Dear folks,
Canadian mail came in last night and got 2 from you. It was the first big mail for nearly 3 weeks and it seemed longer than that since I had gotten a letter. Have been doing a lot of travelling and marching since I wrote last but we are nearly finished now and are ready to go up the line anytime. There is very little I can tell you about where we are etc. but you will see all about the Division movements in the papers.
So Norma has decided to go to Stratford Normal Scool. What is Vern going to do?
Say can you send some parcels along as soon as you like? Don't bother putting in much variety. Just a light cake is as good as anything. Get some of my money assignment money from Orville and use it to get things with and pay postage etc. Be sure and do that now.
Haven't heard from Bill for about 2 weeks. There will likely be a letter from him in a few days.
We have been in our present billets for nearly a week now but expect to move out soon. But we are not informed as to where we will be going. Evidently the way things are done here is to give each Division a certain amount of work to do and they can stay till they get it done or else get too badly cut up to do it.
There is no more time to write just now so I'll have to ring off. I'll let you know just as soon as I can how things are.
Lovingly,
Harold Skilling
Showing posts with label Norma Skilling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norma Skilling. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Sunday, July 3, 2016
14 July 1916 France
Dear Folks,
This is Friday afternoon and I have a few minutes in which I can write. When things get running nicely there is more spare time for us and I can generally get a couple of hours spare time in the afternoons to go for a walk or write.
It has been rather damp and rainy most of the week but looks like clearing up today.
I was away on a long tramp day before yesterday and the country over here certainly can grow things. Everywhere you look hop poles are sticking up into the air and the vines are reaching the tips of the poles and they have hop patches stuck in every little hole you could find. They grow lots of beans out here too, and they are sown as thickly as field peas and grow about 3 feet high. they have been in blossom for about a week now and look fine.
There has not been anything doing of much importance on this front since we came back here and we do not handle any wounded. We are not in very close touch with the front line at present. We do not hear very much more about the big advance down south than we get in the papers. Of course, there are lots of rumours floating about, but it is not often that they are confirmed.
Do you remember me speaking about Gilmer in my letters? he was with us at Maple Copse and was wounded (slightly) up there. He left us shortly afterwards to take out a commission and we heard from him the other day saying that he was down in the fighting on the Somme and expected to go into action any day. His home is in Attwood (Ontario) and he is a 3rd year Med. student.
One other of our boys left for a commission to England and was only away two weeks, mostly a vacation to Scotland when he came back attached to a Battalion of the 2nd division. It was a surprise to him to get going away for he had no intimation of it as it had been worked from the other end. it is very difficult to get a commission in the Canadian Army now (that is from the ranks out here). In a letter from Bill the other day, he said he expected to get a commission in the Canadian Army after all. It will be a good deal nicer than being in the Imperial's (British Army) anyway.
I was glad Maude got up home to help during Norma's exams. How is Gracie? (cousin) I guess she would be having a whale of a time up in the country. So Aunt Em (Emma Ruxton Watson from Michigan ) is coming over in August. Aren't you going any place yourself, mother? You certainly need a rest and I'd try my best to get away someplace for a few weeks.
Has Vern decided to go into banking? I think a little while longer at school would be better until he knows himself what he wants to do.
I got Mae's letter too and I can make it out alright but I cannot answer it like that. Too big a chance. It is better to say anything right out. How were Norma's exams? Hope she made out alright.
Well, it is time for my afternoon medicines so I'll ring off and get this away. I had a parcel from Zion Church and one from some other patriotic League in Toronto from a Mrs. Carmichile I think. I have the address somewhere and wil write them. i have no trouble getting rid of sox etc. while I am in the hospital as there is always someone who is glad to get them. Hope everyone keeps well.
Lovingly,
Harold
This is Friday afternoon and I have a few minutes in which I can write. When things get running nicely there is more spare time for us and I can generally get a couple of hours spare time in the afternoons to go for a walk or write.
It has been rather damp and rainy most of the week but looks like clearing up today.
I was away on a long tramp day before yesterday and the country over here certainly can grow things. Everywhere you look hop poles are sticking up into the air and the vines are reaching the tips of the poles and they have hop patches stuck in every little hole you could find. They grow lots of beans out here too, and they are sown as thickly as field peas and grow about 3 feet high. they have been in blossom for about a week now and look fine.
There has not been anything doing of much importance on this front since we came back here and we do not handle any wounded. We are not in very close touch with the front line at present. We do not hear very much more about the big advance down south than we get in the papers. Of course, there are lots of rumours floating about, but it is not often that they are confirmed.
Do you remember me speaking about Gilmer in my letters? he was with us at Maple Copse and was wounded (slightly) up there. He left us shortly afterwards to take out a commission and we heard from him the other day saying that he was down in the fighting on the Somme and expected to go into action any day. His home is in Attwood (Ontario) and he is a 3rd year Med. student.
