1916-03-16tt

“The scourge of the Kaiser’s war fell on another Hamilton home today”

Hamilton Spectator.   March 16, 1915.

The dreaded telegrams were starting to arrive at the homes of soldiers’ families with more frequency as the month of March, 1915 rolled on.

On March 16, 1915, Mrs. Albert Wiley, 44 Gore street, was saddened by the news that her husband, a private with No. 2 company, Princess Pats, had been killed in action.

A Spectator reporter visited Mrs. Willey. She said to him, with a gleam of pride in her eyes, “I am glad that he died on the battlefield. He always said that he would die like a soldier and he has done so.”

The Willey family had only lived in Hamilton four years, coming from Bradford, England.

Just the day previously, Mrs. Willey had received the following letters, in which Private Willey addressed the children who would never see their father again:

“My dearest loving daughter: I have received your splendid letter and I see that you are enjoying yourself with mama’s beautiful baby, Alfred Victor and your dolls. I suppose, dear Gladys, that Norman would rather play at soldiers with the other boys.

“You are getting along fine with your schooling and I think you can write lovely letters.

“Well, dear daughter, I hope that you area very good girl to your mother and help her as much as possible. Just spank Norman if he does not do as his mama wants. Of course, you must not do that to baby.

“I suppose you would like to see me home again. Well, the Germans will stop soon, as we are beating them, and I expect to be home this summer.

“Well, my dear, you are lucky that you are in Canada. The little girls here in Belgium don’t have big dolls like you got. They are very poor and their houses have been shot down with the German guns, so we are here to punish them for it.

“Well, I think this is all just now, my dear. Just be good and kind to mother until I return. So, good-bye,dear daughter. God bless you. Kiss your mother for me.

“From your loving and affectionate Daddy. Good night.

 

“To his little son, he wrote :

“My dear little Norman:

Just a line or two to say that I am all right at present, and I hope you are enjoying yourself with the other boys. I suppose you play at soldier most of the time.

“You must not forget to be good and kind to your momma, and be careful of our baby, you know.

“I see that you try very hard to write a letter to me. Well, that is very good of you. Soon you will be able to write all by your little self, so keep learning at school.

“Just get a money bank and put a few cents in it at times to buy me a nice pipe when I come home, then you can wear my medal. How do you like that, Norman boy?

“I have put a card in your letter and Gladys’ letter. We got them in a Christmas box from Princess May, so keep them, boy.

“Well, this is all at present, so be a good boy at home, and I shall soon see you all.

“Good-bye dear. Kiss your mother for me. God bless you

“From your loving and affectionate daddy. Good night all.”¹

¹ “How Private’s Wife Received News of Death”

Hamilton Spectator. March 16, 1915.

Besides Gladys, Norman, and the baby, there was another toddler son in the Wiley. Mrs. Willey, now a widow, was left with four children, the youngest being just four months old.