1915, March 16th. Charley's 23rd letter home from France. WW1

March 16^th, 1915

France Con                         

Dear Mother           

Congratulations, better late than never.  Say Mother what Birthday is it the 42^nd or 43^rd.  Do you remember four years ago on your birthday I left for Brock Sask?  Believe me that was some experience to me.

           
Say Mother did you ever write Scammel on Edmonton and Portage about my coat.  If you haven’t I wish you would let me know in your next letter and I will drop him a line myself.  Just to remind him of it.  The pockets and sleeves were beginning to wear a little so I told him to put some beaver trimmings on it.

I suppose you have heard all about the great advance the British have been making in the past few days.   

We have been getting in a terrible lot of wounded the last week or so and do you remember the Regiment in Winnipeg, called the 90^th, well we have some of their wounded here as well as the Princess Pats.  But things in general are just about the same in this locality.  As you know it is just about the routine every day.  

I had a letter from Ina the other day and if Aunt Rache could have seen it she sure would have been surprised Did they tell you of Ina going into the city to a Hockey game.  Well she went down with Fairburn and Ireland and her were together all the evening.  That fellow Si must sure be a country lad.  But for goodness sake don’t you ever say anything to anybody at Portage because I am kind of a confidential go between to all of them.  “Do you understand what I mean”

          
They say that the Second Con are in Salisbury Plains now.  If that is the case I may be able to see J Ross before long. I hope so.

           
Well Mother as I have said in previous letters that is very hard to write an interesting letter from here.  So remember me to Dad and V.V. and write soon

Love

Chuck









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Charlie went to Brock Saskatchewan in March 1911 (to work?  study ? do survey work?  to visit relatives?)

Charley's mother; Jennie Howie / Bailey / Lloyd was born in Portage la Prairie Manitoba Canada about 1872 which would have made it her forty third birthday in 1915.

During the First World War the 90th Regiment “Winnipeg Rifles” contributed to the 8th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) on its formation in September 1914, and later recruited for the 44th, 90th, 144th, 190th and 203rd Battalions, CEF. The 8th Battalion served in France and Flanders with the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division from 13 February 1915 until the Armistice. The 44th, 90th, 144th, 190th and 203rd Battalions provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The Rifles also contributed two companies as reinforcements to the 27th Battalion, CEF. Source

The Princess Pat's

March 13 1915, Charley's 22nd letter home from France. WW1

March 13^th, 1915

France

Dear Sister

          Just received Mothers letter with yours enclosed and needless to say I was very glad to hear that you won the Silver medal at the Lit.  Let me ask you if that was just a Lit for the girls or for all the College.  When I went to Brandon College there was just one Lit for the whole College and it was held on Friday evenings.

          Say V-V has the Arts held their usual Annual Banquet.  If there are any old students of 1910 ask them if they remember the Arts Banquet of that year.  There were a few of us fellows waiting on table during the time that they were making speeches I went upstairs to Clark Hall and got Isabel Drummond who was in charge to wake up some of the girls and come down to the servants Dining Room where we had a banquet of our own.

          Miss Whiteside was the Matron there.  We were all reported and poor Isabel was not allowed outside of the Building for six weeks.  Ask Jack (Evans) if he remembers the time.  He was in First year arts then.

          Well V-V lately there has been a terrible lot of wounded coming in.  We have had two trainloads in the last two days.  Among them Princess Pats and some of the 90^th from Winnipeg.   It seems all the harder when you find men that you knew at home with a bullet in them, away out in this country.

          Around this neighbourhood there are three large Hospitals and we have had the least deaths of any of them.  So you see we have some very clever surgeons here.

          Well sister it makes letter writing very difficult when you can not say anything in your letters in regard to the movement of our troops etc.  So I will come to a close Remember me to your little roommate that wrote to Mother and write soon.  Every success in all your studies and exams.

Love

Chuck

 

March 8, 1915. Charley's 21st letter home from France. WW1

March 8th, 1915 France
Dear Mother

Have been on sick list today. Yesterday I went out and played a game of Baseball, as you know I have not played ball since I played in Saskatoon in Rosetown. So you can imagine how I feel today.  
  
Tell Dad I received his 
interesting letter also one from V-V, she also told me about the trouble you are having with the cooks. Ha ha!
I can imagine you firing them. The way you used to do in Dauffin.

Say Mother tell me is there anything wrong in the Richmond family. Do not say any thing to anyone other than Dad but I hear from them once and a while and judging from some of their letters I came to the conclusion that they are scared that Rachie is a little weak minded at times. “Remember say nothing.”

