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Lance Corporal G. B. Finnigan, of St. Andrews, formerly of Freeport, Nova Scotia

"If the boys in Canada could only see the conditions in this country they would not be very long getting on a uniform and be waiting to get a chance at the Germans" Sept 1915 Lance Corporal G. B. Finnigan

Letter: G. BLAIR FINNIGAN WOUNDED: St. John Telegraph of a recent date contained the following: George Blair Finnigan, of the 26th Battalion, who was reported in the morning casualty list as wounded and whose place of residence was given as St. Andrews, was a resident of St. John at the time he enlisted. He was born at Freeport, Nova Scotia, and removed with his family several years ago to St. Andrews, where his father, George B. Finnigan, now resides. The young man was a telegraph operator and had taken over the management of the C. P. R. school of telegraphy in St. John some time before the war broke out and gave up this profitable business to enlist. WRITTEN BEFORE HE WAS WOUNDED LETTER FROM LANCE CORPORAL FINNIGAN: Lance Corporal G. B. Finnigan, of St. Andrews, formerly of Freeport, Nova Scotia, recently reported wounded, wrote the following letter to his mother “from France”, under date of September 26th. All the R. C.’s have gone to M _ _ to church, and as we protestants have none to go to we are busying ourselves writing letters. I am glad I signed on when I did. If the boys in Canada could only see the conditions in this country they would not be very long getting on a uniform and be waiting to get a chance at the Germans. Our time has come; we can hear the guns roaring from one day’s end to another, and expect to be in the trenches any day. We are all well, and just as eager as ever to get into the trenches. Day after day we hear the remark, “I wish they would put us in those trenches tonight”.

Date: Mon Dec 9 2002
Name: Derek Thurber
E- mail: heritage@municipality.dig by.ns.ca
Notes: Letter written in September 1915. Blair joined in St.John, N. B. He was with the "Fighting 26th" New Brunswick Battalion. He spent 9 months in the hospital. Blair recovered from his injury (Hand) and was wounded one year again one year later in the arm and side. It was very ironic as it is stated that Blair's father received the telegram of his son's 2nd injury one year to the hour after he received the news of his first wounding. George Blair Finnigan (s/o George) was born in Freeport, Digby County, Nova Scotia, and his family moved to St. Andrews, New Brunswick in 1911.

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