And on the home front ... |
January 12, 1915
France
Dear Mother
Just had a letter from
Aunt Rache, and she was saying that you are all the time fretting. Well there is absolutely no occasion for that
as I am just as safe here as at home, and if you saw me with a mustache and as fat
as a pig you would laugh yourself sick.
Answered Lavinia's letter tonight she will sure be surprised to hear from
me. I could not think of any thing of
interest to tell her but I did the best I could. It seems too bad that Albert has such hard
luck with his investments but they might not be always that way.
By the time you get this letter you will have heard about our boys at
the front. And I guess they will bash a few Huns Helmets too. It’s great to
see the spirit between the English and the French. It would surprise you to see how many of the
French can sing “It’s a long way to Tipperary” and it would make you laugh to
hear some of the kids trying to sing when they know absolutely no English.
It is quite a topic of
the day over here about the states and Italy but I guess you hear more about
them than we do. Sometimes I think they
are going to be mixed up in it too, and at other times it seems impossible for
the states to get in it.
The boys are all gathered round playing the gramophone that the nurses
gave us for a Xmas gift. Aunt Rachie's
parcel contained cigarettes, socks and handkerchiefs. She sent my favourite brand of Turkish
cigarettes. I guess I made such a mess around her house with them that she could
not forget even the name of them.
It is funny there is not
much action at the front on either side seems they are waiting for some big
event to come off and when it does “Let's hope it will be in our favour". I am learning more French here in the short
period we have been here than I ever learnt at College and the pronunciation is
all together different to what they teach you in Canada.
Mother when the war is
finished you want to be sure and send me your peoples address in Scotland as it
is quite probable that we will be able to get leave for a week or so and I
would sure like to see these Scotchmen that you speak so much about.
As yet we have had no
Canuck wounded but I guess about the first lot of them as we are
established. Every day puts us further
away from the Germans by the time the Canucks get going they will be along way
from here. Well Mother Remember me to
Father and tell him to spare a few minutes to drop a fellow a line or two. As I am always anxious to hear from any of
you.
Bye Bye
Chas
and on the home front ...
This 17 page magazine (which opens as PDF) is worth a read.