University of British Columbia Press
Kiss the kids for dad, Don’t forget to write
The Wartime Letters of George Timmins, 1916-18
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Kiss the kids for dad, Don’t forget to write
The Wartime Letters of George Timmins, 1916-18
Between 1916 and 1918, Lance-Corporal George Timmins, a British-born soldier who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, wrote faithfully to his wife and children. Sixty-three letters and four fragments survived. These letters tell the compelling story of a man who, while helping his fellow Canadians make history, used letters home to remain a presence in the lives of his wife and children, and who drew strength from his family to appreciate life’s simple pleasures. Timmins’s letters offer a rare glimpse into the experiences relationships, and quiet heroism, of ordinary soldiers on the Western Front.
224 pages | © 2009
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 “about 35 yds from Fritz”: May–December 1916
2 “He was killed by my side”: January–June 1917
3 “I’m still fine”: July–November 1917
4 “It’s hell, kiddo, hell”: December 1917–April 1918
5 “Keep on hoping, sweetheart”: May–December 1918
Epilogue “Don’t forget to write to Grandpa”
Notes
Bibliography
Index