Yesterday, in Canada, was Remembrance Day, a day when we remember those who fought for our country. In honour of that, I wanted to write about the soldiers of World War I – in particular, about their wills.
Thousands of soldiers answered the call to fight in WWI. Many of them were just barely old enough to fight. Many didn’t return. In England, most soldiers were advised to keep a handwritten will in their pocket service book, which was kept in a pocket of their uniform. With the centennial of the start of WWI coming in the next year, the British government has begun publishing these wills online. The last instructions are quite moving.
You can search the database here.
