Archive Record
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Metadata
Accession # |
A2006.220 |
Title |
William (Bill) Charles McKay (1918-2003), Belwood and Salem, diaries, notes, correspondence, 1935-1992. -- 18 cm. |
Date |
1935-1992 |
Description |
William (Bill) Charles McKay (1918-2003), Belwood and Salem, diaries, notes, correspondence, 1935-1992. -- 18 cm. William (Bill) Charles McKay, was born in Western Canada, 28 May 1918. Two years after the death of his mother, young Bill returned to Belwood and was brought up by his mother's sister, Margaret ("Maggie") Campbell. He started school in Belwood, 1925 and the following year moved to Garafraxa Street in Fergus, so his aunt could keep boarders. He then attended Fergus Public School, next to St. Andrew's Church, continuing until age 15 when he quit in the fall of 1933. When the diaries begin (1935) he is back in Belwood, where he remains until enlisting in the airforce in October 1940; in early 1941, he is in Scotland. His movements and activities during the war are detailed in the diaries 1940-1942. He was discharged 28 August 1945, and returned to Belwood, where he was joined later by his Scottish-born wife, Clementina ("Clemie"). At the beginning of August 1951, he began work with Hammond Transformers, in Guelph, later moving to Raytheon, Dominion Rubber, and Marsland [Electronics, Waterloo?]. By the end of 1976, he was retired. Clementina died 14 March 1976; Bill died 9 Sept. 2003; both are buried in Elora Cemetery. SERIES 1: CHRONOLOGY, 1918-1976. - file 1: - Untitled, 1-page, 1918-1933. - Royal Canadian Air Force Service Book, showing enlisted 28.10.40; discharge 28/8/45. - Department of National Defence (Air Force) entitlement to War Service Badge, 28 Aug. 1945 [removed from slip-case advertising J.M. Broadfoot, insurance, Fergus]. - Career Duties, 1-page, 1 Aug. 1951 - 30 Dec. 1976. SERIES 2: DIARIES, 1935-1942; 1951-1992 [portions]. - file 1: Friday 25 Jan. 1935 - Tuesday 31 Dec. 1935. [At front: "Bill McKay / Belwood / Jan. 1935". At back: list of "Earnings 1935"; addresses; calendar - 28 May is marked: "17 years old". On the page marked Identification: 5'-9" / 162 [lbs] / Brown eyes / In case of emergency, please notify: Walter Brandt / Burks Falls, Ont]. Found between 21-22 August: - ph 23268: "This is a snap of the family McGregor's", ca.1935[?]. - file 2: Wednesday 1 Jan. 1936 - Thursday 31 Dec. 1936. [At back: diagram for 2-tube, battery amplifier with description; addresses; calendar - 28 May is marked "18 years old". On the page marked Identification: 5'-10" / 155 [lbs] / Brown eyes / In case of emergency, please notify: Alex McKay / Neelin, Manitoba; found between 13-14 August: Letter from Toronto, to "Dear Bill" from "Young Hank", 5 March 1937]. - file 3: Friday 1 Jan. 1937 - Friday 31 Dec. 1937. [At front: "W.C. McKay / Belwood / Ontario / Feb 21 1937". On the last 2 pages, the author reflects on the year past: "Well, 1937 is history and its made a lot of it ..." adding "television is soon to be here, in fact England and Germany already have daily schedules ... It all sums up into a world of great activity, while I have stayed at home studying but can't get a job." - file 4: Sat. 1 Jan. 1938 - Sat. 31 Dec. 1938. [ At front: "W.C. McKay / Belwood / Ontario"; at back, he sums up: "Well 1938 is over, a lot has happened to a lot of people over a lot of country". Found at front: - ph 23269: Salem, view of bridge, with car approaching; brick building at left, with Coca-Cola sign, 1938[?]. - ph 23270: View of river [from bridge?] (1), 1938[?]