A tale of two Glenns
On the centennial of the death of his uncle in the First World War, Glenn Ells of Sheffield Mills is reflecting on two letters that hold great sentimental and historical value.
Ells’ uncle, who he is named after, was killed in the battle of Corcellette on Sept. 28, 1916.
“Dad never talked about his brother Glenn, but he gave me his name,” Ells said.
In an interview conducted 100 years to the day after his uncle’s death, Ells said the two letters and several others were found in the attic of the house where he grew up.
“When you look back at it, you realize what affect that war had on families,” Ells said. “Glenn was going to take over the farm.”
After his uncle was killed, it was Ells’ father Floyd that took Glenn’s place on the family farm. Floyd had wanted to be a veterinarian.
The first letter was written Aug. 6, 1916, by his uncle to his father, who was then 14 years old. Floyd wrote the second letter in re- sponse on Sept. 1, 1916. The reply letter was found after the fateful battle where Ells’ uncle was killed and was returned to his uncle’s mother.
Ells said he gathered from the contents of the letters that the brothers were very close and had been corresponding on a regular basis. They both signed their letters, “Your loving brother.”
Apparently, Glenn was not fond of orchard spraying and Floyd was like-minded. Floyd hoped his brother would be home to help with the task the following year. Glenn’s reply reveals a lot.
“If I could get home I would be willing to spray every day for six months,” Glenn wrote.
Ells said The Advertiser is also mentioned in the correspondence. “Did you see the letter by Corporal Greenough in The Advertiser? Don’t know how it ever passed the censor. We could never write anything like it and he should not have.”
Ells said a censor’s stamp on his uncle Glenn’s letter indicating it had passed.
Ells said a close watch was kept on communications during the First World War because there were spies. If sensitive information were published in a local paper, for example, it could reveal the whereabouts of Canadian troops.
Floyd gives a crop report and shares lots of news about the neighbours. He wrote that he planned to halter break the new colt soon and asks Glenn if the name “Prince” would be OK. Ells remembers his grandfather Floyd’s horse Prince, which lived until 1945.
Glenn had congratulated Floyd on his new bike, which his father had given him for receiving high grades at school. Floyd wrote that he would take good care of it so he could hire it to Glenn when Glenn returned home.
Glenn was only 17 years old when he signed up for service in 1914. Ells said the troops were being told at the time that it would be a short war and that they’d be home by Christmas.
Glenn was 19 when he was killed.
Memories of the Second World War
Much like the First World War, a close eye was kept on communications during the Second World War. Ells was five years old when the Second World War began in 1939.
“In both of those wars, there was a lot of thought put into limiting the amount of information spies could pick up,” he said.
There are documented cases of German U-boats putting spies ashore in Nova Scotia during the Second World War. Ells recalls a convoy of ships lined up in the Bedford Basin preparing to head overseas. Civilian officials were “all over the road” to make certain that nobody took any photographs.
There was a lot of interest in Atlantic Canada by the Germans. Supplies were transported by rail to ports in Halifax, Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John’s, Newfoundland, before being shipped across the Atlantic.
Ells also recalls his mother putting blankets over the windows so that no light would escape.
“We were afraid when we heard planes flying over at night,” Ells said. “We thought they were going to bomb us.”