*Thank you to Private Letty’s great-niece, Linda Wilson, for providing this write-up*
Howard Radford Letty, my paternal great-uncle, was the only son of Cyrus Letty, (1863-1955), and Mary Fleming, (1872-1934). He was born on January 28, 1896 in Brampton where he resided for most of his short life. Private H. R. Letty was killed in the early hours of October 8, 1916 at Regina Trench in the Battle of the Somme.
Cy and Mary Letty had had three older children all of whom later married: Kathryn (Letty) Campbell, Della Blossom (Letty) Wilson and Ruth Elizabeth (Letty) Wallwork.
The 1901 and 1911 censuses recorded this Letty family as continuing to live in Brampton, latterly on West Street. The family was Methodist and of Irish origin. In 1911 Howard was apprenticing locally as a shoe cutter. Interestingly, his paternal grandfather, Edward Letty, (1838-1912) had been a shoemaker when he emigrated about 1854 from County Antrim and settled subsequently in Churchville.
On February 19, 1916 Howard to a trip to New York State to visit a friend, Frank MacDonald in Buffalo. The American immigration manifest and entry card showed that Howard was twenty-one years of age, single, literate and employed as a shoe finisher in Toronto. His next trip, three months later, would be overseas as a soldier.
On February 28 Howard reported to the Toronto Recruiting Depot for voluntary enlistment in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His attestation paper described him as being five feet four inches with blue eyes and fair hair and complexion. Further, his occupation was listed as that of a shoemaker and his residence as being at 465 Roncesvalles Avenue. He affirmed that he had had no experience in any military force or active militia. It appears that he had back-dated his date of birth to April 28, 1895 to remove the age barrier for enlistment.
Private Letty, #862748, was originally assigned to the 180th Battalion. Then he was transferred to the 95th Battalion which departed Canada on May 15, 1916 aboard the RMS Olympic.
On October 1, 1916 Private Letty was transferred a final time to the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment which was immediately deployed to France.
On October 8, 1916 Private Letty was hit by mortar fire while scaling an embankment. A friend reported that he had been standing next to Howard as they climbed the crest of a trench. He related that they had been side by side on the battlefield when Howard took a direct hit following which there was no sign of him. Initially, Howard was reported as missing and later was confirmed killed in action.
The broken remains of this Canadian soldier would lie mired on the barren battlefield until discovered after the war. This also was the tragic fate of thousands of other war causalities loved, lost and mourned by parents and siblings; spouses and children; and, sweethearts, relatives and friends.
Private Letty was interred eventually in the Adanac Military Cemetery in Miraumont, France. (Adanac being the reverse spelling of Canada). He is commemorated in the 1916 Book of Remembrance in Ottawa and on the headstone of his parents' graves in Churchville cemetery.
On the second anniversary of Private Letty's death, his family published this memoriam in The Toronto Daily Star:
"LETTY, In sad and loving memory of our only son and brother, Pte. Howard R. Letty, 862748, 3rd Battalion, formerly of the 95th Battalion, killed in action at the Battle of Regina Trench, Oct. 8th, 1916.
We miss his face, his voice, his hand
He who in vain regret repine
What nobler offering could he give
Than give his life for yours and mine?
Sadly missed by Mother, Father and Sisters."
