This author’s thesis is based on a private collection of twenty two letters written home during the Second World War by his father, Harold Luther. The letters, written between 1942 and 1945, cover basic training in Canada, further training in England, and service in the European theatre, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Context for the soldier’s letters is developed by other primary sources, including photographs taken by Luther at the front with metadata of his handwriting on the back of the photographs. Luther’s military service record also provides context, and fills in the gaps of time between various sub groups of the letters. The letters reveal the social and cultural history of a young soldier who has survived the Great Depression in isolated rural western Canada, and how he reacted to and survived the profound social and cultural changes he experienced in wartime regarding personal and family disconnect, culture shock, and war trauma. The letters, combined with the photographs and metadata, and the military service documents, reveal various themes, including family dysfunction. They also reveal the myths of patriotism and masculinity, as reflected in a young citizen soldier volunteer’s ambivalence to being part of overseas military service, when he could have received a farm exemption. The analysis of the letters is augmented with archival research about Canada’s Second World War effort, including official Government of Canada sites. In addition, the author uses oral history evidence through oral interviews with family members and friends who had conversations with Luther and his girlfriend regarding the war years, as further context for Luther’s letters. The oral history evidence is also comprised of this author’s personal memories from conversations with Luther and his girlfriend regarding stories that provide context for events set out in the letters. Luther’s letters are also compared to edited collections of letters, diaries and interviews of other Second World War soldiers from various backgrounds. Historical monographs and journal articles provide further historical context and commentary. Luther’s letters, photographs and military service records provide a unique Canadian Prairie West perspective of a young soldier’s experience.