Documents of Lieutenant Earle Walter HUME, killed in World War I

World War I documents of Lieutenant Earle Walter HUME

HUME Earle Walter papers
HUME Earle Walter papers

PAPERS RELATING TO Lieuenant Earle Walter HUME

I tell people that I can find appreciative homes for anything military. A lady bought a bag recently at a thrift store in the Richmond, B.C. area. Her daughter found a bunch of World War I letters, a WWI photograph with a mark to identify one officer (presumably the writer of the letters) and some official WWI documents referring to the same officer inside. The letters were written by a Canadian Lieutenant from Ontario who had joined the army in Saskatchewan and was serving with a Manitoba unit when he died from his wounds. As the finder’s family was about to move to Turkey, she felt that these letters should remain in Canada. She offered them to the Museum of Vancouver, but the Curator there declined the offer and referred her to me. I picked up the letters and looked through them. Where should they go? To a museum in Ontario, Saskatchewan or Manitoba? To a military museum or archives? Should I search on Ancestry.com for relatives of the writer? (I have successfully done that for a group of documents handed to me before.) I looked at the name on the burial record that was among the letters, and checked a few more details.

The answer was “None of the above.” This Lieutenant Earle Walter Hume was my second great uncle, youngest brother of one of my Great-Grandmothers! The documents have come back to the family by a very mysterious path. Even more incredibly, I happen to be the family genealogist and probably the only one in the family who would recognize his name. As well, of the thousands of names in my family tree, I had just looked at his record, for the first time in 12 years, that very morning, about 5 hours before going to pick up the as yet unnamed documents and had just read his “died of wounds report!” That morning I even looked up the cemetery where he was buried! Coincidence? I think not.

WANTED: Victory Medal, British War Medal (has 1914-1918 marked in it) and any others he might have been awarded such as 1914-1915 Star,  his “Death Penny”, Memorial Cross (aka “Silver Cross”), photos etc. for Lieutenant Earle Walter Hume.

DOCUMENTSCOMMENTS
arle Walter HUME WWI (detail)
Earle Walter HUME WWI (detail)
Detail of photo which is believed to show Earle Walter HUME.
Photograph that was with these documents. It shows World War I officers.
Photograph that was with these documents. It shows World War I officers.
HUME Earle Walter documents (1)

Envelope labelled as "War letters" and addressed to Mrs. Bert Hull, Moosejaw, Sak. [Saskatchewan] .

Mrs. Hull has not been identified yet. Perhaps she was the Mother or an Aunt of Lycy B Hume?
Envelope with the letters
Envelope with the letters
On the back "From: L.B. Hume 7341 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C." L. B. Hume is Lucy Baker Hume, widow of Earle Walter Hume.
1915-12-21 Risboro p1
1915-12-21 Risboro p1
1915-12-21 Risboro p2
1915-12-21 Risboro p2
1915-12-21 Risboro p3
1915-12-21 Risboro p3
P5 undated letter. 1915-1916
P5 undated letter. 1915-1916
p2 of an undated letter
p2 of an undated letter
Undated letter - last page circa 195-1916
Undated letter - last page circa 195-1916
Undated letter - last page circa 195-1916
Undated letter - last page circa 195-1916
p1 undated letter reparcels
p1 undated letter reparcels
p3 undated letter re: parcels
p3 undated letter re: parcels
p4 undated letter re: parcels
p4 undated letter re: parcels
Undated letter p1 of 3
Undated letter p1 of 3
Undated 2 sheets torn HUME Transcription of Lt E W HUME
Revised: 2015-07-22 3:54 PM Bold added by Colin Stevens.
==============================================================
[TOP 1/4 TORN AND GONE]
... [missing text]
Have just
finished a piece of
Xmas cake you sent
me abd it is fine/ I
have nearly eaten one
cake already. Some
differences between your
cake + the stuff they
serve as cake over
here now. The sugar
certainly comes
in handy. Only one
Undated letter p2 of 3
Undated letter p2 of 3
[PAGE 2]
[TOP 1/4 TORN AND GONE]
..............................prise [surprise?]
when I found the salted
almonds. I thought the
package was full of
sugar until I opened
the other end. No more
parcels have arrived,
just the three from you.
Have received your letter written Dec. 16. I
cannot understand you
not receiving my letters
from France for I wrote
you several. Perhaps
Undated letter p3 of 3
Undated letter p3 of 3
[LAST PAGE]
[TOP 1/4 TORN AND GONE]
only get (?) [section missing] did
not (?) cost so much to live I would be able to send
Lucille $5 a month which she could bank. My other
letter will explain my position and I am sure "fed
up."
Some of the snap shots are fine Lucille certainly
does look good and everybody remarks on what a
big healthy girl. I wish this war would end soon so I
could get back, settle down + then we could ___ in
& educate ___ Lucille. Her ____ must be taken
are of, and an education along all lines. Living
in England has been a wonderful education to me &
I find book learning is not everything.
Will close this letter & later write you one about my
self. With lots of love Xs to you both, Your loving husband Earle
[END]
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p1
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p1
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p1
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p2
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p2
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p2
HUME Earle Walter documents (14)Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p3
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p4
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p4
Risboro New Year's 1915 ? p4
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p1 of 3
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p1 of 3
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p1
of 3
Transcription of letter from Earle Walter HUME 1917-12-30 Revised: 2015-07-22 3:29 PM
TO: Lucy B. HUME from Lieutenant Earle Walter HUME 1917-12-30
=======
[On embossed letterhead]
Canadian Military
Hospital, Kirkdale (?)
Liverpool.
Dec. 30 / 17 (1917?)

