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
Somewhere in France
52nd Battalion
July 5th 1917
Canadians BEF France
Dear Edna
Well hear (sic) I am again still alive and feeling fine as usual your welcome letter of June 12th arrived the day before yesterday, there were seven others with it and three more again last night, so I can’t say that I’m feeling blue for lack of letters. Annie said that Chesley had won another game of ball from Glenboro this time and that they were to play Nesbitt that evening June the eighth, Berta Prette said that she and Lucy might go to Nesbitt this summer so if they did go, they will likely be out there now. We just got back out yesterday from the other trip up the line so am feeling a little tired yet from the long hours, so please excuse me if I make some funny mistakes.
This trip was rather exciting and a little trying on the nerves for we went over the top and chased Fritzie (sic) back a piece, there was not much of a scrap though for Fritzie (sic) had quite a start on us and we only managed to get a few of the poorest runners. I cam through fine and dandy only got a machine gun bullet through the heel of my boot as I was going through Fritzies (sic) barbed wire, the hot bullet burnt the side of my heel a little that was all. I was over the other evening to find Reuben Orr but found out that he had got a Blighty but could not find out how Badly wounded, he was over the top the same time I was.
What Edna do you think I’ll soon be an old man, twenty two tomorrow what do you know about that eh? But say Edna those two boxes that sent must be almost here now it is nearly a month since you sent them so my hopes are high.
Well this is all the news I have for this time so will close hoping to hear from you soon again.
With love to all your Cousin Cecil
829297 Pte C.E. Minary
• • •
829297
Somewhere in France
B Coy
Thursday July 10th 1918
Dear Sister Annie
Well here I am again almost missing this time eh Annie. I received your letter of June first the same evening as I mailed my last letter and here I am just getting it answered. I intended answering last Saterday (sic). But we moved that day and have been sick up till today and as I am feeling better now I thought that I had better get busy.
I was glad to know of Chesley winning out at the sports but then I might of known that they would win it I guess the ball will be all knocked in the head by now though with Bruce and Alf away or are they able to get out from Brandon for a few games yet?
Say Annie who should pop in to see me the other night but Joe, some surprise eh? The first to that I had ever seen him in uniform he had got word as to where the 52nd was so he run up on a motorcycle he is looking just as well as usual and of course we had a great old talk over old times especially when I got him over to see Roy Wallace and the two Lillicoe Boys it was kind of late that night before we went to our beds.
This is an awfull (sic) looking photo time isn’t it Annie I hope it does not give you to bad a scare when you first look at it, we are looking awfull (sic) cross over something what do you think? The other fellow is Harry Warrington from Russell Manitoba he is in my machine gun crew. He is quite a big fellow and is only twenty years old.
How are the crops coming on at home I see by last night Canadian record that Manitoba has promise of another bumber crop like 1915 that was my last fall at home. Dad and Vic will have there (sic) lands full this year eh?
Well Annie this is all just now so will hoping to hear from you soon
With lots of love to all
I remain Your loving Brother Cecil xxx
• • •
829287
Somewhere in France
B.Coy
Sunday July 14th 1918
Dear Cousin Edna
Hello there “Teddy” and how are you coming along this fine day as jake as myself I hope. Your ever welcome letter of June twenty third arrived about an hour ago and here I am busy trying to answer it which goes to show how hard we are worked over here these days. I am going right at work and write a half a dozen now as I owe a few now for I have not been feeling real well this last week so have been letting the writing go, there were two other letters tonight but were both from Saskatchewan there has been no letter from home now for two weeks so I should have got one tonight shouldn’t I?
There is nothing much going on around here only that the weather is still keeping on the good side of the fence. Oh say I met Joe Patterson last week and didn’t we have a good old talk, he has been in France just about as long as I have and this was the first time we had met in fact it was the first time that I had seen him in uniform he has had no leave yet and is thinking that it was about time he was now, you can’t hardly blame him either can you?
Now Teddy be sure you send that photo along for I will be on the watch for it and will be awfully disappointed if it does not arrive. I will tell you all the remarks that the Boys pass there will be some nice ones too as there always is and I’ll bet Teddy there will be half a dozen applications for an introduction or a good word put in for them, so you have been told you look like Annie Prette well when I was in Winnipeg Annie and I were always taken for Brother and sister so if that is the case you and I must look something alike.
You will be going on that holiday to Magaria about now I just wish that I was there to go with you or is it just a little vacation all on your own or is there a nice young fellow in it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was.
