Private Cecil Wellington Wilson 195834 93rd Battalion/ Canadian Forestry Corps.

 

Pte. Cecil Wellington Wilson

93^rd Peterboro Battalion

Regimental Number 195834

Cecil Wellington Wilson was born on December 21^st, 1898 in Warsaw, Ontario. He was the son of Thomas and Patience Wilson.   

 Cecil was living in Warsaw and working as a chauffeur when enlisted in Peterborough Ontario with the 93^rd Battalion on March 23^rd 1916.  He was 17 years old, stood 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed124 pounds.  He was described as having a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and light brown hair.  He had no previous military experience, was single and his religion was Methodist.  He was examined by medical officials and listed as fit for overseas service. 

 Cecil was given the rank of private and trained with 11^th platoon, C Company, 93^rd battalion in Peterborough as it continued to recruit.  When the battalion reached its 1000 man capacity it left the city in late May 1916 for the Canadian training camp at Barriefield, Kingston.   After nearly two months training Cecil and the 93rd entrained and headed east to Halifax where they boarded the S.S. Empress of Britain on July 15^th.  In a lengthy letter home, later published in in the Peterborough Evening Examiner, Wilson gave a description of the journey overseas:

“We left Kingston on the12th of July at 8 o’clock at night and landed in Halifax on Saturday and we got on the boat on Saturday night and sailed on Sunday. We were on the train all the way till we got to a little French town. I could not tell the name of it, for it was a French name, and I can’t talk French yet, but I expect to before I come back. We got out and had a route march around the village and then we got on the train again and went on till we came to Moncton and they took us out for another route march. They had two bands there to meet us and the bands led us around town. I would think that it was only as half as big as Peterborough.
Say when we were at Brockville we stopped there for about 15 or 20 minutes and the station was just jammed with girls to bid s goodbye.  When we were coming though Quebec we saw a farmer shaking hay and cutting it with oxen and it looked too odd for anything- the first time I ever saw oxen used on a far. We had a route march around Halifax on Saturday before dinner and it is the dirtiest place I ever saw for the size of it, and the streets are as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, and it seems to be built on the side of a hill. There are two boats with us: one named the Lapland. She has a load of troops and we have a war vessel to guard us.  It is called the Drake. I got pictures of both of them. We have over four thousand soldiers on board our ship.   There is the 93^rd, the 106^th and the 105^th, and two batteries. The battery that Bessie Longsdales’s brother is in is on this boat with us. I have seen him every day. The boat we are on is called the Empress of Britain. I have two pictures of it and I am sending them to you. How did Ada get along with her entrance? Did she get through or not?  How is George getting along?  It is just dark now and I thought I would write a little bit more to this letter. The submarine destroyers have just come to meet us before we cross the Irish Sea. There are lots of them. I will send you a snapshot of them as soon as I get them developed. There has not been any out of our battalion seasick yet.  I have not been sick or don’t intend to. We sleep in hammocks. We hook them to hooks in the ceiling and they are all right to sleep in. well, I have reached our camp grounds, but we are nothing to stay there long. It is just an inspection camp and we are going to move to Shorncliffe camp. I suppose you heard that the boat was sunk. But we got over here safe and all is well. Oh gee, but they have dandy roads over here. We landed in Liverpool on Monday night and we stayed on the boat all night. There were boats by the hundred came out for to meet us and they gave us a great reception, for they are always glad to see Canadians., and we got off the boat on Tuesday morning and got on the train. The cars are much smaller over here than they are in Canada and they go much faster. Oh, but it is funny to see women out working in the field cutting oats and stacking them, and little boys about 13 or 14 helping them, and old men that are hardly able to work out in the fields working. You don’t know what England is doing till you see it and then you would have pity on them. If some of the sore heads that are out there only saw those poor women working, taking the men’s pales, and they are fighting for their country.  Everybody cheered us when we passed, and when we were going through London. They have some lovely places in London, and we went through it, and some tunnels that the train goes through for miles. And there are aeroplanes going over our head here all the time.  But don’t think they are German, for they are English aeroplanes and they are dandies. When you are eating your supper over there we are in bed sleeping, for there are between five and six hours difference in the time. This is a good camp here. They have tents painted so that the Germans can’t see them. Well I can’t think of much more just now, but will write more the next time. Hoping that you are all well and not worrying over me for I am all right. How is little George getting along. I hope that he is all right, and how is the baby? I suppose it is growing every day. I won’t be able to see Grandma for a couple of weeks. We can get a box of cigarettes for 4 pence, that is 8c. in Canadian money. I don’t know now my right address, but this is the camp where we are at right now, and if they move why we would get it anyway, for they will forward it anyway. This is all for this time, so good-bye.  From your son Cecil.”

After making the ten day trip across the Atlantic, Cecil arrived safely in Liverpool and was then assigned to the 39^th (reserve) Battalion, then the 6^th Reserve Battalion at West Sanding Camp, before being transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps in London on February 19^th.

 Cecil proceeded to France with the Forestry Corps on March 3rd 1917.  He worked as a log setter until being appointed to the role of Mill sawyer on June 14^th 1918, a role in which he served in until the end of the war.  Wilson returned to the U.K. on January 16^th 1919 and would later sail for Canada aboard the S.S. Belgic on February 23^rd.   He was later discharged on March 2^nd on March 29^th.

Sources

Canada. "Military Service File of Cecil Wellington Wilson." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 10436-27. Item Number 316399.

Evening Examiner. “Military News Continued”. August 21 1916. P.10