One other of our boys left for a commission to England and was only away two weeks, mostly a vacation to Scotland when he came back attached to a Battalion of the 2nd division. It was a surprise to him to get going away for he had no intimation of it as it had been worked from the other end. it is very difficult to get a commission in the Canadian Army now (that is from the ranks out here). In a letter from Bill the other day, he said he expected to get a commission in the Canadian Army after all. It will be a good deal nicer than being in the Imperial's (British Army) anyway.
I was glad Maude got up home to help during Norma's exams. How is Gracie? (cousin) I guess she would be having a whale of a time up in the country. So Aunt Em (Emma Ruxton Watson from Michigan ) is coming over in August. Aren't you going any place yourself, mother? You certainly need a rest and I'd try my best to get away someplace for a few weeks.
Has Vern decided to go into banking? I think a little while longer at school would be better until he knows himself what he wants to do.
I got Mae's letter too and I can make it out alright but I cannot answer it like that. Too big a chance. It is better to say anything right out. How were Norma's exams? Hope she made out alright.
Well, it is time for my afternoon medicines so I'll ring off and get this away. I had a parcel from Zion Church and one from some other patriotic League in Toronto from a Mrs. Carmichile I think. I have the address somewhere and wil write them. i have no trouble getting rid of sox etc. while I am in the hospital as there is always someone who is glad to get them. Hope everyone keeps well.
Lovingly,
Harold
Friday, July 1, 2016
18 June 1916 Flanders
Dear folks,
This is Sunday morning just before dinner and I must try to get this started at least for we never know what time we can call our own and when a letter is started is seems easier to go back to it.
I am up the pike now at the Advanced D. S. and it is fairly quiet just now but there is plenty of work reinforcing our dugouts with sandbags and covering them up with green sods to make them inconspicuous. Then at night there is guards to do, a 3-hour stretch every other night and we take a day each in the cook house. There are 3 stations to run: the A.D.S. and two regimental aid posts. Most of the work is done at night as we are almost under the nose of Fritz observation balloons and anything that escapes him is pretty well concealed. They turn the artillery on pretty well everything that looks suspicious and no battery dare fire when an enemy balloon is up especially is the day is anyway bright. Of course, our balloons show the same little courtesies to Fritz. As a result of this strict observation, there is comparatively little to do in the daytime and as there is very little night these days everything is crammed into the few hours of darkness.
We have the new daylight saving time in force over here now and so save another hour of daylight. It came into force about a week ago.
I suppose the papers over there are all crammed full of the accounts of the latest fighting around Ypres. it was about the worst that the Canadians have been through and the casualties were very high with a larger percentage than usual killed. I was on guard night before last and saw one of the fiercest bombardments that has taken place for a few days. It only lasted for about an hour before dawn. I was on the 1 to 4 am shift and it started at 2:03 and lasted to about 3. it was on a front of about 1/2 a mile and the sky was lit up continuously with great livid flashes. The roar of the high exploding shells bursting is enough to strike terror into the most iron-nerved man that ever lived. The cases of shell shock are becoming more frequent and the bombardments are becoming more severe.
There were some German prisoners through town the other day and they say that we don't know what a bombardment is. The place to see the effects of a severe shelling is to get on their side of the line. They were taken prisoner in the midst of heavy bombardment and that is how they know what shellfire is on our side of the line.
The prisoners were all taken and given a shower bath in the divisional bath house and got a clean change of clothes.
Well, there is a fatigue being called to fill sand bags and I'll have to ring off and post this on the ration waggon.
I was glad of Mae's success in Massey Hall. I got the papers from Rose but the one of May 24th with the account of the competition was missing. All the other days were there. Hope Norma succeeds in her exams. Tell her to write & tell me all about them etc.
Lovingly,
Harold
This is Sunday morning just before dinner and I must try to get this started at least for we never know what time we can call our own and when a letter is started is seems easier to go back to it.
I am up the pike now at the Advanced D. S. and it is fairly quiet just now but there is plenty of work reinforcing our dugouts with sandbags and covering them up with green sods to make them inconspicuous. Then at night there is guards to do, a 3-hour stretch every other night and we take a day each in the cook house. There are 3 stations to run: the A.D.S. and two regimental aid posts. Most of the work is done at night as we are almost under the nose of Fritz observation balloons and anything that escapes him is pretty well concealed. They turn the artillery on pretty well everything that looks suspicious and no battery dare fire when an enemy balloon is up especially is the day is anyway bright. Of course, our balloons show the same little courtesies to Fritz. As a result of this strict observation, there is comparatively little to do in the daytime and as there is very little night these days everything is crammed into the few hours of darkness.
We have the new daylight saving time in force over here now and so save another hour of daylight. It came into force about a week ago.