Well Teddy this is all just now so will close hoping to get that photo soon.
I remain your make believe
Brother Cecil Minary.
• • •
829297 B Coy Somewhere in France
52nd Battalion July 13th 1917
Canadians BEF France
Dear Edna.
Just a few lines this time Edna to let you know that I am still alive and feeling fine as usual for there is nothing much else to write about and also to thank you for those two Boxes of June seventh for they arrived hear (sic) on the tenth and in splendid shape, that cake was a dandy it was just a fresh as the day it was cooked, the maple sugar was good too and also the dates, those handkerchiefs and soap are being used to and of course you pencil is busy at present.
There has been no mail much since I wrote you last, I got two other parcels though a few days before yours came, a small one from home and one from Annie Prette. It seems that I am lucky in the parcel line as every one sent me so far has arrived so far when so many of the fellows never get some of there parcels at all.
We are up the line now again but back from the front a little ways, I don’t remember if I told you in my last letter or not anyway I am a Lewis Machine [gunner] now so ought to be able to give Fritzie a few pills what do you think eh?
Say Edna that canned heat you sent will come in fine up here while we are in the front line we can’t light a fire on account of the smoke so that heat will come in fine to make some tea with. We don’t get non tea issue while up there and Annie Prette sent some tea in her last parcel so with that and your heart I’ll be OK this trip.
The weather has been dry these last few days I guess it is just waiting untill (sic) we get up the line then its going to give us a good wash. But we should worry we are getting used to the like of that now.
I hope there is some mail for me tonight I have not had a letter for a week now so chances look good, a fellow feels kind of down in his boots if he goes while without any mail and sees the rest of them getting it but I can’t kick for I get as much mail as the best of them and a lot more than the most of them gets.
Well Edna this is all for this time there are no news in this but the fact is there are none to give, I wish I could thank you for those boxes but if I get back to Canada I’ll thank you in person how will that be.
So Bye Bye
With love to all
Your Cousin Cecil
829297 Pte C.E. Minary
• • •
In France
July 28th 1918
Dear Edna:
Hello Teddy and how are you as fine and dandy as usual I suppose just the same as myself I am shure (sic) only not half so lazy I hope, for it is almost to much for me to eat what little we get for meals.
I received your letter of July the fourth the day before yesterday and of course as usual was overjoyed to receive it, I got three others one from home and two from Unity, one from that newly married cousin, the other from Aunt Mabell Harris the morning of the nineteenth just after coming in of out post in the front line so had a good read for a little while, they all seemed to be in the best of health for none of them complained of any illness; Annies letter was mostly of Baseball for it was written right in the middle of the season, the Boys seem to be in real good Ball team this year, for she said that Chesley was in the lead in the South Brandon league and a tie in the Central, if they win Both cups it will be a feather in there caps what do you think Edna?
You seem to be getting all kinds of rain but I’ll bet a penny that it will never come anyways near up to France it tried to drown us the last night in the line this time, the rain did not last long but ou-la-la it certainly did not waste any time while it lasted the trench was a good immatation (sic) of a canal when it was over, that Ou la la is an expression we use quite a lot over hear (sic) it is French for oh my or such like.
Say Edna but I would have liked to have been there to take that trip with you girls to that Garden Partie (sic) in Shallow Lake who sat beside the chauffeur, you did not say, but Edna that was real mean of you to tease that poor fellow like that.
So Edna Minary is to be married eh? First thing I know I’ll have no single cousins left is that not so, I hope you are not thinking serious of that yet.
We have got orders to put our Address somewhere in the centre (sic) of the letter some idea of the censors I guess so here it is 829297 B. Coy. 52nd Battalion Canadians B.E.F. France.
We are just out on another rest again, a good long one this time I believe for we are out for a divisional And rest this time, the others were Brigade rest.
I hope that those snaps are all right and they soon arrive here, it would not be very hard to make me believe you are a sister Edna for you write a letter just as a sister would.
Well this is all for this time hoping to hear from you soon again.
Your loving Cousin Cecil
829297 Pte. C.E. Minary
Pte Cecil Minary before he was KIA on Aug. 28, 1918 in France, he exchanged many letters with Edna. His great-great-niece Kendra Minary has researched her great-great-uncle’s military history from the First World War during the COVID-19 pandemic. His portrait is hanging in the family bakery in Souris, MB. By the end of the Great War, Pte Minary led a Lewis Gun detachment on the battlefield facing the German Army. Photos Jules Xavier/Shilo Stag & Kendra Minary family archives
