The Lost Memoirs Of A Canadian Soldier

"For over 35 years, my Grandfather's World War I memoirs lay in a battered tin box at the back of various storage cupboards in my grandparents' and then my parents' homes. When I finally found them, I knew they were too valuable to sit in the dark, unread; I wanted to share my Grandfather's words with everyone. 


A compilation of his letters and diary entries from 1916-1918 and his written memoirs from the 1970s, the account you are about to read is told in my Grandfather's words, unembellished and resolutely true to the commitment he felt toward his country and his fellow man.



Grandpa had a great sense of humour, but it was a droll wit. I did not really appreciate this until I was older because often what he said was so subtle that I did not catch on immediately. When I would finally "get" what he said, I would look at him to find his eyes twinkling and his mouth curved up in a reserved kind of grin.



Grandpa was the local Post Master. Sometimes if there were no other customers, he would unlock the swinging door and let us come inside his work area. Using the long-armed stamper, we would be allowed to cancel out the stamps on a few ­envelopes, and he would then show us which ­mailing bags they should go in.



For a number of years, he was the Justice of the Peace for our area--a position that probably called on all of his book learning and life experiences.



But no child ever knows the grandparents as young adults. Working on this project has given me an opportunity to get to know Len Willans as a young man. Grandpa's experiences and his way of relating them speak volumes to the kind of man he was. It has only deepened the love and respect I have for one ordinary and yet very extraordinary man. We owe a huge debt to him and the millions of others who quietly yet consistently go about their lives with honesty, integrity, and love for their ­fellow man."



~ Gail Booth