The War Diary of Lieutenant William L Hayes M C

 1915—1919

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This is the War Diary of one Canadian Soldier in the Great War, one among many.

2nd Canadian Division, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)

6th Infantry Brigade (The Iron Sixth)

28th Battalion (The Northwest Battalion)

D Company  

William Lucas Hayes (WLH) joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in February 1915 as a Private soldier. In four years, he returned home from the war as a Lieutenant with a Military Cross and a German wife.

This website is a tribute to him and chronicles his part in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. It is also a tribute to what became the Canadian Army, an armed force, that by the end of the war, had defined a nation.

The pages that follow do not rewrite the history of Canada’s part in the Great War (this has been done admirably well by others) but shows how one man’s good fortune and ability to take on responsibility, brought him safely home again. They follow him, not only to Vimy Ridge which all Canadians with an interest in War History will know about, but also to the other battles, equally difficult and dangerous, into which he was sent.

It has been created from war diaries and documents in the Canadian Archives, now on line, books and other publications. It also uses, in a small way, family historical information. Every effort has been made to be accurate, but any corrections or comments on Lieutenant W L Hayes, his battalion or this record would be welcome. Please e-mail wilmahayes@aol.com. A full list of sources can be found under the References tab.

When new information is received or released, updates to this website will be made. Please check back again.

Revised 3/2024