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Learn what was it like to be a young Canadian naval officer in the early twentieth century.
In the early twentieth century, young Royal Canadian Navy officers were required to maintain a daily journal. In 2007, Helen Edwards found four intact journals covering her father-in-law’s Royal Canadian Navy service between 1916 and 1929. Written on an almost daily basis, the journals give an idea of everyday life in the navy during the early twentieth century. The entries also include personal activities so give insight into the social history of the era. Learn what it was like to be under fire in the Mediterranean during the Dardanelles campaign and the realities of being at sea for extended periods of time without fresh food. The personal entries give an insight into the social life of young naval officers, particularly in the Roaring Twenties when they were in high demand at dinner parties, dances, and sporting events.
From 1916 when Canada was fighting World War I to the post-war period, and concluding with the roaring twenties, this book covers both naval and social history of a key period in Canada’s emergence as a nation.
In the course of her research, Helen created additional material to enhance the journals and put their events in context. She researched and prepared listings of both the ships listed in the journals, including their country of origin and a short description of each and for all the locations cited with their current name (as many have been changed) and where they are found on a world map. A glossary defines naval terms and makes it easier to understand the naval terminology.
Helen notes: “That the diaries had survived the myriad of moves a naval family makes is a minor miracle. Doubly amazing is the fact we also found photographs that enhanced his story. Transcribing and researching his journals has been some of the most thought-provoking work of my life. Each day brings new discoveries, but none can top the day we found these journals.”
Synopsis for Dutchy’s Diaries: Life as a Canadian naval officer—in his own words: 1916-1929.
To learn more, visit www.DutchysDiaries.ca and www.EdwardsHeritageConsulting.ca.
About Helen Edwards
BYLINE BIO: Helen Edwards is the principal of Edwards Heritage Consulting, a historian, and the author of two books. She writes about history and genealogy from a highly personal perspective. To learn more, visit www.DutchysDiaries.ca and www.EdwardsHeritageConsulting.ca.
BROADCAST BIO: Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a young officer in the Royal Canadian Navy in the early twentieth century? Learn first-hand from journal entries recorded on an almost-daily basis by John C I “Dutchy” Edwards. Helen Edwards has transcribed the journals, word for word, and added additional material to bring the accounts into context.
FULL BIO: Helen Edwards has lived in Victoria, BC, Canada all her life and has worked as a historian there for decades. Her first book, The History of Professional Hockey in Victoria, 1911-2011, was written after seven years of detailed research. Published in 2019, it details every professional hockey game ever played in Victoria and features biographies of selected players. Also included are data on each season with complete statistics of each season, some of which have never been compiled before. A copy of this book has found a home at the Hockey Hall of Fame Archives in Toronto.
Her second book, Dutchy’s Diaries: Life as a Canadian naval officer—in his own words: 1916-1929, is a transcription of journals maintained by her father-in-law, John Crispo Inglis “Dutchy” Edwards. In the early twentieth century, young naval officers were required to maintain a daily journal. The author found four journals in an old trunk and has transcribed them so readers can learn what day-to-day life was like for a young officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. From 1916 when Canada was fighting World War I to the post-war period, and concluding with the roaring twenties, this book covers both naval and social history of a key period in Canada’s emergence as a nation. The entries also include personal activities so give insight into the social history of the era. Learn what it was like to be under fire in the Mediterranean during the Dardanelles campaign and the realities of being at sea for extended periods of time without fresh food. All the source material for this book is now in the custody of Library and Archives Canada where it will be cared for and will be available to researchers of the future. To learn more, visit www.DutchysDiaries.ca and www.EdwardsHeritageConsulting.ca.
Suggested Interview Questions
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How did Dutchy inspire you while you were writing the book?
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Can you tell us how to care for artifacts like these journals?
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How can you date articles is there is no date on the clipping or article?
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How has life changed for young people from the beginning of the twentieth century to the beginning of the twenty-first?
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What should people do with old journals, letter, and photographs that they find? How do you know if they are good enough to put into a book?
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How do you ensure that materials you find are historically accurate?
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What should you do with historically important documents that you find in family papers?
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I want to write a book. What are the most important things to remember as a writer?
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How do you build a support team?
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When do you write? Is it easier to write in the morning or at night?
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What’s next for you?
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Where can we buy the book?
Contact Helen Edwards
Note: This online press kit and contact form are intended for use by the media. If you are not a member of the media and are interested in finding out more about Helen Edwards, please visit her public websites at www.DutchysDiaries.ca and www.EdwardsHeritageConsulting.ca. Thank you!
Email: heritagelady@gmail.com