From the trenches of war torn France circa 1916, Cpl. Harry Hillyer reaches out to touch his granddaughter, five thousand miles away and over eighty-five years in the future.
Dear Harry: The Firsthand Account of a World War 1 Infantryman is a compilation of letters and official documents to, from and concerning Cpl. Henry James Hillyer 73rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Highlanders.
The collection has been transcribed by Hillyer's granddaughter and presents a detailed account of this soldier's experience, from training at Valcartier to the exhumation and reburial of his body at Vimy, in 1930.
Drawing from Harry's personal logbooks, Shephard has prefaced each chapter with details of a Canadian soldier's training, at home and overseas. Together, grandfather and granddaughter chronicle life at training camp, on the battlefield and back home during the Great War.