The West Hants Historical Society is trying to compile a list of all the men and women from Hants County who served in World War 1 and 2. We plan to publish a book with all these names and we don’t want to leave anyone out; if your relatives or friends served in the military, please send us their details as described here.
In Europe, the War continued with no victories after two years of heavy fighting. The Battle of the Somme was taking hundreds of thousands of casualties. In Windsor, our men in the 112 th Battalion were preparing to join the battle.
The 112 th Battalion was formed in November 1915 with headquarters in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Men were recruited from all over Hants County, from the Annapolis Valley, and from the South Shore. Over 1500 men volunteered for service but only 1200 were accepted. The commanding officer was Lt Col. Hedley Tremaine of Windsor.
The West Hants Historical Society salutes our soldiers from Hants County that died in June 1916. June 1916 – Battle of Mount Sorrel : Canadian soldiers were defending Mount Sorrel, a 30-metre hill with a commanding position overlooking the city of Ypres in Belgium. On June 2 nd 1916, German troops attacked and overwhelmed the Canadians. They captured Mount Sorrel along with nearby peaks Hill 61 and Hill 62. The Canadians tried to retake the Hills on June 3 rd but the Germans repelled the attack.
Newsletter: December 2015 – The museum may be getting ready to slow down for the winter but we are still busy at work. We are excited to share with everyone the details on various projects we have been asked to participate in that will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War.
On June 10-11, 2016, there will be a symposium sponsored by the Nova Scotia Museum and hosted by the Town of Windsor with the theme of Nova Scotia Communities in the First World War. The West Hants Historical Society is happy to be involved. Our first priority is to develop a biographical sketch, accompanied by good quality pictures, of five local soldiers. The plan is to have these sketches mounted on interpretative panels to be exhibited at the symposium.
FOR GENERATIONS, hoofs, feet and tires have tread on the, often pothole ridden, streets of Windsor, Nova Scotia. If you’ve lived here since birth, you know exactly where every short-cut is. You know that the driveway that cuts between the curling rink and the bottle depot saves you at least 4 minutes of walking time. And you can probably tell when you’re talking to someone who hails from Chester Road. But, what you may not know is how your street became a part of history.
Season Kick Off and Twilight Tour
What you missed at WHHS’s official opening day
The cool June breeze gives relief to the short-clad, fanwaving people. Making their way up Fort Edward Street, the feeling of exhaustion could be heard from the occasional sigh or groan. Once at the top of the hill, the feeling of accomplishment pats away the sweat and eases aching knees. The view is marvelous, a scenic heaven for those who have never been to Windsor and an instance of restored justice for those who live down the road. This is our history and our future. Fort Edward: a staple of Windsor, Nova Scotia’s resilience and strength.
Dr Julian Gwyn, local author and historian, is currently researching information about a list of names in conjunction with some work he is doing on the diary of Jessie MacCallum. Jessie (1885-1957) was 15 years old when she began her dairy on 1st Jan 1901. Her father was Windsor’s town surveyor.
The WHHS is pleased to present some of the winning entries from our 2014 Student Essay Contest. The WHHS was a sponsor of this contest, awarding a prize for excellence in historical research in West Hants.
The winning essays were both written by students from Ms Kate Sircom’s grade 3 class at Windsor Forks Elementary School. Essays are presented as submitted by the students with no additional editing.
The WHHS is pleased to present some of the winning entries from our 2014 Student Essay Contest. The WHHS was a sponsor of this contest, awarding a prize for excellence in historical research in West Hants.
The winning essays were both written by students from Ms Kate Sircom’s grade 3 class at Windsor Forks Elementary School. Essays are presented as submitted by the students.
The Story of Winckworth Tonge
by John Wilson
[excerpt from January 2013 newsletter]
A rather strange combination of obscure surnames, they were carried by one of the early estate owners of Windsor township and an influential member of the colonial government. Traces of the name, or corruptions thereof, can still be found locally as place names, in particular, Tonge Hill and Wentworth.