I suppose the papers over there are all crammed full of the accounts of the latest fighting around Ypres. it was about the worst that the Canadians have been through and the casualties were very high with a larger percentage than usual killed. I was on guard night before last and saw one of the fiercest bombardments that has taken place for a few days. It only lasted for about an hour before dawn. I was on the 1 to 4 am shift and it started at 2:03 and lasted to about 3. it was on a front of about 1/2 a mile and the sky was lit up continuously with great livid flashes. The roar of the high exploding shells bursting is enough to strike terror into the most iron-nerved man that ever lived. The cases of shell shock are becoming more frequent and the bombardments are becoming more severe.
There were some German prisoners through town the other day and they say that we don't know what a bombardment is. The place to see the effects of a severe shelling is to get on their side of the line. They were taken prisoner in the midst of heavy bombardment and that is how they know what shellfire is on our side of the line.
The prisoners were all taken and given a shower bath in the divisional bath house and got a clean change of clothes.
Well, there is a fatigue being called to fill sand bags and I'll have to ring off and post this on the ration waggon.
I was glad of Mae's success in Massey Hall. I got the papers from Rose but the one of May 24th with the account of the competition was missing. All the other days were there. Hope Norma succeeds in her exams. Tell her to write & tell me all about them etc.
Lovingly,
Harold
15 May 1916 Flanders
Dear Father, Mother & the Rest-
Rec'd your letter of Apr. 23 o.k. and also the parcel of Apr. 13. The cake was getting pretty old but all the other things were in good shape. I am afraid if the weather is going to be warm it will not do to send things like cakes or fruit because they will only be spoiled by the time they arrive.
I was glad to know that you had the girls home for Easter. It would be much pleasanter. Has Mae decided about going out West? Last letter I had from her she was thinking seriously of it. Did Father's land deal drop(?) through? You haven't mentioned it lately.
I am still at work in the hospital and am kept fairly busy. Some days are slack however and we can get a few minutes to write letters. I had a letter from Aunt Aggie last week and one from Chas. Munroe and Millie Mitford. Both of the latter want me to go and visit them when I am on leave home. It is as far away as ever and I am trying to see if I can't change numbers with someone who is leaving the unit. I must write Belle Ruxton some of these days. I had a letter from her a long time ago and I don't think I answered it.
Billy Redburn and I were over to spend the evening with Clair Brink on Saturday. He has a nice hut to himself but is kept pretty busy during the daytime. We had a nice evening chat together.
I have been getting the Globes that Rose sends right along and also got the parcel from the Patriotic League. I acknowledged it to Mrs. Gillis. Say, don't put my name in the paper any more than you can help. Miss Fairbairn gets all mixed up in her statements and she is apt to get somebody in to trouble sometime.
This has been a very commonplace week and there has not been anything out of the way happen. We never know though when things will start.
When do the school exams come off. I saw by the news that only students who were going to work on the farms were to be excused from exams. Is Vern going to do that? I guess Norma will be going to Normal next fall. That won't leave very many at home. I hope Mae repeats her success of last spring and carries off the prizes at the choir competition. I guess she will write and tell me all about it.
There's absolutely no news to tell so I'll ring off and get this away on the first mail that's going.
Lovingly,
Harold Skilling
Rec'd your letter of Apr. 23 o.k. and also the parcel of Apr. 13. The cake was getting pretty old but all the other things were in good shape. I am afraid if the weather is going to be warm it will not do to send things like cakes or fruit because they will only be spoiled by the time they arrive.
I was glad to know that you had the girls home for Easter. It would be much pleasanter. Has Mae decided about going out West? Last letter I had from her she was thinking seriously of it. Did Father's land deal drop(?) through? You haven't mentioned it lately.
I am still at work in the hospital and am kept fairly busy. Some days are slack however and we can get a few minutes to write letters. I had a letter from Aunt Aggie last week and one from Chas. Munroe and Millie Mitford. Both of the latter want me to go and visit them when I am on leave home. It is as far away as ever and I am trying to see if I can't change numbers with someone who is leaving the unit. I must write Belle Ruxton some of these days. I had a letter from her a long time ago and I don't think I answered it.
Billy Redburn and I were over to spend the evening with Clair Brink on Saturday. He has a nice hut to himself but is kept pretty busy during the daytime. We had a nice evening chat together.
I have been getting the Globes that Rose sends right along and also got the parcel from the Patriotic League. I acknowledged it to Mrs. Gillis. Say, don't put my name in the paper any more than you can help. Miss Fairbairn gets all mixed up in her statements and she is apt to get somebody in to trouble sometime.
This has been a very commonplace week and there has not been anything out of the way happen. We never know though when things will start.
When do the school exams come off. I saw by the news that only students who were going to work on the farms were to be excused from exams. Is Vern going to do that? I guess Norma will be going to Normal next fall. That won't leave very many at home. I hope Mae repeats her success of last spring and carries off the prizes at the choir competition. I guess she will write and tell me all about it.
