Editor’s Note: During the First World War, Pte Cecil Minary served in the CEF, beginning his military training at Camp Hughes prior to being shipped to England for additional training. He saw his first action in France soon after Canada’s involvement in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. His great-great-niece Kendra Minary from Souris spent the COVID pandemic going through the original letters he wrote home from England and France prior to being KIA on Aug. 28, 1918. The Lewis gunner died on the battlefield after his crew was hit by a German artillery shell. The Stag’s website will share Kendra’s great-great-uncle’s letters with our viewers here to give you a peek at what a soldier was contemplating with pencil and paper while in the UK training or in France in a trench waiting for the next attack or counter-attack. Pte Minary’s letters are transcribed as they were written by Kendra, so this includes his spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Of note, from his letters home he rarely described his clashes with Fritz, instead preferring to enquire about life on the family farm in Nesbitt or what his family and friends were doing back in Manitoba. Unlike some some soldiers who would share their war stories in their always censored letters, Pte Minary had his own distinct writing style no matter if the letter was for his his dad, sister or a relatives. He also made the job of Army censors easier by not including war details which would be censored by being blacked out. That’s the reason why his letters are “somewhere in France” once he left England for the Western Front. Those original letters are stored at the Wawanesa Museum.
829297 South Camp
A Coy 144th Batt. C.E.F.
Seaford Sussex
c/o The Army Post Office
Nov 10th 1916
London England
Dear Annie + all the rest
I received your welcome letter and also one from Berta Prette last evening so yesterday was not to bad at all, that is right as you said keep writing all along for a letter from Manitoba is better than a day of drill.
The weather has cleared up a little, it has accualy (sic) passed two days with out raining but of course it is wet yet, I guess it will be a lot warmer here than at home now, there has been no frost at all latley (sic) and we run around here at noon and evenings in our short sleeves yet, and also they are busy seeding around here now, and do you know the make of a seeder it was I saw yesterday, a Massey Harris.
Well Annie I may be in France by the time you receive this, they have asked for a draft of five hundred from the Battalion and they asked for volanteers (sic) and this whole Battalion volanteered (sic) to go, so I think they are taking it out of A and B Companys.
We were up for Medical Examination yesterday afternoon I passed OK the draft is sopposed (sic) to go next week, but then they may change things yet.
They have cancelled all the weekend passes this week on account of that so no London for me this time, and wait till I tell you, I have got one crime against me now, on Monday we were out on Battalion drill and there was a comical incident happened in the ranks and I forgot myself and smiled, the Company Sergeant Major Tynden saw me so I was brought up for orderly room and got two days C.B. that means that I could not leave the Battalion lines and had to answer to defaulters (?) call when ever it was blown.
We were out for an all days route march today in full marching order from 8:15 to 4:30 and only had two half slices of bread and one piece of cheese with some water for dinner and then I gave half of one of those slices to a fellow who had none, being to slow I guess at breakfast to get any, so you can imagine what supper felt like, I am going to eat another good one after this letter is finished.
O I forgot to tell you but four platoon came out best in the medical inspection only one man turned down and he was not old enough not being nineteen, also we had one inspection on Tuesday last by a General Tanding and four platoon came out being the cleanest and neatest dressed, the sergeant Major has offered up his crown if they will take him over and go as a private in four platoon.
Say but it makes me home sick to read about the boys playing pool at home and also how comfortable you all must be with that furnace and the gasoline lap, not like hear (sic) when they are afraid to show a light after dark and before we can light one all the windows have to be closed and covered up.
I am sorry it snowed and stoped (sic) that good hunt for the boys were sure to have a good time, I just wish that I was there to go with them it gives me a funny feeling to think of it, some one is playing keep the home fires burning on the piano now of course this is in the Y.M.C.A. hut.
So Bertha Minary has been asking for my address and I hope she soon gets it, for every letter from Canada is worth a pound over here.
Well Annie I am glad you all enjoyed yourselves at your show in town, concerts are quite a common thing to me now as I am to one nearly everything as there is one in the Y.M.C.A. every evening, they come from Brighton every night but the best part of it is that for half an our before they begin some one plays the piano and we all sing keep the home fires burning, are you from Dixie, I am going back to Tennessee, pack your troubles in your old kit bag and a dozen others for I’ve learnt (sic) a lot more songs now and you should hear me sing I can make noise any way and that is the main thing.
Now Annie be sure and tell me how that concert at Chesley came out and I want to know what items were on the programme and all the parts you ones took.
Tell Mr Hendersen that I am fine and dandy, getting better every day and am in fine trim to play a first class ball game right now it was to bad that he could not see me that day at Camp, but we’ll hope for luck and that it is only propponed (sic) for awhile.
Say Annie what is this about Mrs Stinson I am awfully curious to know the next time that you have anything like that give it in full for we never get any Canadian knews (sic) here.
Well Annie I guess this is all for this time
With love to all
From Cecil