June 30th 1916, Letter # 44 Raining in Derbyshire

Can Red Cross Special Hospital

Buxton

Derbyshire England

June 30, 1916

Dear Mother

            Still raining. This darn country is worse than BC in winter time, when it is not raining it is trying to.  A person has to be half duck to like this climate.  I am sending you a picture in a day or so.  I had one all ready the other day then all at once I changed my mind and destroyed it.  But some of these days when I think I can stand you laughing at it, I will send one.

          I had paid my perfectly good cash in advance or else he could of kept them.  They are absolutely rotten and when I look at myself I have to laugh.  However it is me in a government issue.

          

I suppose you are busy as can be.  This job of mine is sure all right for experience but it is one awful tour.  I have the dispensary all fixed up now and things are runny pretty smooth.  It will soon be time for the results of the Exams. I sincerely hope the kid gets through but even if she did fail it would not be her fault as she has not had teachers etc.

         

Tell Dad that I was talking to an English soldier the other day who had been in Dauphin. I told him I had been once or twice and he wanted to know if I knew the big white curly headed man that used to run a hotel, I said that I knew him slightly.   I afterwards learned that he used to work for Bol Cruise. 

Remember me to Dad and VV

Love Chas

There is no photo of Charley in his Government issue but we do have this picture of "the big white curly haired man" Charley's stepdad; Marmaduke.

 

 

Photo: canadaatwar.ca  "Canadians at the Somme in 1916, with troops leaving front-line trenches while relief units moved in to take over."  Follow the link to read about 'Canadians on the Somme' while Charley works at the Red Cross Hospital in Derbyshire.