Sudbury woman treasures her parent's wartime love letters

Treasured memories of a Sudbury family during war Remembrance Day is an emotional day for many, and it’s particularly special for Greater Sudbury’s Janice Skinner.

Remembrance Day is an emotional day for many, and it’s particularly special for Greater Sudbury’s Janice Skinner.

Her father and grandfather served in the First and Second World Wars and she cherishes a collection of memorabilia from when they both served -- including a set of love letters exchanged between her parents.

Skinner has a series of items that connect her to her father and grandfather.

My grandfather, William Matthews, fought in France, and I only have a picture of him," she said.

"And I have a box that my grandfather made for my grandmother during World War 1. And he wrote her name on the top of it. Her name was Elizabeth Hubert. But he put 'Betty' in short."

Skinner knows little of her grandfather’s time in the military, but is hoping to find out more on day.

Her father, Arthur Armstrong, was 18 when he joined the army in 1944, becoming a machine gunner with the infantry core.

However, a diagnosis of pleurisy pneumonia prevented him from pursuing his dream to fight for his country on the front lines.

Instead, he signed up for an assignment that was kept top secret.

"To their surprise, the train dropped them off at Neys, which is north of Saint Marie," Skinner said.

"And there they were told they were to guard the German prisoners and there was more than two camps ... They guarded the high-ranking Germans.”

Armstrong served as a corporal what was then called Neys Camp 100 for the remainder of his service.

Throughout his service, he wrote dozens of love letters to Skinner’s mother, which she now keeps in the handmade wooden box that her grandfather gifted to her grandmother.

"He would always put, 'My dearest Isabelle,'" she said.

"He would write letters every day to my mom."

And while Skinner said her father was regretful at times that his sickness prevented him from joining his comrades overseas, it allowed him to get married, have a family, and share his stories.

"I cherish every single piece that I have," she said.

"I just cherish it because that was my dad."

Skinner said one day, she will pass down all of those special keepsakes to her four children, so that they, too, will have stories to share of their grandfather and great-grandfather.