BX June 23, 1916
Ex Brantford Boys of Prairie Now in Khaki – Some Former Citizens Here Who Enlisted Overseas at Winnipeg
Many Brantford boys until recently residing in other cities are serving in the Canadian army. From Winnipeg there has been quite a large number, some of the boys being members of the first contingent.
Walter Edward Wheeler possibly made a record trip. He has been travelling for the Canadian Fairbanks Morse Co. of Montreal for a number of years making his headquarters at Winnipeg and Moose Jaw. He expressed a desire to Lieut. Bruce Campbell (another Brantford old boy who has been general purchasing agent for the same company at Winnipeg) to enlist, providing he could get to the firing line QUICK. They made a little specialty of speed. Mr. Wheeler enlisted as a private, securing a special pass permitting him to spend two days in Toronto, and five weeks from the day he enlisted, he wrote a letter from “Somewhere in France,” at a point where, as he said in his letter, he could hear the “Big fellows talking.” Special mechanical training and a reinforcement draft was the secret of quick transfer.
Bombardier Basil Dennis, 38th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, another old Brantford boy, has won promotion since landing in England. Basil says in his letters that he won his stripes more for efficient “fatigue duty,” than for any special ability in the science of gunnery. However, to those who know him this will not answer as an explanation; as given a fair amount of good luck he will come home with a splendid record.
Lieutenant Digby Wheeler, M.A., is now on the staff of the Winnipeg General Hospital. He will receive his M.D. degree this summer, and is planning on going overseas immediately, as medical officer. He at present holds a commission in the Manitoba University Corps.
The above are a few of the boys of Brantford birth who are “doing their bit” and there are undoubtedly many more from the prairie and elsewhere, who are now in France, and who on occasion call to mind many happy days and years spent in the old home town and who would be glad to have the friends of years gone by know that they feel the country that they call theirs and the “town that is always home,” is worth fighting for, and that they are DOING IT.
BX June 15, 1917
Brantford Boy First Canadian to Drive Tank – W.E. Wheeler, Trained at Waterous’ Had This Honor – Heavy Work – What a Tank Does
A Brantford boy, who served his apprenticeship in the Waterous Engine Works, enjoys the distinction of being the first Canadian to drive a British tank, Walter Edward Wheeler, son of Mr. Edward Wheeler now of Winnipeg.
His first “trial” drive was into Combles, and later he drove in the attack on Bapaume and the tanks in these actions are shown very clearly in the war pictures released by the British government and now being shown in Toronto.
In writing of his experiences he states that while the tanks are proving very effective in the work for which they are designed, namely the destroying of enemy strong points and machine gun emplacements, and are very popular in the British army, the Germans have effective means of combating them in high explosive shell fire and the casualties are quite heavy. The terrific noises due to operation of quick fire and machine guns, the large engines and transmission equipment all operating within a small space surrounded by steel is very hard on the nerves. This is further strained through the pitching, tossing and side-slipping into and out of shell holes and trenches. He says the roughest time at sea is almost a perfect calm as compared with what the tank encounters. All of the above are in addition to the work of fighting and destroying the enemy. In summarizing he states that “while the life in a tank may be a short one, it is very bumpy while it lasts, and in case of real difficulty we are under oath to destroy the machine ourselves, with it if necessary.”
His parents, Mr. and Mr. Wheeler, Toronto, are very proud of Walter in this service, as he volunteered for it when tanks first appeared and his mechanical training made him well adapted. His old team mates on the Beaver and Y.M.C.A. hockey and lacrosse teams will not be surprised at the spirit that took him into this service and brought the distinction to Brantford of having one of its boys as the first Canadian to drive a British tank over a German position and into the French villages occupied by the enemy.
