Here’s a copy of a letter Pte Cecil Minary wrote home on Jan. 17, 1917. The letters are in the archives of the Wawanesa Museum.
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 soon after Canada’s involvement in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France in April 1917. His great-great-niece Kendra Minary spent the COVID pandemic going thru 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 will continue sharing Kendra’s great-great-uncle’s letters with our website viewers 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 German attack or counter-attack. Cecil’s letters are transcribed as they were written, 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 learn about life on the family farm or what his family and friends were doing back in Manitoba. Unlike 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 blacked out. That’s the reason why his letters are “somewhere in France” once he left England for the Western Front. Those letters are stored at the Wawanesa Museum.
Somewhere in France
Sunday Dec 30th 1917
Dear Annie and Mae
Well girls here I am again Back at the old job again of soldiering in France and feeling fine as usual. I just got Back in time to go with the Battalion into the trenches where we are at present so please excuse the writing and the dirt as I have not washed for a few days, it is not to bad here though as we are in on what they call a quiet front, we have a little dug out and a fire in it and we have to be on our good behaviour to as the name of it is Angels Recluse. It is a lot like Manitoba here now as everything is froze up with a nice coat of snow on the ground, very nice for standing on post at night. My address is the same 829297 – B. Coy 52nd Battalion Canadians BEF France.
I received Both your letters of Nov 7th and 11th the day I came off leave and was very pleased to get them, the snaps were very good and Dad’s five dollar bill was fine. I have lots of money for a couple of months now as I had some left from my leave money.
I have got the most of the Christmas mail now that is the parcels anyway, I got three just before coming on leave and five since I come Back. One was from the Chesley’s Ladies and so I have to write them a letter of thanks right away.
I sent you a picture of myself the day before Christmas from Eng. so hope you get it all right, I am sending Grandma one too and a short letter with it, I weighted (sic) myself the same day as the picture was taken and I only went one hundred and sixty-seven pounds so I have just been holding my own in France.
We had a very good Christmas Dinner at the Maple Leaf Club in London and Lady Drummond from Montreal was there but it did not seem real Christmas some way as it was not at home, that is my third Christmas away from home isn’t it girls. And I hope there is no more. I was down to see that girl I spoke of while in London and well girls I’m alright so far, I have not fell in love yet.
Well this is all for this time so will close.
With Best love and wishes to all
Your loving Brother
Cecil Minary
Great-great-niece Kendra Minary from Souris has been researching her relatives who were involved in the Great War, as well as the Second World War. She’s also spent time transcribing her great-great-uncle Pte Cecil Minary’s letters he wrote home from the Great War in France. Here, she holds a photo of Pte Minary, who was KIA on Aug. 28, 1918 when a German artillery shell exploded near his Lewis gun crew.