Charley's visits 'his bear' at the London Zoo, it's his kid sister's birthday and his first zeppelin raid

London S.W.  April 29 1916

Dear Mother

dingeengoete.blogspot.com 
The raid of January 31, 1916, by nine zeppelins 
was one of the largest Britain saw during the war. 
The Germans bombed the West Midlands
towns of Bradley, Tipton, Wednesbury and Walsall.

          Well I have had the first experience of being in a zeppelin raid and seeing them in action they dropped a few bombs and killed a few people but it did no material damage.  There were women and girls fainting on every corner.  I myself rather enjoyed the situation.  
At the corner of the street to where I billet the police had the proprietor of a Saloon open the bar and about four of us were carrying out Brandy to the women who had fainted, after the zepp had gone, the police ambulances came up and we loaded about thirty women in them and that ended the zepp raid as far as I was concerned. 

http://greatwarproject.org  

“British policewomen are pictured running and spreading 

the “Zeppelin” alarm in London to notify of an air raid.  

Tell Your Friends!” 1916

          How is everything in general.  Tell V-V I thought of her on her Birthday and what us kids were doing the first 29 of April I saw her.  

          Is Dad going to get in much crop this year.  Potatoes are worth 5 cents a lb here and the old timers tell me that the living is just about three times what it used to be but it is a fact you can get Board in Winnipeg a lot cheaper than you can get it here.

          As yet we have not got this place properly going yet although I have been awfully busy on the books and as I never had any knowledge of Surgical Instruments it sure gives me all the work that I can handle and the Officer in Charge don’t know anything about Instruments either, but I will manage all right. 

          As yet there has been no promotions as we are not a separate unit yet but I am recognized as senior so when they do come through I will be first.  That sounds pretty good doesn’t it.

          
      There are a great many things to see in this town and I guess if a person was to live here for years he wouldn’t see half the historic sights etc.  I saw the little Bear that we bought on our road to Valcartier, it is in the zoo and on the fence around it is this inscription.

          "The Mascot of the 10^th Brave Canadians who have so Nobly fought for the Empire."  I told some of the people that I had a share in that bear and of all the foolish questions that they asked me, they think that in Western Canada you can stand on your back door step and shoot hundreds of them.

          Well Mother I have got to get busy now I have three invoices to check off and enter so remember me to Dad and VV and write soon.  Love Chas

Harry Coleburn and Winnie the Bear

I have reason to believe that when Harry Coleburn bought his bear on the way to Valcartier that some of the other men he was travelling with would have pitched in a coin or two to make up the $20 price tag. $20 would be just under $400 dollars today. Charley was travelling by train from Winnipeg at the same time as Harry Coleburn and Charley was attached with the officers when he first arrived in Valcartier as part of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. I believe that Charley contributed some money to Harry's purchase of Winnie the Pooh.

I have contacted the London Zoo to verify the inscription Charley mentions and have not yet had any luck. If anyone, perhaps other people who have personal letters or photos from Canadian soldiers of the 1st WW with any mentions of bears at the zoo or have any clues ... it would be great to share notes.

"The London Zoo stopped bringing in animals during the Great War, it did receive one new arrival – a bear named Winnie who had been brought over as a mascot by Canadian troops". See more at http://goo.gl/596icj

Doctor Harry Coleburn: When World War One broke out in August 1914, Coleburn was already a trained officer and immediately offered his services to his country. Subsequently, he was given leave of absence from the Department of Agriculture and left Winnipeg on August 23rd 1914, bound for Valcartier, Quebec. While enroute to Valcartier, he was detached from the 34th Fort Garry Horse and transferred to the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps. (C.A.V.C.)

On the 24th of August, the train stopped at White River, Ontario where Harry purchased a small black female bear cub for the sum of $20 from a hunter who had killed her mother. Shortly after this, Harry named his little cub "Winnie" after the City of Winnipeg, his home-town. On September 12th 1914, he was taken on strength of the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade Headquarters under the command of Lt. Colonel Arthur W. Currie who was later on to become the commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
http://www.fortgarryhorse.ca/HTML/winnie-the-bear.html

Today, April 29th would have been Charley's little sister; Vida Valerie's 17th birthday. Seems a fitting day to make this connection between Charley Bailey and Winnie the Pooh.
Happy Birthday VV.  She's the one who saved Charley's letters. 

Vida Valerie Perrin (nee Lloyd)
Born: April 29th, 1899 Brandon Manitoba
Died: Sept 20, 1982 Summerland, British Columbia

April 17th, 1916 Letter #38 Working at the Medical Stores Depot in London

April 17^th, 1916

Room 1, 14 Great Smith St

Can Med Adv Depot

London S.W.

Dear Mother

I am ashamed of myself for not answering your letter before but I have been so unsettled that really I did not know what I was going to do or where I was going to be.

My old Colonel that I was with in France recommended me for this position in London and I think before long I will have my old rank back again. At least that is what the Commanding officer at Southampton told me.  He said Bailey you don’t have to go but it will mean a good thing for you and you will in short time have charge of the Stores in London which will mean two or three promotions for you.  And you can bet I am after all I can that trip to Winnipeg kind of made me sit up and take notice.

