May 21st, 1916 Letter #41 From Charley to his sister Vida Valerie

A letter from Charley to his younger sister Vida Valerie (VV) who is attending college in Holland, Manitoba. 

Can Red Cross Special Hospital

Buxton

Derbyshire England

May 21^st, 1916

Dear V-V

I see you still have that foolish idea about learning the Drug Business well the sooner you get that out of your head the better because as a woman you would never be able to demand any wages and you would never make a success of a Store of your own. 

I don’t by any means that it would be because you are not capable or anything like that, but it is because of the people of today do not feel much confidence in Women Doctors or Women Lawyers or Druggists and the drug business is no place for a girl.  In the Drug world people kind of laugh if you tell then you employ a female dispenser. 

So really VV if you take my advice you will teach and with the money finish and get your degree, then you are somebody and you have a decent social standing.  If this war lasts just another year or so, then I will be able to help you but till then do all you can towards finishing in Arts. 

          I am dispensing here but don’t like the place and in order to get a promotion I have to stay so you see how I am fixed.  I want the promotion and I don’t want to stay.

          You were saying Ina and Karl are Happy well I sincerely hope they continue to be so but I think the novelty of the thing will soon be over.

          Mother was saying she had Rheumatism.  I wished she was here because this is a hospital specially for Rheumatics you see this mineral water contains Sodium and Radium.

          Say you talk about getting fat, well I have gained just about 16 lbs since Xmas and it makes me look a lot shorter.  But even the fellows are noticing it and jolly me about getting porky.  My old tunic will not even as much as button on me.

          You see I never hear from any of them in Winnipeg. As I have only wrote one letter since I came back.  Occasionally Hess drops me a line or so but for the last three months I have never answered one.  I suppose the least I could do would be to drop a note anyway.  So some of these days I might get feeling sentimental and answer one.

Well Kid, I see by this letter it has gone to three different towns for me and on the back of the envelope it has written in Blue Pencil “Hello Dolly how are you old boy” so I must have a Winnipeg friend in one of those places. 

Well VV I am going to draw to a close remember me to Mother and Dad and think well on what I have said. 

Lovingly

Your brother
Chas

Just four months earlier in January 1916, some women in Manitoba became the first in Canada to win the right to vote in provincial elections and to hold elected office.

"In Britain, throughout the war, both the government and the press tended for propaganda reasons, to exaggerate the extent to which women took over men's jobs. Actual female dentists, barbers and architects - all of which were featured on war savings postcards - were extremely rare. Most male-dominated professions remained closed to women. Even in areas where they were employed in large numbers, such as munitions and transport, they were often treated as inferior, stop-gap replacements for enlisted men. Moreover, women's wages, routinely portrayed as 'high' in the wartime press, remained significantly lower than those of their male counterparts.

Many women did find their wartime labour experiences in some way 'liberating', if only because it freed them from woefully paid jobs in domestic service. But the comment made in 1918 by the women's suffrage campaigner Millicent Fawcett - that 'the war revolutionized the industrial position of women' - should be treated with caution."

From the commentary to the BBC TV series Out of the Doll’s House, which looked at the history of women in the twentieth century (1988)

May 16, 1916 Letter # 40 from Buxton, Derbyshire

Can Red Cross Hospital

Peak Hotel

Buxton

Derbyshire England

16th, May 1916

Dear Mother

      Well here is another change it came as a great surprise when the Officer came in to the London Depot and said we would have to return all the Drugs to the Wholesale Drug house as the A.D.M.S. had decided to close the Depot in London and let the Hospitals get their stuff from Shorncliff.  If they had only waited just another week or so I would have had my promotion and I wouldn’t of cared then.  However I am here and in all likelihood I will get something pretty good here as it is along the same kind of work as I have been doing for the previous year.  If the dispensing amounts to anything it will be just as good an opportunity as London would have been.

     Buxton is a place of natural mineral waters and it is supposed to contain a percentage of Radium which be taking baths in it will cure rheumatism.  So putting a long story short, it will be a Hospital for Rheumatic cases belonging to the Can. Contingents only.

Devonshire Hospital, Buxton (1916) - First World War | BFI. 

          

     This Hospital has been fitted throughout by the Can Red Cross Society the men are the only things that the government has supplied.  We have about three hundred beds several large sitting rooms and least but not last a large dancing hall within the building one of the men was a professor of music before he joined and needless to say we have plenty of music, etc.

The Peak Hydro, Buxton

     They have some beautiful walks and gardens here the only thing that is wrong is they have nothing of any life and a fellow soon gets tired of seeing cripples and beautiful promenades.

          

     However I am still on this side of the Channel. A few days ago I came very near asking them to send me back to the old unit in France but I got over it all right and I am still here.  A fellow sure has to be content with flowers and trees and etc if he intends to live here but I guess after all said and done it is better than having the German Artillery trying to disfigure you.

          I have had no word from anybody since a month ago, as it is very seldom I ever write anybody other than your self.  I suppose Dad is very busy being that it is springtime and all the seeding and etc.

          

     Well Mother this is one son of a gun of a long letter for the Right Hon to write ‘don’t you think’ I am almost afraid to continue lest you should succumb “nice flow of English, eh?”  Remember me to Dad and tell V-V to write as I will ans. her other letter in a day or so.

Love    Warrior Chas

"The Peak Hydro, Buxton" Photo (above) and the following Text 

Source: http://goo.gl/c9h5Az   http://www.andrewsgen.com/

"In August 1914 the Peak Hydro advertised that they had "the finest ballroom in the North" as well as "the only Turkish Baths in Buxton". The hotel was described as" luxuriously furnished" and with "the finest cuisine" Then war was declared and by November 1914 the "Royal Engineers had set up a headquarters for the preliminary training of 1,800 men" at the Hydro. On 11 Aug 1916 the Duchess of Devonshire opened the Canadian Red Cross Hospital which had been set up at the hotel. The Times noted that" many Canadians were present, including Major-General Sir Sam Hughes".
"The Peak Hydro, Buxton Canadian Hospital", published by R. Sneath, 3 Paradise St., Sheffield. Posted Buxton 5 Jun 1918  In a private collection (PC) Researched by and © Ann Andrews Intended for personal use only"

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.