Ernest Mather Braund

Rank:

Seaman

Unit at enlistment:

Royal Navy

Force:

R.C.N.

Volunteered or conscripted:

Volunteered

Survived the war:

Yes

Birth country:

Canada

Birth county:

Brant

Birth city:

Brantford, Ontario

Address at enlistment:

114 Murray Street, Brantford, Ontario

Next of kin address:

114 Murray Street, Brantford, Ontario

Trade or calling:

Telegraph operator

Employer:

Canadian Pacific Railway

Religious denominations:

Baptist

Marital status:

Single

Age at enlistment:

Letters and documents

BX December 23, 1916

Life at Sea Now is Not Pleasure – Wireless Operator Ernest M. Braund Was in Atlantic Storm

Wireless Operator Ernest Mather Braund, formerly operator in the C.P.R. offices here, has written to his home here, telling of the great storm in which the “Grilse: had such a rough voyage, but which his boat avoided. He writes:

December 16, 1916
“At Sea”

Dear Mother, Father and Ear,

Your welcome letter of Dec. 7 received yesterday afternoon. We were in port for only three hours so did not have an opportunity to reply before leaving. We should have stayed in this time for good or at least until our Christmas leave was over, but one of our ships the “Grilse,” met with some rough weather the other night and is in a pretty bad condition down the coast a ways. We are now on the way to her to endeavor to fetch her back to Halifax. One of the wireless operators and six other sailors were drowned before she managed to get in harbor, so you see we take a chance now and again. This operator was from Hamilton and joined up about a month after I did. I came pretty near being on the “Grilse” myself at one time, but decided to stay on the “Margaret.” In fact I was on her for three days before joining this tub. We were out in the same gale which struck the “Grilse” but sneaked into a harbor before the worst hit us and so saved our skins. Believe me, it’s no pleasure being at sea these days, and I’ll be glad to get back to terra firma for a couple of weeks rest. Of course you mustn’t worry over me at all because this ship is much larger than the “Grilse” and therefore much safer. Now I don’t know whether we will get away by the 18th or not on account of this cropping up, but in any case I’m almost sure I’ll be home by Christmas day, if not before.

BX April 25, 1916

Bade him Farewell

Last evening as Ernest Mather Braund was leaving for Ottawa a host of his friends gathered at the L.E. & N. station to bid him a farewell and Godspeed on the stand he is taking for his country. He took the 8 o’clock L.E. & N. car for Galt where he will connect with the C.P.R. for Ottawa to join the Canadian radio-telegraph service as a wireless operator.