There's absolutely no news to tell so I'll ring off and get this away on the first mail that's going.
Lovingly,
Harold Skilling
Saturday, September 21, 2013
11 April 1916 Flanders
This letter from Harold has been damaged and the bottoms of 2 pages are missing.
Dear Father, Mother and the rest,
Your letters, papers and parcels have all come to hand in good time. Also a letter from Bill who reached London O.K. He reported having a dandy trip across and they did it in 9 days.
We are having an easy time this week as our section is supposed to be attached to one of the new Fd. Ambulances that have just come out for instructional purposes. We are not doing anything in reality and have a chance to write letters and come into town and go to the movies. I got Norma’s parcel a day or two ago along with a few bundles of papers and …….
…….orgy for nearly everyone in our hut seemed to get a parcel. I got one from Bill posted in Toronto and one of the boys had just come back and was loaded down with things. Norma’s cake was fine and so were the caramels and maple sugar. The jam-jams in the other parcel were good too and soon disappeared once the boys got a taste of them.
No one knows what we are going to do when we shift from here. There is a possibility of several things but we do not know anything for certain. All leave has been cancelled and those on leave in Eng. have been ordered back. That puts me further back than ever. I am thinking I’ll be lucky to get away on my leave by next Easter.
i have not heard anything from Col. Weir yet. I suppose there is a lot of red tape attached to it and that it will take a long time ………
……boys have gone back to take out Commissions all in the Imperial Army. There is also some word of some more of the Meds. who are with us going back. Their names have been taken (3rd year men).
Sorry to learn that Geo. was sick again, Mae. How is he coming along now? How is the Prohibition Campaign coming? Heard rumor yesterday that the Legislature had passed the bill. Have not seen any mention of it in the Eng. papers.
Well have you been getting any warmer weather over there yet? This week has been pretty cold here but the leaves are beginning to come out on the trees and the Belgians are getting their……..
……. seem to be about the most important crops over here. What has Father decided to do about going west? Was Will down very long? I saw Norma’s piece of poetry on the Bruce Battalion in the news that came yesterday. It was pretty good. I don’t know whether I mentioned getting Vern’s letter or not. It came to hand some time ago.Is the term at school being made any shorter thru’ the lack of farm help? How is the school going Vern?
Well, must ring off as my stock of news is about depleted and I want to get some more letters written while I have a table to write on. I don’t very often get a chance to have a table. Hope everyone is well. Love to all.
Yours lovingly,
Harold
Dear Father, Mother and the rest,
Your letters, papers and parcels have all come to hand in good time. Also a letter from Bill who reached London O.K. He reported having a dandy trip across and they did it in 9 days.
We are having an easy time this week as our section is supposed to be attached to one of the new Fd. Ambulances that have just come out for instructional purposes. We are not doing anything in reality and have a chance to write letters and come into town and go to the movies. I got Norma’s parcel a day or two ago along with a few bundles of papers and …….
…….orgy for nearly everyone in our hut seemed to get a parcel. I got one from Bill posted in Toronto and one of the boys had just come back and was loaded down with things. Norma’s cake was fine and so were the caramels and maple sugar. The jam-jams in the other parcel were good too and soon disappeared once the boys got a taste of them.
No one knows what we are going to do when we shift from here. There is a possibility of several things but we do not know anything for certain. All leave has been cancelled and those on leave in Eng. have been ordered back. That puts me further back than ever. I am thinking I’ll be lucky to get away on my leave by next Easter.
i have not heard anything from Col. Weir yet. I suppose there is a lot of red tape attached to it and that it will take a long time ………
……boys have gone back to take out Commissions all in the Imperial Army. There is also some word of some more of the Meds. who are with us going back. Their names have been taken (3rd year men).
Sorry to learn that Geo. was sick again, Mae. How is he coming along now? How is the Prohibition Campaign coming? Heard rumor yesterday that the Legislature had passed the bill. Have not seen any mention of it in the Eng. papers.
Well have you been getting any warmer weather over there yet? This week has been pretty cold here but the leaves are beginning to come out on the trees and the Belgians are getting their……..
……. seem to be about the most important crops over here. What has Father decided to do about going west? Was Will down very long? I saw Norma’s piece of poetry on the Bruce Battalion in the news that came yesterday. It was pretty good. I don’t know whether I mentioned getting Vern’s letter or not. It came to hand some time ago.Is the term at school being made any shorter thru’ the lack of farm help? How is the school going Vern?
Well, must ring off as my stock of news is about depleted and I want to get some more letters written while I have a table to write on. I don’t very often get a chance to have a table. Hope everyone is well. Love to all.
