December 18, 1916 Letter #51 "The Joke's on Me"

C.A.M.C Training School
Dibgate Camp
Shorncliff England

Envelope Dec 18th, 1916

Dear Mother

I am just awaiting orders to transfer to a medical depot to dispense and expect to leave here in the course of the next day or so it will be a decent climate but I cant say if it will be as good a job as I left but a fellow can always transfer back here if he does not like it. If I keep on transferring from one place to another I will get a name of being a kind of a wandering Jew but by gosh I am going to keep on moving till I get a place that I like and then I will stay there till duration of the war.

Things in general are just as usual; drafts are coming in and going out every day some to France and others to various Hospitals etc. in England. Some of the fellows that are just coming over from Canada are not getting any leave here at all but are rushed right over to France so I guess by Spring there will be one awful host of men across the channel and the big event is expected.

Now that Lloyd George has the prime ministers job the English people expect something great to take place in the Spring or as soon as the weather over there is permissible.

You remember that last letter I wrote you about having one more week to put in on twenty cents a day. Well I loused it that very afternoon I was doing (piquet) duty on a hut that was Quarantined for measles. Some of the boys I knew very well and of course when they asked me if they could run up to the corner and get some eatables I said “Yes”. They were seen by one of our Officers and I got five days confined to Barracks the result being “Bang went my twenty cents a day for another 6 months.

Gee the fellows are sticking there heads in the door about every three or four minutes laughing and kidding me about it. It sure is some joke but sorry to say the joke is on me that’s what I don’t like about it. It simply means that I wont be able to afford a day or so pass for six months however it sure is a great way to save money but most inconvenient.

A couple of the boys that I chum around with here are going out to a hospital as orderlies. They were just told they had to go a few minutes ago Gee they are running around here swearing like the devil, mad as wet hens, you see if you are not an x-ray man, a dispenser or something like that they shift you out of here to any old place but if you are connected with either of those lines they try to place you as such as there is such a big demand for us fellows.
Well Mother remember me to Dad and V-V and write to the above address.
Love Chas
PS: I will let you know my new address the very first day I get there. Chas.

 

December 11, 1916 Letter #50 from Shorncliff, England

C.A.M.C Training School

Dibgate Camp

Shorncliff England

Dec 11th 1916

Dear Mother

Just received your letter this a.m. and needless to say I was delighted to hear from you.  You were asking me about this money too, well I have had several letters from different people in Winnipeg all congratulating me on my good fortune but funny to say I have heard nothing about it from anybody who seems to know where it is coming from and when I get it.  Personally I think they are trying to kid me.

          As you see by the above address I at last made the move and am certainly glad to get away from there.  I think if I had the choice between there and the pole I would take the North Pole.  As yet you have not sent me V-V’s address and I can’t write her till I know where she lives.

This camp is situated not far from where I was stationed when I came back from Canada.  It is a great deal nicer climate and it certainly is not so cold and wet.  They tell me that Jim Ross was killed the other day, just imagine the last letter he wrote me he was trying to arrange to meet me in London when he came over on leave. 

          You said dad was figuring on joining the army when he gets here they won’t let him to France as forty three is the age limit and they are returning a bunch from here that are older than that.  As yet I cannot say where or when I am leaving here but I guess it will be in the near future.

So Richmond’s wife only stopped a few days, maybe if it was just in time to get married you know there is something strange between those two and long long while ago I formed my own conclusions on very good authority but it's none of our business and we should worry and they tell me that Ireland is the Candi Kid now.  Well if words could kill a man Ireland would have been dead long ago.  What do you think.

Did I tell you that I got mad one day and took the afternoon off so they put me on twenty cents a day for three months and it is up in about one week.  Gee just imagine me living on twenty cents a day never the less I did and made out all right.  You see after three months good conduct they release you.  So just one more week.  Mother this sure has been one great old experience and one that will be remembered to the end of my days.

Well Mother remember me to V-V and Dad and write when you can.

Love

Chas

Charley's friend, Jim ( James Ross ) is the family friend Charley's been looking forward to visiting with. Jim had been employed by Charley's mom and dad when they owned hotels back in Saskatchewan before the war. Like Charley, Jim signed up in 1914 and was serving as a Sergeant with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles, Saskatchewan Regiment.

I'm sorry we don't know more about Jim Ross. I have no photograph of him. It would be wonderful to connect with any of his descendants. Jim was killed in action at Thiepval Ridge on September 28th 1916 and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial.

Bill Barry and the Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial Project Inc share an online tribute "In memory of Sergeant James Ross " https://goo.gl/7WWAZ6 

The Vimy Memorial in France remembers those Canadians who lost their lives and have no known graves. Inscription – Jim's name as it is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial. Over 11,000 fallen Canadians having no known place of burial in France, are honoured on this Memorial. May they never be forgotten.