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BC History Diary

  • William Gordon McRae (1897-1917): The Final Letters

    William Gordon McRae (1897-1917): The Final Letters

    June 29, 2026June 29, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    These final letters document the responses to the McRae family’s search for answers about their son, William Gordon McRae, who disappeared during the First World War. William a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, failed to return to No. 19 Squadron following a scout flight on…

  • Black and white photograph of Royal Flying Corps pilot William McRae

    Missing in Action: A Family’s Search For Answers (1917)

    June 24, 2026June 25, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    After Royal Flying Corps pilot William McRae is reported missing, his family entered a period of agonizing uncertainty. Letters, telegrams, and official correspondence with military authorities, the Red Cross, and other organizations became their only means of learning what had happened to them. Each new communication brought hope,…

  • Black and white photograph of a crashed airplane in a field

    Reported Missing: The Letters of William McRae (1917)

    June 20, 2026June 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, follow his transition from training in England to active service in France during the First World War. Writing to his family, he describes flying, friendship, excursions, and daily life. These letters are part of…

  • Black and white WW1 Aircraft in the field with four people standing around it.

    Royal Flying Corps Squadron Training

    June 16, 2026June 16, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    William McRae is eager to complete his squadron training for the Royal Flying Corps so that he can go on active service to France. Read his candid letters home to his mother for an insightful look at what life was like away from home. These letters are part…

  • Flying log handwritten in notebook

    From British Columbia Aviation School to the Royal Flying Corps: William McRae’s 1917 Letters

    June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    William McRae, a young pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offers a glimpse into his daily life during the First World War through his letters home to Canada. After learning to fly at the British Columbia Aviation School, William travelled overseas and joined the Royal Flying Corps to continue…

  • Black and white photograph of an airplane in a field that has crashed

    Crashes and Castles: William McRae’s WWI Letters (1917)

    May 30, 2026May 30, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his daily life during wartime training. Writing to his mother, he shares moments that are both routine and show the uncertainty of miliary life. They are part of the William…

  • Baseball and Flight Training in Wartime Oxford, 1917

    Baseball and Flight Training in Wartime Oxford, 1917

    May 25, 2026June 9, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his daily life during wartime training. Writing to his mother from Oxford, England, William shares moments that are surprisingly ordinary. He talks of baseball games, bicycle rides, canoe trips, and…

  • Training for War in Oxford: William McRae’s 1917 WWI Letters from England

    Training for War in Oxford: William McRae’s 1917 WWI Letters from England

    May 20, 2026May 20, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his daily life during wartime training. Writing to his mother, he shares moments that are both routine and show the uncertainty of miliary life. This series of letters is part…

  • William McRae Letters (1917): Canadian Pilot Training, War Isolation & Conscription Crisis

    William McRae Letters (1917): Canadian Pilot Training, War Isolation & Conscription Crisis

    April 25, 2026July 1, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his daily life during wartime training. Writing to his mother, he shares moments that are both routine and show the uncertainty of miliary life. Written in February and March 1917,…

  • william mcrae in oxford for ww1 training

    William McRae’s WWI Letters: A Canadian Soldier’s Journey

    April 19, 2026July 1, 2026 Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Archives (Source), William McRae's WWI Letters

    William McRae’s WWI letters home to his parents describe his journey across Canada as he heads to England to finish his aero training and join the Royal Flying Corps. These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his…

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Hi, I’m Jodie! Historian, Archives Assistant, and researcher in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. I bring forgotten Canadian stories to life through archival letters and local history. Learn more here.

Latest Posts

  • 153 Mile House: From Customers to Friends
  • Education in the Cariboo: From 150 Mile School to Victoria High School
  • 153 Mile House: Letters Sent to the Historic Crosina Store
  • 153 Mile House: The Historic Cariboo Roadhouse and Store
  • William Gordon McRae (1897-1917): The Final Letters

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  • Home
  • Places
    • 153 Mile House, British Columbia
      • 153 Mile House History
    • Agassiz, British Columbia
    • Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
    • Victoria, British Columbia
  • Series
    • William McRae WWI Letters
    • The Hazeley Letters (1896 – 1897)
      • Those Named in the Hazeley Letters
  • British Columbia History
    • Mount Cheam Hike: A Historic Climb from Agassiz, B.C. (1914)
    • When the SS Tynemouth Arrived in Victoria: The Story of B.C.’s Most Famous Bride Ship
    • The Early History of Harrison Hot Springs (Part 1)
    • The Early History of Harrison Hot Springs (Part 2): Pioneer Life, Port Douglas, and Harrison Lake Adventures
    • What It Was Like Picking Hops in Agassiz, BC in the 1930s
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