My dear wife,
Well, here I am back
at Liverpool. I hardly expected
to be returned here as the officer
who took my place has been (____?)
a long time to get here as his family
lives here. He is (still ?) very pleased
at my (______?).
(____) (____) I am not settled yet as
(____) has not vacated (?) my room
in the hospital + I have to live
down town. (_____) 3 parcels
from you at the hospital but I
have not opened them yet as I
first wish to get settled, for I can
then enjoy the good things _____
contained much better. Many, many,
thanks Lucy. I am sure everything
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p2 of 3
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p2 of 3
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p2 of 3
-2-
will be fine. You speak about 4
boxes , well only 3 have arrived so
far and none from anybody else.
I certainly received a bunch of
letters from you on my return. Some (soon?)
I got in France , you are good in writing
me and I know I am very
poor in writing you ___? + don't seem
able to write. However I will do better
from now on.
Did you have a nice Xmas +
did Lucille understand. As soon as
she realizes that presents and nice
things come at Xmas ___ she will
remember. Received the two snap shots
taken at Lumsden and some are fine
there is one good one of you , Lucille,
your mother, _____? , _alla ?, Alf + some
one else. You did not tell me very much
about her birthday. Perhaps a letter has
gone astray
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p3 of 3
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p3 of 3
Canadian Military Hospital Kirkdale Liverpool 1917-12-30 p1 of 3
PAGE 3
I am glad my box to you arrived
safely and that you + Lucille liked what
I sent. I am so sorry I could not
get any Xmas presents off ___ will
now send some little remembrances as
soon as I get my expense money I will do this.
I am not very pleased at having
to take back my old job here as I
have ____ ____ to get a permanent (?)
________ room mate? (?) that is not so expensive
if I could only get to France on an
ordinary job I could save money. I
still have hopes of getting what I want.
I am feeling fine and everybody
says I am fatter. Lots of wom (?) Eh (?) I
had a wonderful trip in France + will
not forget it. Me doing (?) over there
to everybody's satisfaction.
Must close this letter (?). With lots of love
to you both and Xs Your loving husband Earle
1918-03-12 France Embossed  p.1
1918-03-12 France Embossed p.1
1918-03-18 p. 1
Transcription of letter from Earle Walter HUME 1918-03-12 Revised: 2015-07-22 3:27 PM
TO: Lucy B. HUME from Lieutenant Earle Walter HUME 1918-03-12
=======
France
12-3-18 [12 March 1918, he was killed just over a month later on 28 April 1918]
My Dear wife
Am writing this letter
to you in the front lines. It
is a lovely day, sun shining,
warm + no wind. I can hardly
realize that there is a war
on and that the Hun is only
a few yards from me. Some
parts of the day everything is
fairly quiet when all of
a sudden shells start coming
over + there is a dreadful war.
I am on duty these days from
6 am until 12 midnight. The
remainder of the time I lay +
sleep but although always dead
tired, am generally too cold
or the noise is too great.
1918-03-12 France Embossed  p.2
1918-03-12 France Embossed p.2
1918-03-18 p. 2
-2-
For dugouts we have cellars
of houses. The air is stuffy +
damp. The rats take exception
to us being in there but we
make it go alright. Last night
when crawling through some
cellars where some of our men
are stationed I put my hand
on a rat. I was more scared
than if it was a German.
At night we can hear Fritz [the Germans]
talking. How is that for being
close to him. Sometimes we
have to expose ourselves in
moving around and this
morning I was going down
a low, poor trench +
Fritz saw me. He fired 33
"Fish Tails" (a 13 lb. shell) at me.
How I hugged the earth + was
sure scared. The ground was
torn up all around me but

1918-03-12 France Embossed  p.3
1918-03-12 France Embossed p.3
1918-03-18 p. 3
-3-
I did not get touched.
Have not had my clothes
off for days, not even my
boots except to change my
socks. You see when in the
front line we must be prepared
at all times for an attack or
gas. Yesterday I got my
first taste of gas. I did not
know at first what it was
until I began to choke +
then I soon got my box
respirator [gas mask] on. I hate gas
for I dread an attack
with your head in a
box respirator.
Have stood the marching
+ rough work much better
than I thought I would,
(times ?) so soft. I am
1918-03-12 France Embossed  p.4
1918-03-12 France Embossed p.4
1918-03-18 p. 4
-4-
eating like a horse and
our company food is good.
I am in "C" Coy [Company] + handle
No. 12 platoon.
I am glad I came over
+ am doing my (duty?) but
will be only to [sic] pleased to
get back to Canada. No
more wars for me after this
one. How those fellows who
have stayed home have
never enough to (doso ?) +
make all the money beats me.
No mail for a long time
now but I suppose I will
get a bunch some of these
days.
How are you both. Keep
well + don't worry. Tell Lucille [his 6 year old daughter]
to be a good girl. With lots
of love to you both and lots of
Xs Your loving husband Earle
1918-07-19
1918-07-19


1918-03-19 bottom
1918-03-19 bottom
1918-09-09 p1
1918-09-09 p1
Cover letter for BURIAL REPORT
1918-09-09 p2
1918-09-09 p2
Overseas Military Forces of Canada - BURIAL REPORT

Library and Archives Canada – Official Service Record for Earle Walter HUME

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=476950

In the middle of the page is a blue link “B4608-S009” and it you click on it, it will open up a PDF file of his entire army service record. 

Commonwealth War Graves Commission ( www.CWGC.org ) listing for Lieutenant E.W. Hume

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/83882/earle-walter-hume/

He was 32 years old, married and the father of a daughter. 

His widow chose the words for thew bottom part of his headstone:

FOR FREEDOM AND JUSTICE  HE GAVE HIS LIFE.