Barrie Examiner Sept 1916, photo by CJ Scott Private Emerson Watson Armstrong, 20th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Forces, born in Allandale, Ontario December 21, 1896 to William  Armstrong and Johanna Reynolds (Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series Registration of Births and Stillbirths 1869-1913, reel 134; Record Group: RG 80-2).     According to his military records acquired from Library and Archives Canada, he enlisted with the 20th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force in Toronto, Ontario November 29, 1914; just a few weeks prior to his 19th birthday.   War Diaries from LAC further confirm that the 20th battalion left in May 1915 on the SS Megantic , however the first letter received by his mother Johanna was dated October 4, 1914 with a note of "In Belgium" .  Based on the contents of the letter it could be as simple as him loosing all track of time and maybe wishing he was somewhere else.  Or was he living in a nightmare?  He states on page 3 shown