Witness to War: Tuesday Apr 23, 1918

Private Raymond Duval, MM, was a soldier of the 14th Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment) CEF who served overseas during the last two years of the First World War. He participated in some of the fiercest fighting seen by Canadians during the war and was decorated for bravery at Passchendaele. Determined to preserve his memories of the First World War, he maintained a daily record of his experiences. Here is what he wrote precisely 100 years ago today:

Tuesday Apr 23, 1918: Got up about 6am beautiful day warm and sunny Started a letter to Clare Then came over to “Y” [YMCA] and sat with Jack and talked. Heavy bombardment over on the left Heard it was a big raid and we got a big bunch of prisoners-.

The RMR Foundation thanks Natalie Dyck for generously sharing her publication of “The Diary and Memoir of Private Raymond Duval” in order for us to be able to share his story with you 100 years on. You can learn more about Private Duval here.

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