Day 5. September 30, 2016

Today was a very special day.  After all of these years, I was finally able to visit my Great-Grandfather Timothy Kelly.  We started the day by driving up to the Ste. Marie Cemetery.  As I imagined, it is very old.  It is not a formal military cemetery, and there are some very, very old tombs and headstones for the people of Le Havre from way before the 1900s.  There are a couple sections in this enormous cemetery dedicated to the soldiers of WWI (Including a small section for German soldiers).  I think that because of the military hospitals based in Le Havre during the Great War, it explains all of the different nationalities that we saw today.  In the small area where Timothy was - there were roughly 300 graves.  Though this may sound like a lot, it is a tiny military section compared to what we have seen this week.  Amongst these 300 headstones were British soldiers from Canada, Newfoundland, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, South Africa, India, Cameroon, Australia and New Zealand.

I have to admit that it was a little emotional when I first found Great Grandpa Tim.  I cannot explain why - but it was.  'Nuff said.

After the formal introductions were done :) I got down to business.  As much as I have worked towards this trip for the last several years - it was never about me.  As mentioned, I had an appointment to keep and a job to do.  This summer, I went on a bit of a tour whenever I had days off.  Firstly, the house that my Grandpa grew up in was the same house where Tim said his last goodbyes to Mary and his six kids in 1916.  This very small house is still standing (though not for long), and I visited it this summer with Dad and two of my nephews.  I collected a handful of dirt from the flowerbed to take a little "home" to Tim when I got here.  I also hit the road and visited the graves of my Great Grandma Mary, and all six of their kids (including Grandpa).  Grass was collected from around each of these seven headstones.  A hundred years on, as best as I am able, it was my goal to bring a little home and family to Tim.  Sara and I knew that it must have been very lonely for him a hundred years ago today - so we tried to correct this as well.  Other than a break for lunch and a run this afternoon, we spent the entire day with Tim.  It was actually a "very lovely day for a sitting" as I was once told in Scotland.  The day went by way too fast.

In one of the pictures below, you'll see that we had spread poppies around in front of Tim's headstone.  After walking around and reading some of the Canadian headstones, it was obvious that Tim didn't need all of those.  Most were redistributed.  Eventually we left three poppies for myself, Dad, and Grandpa.  The yellow roses we bought at lunch (marigold coloured roses).

A couple of Canadian headstones really stood out to us today.  Both undoubtedly have interesting stories, and both were very sad.  The later, really got Sara's attention.  Returning after lunch, I had bought a bouquet with seven roses.  Sara asked if she could have one.  She then took it and spent an hour with a new friend.  Sara a good kid - I'm super proud of her.

As I had mentioned, Sara and I went for a run today.  I've been running a lot this summer with a goal to run 5k in France.  Today was the day, so Sara and I crushed it on a nice boardwalk along the ocean.  The 10 days off with my stupid leg didn't help my time - but we finished.  Thanks for the fast Vegas T-shirt Meg!  And the leg tonight feels great!

Things that we learned today.

1.  Sara is a great kid with a good heart.

2.  I had spent the better part of our rainy summer dodging earthworms on the track at Lindsay Thurber and the various trails in Red Deer.  This "fast-foot" practice had a purpose today.  Great boardwalk for running, but the French need to learn about picking up after their dogs.

3.  French poodles in France ARE really snooty.  I hate french poodles.

4.  If you are bald, old, overweight, sweaty, dressed like a runner and carrying a bouquet of flowers - the French kindly get out of the way, but rudely stare and point.

5.  When the sign says that a cemetery closes at 5:30pm; what it really means is that it closes at 5:25pm.  Snuck out in time - but we were close to the ghost experience of a lifetime for one night.

6.  Traffic lights here are green then red.  No amber.  Imagine us in Andre heading back to the cemetery this afternoon with Sara holding the bouquet.  Green light, all good.  RED LIGHT.  After she pulled her head out of our the flowers, we watched the pedestrians having a nice mid-afternoon chuckle.  I'm glad that we could spread a little sunshine.

Thats all for today.  Safe travels to everyone headed down to Lethbridge today.

