Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1910-1920 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 box
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
James A. Pidduck was born to John Pidduck and Mrs. J Pidduck, and resided in Mont Royal Park, Montreal, Canada. He enlisted on November 15th, 1915 in Montreal. After training in Toronto, he was sent to New Brunswick on February 2nd, 1916 and sent to England aboard the S.S. Metagama on February 6th. He arrived at Branchatt Camp and was quickly shipped to Shorncliffe camp where he began his work as a chauffeur for superiors, and the wounded. In September of 1916 he is moved to Rouen, France. There he worked as a chauffeur and on fatigue in a tire store, an unserviceable items store and the Quartermaster store. Little is known of the rest of his time in France. He came back to Canada sometime in the 1920s aboard “The Cunard White Star Liner: Queen Elizabeth on War Duty”.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by Mrs P. Stookes, 2006.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The collection includes some photographs and a postcard of Pidduck and other soldiers, two World War I pay books belonging to Pidduck, a certificate of authorization to drive and a journal, documenting his life as a soldier in Canada, England and France in 1916. The journal outlines his daily life, where he chauffeured people to, what he did with his free time, to whom he spoke and where he moved to. He stops writing in December of 1916 after nearly a year of consistent entries.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Material may be requested in person at the Fisher Library Reference Desk, or in advance using our online stack retrieval request form: https://aeon.library.utoronto.ca
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English