Yours lovingly,
Harold
Friday, September 20, 2013
9 April 1916 Somewhere in Belgium
Dear Mother, Father and the Rest:
Rec’d Mother’s letter of Mar. 11 with Norma’s enclosed and was glad to get them and to know that everyone was O.K. This week has not been very eventful but for some of the other ambulances, it has been pretty busy. Our turn will come soon enough and by the rumors floating around, it will not be very long. At present I am in charge of a few cases of measles (that did not develop). They are sort of isolated but are not sick. I expect they will be discharged in a day or so and I’ll be given an outside job then I guess.
There has not been any word received here yet that I am aware of about going back. I am not very enthusiastic about going back to join the 160th, but I am not going to decide until I see what the offer from Col. Weir says. The chance of getting back to Canada is very enticing but the thoughts of going back and doing the same old grind of training with a bunch of raw recruits (you see I am a veteran now. ha!ha!) does not appeal to me very strongly, especially if it’s only to be a Sergeant!
I have not had any word from Bill yet. But I expect he is in England. It will be 3 weeks from tomorrow since he was due to leave Toronto and it should not take longer than 2 and a half weeks to make the trip.
How is the proposed trip West for Father coming on? I guess Will Guinn would want to take him back. He would just be in time to see Bill before he left for Toronto.
I had to stop at the end of page 2 as it was time to feed the patients. I have a few minutes to write before the night man comes on duty.
Did I ever acknowledge the papers you sent about the Ottawa fire and also the Sunday Worlds from Toronto and the Onwards? I got everything that was sent I believe. It was nice of Miss Sharpe to send me those things. I wrote her a short note thanking her.
Norma is blossoming out to be some poet. That one on the Bruce Battalion in the News, was it the one she composed? You were asking about those shirts. Well I got them alright but I have not tried them on. You can send some underwear (light if you like ) knee drawers and short sleeved shirts. I can get them washed alright and it gets pretty hot over here in summer time. It is pretty hot some of these nights, but it not from the weather but from the artillery fire. It makes you shiver instead of sweating. Some nights we can hardly get any sleep for the din and it fairly shakes the huts where we have our quarters. One of our battalions got a pretty bad cutting up the other night. We were ordered to stand to and 3 of our ambulances were ordered out to help carry the wounded. We had an inspection of iron rations, gas helmets etc. and were ordered to stay in our huts and sleep with all our clothes on. The artillery was making so much noise that it was almost impossible to sleep but we gradually dosed off. When we awoke in the morning things had quieted down.
It is beginning to look as if the French had the Germans pretty nearly stopped at Verdun.
Opinion is pretty well divided here as to when the war is going to be over. It seems to be more generally thought however that it will not last the summer. The statements of prisoners seem to be pretty well divided as to the conditions in Germany. Some say there are not great shortages of food and that they are all “fed up” with the war, while others say they are sure to win. A month or two ought to see something decisive happen.
Things look like prohibition in Ontario this summer alright. We have some hot arguments over here sometimes but there is enough of its effects apparent, from even Belgian beer, to make a temperance man out of almost anyone. The chief reason why the field pay is held to 30 Francs a month is just because most of it would go to the “estaminets”. Some of the infantry men claim that the rum issue is the only thing worth living for. We do not have it issued to us, but when we do work like we were doing at the A.O.S. last week, it is sometimes given to any who want it. I worked just as hard as any of them up there, and I got along just as well as any on a bite or two of bully beef. At the most critical times some of the fellows will trot over to the estaminet and get “boozed up” and on a pay night it is a corker. In a couple of days the same crowd are trying to bum a penny or two pence to get a drink. Same crowd every time.
Well I must ring off and get this posted and let the night orderly take over. Hoping everyone is well at home.
I am your loving son and brother,
Harold
Rec’d Mother’s letter of Mar. 11 with Norma’s enclosed and was glad to get them and to know that everyone was O.K. This week has not been very eventful but for some of the other ambulances, it has been pretty busy. Our turn will come soon enough and by the rumors floating around, it will not be very long. At present I am in charge of a few cases of measles (that did not develop). They are sort of isolated but are not sick. I expect they will be discharged in a day or so and I’ll be given an outside job then I guess.
There has not been any word received here yet that I am aware of about going back. I am not very enthusiastic about going back to join the 160th, but I am not going to decide until I see what the offer from Col. Weir says. The chance of getting back to Canada is very enticing but the thoughts of going back and doing the same old grind of training with a bunch of raw recruits (you see I am a veteran now. ha!ha!) does not appeal to me very strongly, especially if it’s only to be a Sergeant!
I have not had any word from Bill yet. But I expect he is in England. It will be 3 weeks from tomorrow since he was due to leave Toronto and it should not take longer than 2 and a half weeks to make the trip.
How is the proposed trip West for Father coming on? I guess Will Guinn would want to take him back. He would just be in time to see Bill before he left for Toronto.
