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Description: | Transcribed ts memoir (written circa 1980's) (83pp) entitled "The Autobiography of an Almost Nonagenarian" recording the events of his life to date, including his First World War service in the 8th Canadian Infantry (2nd Brigade, 1st Canadian Division), during which he describes his enlistment and training, his involvement in the opening days of 2nd Ypres where he commented on the high number of casualties due to gas poisoning and lack of adequate protection and his memories of a priest offering prayers over the bodies of dead horses (April 1915), his transferral to a Signallers Battalion and his involvement the Battle of Festubert (May 1915), his work in writing the Battalion's history (July 1915) and later assignment as a performer in a Battalion concert party for which he created and performed magic tricks (September 1915 - March 1916), his transferral to Corps HQ where he was put in charge of the mobile canteens (June 1916), his work providing for the troops during the Battle of the Somme (July - November 1916), his first flight in an airplane with his brother, a Captain in the RFC, a dinner at which he performed his magic tricks for the Prince of Wales, who signed one of his playing cards (April 1917), his work as the Warrant Officer of an Officer's Club set up in Champlain L'Abbe (November 1917) and his march through Germany to Bomm-am-Rhine (December 1918) where he remained until his demobilisation (May 1919); the memoir also describes his inter-war work as a touring magician and his service during the Second World War, during which he describes the founding of the Entertainments National Service Association in which he worked as a manager and a performer until he was evacuated during the Nazi invasion of France (September 1939 - May 1940), his appointment to command the Wallington and Beddington Companies of the Army Cadet Force (June 1940 - May 1945) and his various post-war occupations, including his invention of machine which wound wool for rugs and woolly toys, which he sold under the name 'The Wally Twist Co'. Also included is a photocopy (5pp) and ts transcription of an ms letter written to his mother describing his involvement in 2nd Ypres (29 April 1915), a ts transcription (8pp) of his diary (April - December 1915 and March - June 1916) recording his daily activities in very basic detail, as well as photocopies of his enlistment papers (26pp), 2 photocopied portrait photographs, a photocopy of the playing card signed by the Prince of Wales and a cookbook entitled "Simple Dishes for War Time".
Cataloguer BEK
Catalogue date 2006-07-25 | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Green, B J | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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