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Letters from The Great War - A collection of letters from Clyde River, PEI resident Lee G. Darrach to his brother in Boston during his time with the British Army between 1915-1919. The letters were transcribed and made available online by the Clyde River Historical Society in 2018 and read and recorded by Alan Buchanan in 2019.

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee tells of his trip back to Canada while finally leaving the army and the disease that continues to spread among the ship's troops and crew. This letter was sent while at sea on May 23rd, 1919

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details the complications he faced while trying to exit the army, the spread of fever among troops, and the poor state of the country after the end of the war. This letter was sent from

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee talks about issues with getting correspondence from Canada, describes his plans to avoid a potential draft for Siberia, and shares his view on the American soldiers' attitudes about war. This

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee describes his difficulties working within the medical corps due to injury and complains about the poor pay and food supplies. This letter was sent from Devonport, 5 Sandringham Street,

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. This letter details Lee's grief for the passing of Mr. McDonald, his brother's father-in-law, and describes his reassignment to the medical corps, his dislike for it, and his disbelief at having survived France

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details his whereabouts after being released from the hospital, updates that he has been reassigned to a reserve unit, and his eagerness for the war to end. This letter was sent from England

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details his eventual departure from the hospital, his hopes of leaving the infantry on account of his knee injury, and his reluctance to return to France. This letter was sent from Uplyme,

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details an injury he suffered after being struck by an explosive and his current hospitalization that followed. This letter was sent from Exeter, England, on June 25th, 1917. 

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details his difficulties receiving correspondence from his family and reacts to the news of the United States joining the war as part of the Allied Powers. This letter was sent from France on

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee describes the gruelling living conditions he experienced during his assignment in France. This letter was sent from France on April 22nd, 1917.

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee compares the nature and attitudes of Turkish and German soldiers, detailing the trenches' intense fighting conditions, the constant heavy bombardment on the battlefield, and the difficulties

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details the poor living conditions upon his arrival in France. He also gives mention to Canadian soldiers he has seen. This letter was sent from France on March 10th, 1917. 

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details his whereabouts and the weather and asks for any news and updates from home and family. This letter was sent from an undisclosed location in Egypt/Middle East on October 4th, 1916.

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee includes a newspaper cutting that covers a successful mission by the English troops in Egypt, an event in which Lee participated. This letter was sent from an undisclosed location in Egypt/

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee describes his gratification at finally receiving a prior reply letter from his brother, the engagements with the Turkish troops in which he took part during the English Egypt expedition, and

Somewhere in Egypt/Middle East, August 2nd, 1916. Letter from Lee G. Darrach addressed to his brother Jack, detailing his failures in contacting his brother and his continued attempts to check in with him.

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee further enquires about any news from his home and briefly mentions the sinking of Lord Kitchener's ship that occurred on June 5th, 1916. This letter was sent from an undisclosed location in

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee enquires about the news from home to his brother. This letter was sent from an undisclosed location in Egypt/Middle East on June 5th, 1916. 

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee informs of his arrival in Egypt. He also discusses the contrasting weather conditions and the reasons for not disclosing his specific address. This letter was sent from an undisclosed

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee notifies his brother that he is at sea and is uncertain where he is going. This letter was sent at Sea on May 7th, 1916. 

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee describes his arrival to a new camp near London, his continued grievances with the poor wages given to soldiers, and his potential next assignment to Egypt or Mesopotamia. This letter was

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee describes the increasing intensity of German air raids and bombings over English territory. This letter was sent from Codford, England, February 18th, 1916.

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee mentions that he has been moved multiple times due to the spread of "spotted fever" and how the persistent poor weather has contributed to its severity. He also tells of his uncertainty

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Private Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee further details the spread of the disease among troops and discusses the firearms he uses as a machine gun soldier. This letter was sent from Codford, England, on January 12th, 1916.

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee details his sickness, the worsening spread of disease among the troop camps, and the poor weather conditions he experienced at the time. This letter was sent from Codford, England, January 1st, 1916

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In this letter, Lee mentions that he has received the watch he had requested from Jack, then describes his grievances, including food scarcity, the trenches and mass casualties from fever. He also gives mention of his

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter sent from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In the letter, Lee discusses his newly assigned role in the machine gun section, providing details of its dangerous nature and the general tasks of being a machine gunner. The letter was sent from Church Town, England,

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In the letter, Lee asks his brother about packages he sent previously and whether he had received them. He also details that he may soon be drafted to Servia. The letter was sent from, Southport, England, October 13th, 1915

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. Lee begins the letter by detailing a light eye injury he suffered, then describes draft logistics, and his gripes with the poor availability of food and wages. The letter was sent from, Southport, England, on September 28th

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach. In the letter, Lee details his conflict with a regiment officer, his barrack's living conditions, and his aspirations to become a machine gunner. Lee also mentions that a draft will be sent to the Dardanelles, Turkey, in the

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach, informing him of his safe whereabouts during his stay in Saltford, England, on July 25th, 1915. In this letter, Lee reveals that he enlisted in the First World War upon returning from France and may soon be sent to Southport

A 2019 dramatic reading by Alan Buchanan of a letter from Lee G. Darrach to his brother, Jack Darrach detailing his travel and arrival to England, difficulties with entry paperwork, and his observations about the ports at Liverpool, Manchester, and Eccles. Sent from Eccles, England, June 20th, 1915.