Lest We Forget - Herbett Carter - Killed in Action 100 Years Ago Today 07.09.1917

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Herbett Carter - 709170, was from Elgin, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born August 29, 1886. He was the son of Ralph and Jane Carter, of Elgin, New Brunswick. He enlisted with the 26th New Brunswick Battalion on September 24, 1915. He was killed in action July 9, 1917. He is buried at Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, British Extension, France.

 You can find his complete service records  by clicking here.

He is listed on page 214 of Canada's Book of Remembrance.

You can view his internment records here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

Lest We Forget - David Johnson Kane - Killed in Action 100 Years Ago Today 03.27.1917

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David Johnson Kane was from Parkindale, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born October 2, 1894. He was the son of George Johnston Kane and Naomi Kane, of Parkindale, New Brunswick. He enlisted with the 145th Battalion on August 11, 1916. He served overseas with 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion. He was killed in action March 27, 1917 at Neuville St. Vaast, France. His death was recorded as being caused by a direct hit on a dugout. Sixteen other men died along with him. He is buried at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. 

 You can find his complete service records  by clicking here.

He is listed on page 266 of Canada's Book of Remembrance.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion War Dairy entry for that day here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

Lest We Forget - On this day 100 years ago Ernest Stockton Jonah was Killed in Action - 09.28.1916

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Ernest Stockton Jonah was from Elgin, New Brunswick and was born December 29, 1892. He was the son of Mr. Ezra Jonah. He enlisted November 29, 1914 in the 26th Battalion. He was killed at the Somme September 28, 1916.

 You can find his attestation papers by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 26th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here. 

And Here.

And here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

Did you hear our HUGE Steeves family announcement? If not read on!

On Opening Day we opened our fantastic "Steeves Family 250 years in Albert County Exhibit", (Have you been in to see it? It's not to be missed, especially with the guided tour which features stories built on stories built on stories) and we made our major announcement regarding that exhibit. It seems that we never actually posted here what our BIG announcement was... so drum roll... 

“The Albert County Museum is pleased to announce as part of the Steeves 250 years in Albert County Exhibit, with the help and support of Libraries and Archives Canada, that all 138 men (and women!) with the family name Steeves who fought in the First World War service records will be digitized and made available in time for the Steeves Family Reunion” ”

These records are an amazing source of information for anyone doing research on their relatives, and are fascinating to read in their own right. They list all the men who enlisted and also the women who served as nurses. The files are huge, some over 75 pages, so they are a wealth of information on each of the people. Here is a sampling of the Attestation paper for a couple of the Steeves.  These are just a sampling of the information.  Come to the museum to see the rest!

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Lest We Forget - Donald MacKenzie Moore - Killed in Action 101 Years Ago Today 05.22.1915

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Donald MacKenzie Moore was from Hopewell, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born March 19, 1877. He listed his next of kin as C. Archie Moore of Vancouver, BC. He enlisted with the 30th Battalion in Victoria, BC on November 9, 1914. He was listed as Wounded and Missing in Action during the Battle of Festubert in France on May 22, 1915. He has no known grave and is memorialized on the Vimy Monument. 

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 16th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here.  And Here. 

You can learn about the Battle of Festubert Here.

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War - Come Share Your Memories and Memorabilia - Sat. June 11, 2016 10am-4pm

On June 11, 2016 from 10am until 4pm we are hosting a New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War Event, where we are bringing together collectors, museums and individuals to share Memories and Memorabilia of the First World War. If you have one piece or a whole collection of items from any of the New Brunswick Battalions and Batteries we encourage you to come out. Please share this with anyone who might be interested. Admission is a free-will donation to the Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring two WW1 German cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape, NB. This event will be held in the Community Hall at the Albert County Museum, in Hopewell Cape, NB.

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Lest We Forget - On This Day 100 Years Ago Charles Humphrey Berry was Killed in Action - 03.27.1916

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Charles Humphrey Berry was from Hillsborough, New Brunswick and was born February 18, 1892. He listed his next of kin as Mrs. Sarah Crossman of Dorchester, NB. He enlisted with the 55th Battalion on May 5, 1915 and transferred to the 26th Battalion on November 5, 1915. He was Killed in Action in France on March 27, 1916. He was listed as killed by shell fire. He is buried at the La Laiterie Military Cemetary in Belgium.

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 26th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

A Window on the Great War - A Letter from the Front, December 9, 1915 Belgium

One Hundred years ago, Hugh C. Wright from Shepody, Albert County, NB was busy fighting with the 26th New Brunswick battalion in trenches of Belgium. He was only 20 years old at the time. This was one of his letters home and was written December 9 & 10, 1915.  

A note on the Author - Hugh Carlisle Wright, from Hopewell,(Shepody), Albert County, NB, enlisted in the 26th Battalion on November 17, 1914. He was 19 years of age. He was in A Company, No. 1 Platoon while training in Saint John. He served in the 26th Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade in Belgium and France and spent 17 months in the trenches. In February 1917, he transferred to the 4th Siege Battery, 2nd Brigade CGA and was a gunner for the remainder of the war. He was discharged in May 10, 1919...on his birthday!

Hugh's letters are addressed … “Dear Father” because his mother died when he was only 7 years old. Harvey and Clarke were Hugh's older brothers. His brother Clarke enlisted in October 1915, arriving in England with CEF April 1916. Harvey didn't enlist but stayed home to run the family farm in Shepody. 

It's amazing to have the original envelope for the letter (scroll through the pictures) which shows the letter probably left Belgium on the 11 and arrived in Riverside on the 28th of December only 17 days... 