Day 4. September 29, 2016

I started this morning by dropping into Albert and hitting both the bakery and cafe for coffee and pastries while Sara got ready at the hotel.  I could really enjoy this rural French lifestyle.  Our plan was to sit and enjoy breakfast at the Canadian Memorial at Courcelette one last time.  My French is not great, but surprisingly good enough to get by.  Unfortunately, I had a great deal of difficulty getting my coffee in a go-cup.  The language barrier was fine - it was the cultural barrier that stood in the way.  Everyone here likes to sit and enjoy their coffee at the cafe.  The Canadian needs it in a paper cup to go-go-go.  She eventually relented and found an old sleeve of paper cups in the back for my fancy french coffee.  The coffee was delicious.  I probably should have super sized though.

After a nice breakfast at the Memorial, we hit the road for the two hours drive down to Le Havre on the Normandy coast.  This is where the Canadian No. 2 General Hospital was located and where Timothy Kelly died on September 30, 1916.  Though the trip took us two hours - that was at the break-neck sped allowed on these highways.  I cannot imagine making this trip in 1916 in a field ambulance.  That would have been a bumpy 240km ride of hell.  Ironically, Le Havre was also where Tim Kelly had disembarked in France prior to his deployment on the Somme.  His last communication with the family was a post card that he had sent (and that I proudly own), from Le Havre on September 5, 1916.

After a little traffic in Le Havre, we checked into a great hotel.  Thanks for the idea Jack!  Le Havre is a large port city - so night and day different from the more relaxed and quiet atmosphere of the Albert region.  We went for a walk in the old downtown and did a little shopping.  There is a bakery on every corner here.  And for just 2 Euro - you get a small loaf of french bread stuffed with meat and cheese.  I think Im in heaven!  We made it down to the beach as a storm blew in - so it was kind of miserable.  Scott from work had told me about the French love for topless beaches.  Not here - the best we saw was an old lady with her velvet track suit flapping in the wind.  At least I hope that is what it was.

That's about it for today.  Kind of boring after the first few days.  A trip to the gym and sauna and then early to bed as tomorrow is a big day for us.  Below are just some random pictures of Le Havre.

I have been planning this visit for roughly 12 years and am honestly a little nervous and apprehensive now that we are here.  I don't know why.  The Ste Marie Cemetery is 8 minutes from our hotel, and I have the route all mapped out.  On another note, there is a big family reunion in Lethbridge tomorrow to mark the day.  I guess there will be roughly 75 relatives there.  (I am sooooooo glad I'm here!)

Things we learned today.

1.  Sara and I had a slight disagreement in the mall over the location of the entrance to the sporting goods store.  I'll grudging admit that she was right, but damn they use good wind cleaner here.  (That was embarrassing).
2.  Old single dudes hanging out near the hotel hot tub.  Is that actually cool anywhere?
3.  It is really fun to drive a standard transmission again.  Little Andre makes me feel like we are Faster and Furiouser.
4.  We learned that at the cash register, if there is a discrepancy, I count with my fingers in French.


Thats all for tonight.  - sorry.  We'll try to learn more tomorrow. Thanks for coming along and the nice comments.

Day 3. September 28, 2016

It was a great day in France.  It started out overcast, and we dressed for the worst - but then the sun came out and the day was beautiful.  Even this evening, as Sara worked out at the hotel, I had a beer on the outdoor patio and it was still comfortably warm in a T-shirt.

Today was a very special day for us, as we focused on another close personal connection with WWI.  Mom's Dad (my Grandpa), and her Uncle, had also both joined the CEF and fought in France during the Great War.  They enlisted in Calgary, a week apart in March 1916, and as such did not arrive in France to see action on the Somme.  They did however both fight at Vimy Ridge, so Sara and I headed up north to pay our respects there.  My Grandpa George Stephen, enlisted with the 137th Bttn, and his brother John enlisted with the 113th Bttn, but as often happened - they were reassigned to other Canadian Battalions upon arriving in France, bringing those Battalions up-to-strength.  George Stephen fought with the 50th (Calgary) Bttn, and John fought with the 85th (Nova Scotia Highlanders) Bttn.  They both survived the Canadian Victory at Vimy, and obviously Grandpa survived the remainder of the war, but John was killed in action about 6 weeks after Vimy, leaving his wife and three small children back in Calgary.

