'Doing Our Bit': War stories from Brantford soldiers

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, or as it was initially called, Armistice Day.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the First World War ended.

That was 97 years ago. Vincent Ball is bringing old personal stories of the First World War to life in a new play. It's called "Doing Our Bit" and features the experiences of actual Brantford residents who fought overseas 100 years ago.

Ball is a reporter with the Brantford Expositor and he was able to use his work as a reporter to learn about the stories of these old soldiers. 

Here's his interview with Craig Norris, host of The Morning Edition at CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. Listen to the full interview by clicking the image at the top of this page. Or read below an edited and abridged transcript of the conversation Norris had with Ball Tuesday morning.

Q:  Why did a journalist at the newspaper want write a play about the First World War? 

I've been writing these articles at the newspaper about both world wars, but mostly about the First World War. I've got a partnership going with a local librarian who spent years researching the stories of the people of Brantford and Brant County and their contributions to the first world war. I'm also part of the Great War Centenery Association, a group dedicated to commemorating those who fought and died. I was looking for a way of engaging as many people as possible. I thought a play would be the best way to do it. 

Q: Tell me about the title. Why did you call it, Doing Our Bit? 

You'll see that phrase throughout the letters home. Something like 'I'm afraid. I don't really want to go back but if I have to, I shall, for after all I must do our bit." That phrase is in so many different letters that were written at the time. It's also the name of the website for the Great War Centenery Association: www.doingourbit.ca which is the source material for the play.

Q: Who are some of the real-life Brantford residents you feature?

John Cobden was a Brantford police officer born in England but came here to build a new life for himself. When the war broke out, because he was a reservist in England, he was automatically sent back to fight. One day he's patrolling the streets of Brantford and the next day he's on the front lines. He was there very quickly and one of the first people to go. Another man was Arthur Barnes. He, like Cobden, was a member of the Coldstream Guards. He and Cobden were there together when Barnes was killed. He was the first Brantford person to get killed in the First World War. Cobden wrote letters home. He described the battlefield. He described the conditions they lived in. He's a wonderful writer. He also described the death of Barnes. 

Q: What are the challenges of writing a story about real people?

You have so much good source material that you want to share but it's difficult to narrow it down and you have to tie them all together. You mix the fictional characters in the play with the real people to tie the stories together.

This is a first time for me. We came to the point where we did the audition and I was there for that but after that the producer took over and I backed away to let him produce the play. 

Show time: Tuesday Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m. Cost $30 at the Sanderson Centre.