I had to stop at the end of page 2 as it was time to feed the patients. I have a few minutes to write before the night man comes on duty.
Did I ever acknowledge the papers you sent about the Ottawa fire and also the Sunday Worlds from Toronto and the Onwards? I got everything that was sent I believe. It was nice of Miss Sharpe to send me those things. I wrote her a short note thanking her.
Norma is blossoming out to be some poet. That one on the Bruce Battalion in the News, was it the one she composed? You were asking about those shirts. Well I got them alright but I have not tried them on. You can send some underwear (light if you like ) knee drawers and short sleeved shirts. I can get them washed alright and it gets pretty hot over here in summer time. It is pretty hot some of these nights, but it not from the weather but from the artillery fire. It makes you shiver instead of sweating. Some nights we can hardly get any sleep for the din and it fairly shakes the huts where we have our quarters. One of our battalions got a pretty bad cutting up the other night. We were ordered to stand to and 3 of our ambulances were ordered out to help carry the wounded. We had an inspection of iron rations, gas helmets etc. and were ordered to stay in our huts and sleep with all our clothes on. The artillery was making so much noise that it was almost impossible to sleep but we gradually dosed off. When we awoke in the morning things had quieted down.
It is beginning to look as if the French had the Germans pretty nearly stopped at Verdun.
Opinion is pretty well divided here as to when the war is going to be over. It seems to be more generally thought however that it will not last the summer. The statements of prisoners seem to be pretty well divided as to the conditions in Germany. Some say there are not great shortages of food and that they are all “fed up” with the war, while others say they are sure to win. A month or two ought to see something decisive happen.
Things look like prohibition in Ontario this summer alright. We have some hot arguments over here sometimes but there is enough of its effects apparent, from even Belgian beer, to make a temperance man out of almost anyone. The chief reason why the field pay is held to 30 Francs a month is just because most of it would go to the “estaminets”. Some of the infantry men claim that the rum issue is the only thing worth living for. We do not have it issued to us, but when we do work like we were doing at the A.O.S. last week, it is sometimes given to any who want it. I worked just as hard as any of them up there, and I got along just as well as any on a bite or two of bully beef. At the most critical times some of the fellows will trot over to the estaminet and get “boozed up” and on a pay night it is a corker. In a couple of days the same crowd are trying to bum a penny or two pence to get a drink. Same crowd every time.
Well I must ring off and get this posted and let the night orderly take over. Hoping everyone is well at home.
I am your loving son and brother,
Harold
Monday, March 11, 2013
4 November 1915 Somewhere in Belgium
Dear Mother,
Received your welcome letter of Oct 17 yesterday and also Norma’s and Maude’s enclosed. I had one from Bill and another from Mae and Maude on Sunday.
So Bill has gotten into the 81st. It is only a newly organized Batt. I understand, so it will not likely be sending over drafts for sometime. He will no doubt be relieved from carrying a pack in the band, but I don’t know whether I would rather blow a horn or carry a pack. I know I would a hariged (?) sight rather carry the infantry kit than that of the Fd. Amb. In the infantry the pack is placed on your shoulders where it does not bother your movements but we carry most of our stuff bandolier fashion and it presses on the chest and passes under one arm.
Well we have been doing very little this last 2 weeks and we are getting pretty soft. It has been very wet and so we have not been able to get out very often. I was up to a village about 3 miles away yesterday and when I got back I was pretty tired. I am getting awfully fat as all I have had to do was help keep the hut clean and after that there was not much to do but eat. We get all we can eat but there aren’t many frills. Mostly bread, stew, tea and bacon in the morning and jam at night. And to crown it all, we have been getting a tin (1 1/2 lbs.) of butter between 10 men nearly 3 times a week. We have a stove now that we picked up as we passed through “Wipers” (Ypres) and so we can make toast. We are living like princes and if it was not so wet and muddy we would be “jake” (ok).
We are being issued with waterproof capes (long ones that fasten closely around the neck and come down to the boot tops). They have a slit for the arms and so we can be dry and warm now. I expect an issue of new boots soon so we are alright now as far as the wet and cold goes.
Oh no, we are not in as dangerous quarters as the infantry . Of course when the infantry are in the reserve or line trenches is the only time they are in any real danger and when they are in the billets, they are further back than we are. In the trenches there is not much chance of getting hurt if you are careful and do not go sticking your head up over the parapet. There is more danger from civilian snipers than the German snipers. There are a few unscrupulous Belgians who snipe at British soldiers every chance they get. A young lad 16 years old was caught red handed and was shot after a court martial.
The Red Cross is not much protection and the ambulances go around with big bags hung over the red crosses painted on the sides of the car. The fellows who are issued with Red Cross arm bands soaked them in strong tea for awhile so they would not show so much because when they are new they show up too well and offer a good target for the snipers. However we have had no casualties yet and only one man slightly sick.