Sara and I were both aware of the historical national importance of the victory at Vimy Ridge before leaving home.  It is commonly recognized as the event that solidified Canada as an independent nation, as for the first time all four Canadian Divisions finally fought together as one unit (and achieved great success).  We had both seen pictures, and learned about the site in school, but were still unprepared for the magnitude of the Vimy Memorial.  Those reading this blog know that if something can be said in two words - I usually use ten.  I am rarely at a loss for words to describe something, but twice today I witnessed something that I cannot describe.  The Vimy Memorial was the first.  The three best words that come to mind are: huge, breathtaking, and beautiful rolled into one (Hardly a great description).  It wasn't an overly busy day, but as we walked around the Memorial, our paths would intertwine with people of many nationalities and languages.  As I had texted Amanda earlier, the best description I had for the Memorial was that as a Canadian - you stood a little taller in it's presence.  When you get close to it - you begin to recognize the subtle and also the obvious symbolism (I don't have the time or space to list all of that here).  I do have one great picture of the statue "Mother Canada" as she weeps looking east for her sons who are not coming home.  I would definitely urge everyone to visit this site if you ever have the opportunity.  Sara took the cool picture below with the maple leaf in the foreground.

After visiting the Vimy Memorial, we made our way to the Interpretative Center and preserved trenches and tunnels.  Very, very cool.  I had no idea or perspective - but the Canadian and German frontline trenches were literally only 40 yards apart (YIKES).  An interesting side note was that the seasonal university student working in the interpretative center was from Red Deer (A Thurber kid).  He grew up near us in the Anders subdivision.  He was VERY excited to talk to us.  

One final weird note about our Vimy experience - as we toured the tunnels, I asked the tour guide a question that I had often wondered.  What damage, or care, did the Nazi's give these various Allied Memorials and Cemeteries after they swept through France in WWII.  She said that unless they had symbolism that was deemed to be overtly "anti-German", they were left alone and even respected.  She added that in Canada during WWII there was a lot of false propaganda suggesting that the Nazi's had desecrated or even destroyed the Vimy Memorial.  Apparently Adolph Hitler liked the "Peaceful" message of the Vimy Memorial and had a propaganda photo taken of himself to show the world that the monument was still intact.  Returning to the hotel tonight, I remained a little skeptical of this story, so I searched the internet for such a picture.  Not only does it exist, but he appears to be standing very near where Sara had earlier been seated in the above picture.  Very eerie.  (I won't post that picture here)

After leaving the Vimy Memorial, Sara and I stopped at a little cafe and had lunch before going to the  nearby Town of Souchez.  It was here, at the Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, that we were able to visit and pay our respects to Mom's Uncle John Stephen.  I appreciate that I am a couple generations removed from anyone that knew him, however he is family and that is important.  I am unaware if, in the almost 100 years since his death, he had been visited.  Perhaps Grandpa had an opportunity to stop at the end of the war and say goodbye to his brother?  I find that terribly sad.  This past summer, I had visited Grandpa's grave in Calgary and collected a little loose grass from around his headstone.  This small collection was respectfully left with John Stephen today along with three Canadian Poppies.  Of the 7600 Canadian, British, New Zealand, South African and Indian soldiers buried in this cemetery - over half of them are listed as Unknown.  I did learn that the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa was initially buried here before being exhumed and brought home.

Leaving Souchez, Sara and I headed back to the now comfortably familiar region around Albert.  The highways here are an adventure.  They are well maintained, but freaking fast.  The speed limit on the big highways are 130km/hr - so as you can imagine the flow of traffic is doing 140km/hr to 150m/hr.  I must be getting old.  We were content pushing the envelope in the slow lane with the big trucks at 120km/hr.  A bit of a waste considering the horsepower under the hood of the sporty little roadster that Jackie had booked for us.  Like I mentioned earlier - Sara and I both know this car can go - so we've named him Andre.  Admittedly a little too much car for me - but he's already been off-roading and gets backed into every parking stall.

Very near the Canadian Memorial at Courcelette that we visited yesterday is Delville Wood.  It was the site of another battle in July 1916 during the larger Battle of the Somme.  I don't know much about this particular battle, but do know that a South African Brigade was part of the larger British force and that the South Africans suffered massive losses in this battle.  The actual Delville Wood was a small forest that was literally obliterated by shelling on both sides.  Only mud, blood, and more mud remained.  Every living tree was destroyed - except one.  This was the second thing that we saw today that I cannot explain.  This tree is still standing, near the impressive Memorial to the South Africans.  The Delville Wood forest has regrown and is beautiful with hundreds (thousands?) of huge mature oak trees.  This particular tree is a Hornbeam tree and for some reason it grabs your attention.  It isn't the biggest tree or the fullest, but it is beautiful.  Oddly, when we were there, and it must have been the clouds, but the sun shone directly on this one tree while the rest of the forest was dark.  This tree has a small fence around it, but that actually draws from the sight and was not what drew our attention.  Again, I can't explain it - but really quite neat!

