The series consists of William Durie McLennnan’s correspondence, notebooks, and objects from the First World War; collected correspondence addressed to McLennan’s father-in-law, Frederic Lumb Wanklyn; and photographs of McLennan’s farm near Saint-Placide, Quebec, which was a compensation given to him as a result of his health issues arising from wartime gassing.

The series includes the following records created or collected by McLennan pertaining to his wartime service: a leather-bound notebook used in 1914; a typescript of the 1914 notebook; typed and handwritten personal correspondence; an article McLennan authored about the 5th Battery Association of 1914, published in the Montreal Gazette; a discharge certificate from the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Forces and war service badge certificate; various news clippings; and a metal screw used to remove the hair trigger on a Mannlicher gun. Other records in the series include black and white photographs; correspondence addressed to Frederic Lumb Wanklyn and signed by Wilfrid Laurier; and a copy of McLennan’s obituary, likely created by the 5th Battery Association of 1915.