Tag: history

The First World War Memoirs of Sampson J. Goodfellow, Part 6: Army Athletics

I’m posting the First World War memoirs of my grandfather-in-law, Sampson J. Goodfellow, a few pages at a time… (Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5.) I have not mentioned anything about our physical training; well, we had plenty. Our Officers knew we would be in competition with other units when we …

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That other biography-writing Edward Willett

I am not the first Edward Willett to write books; nor am I the first to write biographies. Long before I squalled my first cries in the foothills of the mountains of New Mexico; long before I first set crayon to paper as a boy of six in the public schools of Tulia, Texas; long …

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The First World War Memoirs of Sampson J. Goodfellow, Part 5: The Cookhouse Revolution

I’m posting the First World War memoirs of my grandfather-in-law, Sampson J. Goodfellow, a few pages at a time… (Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.) During the night our Officers along with some of our Senior N.C.O.’s had lots of liquor flowing in one of the tents on my territory. The guard that …

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The First World War Memoirs of Sampson J. Goodfellow, Part 4: Trouble with Sergeants

I’m posting the First World War memoirs of my grandfather-in-law, Sampson J. Goodfellow, a few pages at a time… (Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.) We immediately got on the train but did not leave Liverpool until 11:30 a.m. We passed Crewe, Rugby, the outskirts of London and reached Shorncliffe, Kent at 8:15 p.m. We …

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The First World War Memoirs of Sampson J. Goodfellow, Part 3: Across the Atlantic

I’m posting the First World War memoirs of my grandfather-in-law, Sampson J. Goodfellow, a few pages at a time… (Part 1. Part 2.) Up at 6:00 a.m., had breakfast and paraded my guard to the Hurricane Deck on port side to have them inspected. The men from other companies got the devil but mine didn’t. …

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The First World War Memoirs of Samson J. Goodfellow, Part 2: Training (and Boxing)

I’m posting the First World War memoirs of my grandfather-in-law, Sampson J. Goodfellow, a few pages at a time… (Read Part 1.) The Supply Column wanted 400 Drivers and 200 Loaders. The Ammunition Column required 200 Motor Drivers and 200 Loaders. We did all types of drilling–physical culture–and when it rained the Government had rented …

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The First World War Memoirs of Sampson J. Goodfellow: Part 1

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War, and in honour of that, I’m going to start doing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: posting the First World War memoirs of my grandfather-in-law Sampson John Goodfellow.I’ll post a few pages almost …

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Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House: The Medicine Cabinet

Notes for today’s CBC radio spot… *** It’s a bit of a cliché: the guest who can’t resist poking through his host’s medicine cabinet, just to see what’s in there. Well, Ed Willett isn’t a guest in his own home but he sometimes feels like it, because it’s full of odds and ends that have …

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Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House: Vices

Notes for this week’s CBC column (which you can listen to here): Ed Willett has been exploring the recesses of the house that has been in his wife’s family for 70 years…and this week has uncovered shocking news: people in the past used to smoke cigarettes. Also, they were known to drink alcohol on occasion. …

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Willett of the Day: Louis Edward Willett, Medal of Honor Recipient

Here’s a fellow I’m proud to share a name with: Private First Class Louis Edward Willett, born June 19, 1945, died February 15, 1967, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War as a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity …

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Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House: Kid Stuff

Notes for this week’s CBC column… ***If you have children, you know how child-related stuff tends to pile up. And since kids grow up so fast, some of it is barely used before they’re too big for it and it gets put away somewhere, never to see the light of day again… …unless your son-in-law …

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Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House: Music

Notes for this week’s CBC radio segment of Things I Found in My Mother-in-Law’s House: ****Regina has a long history as a musical city, with musical clubs, choirs, bands and, of course, the Regina Symphony Orchestra getting started within a few years of the city’s founding. Ed Willett’s grandparents-in-law, Nancy and Sam Goodfellow, were an …

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