. - ph 23271: View of river upstream [from bridge?] (2), [1938?]. - ph 23272: Building foundation, under construction, [1938?]. - ph 23273: Salem, view from corner of William and Water Streets[?]; bridge at back right of image, [1938?]. - file 5: Sunday 1 Jan. 1939 - Sunday 31 Dec. 1939. [At front: "W.C. McKay / Belwood / Ontario / Jan. 9 1939". At back: "Well, this has been a very important year... This is the first year I have had much personal success. I have wired 6 farms and a school this summer, sold 10 radios and 3 motors so far and have many opportunities for more sales..." Found between 29 - 30 April: - ph 23274: Tinted portrait [Helen Forrester, Toronto?]. - file 6: Monday 1 January - Sunday 22 Dec. 1940. [At front: W.C. McKay / Jan. 10 1940. Entry for Saturday 12 October: "I went to Toronto and enlisted as a radio mechanic..." [for 24-31 Dec. 1940 see next book] - file 7: Wednesday 1 Jan. 1941 - Tuesday 31 Dec. 1941. [At front: "W.C. McKay / R.80570 R.C.A.F. / 1941 / Some where in England". Entry for Thursday 2 Jan: "Today we left for England ... we left by train from Toronto and went to Montreal...". On the page following 31 December, "Pay Record" showing that McKay was based at Yatesbury and Cromarty. At back: entries for Tuesday 24 Dec. 1940 - Tuesday 31 Dec. 1940. - file 8: Thursday 1 Jan. 1942 - Thursday 31 Dec. 1942. [At front: 1942 / Sgt. McKay, W.C. / R.80570 R.C.A.F. / Cromarty, Scotland / No.7 Wing, Cromarty, Scotland / No.3 Wing, No.3 Squadron / Hut 178, West Kirby, England ... Bombay, Ambala, Calcutta, Lessore ..."; at front: - ph 23275: Portrait, seated with book: "Miss Helen Forrester / 33 Macaulay St. / Toronto / Canada". At back, on pages headed "Addresses" and "Memoranda", a pay record showing that McKay sailed from Inverness and was based in India at Ambala, Calcutta, Lessore, and Chittagong. - file 9: 5 pages, 1 August 1951. Notes regarding McKay's employment at DND/IS [Hammond's] plant in Guelph, 1 August 1951. - ph 23276: B&w panoramic photo, Hammond Manufacturing Company Ltd., Guelph, Ont. July 1953 [STORED STACKS PHOTOS OVERSIZED]. - file 10: Tuesday 1 Jan. 1957 - Sunday 12 January 1958. [At front: W.C. McKay / Water Street / Salem, Ont." - file 11: Thursday 5 Aug. 1976 - Wed. 18 Aug. 1976. Details of a trip from Salem (and return), through Michigan to visit relations in Carman, Neelin, and Brandon, Manitoba. - file 12: Thursday 1 Jan. 1981 - Thursday 31 Dec. 1981. [Entry for 28 May: "63 today"]. - file 13: Wednesday 1 Jan. 1992 - Friday, 13 March 1992. [At front: William C. McKay / 9 Water Street., Salem, Ont." SERIES 3: MANUSCRIPTS,1918-1991. - file 1: Book Plan, pages [1]-4. Begins: "Chapter 1 - Back to Civvy Street ..."; includes list of payments from the R.C.A.F.; on reverse: materials from The War Amps Ontario, undated; Motorola Inc., 1991. - file 2: Untitled, pages 1-90. Begins: "It was 28 Aug. 1945 - in Toronto, Ont. The RCAF had signed my Release Form. I was a civilian - almost." Manuscript continues with the author's return to Belwood, and the eventual arrival [1946?] of his Scottish-born wife "Clemie" (Clementina, nee Fair, 1918-1976). - file 3: Index, 1 page. Begins: "Book Four"; lists entries for pages 371-401. Entries appear to refer to Belwood and area, pre-war. Removed from binder with cover title "Story Index". - file 4: Untitled, pages 1-10. Begins: "My Scottish wife Clemie didn't like the idea of being in business for myself ...". On reverse of pages 1-3: "Career Duties", listing McKay's career dates, 1951-1976. - file 5: Untitled, photocopy, 3 pages, [un-numbered]; 423; 