Say there are a terrible lot of words scratched out in this letter but it is very dark in the hut as we have no windows and I can hardly see what I am writing.
Everyone is asking me what they should send me. Even Uncle Will (William Skilling) and Aunt Aggie (Agnes Skilling Orford) have been very anxious to send me some things, but if everyone was to start sending me a lot of stuff, I would be overloaded. I’ll tell you something – not to bother sending what we can get here. Medicine like aspirin, court plaster etc. chocolate. As a matter of fact the small shops in the villages are much like those of the English villages except that things are very dear and we cannot buy very much before we are broke as 1 franc a day(20 cents) is all we draw in 2 pays a month amounting to 30 francs a month. Small bars of chocolate cost from 2 d. to 6 d. apples from 1 1/2 d. to 2 1/2 d. each other things very much in proportion.
No Norma, we do not have much of a chance to “parlez-vous” where we are now. The Belgians just here speak Flemish which is very much like Dutch. They say “nien” and “yaw” and go clacking around in their wooden shoes. I got a small pair the other day and am sending them home along with a painting I picked up at “Wipers”. We get fooled sometimes when we are trying to display our knowledge of French and get a perfectly good English reply from the woman in the shop. They all tell us that they learned English since the soldiers came last fall.
If you can get a good map with a small scale of Flanders and Belgium, you will be able to follow the places where we go from time to time as we are at liberty to tell our friends where we were a month from the date of writing. A month ago today we were running a Dressing Station at Dranoutre. In a letter to Ettie a while ago I outlined a few of the places we had been and she will no doubt let you know what they are.
Did I tell you that the King and Prince of Wales along with King Albert and Field Marshal French (Foch) had been to review the 2nd Ambulance Division a while ago. We only sent 4 men and a Staff Sergeant and all the other units sent the same proportion of their strength.
Congratulations Norma for becoming President of the ? out of such a large class. I guess the new (Teeswater) Town Hall will be quite an improvement. Does it seat any more? Where did they hold the Fall Show Concert?
I suppose you send these letters around to the rest. I will not have so much time to write after we take over the hospital as I have had this last week and I’ll address all my letters home and then they can be seen on from there.
I am enclosing a few picture cards of some of the places we have been at. I sent a few last week and will put the rest of them in this letter.
Well I think between this and the letters I sent to Orville and Bill you will have all the news of the week so I’ll ring off for this time. I am feeling fine and hope everyone else at home is just the same.
Your loving son,
Harold
Received your welcome letter of Oct 17 yesterday and also Norma’s and Maude’s enclosed. I had one from Bill and another from Mae and Maude on Sunday.
So Bill has gotten into the 81st. It is only a newly organized Batt. I understand, so it will not likely be sending over drafts for sometime. He will no doubt be relieved from carrying a pack in the band, but I don’t know whether I would rather blow a horn or carry a pack. I know I would a hariged (?) sight rather carry the infantry kit than that of the Fd. Amb. In the infantry the pack is placed on your shoulders where it does not bother your movements but we carry most of our stuff bandolier fashion and it presses on the chest and passes under one arm.
Well we have been doing very little this last 2 weeks and we are getting pretty soft. It has been very wet and so we have not been able to get out very often. I was up to a village about 3 miles away yesterday and when I got back I was pretty tired. I am getting awfully fat as all I have had to do was help keep the hut clean and after that there was not much to do but eat. We get all we can eat but there aren’t many frills. Mostly bread, stew, tea and bacon in the morning and jam at night. And to crown it all, we have been getting a tin (1 1/2 lbs.) of butter between 10 men nearly 3 times a week. We have a stove now that we picked up as we passed through “Wipers” (Ypres) and so we can make toast. We are living like princes and if it was not so wet and muddy we would be “jake” (ok).
We are being issued with waterproof capes (long ones that fasten closely around the neck and come down to the boot tops). They have a slit for the arms and so we can be dry and warm now. I expect an issue of new boots soon so we are alright now as far as the wet and cold goes.
Oh no, we are not in as dangerous quarters as the infantry . Of course when the infantry are in the reserve or line trenches is the only time they are in any real danger and when they are in the billets, they are further back than we are. In the trenches there is not much chance of getting hurt if you are careful and do not go sticking your head up over the parapet. There is more danger from civilian snipers than the German snipers. There are a few unscrupulous Belgians who snipe at British soldiers every chance they get. A young lad 16 years old was caught red handed and was shot after a court martial.
The Red Cross is not much protection and the ambulances go around with big bags hung over the red crosses painted on the sides of the car. The fellows who are issued with Red Cross arm bands soaked them in strong tea for awhile so they would not show so much because when they are new they show up too well and offer a good target for the snipers. However we have had no casualties yet and only one man slightly sick.
Say there are a terrible lot of words scratched out in this letter but it is very dark in the hut as we have no windows and I can hardly see what I am writing.
