Dr. Jason Pankratz shares the story of a relative he never met, whose wartime letters have preserved a remarkable piece of family history.
More than a century after a young soldier went off to fight in the First World War, the letters he sent home are helping tell his story to a new generation.
Tillsonburg historian and author Dr. Jason Pankratz will share the story of his great-great-uncle, known to his family as Uncle Billie, during a special presentation at the Tillsonburg Library on Saturday, November 7th. The presentation, Uncle Billy Went to War: A True Story of a WW1 Tommy, follows the soldier's experiences through some of the most difficult years of the First World War, using letters he wrote to his sister in Ontario.
Pankratz first learned about the letters from his grandmother after returning from a trip overseas in 2004, during which he visited historical sites associated with both world wars.
Using those letters and his own historical research, Pankratz was able to retrace Uncle Billie's wartime experiences, following his journey through the battlefields of Europe and beyond.
A member of the Royal Fusiliers, a British Army regiment based in London, Billie served in Flanders, Greece and Alexandria. He also underwent knee surgery in Malta before returning to England to recover, only to be sent back to the front in France.
Among the letters was one containing a particularly startling reference to an experience that had taken place a year earlier.
The Second Battle of Ypres, which began in April 1915, marked the first large-scale use of lethal poison gas on the Western Front. Despite what he endured, Pankratz says Uncle Billie's letters rarely dwelled on the horrors of war.
Instead, they contained observations about everyday life, the conditions soldiers faced, the weather and the people around him. He wrote about the heat and rocky terrain in Greece, the illnesses affecting fellow soldiers, and visits with his aging parents during periods away from the front. Those ordinary details provide a glimpse of the man behind the military uniform. Uncle Billie never returned home. He was killed in action, leaving behind the letters that would eventually allow his family to reconstruct much of his wartime experience. For Pankratz, preserving those personal histories is an important part of remembering the people who served.
An educator and historian of Tillsonburg and the surrounding communities, Pankratz has written several books, including Six Graves in the Village: A True Story of WWII Canadian Service and Remembrance and Tillsonburg at 200. His interest in military history has also brought him into contact with veterans whose experiences have helped shape his understanding of remembrance.
As November 11th approaches, he believes it's important to remember the individuals behind the stories of military service.
Pankratz's presentation will take place Saturday, November 7th, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Tillsonburg branch of Oxford County Library. The event is open to drop-in visitors and will also be available online through Zoom. Those wishing to attend virtually must register in advance.
The presentation is part of Oxford County Library's Hometown Heroes programming, which also includes an event with Scott Gillies at the Ingersoll Library on Wednesday, November 4th, from 6 to 7 p.m. For online registration, visit here, or contact the Tillsonburg branch at 519-842-5571 or the Ingersoll branch at 519-485-2505 for assistance.
(Photo: Canadian troops practice going over the top during a training exercise at a First World War trench-mortar school.)
