Assignment #1:  Article Review

For the first assignment you are to write a review of the article "Khaki Girls, VADs, and Tommy's Sisters..... which is in our March 1, 2016 readings.  The review is to be 750 words in length.  If you are unfamiliar with an article review, there are numerous sources online to consult, or use the writing centre.

The review is due February 16, 2016,

Assignment #2:  History 482 Research Essay

The objective of this essay is to build a composite biography of a First World War soldier, utilizing both his personal materials and official documentation such as his service file.  This is building on the skills developed working with the George Broome service file and his 'entry points' earlier in the term.

For this essay you will be recreating the wartime experiences of Wellington Murray Dennis.  The link to his service file is here:

Wellington Murray Dennis Service File

In addition to his service file you will also be utilizing his personal papers from The Canadian Letters and Images Project.  The link to that collection is here:

Wellington Murray Dennis and Margaret Munro Collection

For this assignment you will create a comprehensive biography of Wellington Murray Dennis.  The basic starting points are his service file and his personal materials.  From those two record groups you will find a myriad of entry points for further research, and as we discussed in the context of the Broome file, the research possibilities are a combination of your imagination and curiosity regarding his life.  The entry points that you identify as significant will then become the basis of your research for this assignment beyond the two above record groups.  There is no minimum or maximum research requirement for this assignment in terms of number of entry points, etc.  You must do what research you think is necessary to tell a full and complete story of his life in 2,500 - 3,000 words.

In addition to whatever entry points you pursue, there are three other records that you MUST incorporate into your essay in some manner.  They are the War Diaries of the First World War, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records, and the Circumstances of Death Registers.  As you work through the service records it will become clear how these sources fit and how they can be utilized.  The links to these sources are here:

War Diaries of the First World War

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Circumstances of Death Registers

You may also find Nicholson's official history of the Canadian Army useful:

The Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919

The essay is due March 29, 2016.