Everyone is asking me what they should send me. Even Uncle Will (William Skilling) and Aunt Aggie (Agnes Skilling Orford) have been very anxious to send me some things, but if everyone was to start sending me a lot of stuff, I would be overloaded. I’ll tell you something – not to bother sending what we can get here. Medicine like aspirin, court plaster etc. chocolate. As a matter of fact the small shops in the villages are much like those of the English villages except that things are very dear and we cannot buy very much before we are broke as 1 franc a day(20 cents) is all we draw in 2 pays a month amounting to 30 francs a month. Small bars of chocolate cost from 2 d. to 6 d. apples from 1 1/2 d. to 2 1/2 d. each other things very much in proportion.
No Norma, we do not have much of a chance to “parlez-vous” where we are now. The Belgians just here speak Flemish which is very much like Dutch. They say “nien” and “yaw” and go clacking around in their wooden shoes. I got a small pair the other day and am sending them home along with a painting I picked up at “Wipers”. We get fooled sometimes when we are trying to display our knowledge of French and get a perfectly good English reply from the woman in the shop. They all tell us that they learned English since the soldiers came last fall.
If you can get a good map with a small scale of Flanders and Belgium, you will be able to follow the places where we go from time to time as we are at liberty to tell our friends where we were a month from the date of writing. A month ago today we were running a Dressing Station at Dranoutre. In a letter to Ettie a while ago I outlined a few of the places we had been and she will no doubt let you know what they are.
Did I tell you that the King and Prince of Wales along with King Albert and Field Marshal French (Foch) had been to review the 2nd Ambulance Division a while ago. We only sent 4 men and a Staff Sergeant and all the other units sent the same proportion of their strength.
Congratulations Norma for becoming President of the ? out of such a large class. I guess the new (Teeswater) Town Hall will be quite an improvement. Does it seat any more? Where did they hold the Fall Show Concert?
I suppose you send these letters around to the rest. I will not have so much time to write after we take over the hospital as I have had this last week and I’ll address all my letters home and then they can be seen on from there.
I am enclosing a few picture cards of some of the places we have been at. I sent a few last week and will put the rest of them in this letter.
Well I think between this and the letters I sent to Orville and Bill you will have all the news of the week so I’ll ring off for this time. I am feeling fine and hope everyone else at home is just the same.
Your loving son,
Harold
Friday, January 11, 2013
Introduction to Letters of Harold Skilling
Harold Roy Skilling was born 31 July 1893 in Teeswater, the next older brother to my mother-in-law, Agnes Norma Skilling Jackson. He was 21 when World War One broke out and eagerly enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Forces on 21 November 1914. We don't know why he chose to join the 5th Canadian Field Ambulance Corps as a Stretcher Bearer, except that recruitment orders had just come down on November 11th to recruit a Field Ambulance Corps for overseas service with the Second Canadian Contingent.
At Exhibition Camp in Toronto, Harold was first examined by doctors, measured and attested. He was one of the shortest men in the Fifth at 5 feet 3 3/4 inches. After 5 months of training in infantry drill, stretcher drill and first-aid treatments, other necessary skills and physical conditioning, the first units boarded the train on April 15, 1915 for Halifax. Harold left Toronto in April 1915 and sailed on the S.S. Northland (formerly the Zeeland) of the White Star Line.
Harold arrived in England at the Port of Avonmouth on 29 April 1915. Trains transported the men to Westenhanger in Kent. They set out on foot, marching two miles to Sandling Camp where huts awaited them. On the 24th of May the men moved from Sandling to Otterpool Camp where they lived in tents.
Harold's letters begin on 25 June 1915 at Otterpool Camp. These letters are in poor condition, written in pencil on onionskin paper or other scraps of paper. Many were written under difficult conditions by candle light. Some will be possible to scan but many will have to be transcribed.
At Exhibition Camp in Toronto, Harold was first examined by doctors, measured and attested. He was one of the shortest men in the Fifth at 5 feet 3 3/4 inches. After 5 months of training in infantry drill, stretcher drill and first-aid treatments, other necessary skills and physical conditioning, the first units boarded the train on April 15, 1915 for Halifax. Harold left Toronto in April 1915 and sailed on the S.S. Northland (formerly the Zeeland) of the White Star Line.
Harold arrived in England at the Port of Avonmouth on 29 April 1915. Trains transported the men to Westenhanger in Kent. They set out on foot, marching two miles to Sandling Camp where huts awaited them. On the 24th of May the men moved from Sandling to Otterpool Camp where they lived in tents.
Harold's letters begin on 25 June 1915 at Otterpool Camp. These letters are in poor condition, written in pencil on onionskin paper or other scraps of paper. Many were written under difficult conditions by candle light. Some will be possible to scan but many will have to be transcribed.
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