Returning to Albert, we had a nice dinner downtown and again briefly visited the Albert Basilica.  Tomorrow we will be leaving this part of France.

A few things that we learned today.

1.  Sara trying to sleep while I update the Blog into the wee hours of the morning may lead to a full on domestic dispute.  What a grump!  She now has a shirt wrapped around her head like a blindfold so that the light doesn't bother her.  Good grief!

2.  When you meet a young man on the other side of the planet that appears terribly homesick and tells you that he is from Red Deer - reply that you are from Toronto.

3.  While touring the tunnels at Vimy, the guide warned us that though it is extremely rare - bats have been seen over the years in the tunnel.  That got Sara's attention.  But not as much as the little brown bat on the roof above the exit door as we were leaving.  The tour guide's excitement at finally seeing "wildlife" was lost on Sara.  The best part was that the ceiling was maybe 6 feet tops.  I'm sure that soldiers in 1916 could have learned how to keep their heads down just by watching her get out of the tunnel at double time!  The thought crossed my mind to ruffle her hair as she shot by, but not wanting to get killed myself at Vimy - I behaved.

4.  I was wrong.  Sara's grand scheme to de-carbonate 4 litres of Perrier water appears to have worked.  Thank heavens - that stuff was horrid.

5.  Finally, much of the area around the Vimy Memorial is fenced off, with signs warning of the danger of unexploded ordinance.  To keep the grass down, there is a flock of sheep moving about and getting fat.  Sara was concerned about the sheep, and later at the tunnels we heard sporadic explosions.  It was entertaining to say"Baaaaaaa" following each subsequent explosion.  Again, what a grump.  (We later learned that they were shotgun blasts as bird season had just opened).

Day 2. September 27, 2016

We saw a lot of historic places today and I'll try to give a brief description for each - but please google anything of interest for a more complete and proper description.

Overslept this morning.  Nuts!  On the bright side - we are now adjusted to the time difference.  We started the day by hitting the grocery store.  I made the same mistake as in Stockholm several years ago - sparkling water.  Ugh!  In my defence, it said nothing about carbonation on the bottle.

We then dropped into the Town of Albert for brunch and found an excellent cafe in front of the historic Albert Basilica.  I have wanted to visit this church for many years, and it did not disappoint.  It is easily the tallest building in Albert, and you can see it for many miles before spotting the actual town.  For obvious tactical reasons during WWI, the British used it during the battle of the Somme, and the Germans wanted to level it.  Atop this Basilica, was a huge golden statue of the Virgin Mary holding up the infant Jesus.  When the Canadian troops arrived in Albert in 1916, the Basilica was virtually destroyed, except for the steeple and the Virgin Mary hanging precariously by her feet, still holding Jesus in her hands.  Virtually all of the Canadians and Newfoundlanders who fought in WWI would have marched near or under her as the town of Albert was a central marshalling area for the British Army.  The Basilica and hanging statue were well known on both sides of the war, with a superstition that if/when the statue toppled - that the war would soon end.  Eventually, in 1918, the steeple and statue were destroyed by shelling.  After the war, the Basilica was rebuilt and it is amazing.  We spent a couple hours admiring both the inside and outside of this amazing piece of history.  I have attached three old internet photos from 1916, and a couple from today.

After leaving the Town of Albert, we went to the Canadian Memorial at Courcelette.  It was easily the simplest of all the Memorials we visited today, but also the most peaceful.  It is a large granite block that pays tribute to the Canadians that fought at the Battle of the Somme, in a large park-like setting with 28 Maple Trees with some nice stone benches.  After paying our respects, we took a couple of photos and sat for a while. We later returned at sunset to take it all in again.  The weirdest part - but it is true - Sara said she really liked it because it smelled like home.  I initially thought she was nuts but after a few deep inhales, had to agree.  I know it is illogical and makes no sense, but with eyes closed - the air smelled/felt like home.  We did not have this sense anywhere else today.  From this Memorial, you can look down on what was the Flers-Courcelette battlefield, but is now largely agricultural fields.  I found it difficult to envision the battlefield and mud and blood associated with this place.  The Canadians entered the Battle of the Somme on September 3, 1916 and finally left 3 months later after suffering over 24,000 casualties.  Nearby was a Memorial to mark the introduction of the armoured tank to the battlefield and honour those who were killed in the British Tank Corps.

