Additional Resources Concerning George Whitford Nelson These resources are available to view in the Research Room at the Bruce County Museum & Archives and ONLINE at collections.brucemuseum.ca 1. Correspondence from George Whitford Nelson to Mrs. William Kidd (A994.058.008) November 4, 1914 - June 21, 1916 This folder contains 9 postcards and 21 letters (most with envelopes) from George Whitford Nelson to his sister Mrs. William Kidd (Edith Ann Nelson), RR. 1 Allenford, written during his military training and overseas service with the 18th Battalion during the First World War. Correspondence list: 1) Nov. 4, 1914, from Toronto (Royal Canadian Dragoons at Valcartier Camp postcard); 2) Nov. 11, 1914, from Wolseley Barracks, London (Group of Sikh Native Officers postcard); 3) Feb. 1915, postmarked London (view in London, Canada postcard) 4) Mar. 7, 1915, from London (on 18th Battalion letterhead - mentions Willie Fenton); 5) Mar. 24, 1915, from Wolseley Barracks (Wolseley Barracks postcard) 6) Apr. 17, 1915, from N.B. (on Bruce 32 Infantry letterhead); 7) Apr. 25, 1915, from "mid-ocean" (on Canadian Pacific Railway Ocean Services) letterhead; 8) May 4, 1915, from Sandling Camp, England (The Leas Shelter, Folkestone postcard); 9) May 26, 1915, from West Sandling Camp (On 18th Battalion letterhead); 10) June 20, 1915, from West Sandling Camp (Canterbury - the Cathedral postcard); 11) July 2, 1915 (Coronation Chair, Westminster Abbey postcard); 12) July 13, 1915, from Hythe, England 13) July 23, 1915 (West Towres, Westminster Abbey postcard); 14) Aug. 1, 1915, from West Sandling Camp; 15) Aug. 16, 1915, from West Sandling Camp;
2 16) Sept. 5, 1915, from West Sandling Camp; 17) Sept. 24, 1915, from "Somewhere in France"; 18) Oct. 28, 1915, from Belgium (with "On Active Service" env.); 19) Nov. 21, 1915, from Belgium (with "On Active Service" env); 20) Dec. 2, 1915, from Belgium (with "On Active Service" env); 21) Jan.7, 1916, from Belgium (env. bears "passed by censor"); 22) Feb. 23, 1916, from The Pollock Nursing Home, 50 Waymouth St. London, Eng.; (typewritten letter advising of injury to hand); 23) Feb. 27, 1916, from 50 Waymouth St., London, Eng. (received news that his wife and family are coming); 24) Mar. 24, 1916, from Surrey; 25) Apr. 13, 1916, from Surrey; 26) May 5, 1916, from Folkestone (on The Frederick Hotels letterhead); 27) May 28, 1916, from Surrey; 28) June 21, 1916, from Willesboro, Ashford, Kent "Little London House"; 29) Undated, reports "Major [Emerton?] & myself are on our way to Scotland." (London: Ludgate Hill and St. Paul's from Ludgate Circus postcard); 30) Undated, from West Sandling Camp (on 18th Battalion letterhead). 2. Field Service Post Cards from George Whitford Nelson to Mrs. William Kidd (A994.058.007) September 1915 to December 1915 Ten postcards entitled "Field Service Post Card". These are form postcards bearing instructions: "Nothing is to be written on this side except the date and signature of the sender. Sentences not required may be erased. If anything else is added the post card will be destroyed." Various of the following sentences are crossed out or completed on these cards: I am quite well I have been admitted into hospital - sick - wounded - and am going on well - and hope to be discharged soon. I am being sent down to the base. I have received your letter dated - telegram dated - parcel dated.
