. 1 Made up one night at a sing song here in Italy.  By the fellows of the platoon. P.S. Hope you like it. Tommy   Come on you jolly jokers And join the Service Corps You’ll see the sort of army life That you have never seen before From early in the morning […]

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On the Beach at Dieppe – Roy Jardine’s Story.

From the 6 August, 2008 article in  Chatham This Week By John Rhodes.   On the 19th of August, 1942 Canadian soldiers making up the majority of the landing force for Operation “JUBILEE” a raid on the French port town of Dieppe would turn into a horrible disaster, what follows is one man’s account of […]

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Our Black Canadians in WW I

BLACK CANADIANS AND THE MILITARY Prepared by J. R. Hind 24/01/2020.   Black Canadians have had a long and when given the opportunity, a glorious military history serving their country.  I will try to explain how military service changed, most often to meet the needs of war rather than a social enlightenment but never the […]

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Poem in honour of Major Stewart McKeough

In Honour and Memory of Capt. Stewart McKeough, Who Died in Defence Of His Mother-Land, Somewhere in France, Sept. 15, 1916.           By:  Edmund Eugene O’Connor   It was for you and I dear friends, This Hero took a chance. He sacrificed all life holds, And died somewhere in France.   We used to see […]

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Homemakers Faced with Rationing

Commodities such as eggs, white sugar and butter were in short supply during the war.  Also, food colouring was not available so women were creative in their recipes, for example, using beet juice as a substitute for red food colouring and developing recipes that used available foodstuffs.  One such recipe is War Cake, which is […]

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Towards the Rising Sun

The Forced Eastern Migration of the Japanese Canadian Evacuees 1941 – ???? by: J. R. Hind    I should explain at the outset why it is that an over middle-aged, Anglo-Saxon is writing a story about the Japanese Canadian evacuees of the Second World War. Well it all begins at an auction in Ridgetown, Ontario a […]

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The Japanese-Canadian and the “English Camp” 1942

A talk about the Evacuation from British Columbia to Chatham 14 November, 2013 at the Chatham-Kent Museum By Jerrel R. Hind.   We have just observed Remembrance Day this past Monday remembering the tragedy of so many of our country men and women who gave their lives during time of war and rightfully so that their sacrifice […]

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The 24th Kent Regiment Chapter IODE

The 24th Kent Regiment Chapter IODE was formed in 1913 at the request of the Kent Regiment Commanding Officer, Colonel HD Smith, to support the soldiers of the Regiment, their families and the women and children of our community.  The Chapter adopted the motto of the 24th Kent Regiment: “Unto the last ditch” and 95 […]

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Farewell to Pte. Jack.

MURDOCK, Pte J. G. 6708 1.0

MURDOCK, JOHN / JACK, Regimental number: 6708 Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 6500 – 20 Date of Birth 26/10/1874 Born in Stirling, Scotland. : Son of J. and Margret Murdoch; husband of Fannie Murdoch, of 15, Emma St., Chatham, Ontario, brother of William 6707. Prior to the war John (known as Jack to his […]

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L/Sgt. “Rocky” Anderson

Anderson, R

ANDERSON, ROBERT, L-Sgt. A3044, ‘Rocky’ Born 17/01/19 in Keithly, Yorkshire, England. Son of Robert and Rebecca Anderson. Robert a member of the CEF had married and thought of staying in the UK. In 1920 now with ten month old Robert the family immigrated to Canada, eventually settling in Chatham, ON. at 12 Harvey St. Robert […]

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The Gallant Lieut. Crawford

CRAWFORD R G – RMC No. 932

CRAWFORD, RICHARD GILPIN. Rank: LT Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 2124 – 22 Date of Birth 13/01/0000. Born in Tilbury, Kent, ON. the only son of Mr. & Mrs.W. C. Crawford a merchant of that city. “Dick’ attended Tilbury Separate School, then Upper Canada College in Toronto until 1911 and finally Royal Military College […]

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Victor George Pyne, “Adopted Son of Ridgetown”

victor-and-howard-pyne-with-family

Victor George Pyne – 6727 1st Bn. C.E.F. 25 November 1893 – 9 July, 1916 The early summer of 1914 had been one of the better ones in years; southwestern Ontario was enjoying the respite from a bitter winter. The crops were planted once again and summer activities were being enjoyed with little attention being […]

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The Ivison Family in the Great Wars

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The Ivison Brothers in WWII The Ivison family beginning with the father of the three Sergeants’ in the photo above was the first to go to war in 1914 with the 1st Battalion Canadian Expeditionalry Force (C.E.F.) Joseph Ivison Sr. was born in Carlisle, England on the 31st of March, 1882 and had served seven […]

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The Death of A/S Clifford Albert McPherson

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McPHERSON, CLIFFORD ALBERT. Service No: V/19396. Rank: Able Seaman, Service: Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve, Unit Text: H.M.C.S. St. Croix. Age: 23, LAS – Date of Death: 20/09/1943, HMCS St. Croix, sunk. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 10. Memorial: HALIFAX MEMORIAL. Found in “The Tilbury Story 1887 -1987”. Index of Overseas Deaths. […]

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Major Ivan Harold MARTIN DSC. MID.

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MARTIN, IVAN HAROLD. Son of Harold C. and L. Pearl Martin; husband of Annette Joyce Martin, of Toronto, Ontario. Enlists in Chatham as a Lieutenant in the Kent Regt, listing Chatham as his place of birth and was living in London, ON. Rank: Major , Regiment: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), R.C.I.C. […]

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Percy Edward Taylor

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Percy immigrated to Canada from England as a stowaway on a cattle boat. He would have died if the crew had not brought him food. He was one of 13 children and was born in Richmond, Surrey, England. He served in WW I as part of the 186th CEF, enlisting in St. Thomas. After WW […]

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Captain John “Jack” Robson Hanley

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Kent Regiment Born August 5, 1917 June 29, 1940 promoted from A/Cpl. to Sergeant Inf. (MG). August 4, 1940 Promosted to 2nd Lieutenant. March 7, 1941 promoted to Lieutenant Inf. (R) Joined 60th R.E.C.C.S. and was sent overseas to England. Transferred to the Irish Regiment and was shipped to Italy in 1944 near the “River […]

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