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Gordon McSpadden Craig fonds
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Fonds
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Physical description
1 cm of textual records. - 12 photographs. - 1 album (55 photographs, 3 items of textual records)
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Biographical history
Gordon McSpadden Craig, known in his military records as 411167 Gordon Craig, was born on 7 February 1895 in Belfast, Ireland. In 1904 he emigrated with his family to Vancouver, BC. He was apparently a student at McGill University College of British Columbia (later University of British Columbia) when he enlisted in the McGill University Company of the Canadian Army on 27 April 1915. He trained at Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario, and was transferred to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in the field on 28 July 1915. He was captured in battle on 2 June 1916 and was held prisoner of war until 6 December 1918. He returned to Vancouver and became an entrepreneur, proprietor of Gordon Craig Radios at 637 Richards Street. In 1920 he married Vera Maude Giberson, and they lived in the upper-middle-class West Kitsilano district. They had three daughters, Patricia Gladys (Whyte), Vera Eileen, and Clodagh. Gordon retired from his business in 1944 and died from heart failure on 5 July, 1949.
Custodial history
Accession A2015.007 was donated by Clodagh Craig of Victoria, BC, to PPCLI Regimental Headquarters in June 2014. It was transferred to PPCLI Archives in January 2015. Accession A2019.129 was offered for sale at a neighborhood garage sale sponsored by The Victorian at McKenzie Retirement Centre, ca. 2009. At the end of the sale it was left unclaimed. A resident of the Centre. Karl Chizeck, determined that PPCLI was the proper repository for the papers. They were mailed by the Centre to PPCLI Regimental Headquarters, which forwarded them to the PPCLI Archives, 2019.
Scope and content
The fonds includes Gordon Craig's documents while he was a prisoner of war at Stendal, Germany. Includes an album consisting mostly of postcard photographs of fellow prisoners. Includes a note indicating that Craig was bayonetted while carrying Maj Stanley Jones off the battlefield. Includes a presumed high school graduation portrait of Gordon Craig; and album pages showing Gordon with his friends, and training at Niagara-on-the-Lake with the 1st University Company. Includes a letter, Clifford T. Jones (brother of Maj Stanley L. Jones) to William McSpadden expressing appreciation for Craig's kindness to Stanley Jones while in prison camp.
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Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Photographs may be reproduced or published only with permission of PPCLI Museum and Archives.
Finding aids
No finding aid.
Associated materials
Gordon Craig's Army paybook is held in PPCLI Museum Collections.