3 Letter follows at first opportunity. I have received no letter from you - lately - for a long time. Cards are all signed "Geo. W. Nelson" and are dated in 1915: September 15, October 1, October 27, October 31, November 4, November 11, November 15, December 8, December 12 and December 30. They are addressed to Mrs. Wm. Kidd in Allenford and Elsinore [Edith Ann (Nelson) Kidd is George's sister.] 3. Correspondence from Sydney Hampton to Mrs. William Kidd (A994.058.009) December 1914 - January 1917 This folder contains 3 postcards and 16 letters (most with envelopes) from Sydney Hampton to Mrs. William Kidd, RR. 1 Allenford [Edith Ann Nelson, sister of George Whitford Nelson, referred to in some of the letters]. These were written during his military training and overseas service with the 18th Battalion during the First World War. Correspondence list: 1) 1914 Dec. 30, from London, Ont. (H.M. King George V postcard); 2) 1915 Mar. 1, from Wolseley Barracks, London, Ont.; 3) 1915 Mar. 31, from Wolseley Barracks, London, Ont. (Easter postcard); 4) 1915 Apr. 7, from Wolseley Barracks, London, Ont. (on 18th Battalion CEF letterhead); 5) 1915 May 5, from Sandling Camp; 6) 1915 May 15, from Canadian Military Hosptial, Shorncliffe, England (Men of the Moment postcard; 7) 1915 June 29, from West Sandling, Hythe, Kent; 8) 1915 Aug. 12, from West Sandling (At Duty's Call, 18th Canadian Battalion postcard with poem) 9) 1915 Aug. 15, from Sandling Camp; 10) 1915 Sept. 3, from London, England; 11) 1915 Nov. 11, from France; 12) 1915 Nov. 25 postmark, from London, England;
4 13) 1916 Jan. 7, from Belgium; 14) 1916 Feb. 16, from Belgium; 15) 1916 June 14, "same address"; 16) 1916 Aug. 28, from France; 17) 1916 Oct. 7, from 1st Western Hospital, Fazaherdey, Liverpool, England (broken leg at Albert on the Somme, France); 18) 1916 Nov. 22, from Wesminster Road Aux Hospital, Liverpool, England; 19) 1917 Jan. 22, from Surrey, England. 4. Correspondence from Edna Nelson [wife of George Whitford Nelson] (A994.058.011) June 1915 - August 1916 This folder contains 10 letters, many with envelopes, from Edna Nelson, wife of George Whitford Nelson. They were written during the First World War while George was serving overseas and while Edna went to England to join him after his injury from early 1916 to summer 1916. The letters are written to various members of the Nelson family, as well as to Edna's mother. Correspondence list: 1) 1915 June 21 to Edith (George's sister (Mrs. Wm. Kidd); 2) 1915 July 28 to Edith (postcard); 3) 1915 Aug 15 to Edith; 4) 1915 Aug. 16 to Mother; 5) 1916 Mar. 6 to Edith (postcard advising of arrival in England); 6) 1916 Mar. 18 to Mrs. Sam Nelson 7) 1916 May 2 to Edith; 8) 1916 June 29 to Edith 9) 1916 Aug. 15 to Tosey [George's sister]. 5. Field report book (A995.065.002) [1915-1916?]
5 A leather-bound Field Report book containing notes made by George Whitford Nelson, likely between Sept. 1915 and Feb. 1916 when he was in England and Belgium. Includes miscellaneous notes related to work and leadership in the field, lists, and diary-entry type notes dated Sept. 14 [1915] commencing "Left England. Marched to Folkestone" to Oct. 19, 1915, with "In trenches and relieved by 19th and went to [Blee?] Reserve...." 6. First World War Belgium photographs from the album of George Whitford Nelson (A994.058.005) [Oct. 1915 - Feb. 1916?] These 70 photographs are from an album owned by Lt.-Col. George Whitford Nelson. They feature officers and soldiers from the First World War, many of whom are standing in or around trenches lined or formed with sandbags. A small number have identification written on reverse, such as: No Man's Land; Martin & Pickard", Dickebush Church; Lt. Basdie & Lt. Kerr; Sgt Spooneng's Grave, Ridgewood; Ridgewood Cemetery [Ridge Wood]; Buchanan & Mak in Orderly Room, Vierstraat. Based on the names "Vierstraat" and "Ridge Wood Cemetery", many of these photographs appear to have been taken in Belgium between 1915 and 1916. 7. First World War photographs from the album of George Whitford Nelson (A994.058.006) [1915-1919?] These 108 photographs are from an album owned by Lt.-Col. George Whitford Nelson. Some or all of the photographs were taken in England and Belgium, and feature officers and soldiers from the First World War. Photographs featuring Lt.-Col. George Nelson include those in which he is seated, standing with others (such as Col. Wigle), and seated upon a horse. Some have identification written on reverse, such as: 002: Salutinig Point - General Steele, Pre. Bordon, General Hughes; 003: 18th Battalion 004: 4th Canadian Field ARtillery Battery in active 005: Northland taken in mid-atlantic 006: Rochester Castle
6 009: Col. Wigle, Major Mulligan & yours truly 013: Nelson & Wigle 016: Col. Nelson taken at farm, Kent 017: Sid and Paddy 018: Grave of Ira William Sumner 020: Officers past Prussian border 022: Dutch Gardens - old home farm 025: Lt. Ferguson, Major Mulligan and myself [Nelson] 026: Officer's Mess, 18th 036: Col, Wigle, Col. Nelson 037: Col. Wigle 038: Col. Nelson 039: Wigle 042: Col Wigle 046: Chateau Ridgewood, Belgium, ruined by shells 056: Taken at Horton Hall on [Romon?] Stone Road to Canterbury 062: Satlwood Castle near Sandlin 068: - Landscape view in Yorkshire 067: Old home farm (Eng.) 071: Salt Fleet Castle 079: Edna and George Nelson in London [ON] after the war 090: 18th Battalion overseas 091: Wigle in schoolhouse 092: Bunch of transport men, 18th Can. Batt. 095: Trains at Montreal on way to boats to go overseas 096: A halt by the wayside at Aldington 102: Battlements Rochester Castle
7 104: George Nelson at Rochester Castle 106: Bonar Hall, PM England; Gen. Sam Hughes, Cndn Armed Forces