BX May 4, 1915
At least one Brantford name was added to the casualty lists this morning when official notification from the adjutant-general at Ottawa of the wounding in the recent fighting at Langemarck of Private Charles Brimmer was received by telegram by his mother, Mrs. Brimmer, who resides at 85 Port Street, Eagle Place. The only information conveyed in the official despatch was that he had been wounded and that further particulars would be forwarded as soon as they arrived in Canada.
Private Brimmer, who is known locally as “Wag” left Brantford with the first contingent of Dufferin Rifles, having answered the call of empire though he had previously no military experience. “Wag” is best known locally as a boxer and wrestler. He has participated in numerous athletic events in Brantford, and as “Wag” Brimmer is widely known. For many years he was actively associated with the Y.M.C.A., where most of his athletic interests were centered.
His mother, Mrs. Brimmer, resides with Private Brimmer’s sister, Mrs. F. Wright, at 85 Port Street. One brother Fred is with the second contingent now in Toronto, while another brother William, is employed by Watson’s Manufacturing Company. At the time of his enlistment, “Wag” was employed in the machine shop of Waterous Engine Works. He is 22 years of age.
BX June 16, 1915
Was Again Wounded – Wag Brimmer Hit Second Time – Sergeant Jones Loses an Eye
Through the medium of letters received from soldiers at the front, several more Brantford casualties were reported in Brantford in the last English mail which arrived in Brantford this week. Private J. Price, Wag. Brimmer and Sergeant C. Jones are the latest to be added to the lists of wounded, and the sad intelligence was conveyed in one of the letters that Sergt. Jones had not only been wounded severely, but had lost the sight of his left eye.
In a letter to his mother and sister, Private C. Brimmer, better known locally as Wag Brimmer, the boxer, states that he has been wounded twice in six weeks. The second wound was inflicted while he was in the trenches, only 40 yards from the Germans. A piece of shell struck him in the hand, and at the time of writing he expected to have the injured member examined with an x-ray, and probably operated on later.
Private Brimmer, in his letter, makes enquiries concerning the whereabouts of the second contingent. He says he has heard that the second contingent do not want to have anything to do with the first contingent, who, it is said, got a bad name for themselves in England. “Well, I bet they wish that they had a name like we have now, for the English Tommies tell us that they want to fight beside no better men than we are. So you see we have redeemed our name, which we were supposed to have lost at Salisbury,” added the plucky boxer.
