Letters of and regarding Corporal James Birse, Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1916-1917.

James Birse was born in Aberdeenshire in October 1884, and trained as a pharmacist working in both Aberdeen and Edinburgh prior to emigrating to Canada in 1904 where he continued in the same trade. After the outbreak of the First World War, he volunteered with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and Private Birse travelled to the UK for training in early 1916.

The items consist of two letters of James Birse to his brother George, one written in March 1916 shortly after his arrival in the UK from Canada describes his journey and conditions for the Canadians. The second letter dates from October 1916, written whilst James was in hospital in Middlesex recuperating from a bullet wound to the shoulder. The letter describes how the wound was sustained at Courcelette, where the Canadian Expeditionary Force took part in heavy fighting as part of the final months of the Somme offensive.

The third letter, 28 December 1917, is addressed to James`s mother, Isobel Birse, from Lieutenant G.W. Turner confirming her son`s death and its circumstances.