Things here are just about the same only there has been no wounded coming in lately as there has been no fighting of any account.

Tomorrow evening the boys are giving a concert to the patients and have invited the sisters and officers. I told you before that we have accommodation for two extra hundred patients in tents.

I was in to Paris (Plaza) the other day and intended getting a few views of the place to send to you but as usual I forgot and came back without them.

Well Mother remember me to Dad and VV and sincerely hope this finds you in good health and spirit.

Lovingly, Chas

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Rachel Howie was Jennie’s older sister by two years. Born in 1870 in High Bluff Manitoba, Rachie married James Richmond in 1886. Children: Harry Richmond b:1888, Annie Spence Richmond b:1890, Ruby Richmond b: 1894 and Ina Richmond b: 1894 Aunt Rachie’s children were Charley's & V-V’s cousins and friends.

February 23rd, 1915. Charley's 20th letter home from France. WW1

Feb 23, 1915
France
Con

Dear Mother

Have not received any word from you for some time I guess that some of these days I will get a lot together. Well things around here are just about the same as usual. We received some Canadian wounded the other day. Mostly Pat’s troops, a couple from Winnipeg. I was talking to one and he said that the Winnipeg bunch have come out the best of it so far.

Say Mother I was talking to one of the nurses last night and found out she came from Portage and knows the Richmond girls. It seems all right when you meet people from your own town away out here and especially when they know nearly all your own friends.

The weather here has been good the past few days so you may expect heavy fighting. One of the wounded officers told me coming up in the Motor Ambulance that the war would be over in August “Let us hope he is right.” 

Motor Ambulance.  Photo: www.camc.wordpress.com

Had a letter from V-V the other day she seems to be getting on fine at school. She was telling me about some of their functions and I can imagine how she would enjoy them, as I know how I did. Did she tell you of her initiation? Gee when they got me I was very nearly killed.

Dad mentioned in his letter about business being slow. I think that Canada will see the best times it has ever saw as soon as this war is over. In France business is not slow there is absolutely no business. The last time I was in Paris Plaza I was talking to a couple of Belgium refugees and by what they said it will surprise me if there will be enough buildings in Belgium to keep them under shelter after this is over.

Well Mother this is only a note to let you know my mustache is getting longer I am getting fatter etc. So I will draw to a close answer soon and often. Remembrance to Dad and V-V.

Love
Chas

 

The other side of the story that wasn't shared with the folks back home from The WW1 service files of Charles Roy Bailey. Canadian Expeditionary Force. #34260 

Feb 22nd, 1915 Breaking out of Barracks, Out of Bounds fined $3 & ten days Confined to Barracks

Feb 24th, 1915  Disobey Order, Drunk, Breaking out of Guard Room, Out of bounds, fined $6 and 20 days confined to Barracks

February 15th, 1915. Charley's 19th letter home from France. WW1

Feb 15, 1915
France

Dear Sister    Just finished a letter to Mother and naturally I thought of you. I guess you are pretty busy these days as the work will be getting harder every day as it grows towards the Summer Exams.

Well V-V we received our First Canadian patient today. He had pneumonia. As yet we have not had any Canadian wounded but they will be coming in most any day now. We expect some big battles just as soon as the Spring opens up and all the Kanuks and Kitcheners Army gets into action, let us hope that they are in our Favour. 

Most every day there are Aeroplanes flying over the Hospital. So it is quite an ordinary sight for me now to see flying machines.

First World War Biplane. A Sopwith F-1 'Camel'

The weather here is still wet and it rains most every day still it is quite warm in comparison to Manitoba weather. Yesterday there were about fifty French invalids from the French Hospital near here were out for a walk past here and it was very funny to see them. Nearly every one had on a different colored uniform. Red, Blue, khaki and all the colors of the rainbow. It seemed very funny to us as all our troops are dressed in the same kind of uniforms except the Hindus and they wear their turbans.

The people of France are very kind to us and give us most anything they have. The French that they talk over here is quite different to that which I used to learn at school. They seem to have a kind of slang that is hard to get on to. However I am able to make myself understood and if we are here much longer I think I will be able to get on to it fairly well.

Well V-V I have not very much time for letter writing but don’t you forget to drop a line or two in your spare time. Remember me to Dad and Mother when you write and don’t be a stiff, write occasionally yourself.

As Ever
Your Brother Chas