William Selkirk Duff volunteered to go to France and was attached to the 4th Battalion going almost immediately into the trenches.  Duff had spent his boyhood in the villages of Cayuga and Jarvis.  Upon leaving school Duff entered the service of the Union Bank of Canada occupying positions in the branches at Cayuga, Canfield and Smithville.  At the time of his enlistment he held the position of accountant at the Pape and Danforth branch of the Bank of Commerce in Toronto.
He enlisted at Cayuga on February 19, 1916.  He stood 5' 6" tall, had blue eyes, dark hair, a fair complexion and no prior military experience.

(Research courtesy of Brendan Oliver.  Brendan was captivated by the soldier's story when he discovered a yellowed newspaper clipping at an auction sale.  He welcomes any stories or photographs related to the Duff family.)

Tomorrow:  William Selkirk Duff and the newspaper article from 1917 that captivated Brendan Oliver's heart.