WWI CEF Letters, 1916-17. Fought in France. 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion.


WWI CEF Letters, 1916-17. Fought in France. 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion.

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WWI CEF Letters, 1916-17. Fought in France. 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion.:
$24.00


Excellent original First World War Canadian letters. Expecting the war to end soon. Emotional content about leaving for France. Content about his brother, who was killed in action at Vimy Ridge on April 9th, 1917. Served on the Western Front in the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion. His brother was killed at Vimy Ridge on 9 April 1917, in the 25th Battalion CEF. Another brother served in the 54th Battalion. *** Please be sure to read the full detailed item description provided. Click below on \"Item description\". a.imagelink {color:#0000FF;} a:hover.imagelink {color:#0000FF;} a:visited.imagelink {color:#800080;} a.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #0000FF; } a:visited.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #800080; }

 *** Please see my other listings for more Active Service military letters.  

   This is an excellent grouping of two original First World War Canadian soldier\'s letters, written in late 1916 and early 1917 by a soldier who served in action on the Western Front in the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion. There is content about the war, about leaving for the front in France, and also about this soldier\'s brother, who was killed in action at Vimy Ridge on the 9th of April, 1917. 

   There is good content about the breakup of the 115th Canadian Battalion to provide reinforcements for other battalions. This is followed by an emotional segment about the prospect of fighting alongside strangers at the front in France.   

*** The letters were written by 743050 Private Harry S. Brewer, of New Brunswick, Canada. Brewer was an original member of the 115th Canadian Infantry Battalion. When that battalion was broken up in England he was assigned for several months to the 112th Canadian Infantry Battalion, then to the 13th Canadian Reserve Battalion, before finally being assigned to the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion for service at the Front. He was assigned to the 26th Battalion in France on the 4th of April 1917, five days before the Vimy Ridge battle.

There is content about Brewer\'s brother Vern (Vernon), who was killed in action at Vimy Ridge on the 9th of April, 1917.

   There are two excellent letters, both written by Harry Brewer at Bramshott camp. One was written in January 1917, with emotional content about preparing to leave for the front in France. Brewer expresses his certainty that the war would end in 1917, probably within the next few months: 

\"Dear sis, I am leaving here Tuesday for France, so no doubt it will be quite a while before you hear from me again. But don\'t worry about me, I will be alright, and will write you all again as soon as I am settled and have time. I am glad to get away from here to see France, but I think the war will be over inside of three months. We hope so anyway. It cannot last the year out, I don\'t think.\"   

   The earlier letter was written in October 1916, also at Bramshott. There is a segment about Harry Brewer\'s brother Vernon having arrived in England, with the 140th Battalion. Harry expresses his hope that he would be able to see Vernon in England, but as it turned out Vernon was assigned to the 25th Battalion and immediately sent to France. Vernon was killed at Vimy Ridge the following April. (818230 Private Vernon Brewer, 25th Canadian Infantry Battalion):

\"I hear the 140th Battn. are now over here at Shorncliffe, but I have never heard from Vern yet. That is about 90 miles from here, and that is the reason I went to London. I thought I would meet him there on his six day pass but was disappointed, not to even see him or one of the boys from his battalion, but I am going to write to him there again. I wrote once to where they are, but the letter came back to me, for it got there before the 140 did.
... Would like to see Vern, or hear from him, for I don\'t know when I will go to the front, and will have to go with strangers it is likely.\"         

(Vernon Brewer was killed at Vimy Ridge shortly after Harry Brewer arrived at the front in France. It is highly unlikely that they ever saw each other again.)

   There is more. Harry Brewer had just returned from his leave in London to find that his original battalion, the 115th, had been broken up to provide reinforcement drafts for battalions in France. Many of his friends from the 115th Battalion had already left for another battalion:

\"I have just got back from London on a week end pass. Had a pleasant trip, but our Battn. has been all broken up and drafted from me. Even my chums from home, and also my brother in law... they went while I was on pass to another Battn. 300 of them went, so it is quite lonesome here now.\"

   There is more. Brewer states that when he went to the front it would have to be with strangers. He thought that perhaps it would be better that way, because if a man alongside him were hit it might not trouble him as much as if it were a friend from home:

\"I don\'t know when I will go to the front, and will have to go with strangers it is likely, but it may be better for me, for if anything happens to strangers alongside one at the front they would not feel so bad as if it was one\'s own chum or friend.\"

   There is more. Brewer expresses his hope that Vern would get home safely, and that another brother, Rob, would never have to serve at the front. (Robert did eventually serve in France, in the 54th Canadian Infantry Battalion. Vernon, of course, was killed).

   Excellent original letters. The letters are contained in a single October 1916 cover.        

*** 743050 Private Harry S. Brewer of the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion was one of three brothers who all served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. One of this brothers, 931064 Private Robert M. Brewer, served in France in the 54th Canadian Infantry Battalion. His other brother, 818230 Private Vernon Bertrand Brewer of the 25th Canadian Infantry Battalion, was killed in action at Vimy Ridge on the 9th of April, 1917.   
  
   Interesting and emotional original First World War Canadian letters, written by a soldier who served on the Western Front in the 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion.

Note: I suspect that I may possibly have sold these same letters some time ago. I was surprised when I found them, because I thought they had been sold, and I am concerned that I may have neglected to mail them. However, I have been unable to find any record of a sale of these particular letters, nor any claim of them not having been received, so I may be mistaken, and therefore I am offering them for sale at this time. If any member who sees this listing believes that these letters should have been received by them on some prior date please send me the details, such as date of purchase and item number, and upon confirming this I will make arrangments to reimburse them for the previous purchase.      

 Buyer pays shipping, $3.00 in Canada, $4.00 to the United States, $5.00 Overseas. I accept Paypal only. Thank you.

Please Note: Canadian customers will be required to pay applicable GST/HST on all purchases. Please contact me if you have any questions.  

 


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WWI CEF Letters, 1916-17. Fought in France. 26th Canadian Infantry Battalion.:
$24.00

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