Archie Wills photograph album, appendage to autobiographical chapter on WWI

Description:

Photograph album is an appendage to autobiographical chapter, "War 1914-18: the Fun and the Horror." The album was originally compiled by Ernest Greenword, a friend of Wills, who also served in the Canadian Field Artillery. It appears that many of the photographs assembled and captioned by Greeenwood are copies of official photos from Canada' s Department of National Defence. The originals, now residing at Library and Archives Canada, are available through LAC' s Mikan database and include captions (different from those written here by Greenwood), and often specific dates and photographer' s name. Wills later added his own clippings and photographs to the album. Subjects include: newspaper clippings of A.W. joining regiment, brother Percy leaving and wounded; Ypres--ruined buildings; Courcellette; Vimy; trench scenes; Cambrai; Petawawa, Fort Macaulay (training)' Valenciennes; Witley, Godalming (England--training); guns in action and transport; ' girls I met' ; wounded and dead soldiers; prisoners; members of Sergeant' s Mess -- 58th Battery, C.F.A.; leaving Victoria aboard troopship Cameronia; copy of A.W.' s discharge certificate; and copy of ceasefire.

Subjects:

World War, 1914-1918; Wills, Archie

Date:

1916-1954

Title-Alternative:

All in a lifetime - War 1914-18, the fun and the horror--pictures

Collection:

Archie H. Wills fonds

Location(s):

British Columbia--Victoria; Ontario--Petawawa; France--Vimy; France--Cambrai; France--Courcellette; Belgium--leper; England--Witley; England--Godalming

People Depicted:

Wills, Archie

Page Title:

Cover

Transcript:

[start page] First War Pictures of DADS [end page]

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Page Title:

Page 1

Description:

Page contains newspaper clippings announcing the enlistment of Archie Wills to the 5th Regiment, CGA in Victoria BC and the deployment and subsequent wounding of his brother, Percy Wills.

Transcript:

[start page] Mr. Archie Wills Formerly Marine Editor of the Victoria Times, who has joined the 5th Regiment C.G.A. and hopes to get away on active service with the next artillery draft. Ten men daily for the last ten days is the record of the recruiting staff of the 15th Artillery Brigade. Gnr. A. Wills is in charge, and the recruiting staff is getting excellent results. Mr. Archie Wills Joins 5th Regiment --- Marine Editor of Victoria Daily Times Enlists with Artillery Corps - Begins Duties Immediately --- Mr. Archie Wills, for the last five years marine editor of The Victoria Times, resigned his office yesterday to join the 5th Regiment. He commences his military duties next Tuesday, and has made application for admission to the next overseas draft. Mr. Wills is known in all ports of the Pacific Coast, most of which he has covered in fishing smacks in search of local color. He is also known in railroad circles through British Columbia and in Eastern Canada, which he has visited regularly. Perhaps his most noteworthy accomplishment was the series of short sketches of sea life, entitled ' Around the Ship Chandler' s Stove,' which he published under his signature on the marine page of The Times throughout the last two Winters. These sketches proved very popular and were widely read and copied. Last August he was active in an endeavor to make Victoria an aviation centre by establishing an aviation school here, and was elected secretary of the Victoria Aero Club. Since he took up newspaper work he has been a keen enthusiast of aviation. Mr. Wills is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Wills, 1002 Caledonia Avenue, and was born in this city. Since he left High School eight years ago last October to enter the service of The Times as office boy, his rise has been rapid. He is 23 years of age. Left with 11th C.M.R. PTE. Percy E. Wills Son of Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Wills, 1002 Caledonia avenue, left here with the 11th C.M.R., recently. He was born in Victoria, and after leaving the High school was for some time in the employ of Shortt, Hill & Duncan. He joined the 11th Battalion last March. His brother, Archie Wills, formerly marine reporter on the Times, went away with the 62nd Battery, C.F.A. Victoria Soldier Reported Wounded Sig. Percy E. Wills Mr. and Mrs. F.H.Wills, 1002 Caledonia Avenue, receicved word last week that their youngest son, Sig. Percy E. Wills, was admitted to No. 6 Convalescent Depot, Etaples, on October 27, suffering from a contused foot. Sig. Wills, who is well known here, enlisted with the 11th C.M.R., leaving in June 1916, and on arrival in England transferred to the 14th Brigade Artillery, with which unit he has served in France during the past fourteen months. His brother, Sergt. Archie Wills, is attached to the same unit.

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Page Title:

Page 1_verso

Description:

Page contains an illustrated printing of the poem, ' The Ypres Salient,' by R. N. Clements M.C., April 1915.

Date:

1915-04

Location(s):

Belgium--Ypres

Transcript:

[start page] A sea of mud under leaden skies The Ypres Salient April 1915 by R. N. Clements, M.C. If you think it crude to be rough and rude, this tale is not for you. There is nothing nice about rats and lice, from any point of view. Yes, the rats do roam, and make their home, in the fields where the dead men lie. Yes, the lice do bite, all day and night, and never quit till you die. Where the human moles from their stinking holes crawl up through the muck and slime, To hide all day, then work all night, till there is no sense to time. The great shells roar through the leaden skies, as their targets crouch in the drains; Then burst with a crash, and the shrapnel flies, and it rains, and rains, and rains. On a dirty night when your nerves draw tight, and you rouse to the gas alarms, In a dank shell hole, you' d sell your soul, for a night in a woman' s arms. When a grey green mass of chlorine gas, drifts down from the Eastern sky, You choke and spit, as your lungs are split, and you see your best friends die. In the stink and stench of a rotten trench, ' mid the swarms of filthy flies, Some men got caught, so their bodies rot, and the maggots eat their eyes. There tattered bums from city slums, with pampered sons of the rich, All lie with God, on that sodden sod, and you can' t tell which is which. In that sea of mud, you can feel your blood, grow cold as you shake with fright; Then among the dead you raise your head, to stand to your post to fight. So a few survive and are still alive, when at last relief breaks through, And the press reports all quiet as they bury the lads they knew. Theirs was the fate from German hate, its greed and mistaken pride. From far off days, a soldier prays, forget not why they died. [end page]

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