Bill Stewart T1 [Tape One]

Contributors
Interviewer: Thompson, Reg "Dutch"
Interviewee: Stewart, William McMillan "Bill"
Researcher: MacKay, Paul
Audio engineer: MacKay, Paul
Date Recorded
1986
Date Digitized
2010-06-03
Abstract
This interview is with William "Bill" McMillan Stewart of Charlottetown, P.E.I. In this interview Bill talks about serving with the 8th Canadian Siege Battery during WWI. Bill talks about military weapons, poison gases, casualties, and joining the army at age 17. He tells about his casualty from mustard gas, his brothers and their service in the war, battles at Vimy Ridge, and memories from the war.
Genre
Interview
Subject (Geographic)
Vimy, France
Vimy Ridge, France
Subject (Temporal)
WWI
1917
1918
1922
Rights
All content on this site is made available for personal research and private study only. Any other reuse, reproduction, or re-purposing may require the permission of the rightsholder(s); please contact the UPEI Library for more information on permissions/clearances.
Physical Location
Held by Reg "Dutch" Thompson
Duration
01:04:00
Member of
Dutch Thompson Audio Collection
Model
1 1 Item in Collection
Transcript
SIDE A 00:00:05 -- 00:05:10
Discussion about WWI, with mention of Howitzers, Vimy Ridge, camouflage, airplanes, and tanks; trenches, camouflage, Vimy, airplanes, Howitzers, WWI, 1917, tanks, mud.

SIDE A 00:05:10 -- 00:06:10
Discussion about hospital trains in WWI; ambulance trains, hospital trains, WWI.

SIDE A 00:06:10 -- 00:13:05
Discussion about poison gases in WWI, the effects he suffered, and going back to England by yacht; phosgene gas, mustard gas, WWI, 1917, poison gases, blindness.

SIDE A 00:09:42 -- 00:16:07
Discussion about retraining and going back to the front lines after his casualty; army training, rifle training, WWI, 1918.

SIDE A 00:16:07 -- 00:18:34
Discussion about serving as a gunner on the front lines in WWI, with mention of whiz bangs; whiz bangs, gunner, WWI, 8" gun, shells, pillboxes, trenches.

SIDE A 00:18:34 -- 00:20:48
Discussion about signing up for the war at age 17 and the 8th Siege Battery; Major Arthur Peake, WWI, 8th Siege Battery.

SIDE A 00:20:48 -- 00:22:16
Discussion about hauling the heavy guns around with tractors, with mention of tanks and airplanes; tractors, heavy guns, airplanes, tanks, 1917.

SIDE A 00:22:16 -- 00:28:15
Discussion about fighting at Vimy Ridge; Vimy Ridge, WWI, Vimy, 1918, Currie, politics, food.

SIDE A 00:28:15 -- 00:31:54
Discussion about his brothers who served in WWI and Canadian soldiers; Ralph Stewart, Alfred Stewart, Russell Stewart, casualty, WWI, Canadian soldiers, Happy 8th.

SIDE A ends at 00:31:54.
SIDE B 00:32:01 -- 00:34:29
Discussion about battles at Vimy Ridge; Vimy Ridge, WWI, trenches, casualties, 1918, Vimy.

SIDE B 00:34:29 -- 00:38:24
Discussion about what Vimy Ridge looks like and the first battle at Vimy Ridge; Vimy Ridge, WWI, Arras, 1917, casualties, wounded soldiers.

SIDE B 00:38:24 -- 00:41:32
Discussion about the introduction of mustard gas in 1917, and the use of the gas by both sides; 1917, mustard gas, yellow crosses, WWI.

SIDE B 00:41:32 -- 00:48:13
Discussion about other Islanders fighting at Vimy Ridge, the 8th Canadian Siege Battery, and friends and family who were injured or died in the war; Vimy Ridge, 8th Canadian Siege Battery, WWI, casualties, Alfred Stewart, 1922, Fanningbank Hospital.

SIDE B 00:48:13 -- 00:50:24
Discussion about his worst memory of WWI; WWI, mustard gas, WWI, casualties.

SIDE B 00:50:24 -- 00:52:55
Discussion about his best memory of WWI; Lt. Murphy, WWI.

***The remainder of the tape, from 00:52:55 -- 01:04:00, is blank.
Tape ends at 01:04:00.