With many thanks to Hugh Wright's great niece, Dawne McLean who kindly submitted the letter.

“Belgium
Dec. 9Th, 1915

Dear Father,

I received your letter of the 14th November day before yesterday and was very glad to get it. I got the parcels from home including the shoe pacts that day also. So you see they were not that long coming. They are fine, couldn’t have been a better fit. They are a nice easy thing on the feet and a good thing to walk in. I am wearing two pair of socks in them now, but I think I will be able to put another pair in later when they get stretched a little. I don’t know what better Christmas present a person could want than these.
We changed our billet when we came out this time, so now we are staying in a large school house and it makes very comfortable quarters. We are right in a little town. Silas got his foot burned by a rubber sheet which caught on fire and melted and ran down onto his foot, so he is laid up somewhere and I have never been able to find where he is so have not seen him for some time, but I guess he is not hurt very bad. I have not seen Clyde for nearly three weeks, but I guess he is alright. The rest of us are fine.
You spoke about being troubled to get to sleep, it is not that way with me. I can sleep most any place that I get a chance to now.
I don’t think I will want anything for a while anyway. I had a few lines from Harvey and he said a lot of people were sending me stuff. I got a nice big cake from Bertha the same day I got the shoe pacts and I also got Hillman’s little cake. It was rather hard, but nevertheless tasted good. He must be getting to be a great boy. I would like to see him. I thought the picture was fine of you both.
I haven’t seen Allie for some time, but will ask him about John Stiles if ever I see him.
Silas said that the 8th Battery was only six miles away from us, so I thought maybe he would ride over some time but he never has, but maybe he will over Christmas time, if they are still there and we are still here.
That was quite a bunch of moose to come out of the woods all at once. I would like to have had a nice big slice of the steak.
I suppose by the time this reaches you Xmas will be all over. I don’t know hardly where I will spend Xmas Day, whether it will be in the trenches or out at the billet but I will try to have a good time wherever I am.
I guess I will have to close now as I must write to Clarke and Bertha.
I wish to be remembered to all the Friends

Good night
Hugh

Dec. 10th
P.S. I received your letter of the 21st today, also one from Bertha and one from Bessie telling me that Fred was dead. I suppose he is better off for he must have suffered a good deal.
I also got a nice long letter from Bessie Starratt.

Hugh
”

Hugh was one of the hundreds of Albert County men who volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), the majority joining the New Brunswick 26th Battalion. It was because of their sacrifices that Albert County was awarded the 77mm field cannon which sits in the square in Hopewell Cape. The museum is in process of restoring this cannon to help preserve their stories.  If you have not done so, please donate to the Victory Cannon Campaign. You can donate online here. 

Lest We Forget - On this day 100 years ago Albert Harry Steeves was Killed in Action - 11.17.1915

Albert Harry Steeves was from Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick and was born January 7, 1892. He was the son of Mr. Judson W. Steeves. He enlisted with the 26th Battalion on November 5, 1914. He was Killed in Action in France. He is buried at the La Laiterie Military Cemetary in Belgium.

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 26th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

PARADE! PARADE! PARADE! THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 13 - 2-5:30 PM - 100 YEARS 26th NB BATTALION CEF - HOPEWELL CAPE, NB

Did I say PARADE? This Saturday (June 13) at the Albert County Museum featuring the Royal New Brunswick Regiment, the RCMP Pipes and Drums, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 32, the Riverview Veteran's Association,  the 560 Moncton Army Cadets and others; in a COLOUR PARADE - Commemorating the Sailing of the 26th New Brunswick Battalion 100 Years-to-the-Day, June 13, 1915. The events begin at 2:00 pm with a General Call to Assembly, followed by presentations on the 26th New Brunswick Battalion, known as the Fighting 26th and continues until the highlight of the day, the Colour Parade at 4:15 pm (sharp).

SPECIAL SURPRISE EVENT TO START PARADE!

PLEASE SHARE! INVITE EVERYONE!

For more details call the museum 506-734-2003, or click here. 

The Inspiration for an Event: The 26th Battalion Overseas Club Dinners

They say there is nothing stronger than the bonds formed on the battlefield, and the men of the 26th Battalion, who were in the thick of every major battle the Canadian Corps faced in the First World War, kept true to theirs for the rest of their lives. The veterans of the 26th Battalion organized the 26th Battalion Overseas Club after the war and held their first reunion ten years later in 1928. They continued to hold them every June 13th, commemorating the day the Battalion sailed for war from Saint John (for at least another 40 years).

We have found two programs from these dinners: one from 1960 (the 45th year since the sailing) and the other from 1966 (the 51st year since the sailing). Both programs follow the traditions of the 26th Battalion and standard military protocol, with the prescribed singing of anthems, the prerequisite toasts and responses and the remembering of those lost to time. The menus included in the programs are similar and both ended with the S.R.D. (Seldom Reaches Destination). What is an S.R.D.? To find out you will have to attend the Commemoration Dinner on Friday, June 12 at 6pm.

Our dinner, inspired by the 1960 45th Anniversary will be following the 1960 menu and program almost to the letter. It will give you a taste of what the men of the 26th Battalion experienced 55 years ago, along with a few additions that will liven up the evening. The Banquet  is also a fund-raiser for the Victory Cannon Campaign, which will help restore the two captured German First World War cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape.

Be sure to grab your tickets early as they are going fast, and seating is limited. It is a great chance to experience a unique dinner and program honouring an important historical event.

PS Tickets are $25.00 each and can be purchased by calling the museum 506-734-2003