This part of France is absolutely dotted with Memorials and WWI cemeteries.  I believe it is impossible to comprehend and appreciate the sacrifice, horror and loss that occurred here.  All of these battlefields that comprise the larger "Somme Battlefield" are situated along a 15 mile front.  This is less than the distance from Red Deer to Lacombe.  Over this distance, and 4 ½ months of fighting - there were in excess of 1 million casualties.  They talk of the ground here being soaked in blood (Sara didn't like that part).  Though we had no immediate personal connection, we stopped at and visited Memorials to the Australians (Pozierers), British, and Newfoundlanders.  

The Memorial to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was incredible.  I had seen pictures of the Caribou statue before, but the interpretative center, park, trenches and overall aura was both sad and inspiring.  On July 1st, 1916 - the first day of the Battle of the Somme - 780 Newfoundlanders went forward and after suffering a 90% casualty rate - fewer than 70 answered roll call the next morning.  Following WWI, to honour this sacrifice, this was the only British Regiment awarded the title "Royal" to its name.

Very close to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Memorial is the enormous British Memorial at Thiepval.  It honours the Missing of the Somme from Britain and South Africa.  This Memorial was visited by Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry this past July 1st.  It lists the almost 73,000 names of the missing in its granite walls.  This was a very sad place.

It was getting to be a long day, but I had to see the Lochnagar Crater since we were in the immediate vicinity.  It is important to remember that WWI had been grinding on for almost two years before the Battle of the Somme.  Over that time, both armies had become entrenched in this area along opposing lines.  The British Army tunnelled under the German front line and placed 60,000lbs of explosives with the plan to detonate the charge prior to initiating the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916.  At 7:28am that morning, the explosion occurred as planned.  It is said that a cloud of earth flew 4000 feet into the air and the explosion was heard as far away as London.  Sara's picture below is great, but doesn't really do justice to the size of this crater, 100 years later.  It is absolutely enormous, and was also a very sad place.

Finally, as the day ended, we returned to the Canadian Memorial as mentioned above and sat to enjoy the quiet with a coffee.  And to smell the "Canada" in the air.

A few things we learned today.

1.  Our rented European sports car can really go!  We have named it Andre.  Maybe a picture tomorrow.

2.  That awkward feeling when you do something that is engrained in your head.  Like looking the wrong way before crossing the street in London.  Today at the grocery store, I eventually caught myself looking at the French side of the container.  Flipping it around to find more French.  Then flipping it around again.  The clerk was looking at me like I'd lost my mind.  Only in Canada.

3.  Sara was so smooth today.  As we walked the streets of Albert, there was a group of French high school boys sitting on a stoop that we had to walk past.  None of them noticed me, and I kept walking.  My daughter however tripped on a soda can that was lying on the sidewalk.  Clearly she isn't quite ready for the catwalk.  She did get their attention though.

4.  The cure for carbonated water is occurring as I blog.  We have four 1 litre bottles of Perrier water.  Sara shook them all, and left the caps off overnight.  We'll see tomorrow.  Old Dad is a little skeptical.

5.  Sara bought a new phone this summer.  We may have to take it back.  Her GPS Google Maps lady is on crack.  Holy crap.  Maybe we can purchase an app where she gets a clue.  And I'm starting to think that besides being directionally challenged, she is also passive aggressive.  My phone's GPS lady on the other hand works just fine and gets us where we need to go.  I love her.  

Day 1 ½. September 25 and 26, 2016

With the long travel day and huge time change - these two days actually blend into one day for us.

The trip has started well.  Departing from YYC,  we arrived at the airport and rounding the corner saw the longest line that I had ever seen going through security.  For some reason, Sara and I were randomly and immediately pulled from this line with two other guys and put through the empty Nexus line.  No waiting.   Very likely ticked off 200 people.  Awesome!