          Had a letter from Aunt Rach and she said she was sending me a parcel.  She also said that if she had of thought I was not coming up to see her Xmas time Uncle Jim would have come down to Winnipeg to see me.  Of course that kind of talk sounds good four thousand miles away.

Tell V-V I am getting to be quite a French scholar and to keep writing in French as it is good practice for both of us.  I will write when I get settled here, more often, in the meantime remembrance to Dad and V-V.

Love Chas

 

The War Diaries are invaluable in that they provide a first-hand account of what the various units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force experienced in the First World War. Military researchers, genealogists and teachers can access the War Diary database and study the authentic military records to gain an understanding of Canada's role and experience.

New recruits, big guns and roller skates ~ March 22nd, 1916 Letter #37

March 22^nd, 1916

21 Cranbury Place

Southampton England

Dear Mother

          Here's another.  I guess you will wonder if I am sick or what is the trouble having two letters so close to one another.  How is everything now, is it as cold as ever. It has been raining here for weeks and the damp air seems to go through a person who is not used to this climate.

          Had a letter from Aunt Rach the other day and she was saying Annie was going to have another little commercial traveler around the house, her troubles are about to start.

          Gee there has been a bunch of troops go through here the last few days thousands every day leave for the front.

         I was told the other day by a steward off one of the big freighters that his last trip he took over a bunch of big heavy artillery guns that would carry a shell for 28 miles. 

 8 inches (204 mm) heavy guns in battery on the Somme in 1916

When they get a bunch of those out there they sure should be able to do some damage.

          Everybody that is fit for service here has a uniform on and it is great fun watching some of them new recruits drilling, you see us fellows feel like old soldiers now.

          
        We some times go down here to the roller rink and me not having anything but ice skates on thought I could manage all right but you should of saw me, all these English girls and fellows were all around me to see the Canadian skate.  The darn things kept slipping away on me. After nearly breaking my neck and other places on my carcass to numerous to mention I gave it up for a bad job.

 Charlie Chaplin on roller skates in his 1916 Film 'The Rink'

 

          Well Mother are you going to get any more grain in this summer than last.  I hope it is a better year. The people of this country are sure going through hardship, the living is just about double what it is in peace time. 

Dinner is just about ready so I will drop a line about the middle of the week. Remember me to Dad and V-V.  With love from Chas

 

 

 

 _______________________________________

Charlie Chaplin On Roller Skates: photo from www.CharlieChaplin.com   Notes By Jeffrey Vance, adapted from his book Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema (New York, 2003) (c) 2009 Roy Export SAS

Large Artiller: Photo from Pinterest referenced to www.warhistoryonline.com "8 inches (204 mm) heavy guns in battery on the Somme in 1916"

Comfort and Conscription. Letter #36 March 1st, 1916

March 1^st, 1916 

21 Cranbury Place

Southampton

Dear Mother

          This is about the eighth letter I have started to write in the last couple of weeks and before I have posted them I have changed my address but I think this will be permanent till the end of the war.

          I am here with the Base Medical Depot there are just seven of us and we are all billeted throughout the city and are allowed to eat at wherever we stay.  So you see it is quite all right.  It is by far the best job I have had since joining the Army.

          Conscription comes into effect on March 2^nd and believe me there are sure a lot of the shirkers doing their best to get means to be exempt but very few manage.   
  

Very sorry to hear of Pa’s misfortune but I guess by the time this gets to you that he will be all okay again.  V-V is sure some Scholar when it comes to French. They must have had a great time when the sleigh upset by the way she described it.  I think that she rather enjoyed.

All Canadians on their way to the front have to leave from here and I have a chance of seeing a quite a lot of the boys I know.  There was a Winnipeg Regiment went out of here the other night and it sure was a good outfit.

          We are the only Canadians that are stationed here and naturally they use us very good.  Well Mother I am going home for dinner now.  So you will hear from me a little more regular now as I am here for awhile.  Remembrance to Dad and V-V.  With love from

Chas

Charlie seems to have at least one guardian angel watching over him during these war years. His first letter from England in October 1914 shares this moment: "The Canadian soldiers are getting a great welcome here. When we were waiting for our trains at Plymouth, there were thousands there cheering us. One old lady came over and talked to me. When I left she threw her arms around me, kissed me and said “ God Bless you my little man.”

He must feel God Blessed right now with his position in Southampton; living in comfortable, clean quarters, regular meals, real food; when he could as easily have been sent back to France or straight to a casualty clearing station. 

There are scant few letters from these first months of 1916 and I wouldn't fault Charley for enjoying himself a little.  After two years of service in France he will have seen a lot of boys at hospital wounded and broken and far, far too many dead.

His address at 21 Cranbury can be found on Google maps although of course the scene is one hundred years on.  His digs were about 8 blocks from the Itchen river.  

I learned that in the mid 1900's the Cranbury Place area was designated a Conservation Area. 

