Stanley Arthur Rutledge, born in the City of Fort William in 1889, is the author of the book “Pen Pictures from the Trenches”. Lieutenant Rutledge unfortunately would never see his letters become published and shared with others, as he suffered a fatal injury while overseas during the Great War on November 16, 1917.
Growing up in Fort William, Stanley was the son of former mayor Edward S. Rutledge. Shortly after his completion of high school and employment in both the banking and publishing industries, he decided that a career in law would be his chosen profession. In 1915, as his schooling neared completion, Stanley Rutledge enlisted in the war effort as a Private with the 4th University Company out of Montreal.
After signing up in September of 1915 and receiving training, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in England for further training. In March of 1916, Rutledge was sent to the trenches in Ypres. Some months later he transferred to the 28th Battalion in order to join his brother Wilfred, who was already on the front lines. Just short of a year of Stanley Rutledge’s time with the 28th Battalion was spent as a sniper and during this time he began describing his experiences and thoughts from the front in his letters home.
It was after life in the trenches and in military school in England that Rutledge earned the rank of Lieutenant and joined the Royal Flying Corps as a qualified pilot. It was while the Lieutenant was providing instruction in Grantham, England that he suffered a fatal aircraft accident.
It was Lieutenant Rutledge’s parents who had his letters printed in book format to share with others. The material is divided into two parts and offers readers a glimpse into life during the Great War. This publication can be found at the Brodie Resource Library in the Special Collections section or read online from the University of Toronto’s collection.
Read some newspaper articles about Rutledge.
Read Rutledge’s military records through Library and Archives Canada.
Rutledge’s entry in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project 