We had an eight hour flight from Calgary to London Gatwick, followed by a short 1.5 hour flight from London Gatwick to Paris.  Rented a car and took the 1.5 hour drive up to Albert, France.  This town is a significant site in relation to the Canadians that fought during the First Word War.  Literally every Canadian that served for the first four years of the war marched through this town at least once.  As it specifically relates to our trip, Albert housed the initial Canadian Field Hospitals for the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.  It is likely, though I don't yet know for sure, that Tim Kelly would have been moved through Albert on his way to the Canadian General Hospital in Le Havre where he later died.  I hope to add more about Albert when we visit there this week.

It has been a terribly long day - but a few things that we learned today.

1.  No matter how annoying a father can be on an eight hour flight with repeated meowing, it is never OK to cover him in coffee during the flight.  Ever.
2.  Discount airlines are called that for a reason.  Service was great and we are here alive, but holy crap!  Day #1 already had an emergency run for hand sanitizer and handi-wipes.
3.  If you are going to rent a car and drive in a foreign country, it is advisable to double check that your daughter's GPS and Google Maps aren't set to "Pedestrian".  The route assigned is much more direct if you select the "Driving" settings.  On the bright side, we did get to see a number of small out-of-the-way French towns that all look like Saving Private Ryan was filmed there.  We literally went where no small Renault has probably ever been.  In hindsight, I appreciate that pedestrians can walk along the sidewalk going the wrong way on a one-way street.  It was however the cow pasture that brought the whole operation to a screeching halt.
4.  I had no idea how big the Eiffel Tower really is.  From the air, it dwarfs the Paris skyline.  I'd suspect that they had some sort of ordinance to keep it the biggest structure, but still very very impressive.
5.  After having travelled through London Heathrow a couple times in the past, I was looking forward to using the smaller and less congested London Gatwick Airport.  That was an eye opener.  It was super crazy busy.  Maybe more hectic than Heathrow.  My respect to the people that work there every day and somehow keep their sanity.  I found myself standing in a sweaty, moving mob - dreaming for the quiet, wide open spaces of home.  Since Sara and I both hate crowds, noise, and people in general, we were very happy to get out of there!
6.  Real authentic French bistro cheese is delicious.  Just don't smell it first.  Kinda like a ringette bag circa late March funk.  But if you can plug your nose -Mmmmmmmmmmm.

A beautiful day in Calgary to start our trip

Sara is sooooo happy that Dad is doing another Blog!

Timothy Kelly

This is the only picture that I am aware of Timothy Kelly  (Other than the family portrait below).  Both pictures are assumed to have been taken at the same time.  Timothy Kelly was born in Deptford, England in 1869.  His father was a ship builder with the British Royal Navy.  They immigrated to Canada in 1870 when Tim was a year old.  He grew up in Pembroke, Ontario where he met and later married Mary Brennan before moving to Lethbridge, NWT. in 1904.  Tim had several jobs in Lethbridge, but perhaps most noteworthy is the time he spent helping to construct the high level railroad bridge.  On September 30, 1915 he enlisted in the 82nd Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.  Even though at 46 he was too old to enlist, he lied about his age and signed up as a 43 year old recruit.  His early basic training occurred in Calgary, and later continued in England and France.  Due to the unimaginable loss of human life on the Somme - the 82nd Battalion was split up on arrival and the men were divided to fill holes in the Battalions already fighting.  Tim was reassigned to the 2nd Canadian Division, 6th Brigade, 31st (Alberta) Battalion, "C" Company, and moved to the front lines at the Battle of Courcelette on September 15th, 1916.  This date and location are historically important as "Zero Hour" on that day was not only Tim's entry to WWI, but it was also the first time that tanks were ever seen on a battlefield.  Interestingly, two of the tanks deployed in this battle were assigned to his Company - so he would have fought alongside of them on that historical day.  On September 30, 1916 - exactly one year to the day after he enlisted - Timothy died of a gunshot wound to the head at Le Havre France.  He left behind Mary and six small children.  Timothy is buried in Le Havre France at the Ste. Marie Cemetery.

The Kelly Family 1916

This photo is popular in the Kelly family, and was taken immediately before Timothy shipped overseas and into hell in 1916.  It was unusual for him to have been granted leave from training in Calgary to return home, but perhaps he was there for the birth of Timothy Jr in early 1916?  The family had lived in Lethbridge since 1904.  This portrait shows Tim and Mary with all six children; Mary, John, Timothy, Lucille, Michael(my Grandfather) and Corinne. 

Special thanks to Jim Kelly for providing this quality resolution copy.