The document explains that "the area contains, within a relatively small area, several groups of distinctive buildings of special architectural or historic interest.  The abundance of trees in Cranbury Place makes a positive contribution to the Conservation Area. The inherent character of Cranbury Place Conservation Area lies in its simple but dignified Georgian style terraces."


Noted in The Hampshire Independent on 20 February 1852, when the property and its’ contents were being auctioned off, a neigbouring residence, No.14 Cranbury Place was described as an excellent and commanding residence with a good garden, front and back kitchen, scullery, larder, butler’s pantry, breakfast parlour, dining and drawing rooms, four good bedrooms and the usual domestic offices. The house was highly furnished with enriched cornices, marble chimney pieces in all the principal rooms and all the necessary fixtures. 

Charley would be quite comfortable for the time being. And coming from his point of view, rightfully indignant of 'the shirkers' in their midst.

Charley has a new posting. February 1916 Letter #35

Feb 1^st, 1916

C.A.M.C. Depot

Sandgate, Kent, England

Dear Mother

I have got some job now.  I am Sanitary Police, can you imagine me as a policeman.  You see all the men in houses through out the town and go around every morning to see if all these houses are in a Sanitary Condition and if they are not I am supposed to arrest them.  Gee I couldn’t arrest a man if he was a murderer.

Things are as usual.  Very nice weather etc. As I was telling you in my last letter that I expect to get a job as dispenser in one of these hospitals shortly.  I went to the Sgt Major and explained that I was an experienced man in that line and he told me that as soon as he heard of a vacancy in that capacity he would send me.

          I suppose V-V is still going to school in Holland.  I went to the paymaster here and told him that I wanted the allowance of 20 a month to go to my sister who was depending on me but when he looked up papers he told me he was afraid he could do nothing.  However I am going to try again just as soon as I get with another Paymaster.

Another of the old boys from No 2 arrived here this morning.  He is in pretty bad shape.  This morning when I was making my rounds, I met a battalion on a route march some of them yelled out “Hello Chuck” but I couldn’t get a look at them but it would likely be some of the Dauphin boys who would call me Chuck, because over here all I get is C.R.

          Well Mother, I have to go to work as it is just about two.  Remember me to Dad and V-V and tell Dad I will write him a letter in a day or so.

          

Lovingly

Chas

The Sanitary Police are responsible for--

1. The preparation and care of latrines and urinals, including the filling in of the same and marking of old sites.
2. The systematic collection, removal, and disposal of refuse by burning or other method.
3. The construction of ablution places and the disposal of waste water.
4. The sanitation of cooking places, horse and mule lines and slaughtering places, in the area occupied by the unit.
The Regimental Sanitary Police are detailed from the strength of the unit, and are vested with the authority of military police for the better performance of their duties. They are under the Regimental Quartermaster for their employment, but the Medical Officer will direct their efforts from the sanitary point of view.

Medical Services in the field - Sanitation and Hygiene)
Sandgate postcard

Been a while ... Letter #34 Early January 1916

Early January 1916

Medical Depot

Sandgate, Kent, England

Dear Mother

          You must forgive me for not writing previously for I have been so terribly busy we got here all okay and have returned to duty.  The trip was fine the only thing that was wrong was the last couple of days we were not allowed to take off our clothes as there were submarines around and when the alarm came half the fellows near went mad, but I took my time and came out alright - some got their legs crushed in the rush.

          Well Mother how are the horses now and did you have that dance you were talking about having .  I am all choked up with the grippe just now.  But I guess I will be alright in a day or so.  I met a bunch of the old boys from France and we were sure glad to see each other.  I wrote to Major Staples in Winnipeg and I might get off all right when he comes over here.

          I guess I could get a commission under him but it is in the Infantry and you know how much I like the Infantry.  However time will tell.  

Is V-V still going to the school in Holland.

I met Ruby and Ernie in Montreal and when I left them at the depot poor Ruby nearly cried, well Mother do you ever hear from the new Mrs Ireland and how they are getting on.

Well Mother I am going to lunch now.  So remembrance to V-V and Dad and write soon

Lovingly

Chas

An update January 1916

Charley volunteered in August 1914 as a Private with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

He arrived in France in November of 1914 and was among the first of the Canadians to land in France.  Upon arrival he commenced his work as Medical Dispenser at the #2 Stationary Hospital at Le Touquet.

As of January 1916, Charley has served for 17 months.  He has just turned 23.
I know I do not have every letter he wrote home (he mentions writing at least twice a week).

I have a total of 88 letters spanning the years 1914 to 1919. These were lovingly saved by his sister (and my grandma) Vida Valerie. 
When Charley wrote to his mother, she would then forward the letters on to VV at college. 
It's a wonder that any still exist. 
The 1916 calendar below tells us what day it was 100 years ago, and on what days Charley wrote these letters home. I've marked them on the calendar.

And so the story goes ...
I'm guessing on the date of this first January letter as there's no envelope attached and no date stamp. And so, I'll split the difference and post it this afternoon.