628. Includes notes of correspondence (Nov. 1985-August 1990) with Hilda [name], and pages sent to her (318-721). [Removed from pad of "scrap" paper]. - file 6: Untitled, photocopy, pages 722-809. Begins: "...mambas in South Africa, but I would get to an area in Manipur [India?] and Burma where there was a much bigger cobra called the King Cobra ..."; pages 759-762 discuss his possible marriage partners; on reverse of page 774: correspondence, R.A.F. Ambala, 7/8/42; on page 798: "... It wasn't like this in Belwood." [This manuscript covers time the author spent in India] - file 7: Index pages 1-[16] Summary of a manuscript, pages 1026-1250, which appear to cover McKay's posting in India. On reverse, letters addressed to W.C. McKay, P.O.Box 6, Elora, acknowledging his correspondence with/donations to Guelph Wellington Association for Community Living; The Arthritis Society; The War Amputations of Canada; Canadian Paraplegic Association; Alzheimer Association of Ontario; Canada Post Corporation; Amnesty International; Easter Seals, Canadian Wildlife Federation; Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; The Salvation Army, 1989-1991. - file 8: Mattr [My apologies to the reader] Bitalttwtm [But it took a long time to write this mess] Typewritten 65-page manuscript, begins: "One night in 1987, during a telephone listen with sister Edna Davies of Clearbrook, B.C., she suggested I make a tape of my wartime experiences". Manuscript is a reminiscence of growing up in Belwood and Fergus, ca.1920-ca.1930. SERIES 4: COLIN ALEXANDER McKAY (1912-date), ca.1994 [Colin McKay was Bill McKay's brother]. - file 1: - My Story, pages 1-7. - Untitled, typed, 2 pages. Begins: "Colin and I were talking about children and inheritance and help to get started sometimes. He was talking about Dad's help, in a sense, to him ..."; at bottom of page: WMc Nov. 1994. - Untitled, handwritten, 3 pages. Begins: "Colin registered as Alexander Colin, but known as Colin Alexander ...". SERIES 5: MISCELLANEOUS, 1976-2006. - file 1: Materials stapled for re-use as a pad of "scrap" paper. Includes letters (1990-1991) from Canadian Hemophilia Society; Canadian Paraplegic Association; the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation. Letter from Alan D. Revill, Belleville, "as one of those who served in the last war in radar...", regarding a book. - file 2: Photocopies of genealogy, family history and obituaries for Bill McKay anmd his wife Clementina, 1976-2006. |
Creator \ Maker |
McKay, W. C. [Author] |
Item Name |
Record Group Diary |
Person \ Organization |
Alzheimer Association of Ontario Amnesty International Arthritis Society Brandt, Walter Broadfoot, J. M. Campbell, Maggie (Miss) Campbell, Martha Canada Post Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Canadian Hemophilia Society Canadian Paraplegic Association Canadian Wildlife Federation Davies, Edna Department of National Defence Easter Seals Fair, Clementina Forrester, Helen Guelph Wellington Association For Community Living McKay, Alex McKay, Bill McKay, Clemie McKay, Colin McKay, Willam Charles Motorola Incorporated Royal Canadian Air Force Salvation Army War Amps World War II |
Place |
Belwood England India Manitoba Nichol Twp. Salem Scotland Water Street West Garafraxa Twp. |
Subject |
Biography Bridge Electricity Military War World War II |
Photo, Map # |
ph 23268 - ph 23276 ph 23269 ph 23270 ph 23271 ph 23272 ph 23273 ph 23274 ph 23275 ph 23276 |
Year Range from |
1935 |
Year Range to |
1992 |
Accession # |
A2006.220 |
Containers |
MU 645 STACKS STACKS-OVERSIZED |