1915-06-08is

Hamilton’s Highland militia regiment, in particular C company, was the source of sixty soldiers who immediately volunteered to fight in the war declared in August 1914.

One of those C company soldiers who volunteered right away was W. A. Selkirk. By the time he reached the front, Selkirk had transferred to the First Field Company , Canadian Engineers.

On June 8, 1915, the Hamilton Spectator published a letter Selkirk had sent to a Hamilton friend, in which he made frequent reference to his old friends from C company, 91^st Highlanders:

“I felt I must write you tonight, as I have just come back from seeing old, old chums of the 91^st. It is the first time since I have been in France that I have been able to see them, for, although we have been in the same brigade, we have been quite a distance away from each other.

“I did not expect to find all of C company there, but, God knows, I never thought I would find only four left. Since we left Ypres, we have been all been hit pretty hard. I saw my good old friend Sandy Barr, Ian Campbell, Traiezes, and another one. They were all much the worse for wear, but we are all like that. I am proud to see my name on the honor roll of C company.

“I found the boys lying on straw in an old house. They just came out of the trenches last night. You ought to have heard Sandy Barr roar when I poked my head through. We gave one yell for old C company and then gripped hands. We talked about all the boys. Poor Hugh Dunbar, Jack Bizley, McFarlane, Turnbull, Ritchie and others.

 

“When I left Hamilton I knew I was going to war, but none of us expected it as it really is. Poor Hugh Dunbar has seven shrapnel shots in him. When his brother, Jack Bizley and myself were carrying him out of a trench, a sniper put a bullet in his stomach. He was a good and true friend, a credit to his old regiment.

“I shall never forget the night at Ypres that the Germans used the gas, and the French let them break through. Our boys not only checked them, but drove them back. I had just come in with my horses and limber at 5 o’clock and started to prepare a bivouac.

“We did not expect to be called out. A few shells broke around us, but we had been under fire at Armentieres and did not mind it. We suddenly got orders to saddle up and stand by. We have to gallop across a quarter of a mile of open ground, with shells bursting all around us, to load our limbers. After we loaded, we found the road blocked and our officer ordered us to tear across a plowed field. It was rough going. The shells followed us as a German aeroplane was above us giving the signals. We finally got two miles away and were safe.

“We all have respirators now and don’t give a darn for gas. The battle lasted a week, and we were under shell fire all the time. We got mighty little sleep.

“We were in a field with a squadron of engineers. One of them came over to ask for some nails. I thought I recognized the face and found it was another old C company man, Alfred Guy. You remember he was a friend of Jack Bizley’s, and I think he got him to join. Now I must tell you the good news. He has got a Distinguished Conduct Medal. What do you think of that for C company? He got his medal in February for holding a trench. The day I left him, he got a piece of shrapnel in his foot. About a dozen of us were sitting in the field one day on biscuit boxed, chatting about old friends, when three shells exploded with a bang. The best they did was to throw us backward and cover us with dirt. Guy went away that night to get the shrapnel out of his foot. He carried it all day without ever once grumbling”¹

¹ “Ninety-First Man Honored For Bravery : Pte. Alfred Guy Awarded Distinguished Conduct Medal”

Hamilton Spectator. June 8, 1915.

Driver Selkirk ended his letter by urging his friend to share his new with all his relatives and friends.