Special Collections, Waterloo Library
Archival Resources : Finding Aid

This is a finding aid. It is a description of a collection of archival material held in the Special Collections department at the University of Waterloo Library.

Prepared by archival staff, finding aids provide a history of the person or organization that produced the collection, an overview of the collection, and a detailed list of the collection's contents. Finding aids are used by researchers to determine whether materials within a collection may be relevant to their research and to identify files that may hold items of interest.

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GA 190 : H. Stanley Smart fonds.

H. Stanley Smart fonds. - 1942-[after 1945]. - 12.5 cm of textual records.

 

Harold Stanley Smart (1918-1977) was a Lance Sergeant in the 2nd Canadian Survey Regiment, No. 2 Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit, stationed in England during World War II. Born in Grassie, Ontario, to Frank and Edith (McLeod) Smart, Stanley had a fraternal twin brother Stuart, older siblings Murray and Kathleen, and younger siblings Norman and Helen. He joined the army ca. April 29, 1942, as a Gunner in the 1st Canadian Survey Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of Lance Bombardier and transferred to the 2nd Survey Regiment, and eventually became a Lance Sergeant. He spent most of his time during the war in England, but also did tours of duty and spent time on leave in France, Belgium, and Holland. After the war, Stanley worked for McKinnon Brothers in St. Catharines, Ontario, which became a division of General Motors. On October 7, 1950, he married Helen Josephine Scammell and they had two children: David Stuart and Marie Helen. (Source: content of the fonds and material provided by donor.)


Contents: fonds consists of the correspondence of H. Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, written while he was stationed in England during World War II. Includes letters, airgraph letters, postcards, a telegram, and a roll of honour. The correspondence covers Smart's time in Europe from the first letter after his arrival in England (dated December 20, 1942) to the last letter before he sailed back to Canada (dated December 19, 1945), and describes his daily activities, training, social outings, leaves, health, and general news about the war.

 

Title from content of the fonds.
The extent is measured in linear metres of shelf space occupied by the fonds.
Donated in 2008.
Fonds is arranged chronologically.
Detailed finding aid available.

 

File 1
Correspondence : December, 1942 - February, 1943. - 1942-1943.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from December 20, 1942 to February 27, 1943. Includes 19 letters with original envelopes, 3 airgraph letters, and 1 postcard. Correspondence is addressed to his mother or to mother and family; a letter to Aunt Ella is also included.

 

File 2
Correspondence : March - April, 1943. - 1943.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from March 1, 1943 to April 30, 1943. Includes 16 letters with original envelopes (some with stamps), 1 airgraph letter, and 1 telegram. Correspondence is addressed to his mother or to mother and family.

 

File 3
Correspondence : May - June, 1943. - 1943.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from May 1, 1943 to June 27, 1943. Includes 15 letters with original envelopes (most with stamps) and 1 airgraph letter. Correspondence is addressed to his mother or to mother and family.

 

File 4
Correspondence : July - August, 1943. - 1943.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from July 6, 1943 to August 28, 1943. Includes 17 letters with original envelopes, 3 airgraph letters, and 1 postcard. Correspondence is addressed to his mother or to mother and family; a letter to Dad is also included.

 

File 5
Correspondence : September - December, 1943. - 1943.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from September 4, 1943 to December 30, 1943. Includes 30 aerograms (with stamps) and letters with original envelopes (some with stamps) and 1 airgraph letter. Correspondence is addressed to his mother or to mother and family; also included are a letter to Dad and a letter from Smart's friend Elise to Mrs. Smart.

 

File 6
Correspondence : 1944. - 1944.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from January 2 to December 25, 1944. Includes 60 aerograms and letters with original envelopes and stamps, addressed to his mother or to mother and family.

 

File 7
Correspondence : 1945. - 1945.
Contents: file consists of correspondence from Stanley Smart to his family in Grassie, Ontario, from January 1 to December 19, 1945. Includes 48 letters with original envelopes and aerograms with stamps. Correspondence is addressed to his mother; also included are a letter to Helen and a letter to Norman.

 

File 8
Roll of honour. - [after 1945].
Contents: file consists of a roll of honour containing the names and ranks of members of the Second Canadian Survey Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (First Canadian Army) who were killed in action and wounded during the war. Verso contains an ms. list of names, ranks, and dates and locations [of deaths], divided by country (France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany).