19 September 1915 Behind the Lines in France

Dear Mother:-

Well, here I am in France at last and at present we are having a day's rest in a farm yard.

We are not allowed to tell very much and so do not expect very long letters. I will write as often as I can however, and let you know how I am. I suppose I (you?) got the cards I sent some time ago.

We have been constantly on the move these last few days and finished up yesterday with a 20 mile march to the farm where we are now. We had our first good sleep in a week last night when we were billeted in a barn loft. I had a peach of a sleep. We were in bed at 7:30 last night and I didn't wake till 7:15 this morning. It was the first time I slept without my clothes or had a blanket for nearly a week. Everyone was dog-tired and wringing wet into the bargain for it was fearfully hot. The rest last night just fixed us up fine and I feel as fresh as a daisy today. My feet are ok except the heel of my right foot. the shoe rubs it so be sure to send me and extra heavy pair of sox and put a double heel on them.

We had a church parade this morning and had our own chaplains speak. it was our first church service since coming to France. I don't know how long we will be here but I wish they would settle down for a day or two and let us get a mail. There was a few Eng. letters today but no Can. mail. There is one in France some place but it will likely be along soon. I haven't had any for about 2 weeks.

The weather ever since we came is fine and seems very settled.

I hope everyone at home is ok and tell them all to write. We haven't done anything to write about yet and any of our movements would be scratched out by the censor as we have to hand all our mail in unsealed. If you can get any paper about this size you might send a little as I have a small case to hold this size of sheet. If you can get a good small map of the Allied front in France, get Mae to send it. It is a good thing if we get lost.

Well, I guess I'll have to ring off as I have some washing to do if I can get any clean water.

Love to all,
Harold

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

8 July 1916 Flanders (or possibly now in France)

Dear Folks,

This is Saturday night and I have just come off duty at the hospital and am going to spend the evening writing letters. I have had two letters from home this week and one from Mae although it was an old one;it must have been delayed somewhere.

I was sorry that you had not fully recovered, mother, but you will no doubt be on your feet again before this. Why don't you take the summer off for you must surely need a good rest. Is Norma going to take that position in Toronto? So Vern is making lots of money selling tea. That is a good job for him this summer and if he works at it steadily he ought to make a good bit by the end of the summer.

Was I telling you in my last letter that I had seen Jack McMeecham? I went down to his camp last Sunday and had a chat with him. He was all through the fighting at Ypres and never had a scratch but had some narrow shaves. He wears kilts and looks pretty good in them. He had a letter from Orville a few days before and let me read it.

The weather here has been rather rainy this last week but, on the whole, it has not been too bad. We have a D.R.S. here and it accommodates about 150 or so patients and, in a pinch, it can be almost doubled. Just now, however, we only keep about 100 on hand, and so in case of a rush, we can accommodate a lot more if necessary. There are no wounded, just sick, and they require considerable attention. All cases of sprains, influenza come to us and we are busy from 7 am to 7 pm attending to them. the hospital is a tent hospital and has several wards, each a large marquee that can hold 20 stretchers easily. One man has charge of each tent. I like the work only the hours of duty are long, 12 hours, and it is hard to get a relief. I would much rather be at the advanced dressing station for we can have a good deal more freedom there (that is so far as Fritz will let us). Our NCOs do not bother us up there but back here they fairly dog the life out of us.

There is a special hospital here that "B" section runs. It is a hospital where all cases of  "Self-inflicted" wounds are taken and they are kept there pending an inquiry or if necessary a court-martial and then if guilty through carelessness or of deliberately wounding themselves, they receive a sentence varying as the evidence shows up the circumstances. There are about 60 patients there now and as soon as their sentences expire, they are shipped over to England if they are still required to be in hospital.

The country is just great these days and the first chance I get, I am going to get a day off and take a long walk through the hills here. The highest point in France (in this part) is only a few minutes walk from here and a splendid view of all the country can be had from that point. If a fellow only had a wheel or a horse, he could get over some ground in a short time for the roads are great here and a person could surely enjoy a few afternoons out riding or walking.

Well, I want to write two or three letters tonight so I'll sign off and get at the others before it gets too dark.

Lovingly,

Harold

2 May 1916 France

Dear Mother, Father and the Rest:
This is Tuesday afternoon and I have a few minutes to write before supper time so will get a letter started anyway. There was a Canadian mail today but none from home. It will likely be along tomorrow. Got one from Mae however. I am doing night duty in one of the tent wards so that is how I can write during the afternoon. I can generally get a few winks sleep at night and do not need to sleep all day. I have a bad attack of spring fever I think, for I am just so lazy that I haven’t enough energy to do anything.

The weather here is simply great and has been just like Canadian May weather for over one week. The fields are getting green and the roads are all dried up. It sure is a treat after so much mud and rain and we can stand lots of this kind.

Have had a pretty easy time since coming here and have been to a band concert nearly every evening and one night a concert party from England that is touring the front giving concerts came to the YMCA marquee and gave us a dandy concert. I believe I sent the programme to Ettie. They had a violinist who was great and played a selection of the best pieces. I have been very fortunate in being able to go to so many concerts lately. I try to go every chance I get. 

Had to stop there and now I am on duty and have a full ward but nobody very sick, mostly sprained knees and ankles and some mild cases of trench fever. I had one very sick fellow last night and had another man to help me out as it was necessary to sit up with him all night, so we took 2 hour shifts. His temperature was 105 degrees and we had to keep cold cloths to his head etc. He put in a bad night but by 7 this morning we had his temperature down to 103 degrees. He was sent on today to a hospital further back.

Did I tell you I had seen Clare Brink? Saw him the other day as he was passing the hospital and went over to his quarters with him and had a chat. He is looking fine.

We were awakened the other night about 1 am by the gas alarm and had to get up and dress but were not called out. The gas alarm is a screeching siren and can be heard for miles. It sounds It sounds something like a steamboat whistle and when it sounds in the middle of the night it has such a weird spooky sound that you expect something dreadful is going to happen. We have had two alerts this last week but in neither case did they amount to much as our artillery stopped all the infantry advances and with our gas helmets, we are not troubled with gas even if it should come in this far.

There has been no word yet about a transfer and I’m beginning to think that Gen. Logies’ order has been squashed, the bringing men back from the front. I understand that the Bruce Battalion (160th) is up to strength now. They did the trick in short time alright. Where are they going to train?

I have not had any word from Bill since a day or so after he landed so do not know what he is doing.
What is the opinion of the people over there about the rebellion in Dublin? They were soon squelched however but I guess a lot of damage was done to property etc.

There has not been a great deal of fighting on our front in the last 2 weeks but previous to that, there was some pretty stiff scrapping as I suppose you would see by the paper a/ccs. Some of the Battalions lost so heavily in officers that several privates were promoted to Lieuts. on the field. It looked odd to see a couple of stars stuck up on an ordinary service tunic.

So you have gotten rid of the cow. That was a pretty good price to land for her wasn’t it? It will mean a lot of work cut out and you won’t be tied down so much now. You will all have more time to knit etc. ha!ha! Teeswater is surely going some pace when there are so many festivals and concerts. The new hall is being put to good use.

I must stop now and get my patients tucked up for the night. I’ll write again when I get your letter. Hope this finds everyone in best of health.
Lovingly,
Harold Skilling

25 April 1916 France

Dear Mother Father and the Rest:
Since writing to you last time we have been moved and all 3 sections are together now for the first time since last October. Our section is just doing fatigues for the others at present and we never know when we are going to be called to do some job or other.
All last week we were having a rest and with the exception of a parade at 2 pm could have most of the day to ourselves. As luck would have it, the weather was rainy and we had to stay in our huts most of the day. However we were able to get into town one or two afternoons and got to see a vaudeville show that is running there. The troupe is called “The Fancies” and is entirely made up of soldiers. The management are constantly on the look-out for talent in any Battalion in the Division and if possible they have them transferred to the theatrical troupe. Nearly all the sketches are original and written by the players. They give a dandy 2 hour concert every night and they always get a crowded house. There is a movie show in the town also and “the Coldstream Guards” band plays every day afternoons and evenings alternately. The pictures are good too but the Guards’ Band is a real treat. There are about 50 instruments and they play a splendid variety of selections. There is a system where the different regiments of guards take turns in sending a band out here to give concerts etc. Each one takes a 3 month turn.
Since coming down to our camp here we have been blessed with good weather all but a day or so. Good Friday and the next day it rained steadily all the time but since Easter Sunday it has been just great. We are under canvas here (some of us) and can well do with a spell of sunny weather. All the tents have to be daubed with brown or green coloured paint to make them inconspicuous from the air otherwise a Taube would spot them and have a bomb on us before we knew where we were at.
I rec’d your letter of Apr. 1 ok and was glad to know you are all well. You certainly must be busy when there are so many socials etc. going on and everyone is so busy knitting . I am sure that is all foolish stuff about soldiers having to pay for sox. I have never heard of an instance of it and I am sure it is not so. That is one thing they do for us out here. They give us lots of warm clothes and a bath (shower) and clean underwear and sox and towel as often as possible, at least once every two weeks.
There is also a good supply of food and we seldom if ever go hungry. Of course there are no frills but with lots of good bread (and it is good) jam and often butter and tea with bacon in the morning and stew at noon, if the grub is cooked well, the boys have no complaints.
I don’t think it would be worthwhile sending pyjamas. They are more use in the hospitals than to us, besides it is hard to carry too much stuff like that.
There has been no word rec’d here yet about a transfer. One of the boys told me he had heard in a letter from Canada that I was going back. Is it common talk that I am going back? It is a corker how a rumor spreads eh?
Is Ontario really going dry? The reform wave has struck Belgium too and after today April 25 no English beer or stout is to be sold in the estaminets here. Nothing except a special French beer. I think something like “Social Option” stuff. It will be a good thing for the boys and the army as well.
I understand Captain Brink is quartered here just now and am going to look him up first chance I get. Have not seen Billy Redburn for sometime but there are rumors of his outfit moving forward to another trip up to the Advanced D. S. soon again. We can never tell what is coming off though. There has been some pretty stiff fighting going on around our division recently as you will have seen by the casualty lists and paper o/ccs. The tide seems to be turning down in Mesopotamia however and things ought to be happening down there before long.
It is time for this to be posted so will ring off for this time. Hope everyone is well.
Lovingly,
Harold

28 February 1916 France

Dear Everybody,

I guess you will be thinking that I have forgotten you this week but I wrote to Mae and I suppose she will have sent my letter on home. There is so little to write about these days that when I write one letter, I nearly have to make a copy of it if I want to write anymore.

I received your letter of February 7 okay and was glad to get it. So your good spell of weather has said you farewell. We were just the same here. There has been snow on the ground now for a week and for a few days it was very cold. It has been milder yesterday and today and the snow is melting pretty rapidly.

I was glad to hear that you had got my diary. Did the other souvenirs get home alright. They should be there by now. I sent some trench papers home too. The stationary warfare that has been in progress all winter has made a paper possible and the idea has been taken up by several of the Battalions. There are some very smart little issues are among them and the issues are always sold out very soon. The "Listening Post", the one I sent you, has been suppressed and I'll not be able to get anymore of them. They had been saying some things about CMRs that I suppose would be apt to stir up ill feeling between the two units and they would not be likely to work well together. 

I suppose Will is has left long ago and will soon be in England now. I will know doubt be hearing from him before long from London. These are several of our boys applying for commissions and as I said in my letter to Mae, it is the only way to get out of this unit and I am going to try and work at some way (to get out).

There are very meagre reports coming to us about a big scrap down at Verdun. I guess that is the commencement of the big doings for the spring. It was just a week later than this last year when Neuve Chapelle was fought. The weather can be more dependable now and when the mud begins to dry up, more elaborate and stronger trenches can be made.

I think the best way to buy the yarn would be several different weights and let each lady knit what she can work with best. For summer wear I think the best kind is about the thickness of the ones Ettie sent me. That weight are not so apt to make the feet sweat, if there is much marching to do. I am well off for socks now but if you like you can send a change of light underwear (knee drawers). They are much better for summer wear than long ones and we must have some kind..

Have your letter of February 13 to hand now and will answer it also. This is now Tuesday and the weather has turned mild and rainy again. Tomorrow March 1 so it looks as if March will be coming in like a lamb. That is if the Germans do not start anything before midnight. There are lots of rumors about a big strafing that is to come off soon. There(they) are apparently having a big and important scrap at Verdun.

You were asking about whether there were any cases of soldiers having to pay for articles sent from the societies at home. I have never known of a case. In fact we are exceptionally well supplied (Canadians) and socks etc. are to be had just for the asking from  P.M.(?) stores.

I was up before the "beak" this morning and got a reprimand. We have some five NCOs here particularly our orderly Sergeant who since the new Major came, has had a squad up in the orderly room every morning. The other OC knew what he was and did not pay any attention to him, but he is taking advantage of a new OC and is working out a lot of old grudges. He had nothing against me but of course it is expected that the OC will always back up his NCOs and has been doing that alright but he will soon have this Sergeant's number alright. He is about the meanest and sneakiest NCO I ever ran across and that is saying some.

Well I must ring off. There is absolutely no news of note so I have to call these few pages a letter. Hope everyone is well. I am feeling fine.

Lovingly,
Harold

23 February 1916 Somewhere in France

Dear Mae and Toronto folks,

I received your letter of February February 6 just a few minutes ago and as I have not not much to do this evening I will try and get a few letters written. Yours was the only letter I got tonight and the only one from Canada for about a week. Well I was mighty glad to get your letter and it was real newsy too. Just the kind of a letter you like to get when the job you are on gets stale. It sort of makes you forget it for a while.

Say when you speak of writing letters in the form of a diary reminds me that I sent mine by a fellow who went to England on leave and he was supposed to post it from there. I believe he got on a grand drunk just about as soon as he landed, so I am wondering if he posted it alright too. Do you know if it got home okay ...

The remainder of this letter seems to be missing.

18 February 1916 Somewhere in France

Dear Mother, Father and the rest,

I received your welcome letter of January 29 yesterday and was pleased to learn that everyone was okay. It surely is a funny winter for Ontario to be having. No snow and very mild weather like you reported in January. We have only had one snow flurry and it was all gone off the ground in less than half a day. It is raining more this month than the last and when we get past this, we have the rainy part of the season gone and no one will be sorry. I do not think it has been as bad this year as last, at any rate not as bad as I had imagined the winter weather would be out here. It is no doubt quite bad enough in the trenches. There has been quite a bit of scraping up a little north-east of us and a couple of our battalions were ordered up there as a reserve. They had only come back to rest too, after being in the trenches for five months and the trenches that the Canadians hold our about the worst on the British front. You see the country around here is so low that it is easily flooded and in the rainy weather it is quite a contract to drain it effectively.

Well I was quite surprised to learn that Bill had taken the Commission bug so suddenly. It will no doubt go through. I should have thought he would have waited until he got over here or at least have tried to get into some Canadian unit. I think he would like that much better than the Imperial Army. There are about a dozen of our boys going up tomorrow to parade before the Colonel for Commission. I don't know how they are going to get on, but if they are all successful in getting them, it will make quite a hole in our unit. I believe there are quite a few Canadian boys going after Commissions in the Imperial Army but I think they are sort of given the preference too.

If  Bill gets it okay he will be over here pretty soon. How long does he think it will be before he gets away. He will be attached to some of the Derby recruits I suppose unless he would get the chance of getting on a reserve unit that sends out reinforcements. He will be getting to England at the best time of year for training at any rate. I had a short letter from Mrs. Jeff's yesterday. She invited me to stay there if I am going to be in London on my leave and also Bill has an invitation as well. I am not sure that I'll stay in London when I go but I would like to stay for a few days. We get seven clear days in England and if I go to Scotland I will not have much time to stay in London. However all this is mere speculation for my number on the leave list is 191 and they are only at number five now. You can judge when I'll get mine from that. It is more than I can do if you can. They will no doubt increase the number going very shortly and as all the senior NCOs and officers who do not take numbers get away, there will be a quicker run on the numbers of Privates.

I'll write to Bill as soon as I can and ask him when he is expects to be in England. He will no doubt be writing me himself in the near future and telling me all his plans.

There seems to be more going on over there than there is here, for we hardly find enough interesting news to fill a letter and if it was not for the letters we have to answer, we would not be able to write anything. It is lights out now and so I'll be I'll have to ring off and get to bed. I'll finish this in the morning if I get time.

Yours lovingly,
Harold.

1 February 1916 Somewhere in France

Dear Mother, Father, and everybody,

Received your letter of January 9th today and also Vern's which was enclosed. The mails have been very irregular and it is two weeks since I got a Canadian mail. Was sorry to hear Vern was sick and also to know that Orville was being taken up. It might cost him quite a bit before he is through.

Well what kind of a winter are you having over in Canada? There has not been any snow here yet but lots of rain though. On the whole I think we are having a comparatively mild winter and even if it is wet, there is very little frost.

There has been very heavy artillery firing all along our front this last day or two and I think the 6th Brigade infantry went after the "Bosche" pretty hard a couple of nights ago and got a prisoner who has an Iron Cross and has been in 37 engagements. He no doubt would be very glad to be taken prisoner I should judge.

We are still at the Château and are still in the dark as to when we shall be moving from here. I hope it will be soon for nearly everyone is completely disgusted with this place and we have been here nearly 2 months. I hope you got my diary alright. I haven't put a single entry in my new one yet as there has been absolutely nothing to mention and I don't suppose there will be as long as we are here.

I was agreeably surprised yesterday to receive a box of apples that I had given up for lost. They have been on the road since November 1st and did not arrive until January 31st. I was sure surprised to get them but they were very wholesome. There were about 30 apples in the box and were in good condition although they may have been frozen but I'm not keeping them long enough for them to go bad on me.

I'll try and get you some stamps, Vern. I'll send them along as soon as I get any.

I was over to the place where Billy Redburn is and dropped in to see him. He looks fine and seems quite well etc. I stayed for about an hour and chatted and then I had to get back.

I am enclosing a photo of O'Leary, Wilkins (from Arthur, ON) and Carlisle and myself. It is not very good of us as we were just holding ourselves in to keep from laughing and so looked more serious than ever. I must try and get my Kodak if I can before I go on my leave. I can leave it in England with Bill if he is there when I go. It is of no use to me here now.

I also am enclosing a letter I received from B. Skillings OSC wife of that man in Scarborough England. I had already sent him a short letter in reply. I had a letter from Mr. Munroe the other day it was a very nice letter and they wanted to know if there was anything they could send to me seeing that it is so far to send to Canada for things I would like in a hurry.

How well is the Teeswater platoon of 160th coming along. Are they training in town. Everyone seems to think that there will be some decisive movement soon. Everyone at least hopes there will be.

I got Maude's parcels this afternoon and everything was in good condition but the pickles and the big onion. The latter had become bruised and was going bad. While the pickles had the seal broken and the wax was all mixed up with the contents of the jar. Everything else was fine and the oatmeal jam- jams were especially good. Neither they or the date cakes were dried out and you can make it a pretty sure bet that they were not very hard to take.

I was on the border this afternoon and got Vern a couple of Belgian stamps, a one centime and a 10 centimes (one penny). The one centime is used for sending postcards to places in Belgium only. It is worth only 1/5 of a cent. I'll get some more for you Vern, first chance I get. Some French ones too.

January has been the most uneventful month I have put in since I joined the Army. We have just been putting in time here. That is, our section. But B section have been doing more. At present we have only eight patients and have been as low as six. There are between 50 and 60 men looking after this place and it does not seem a very square deal. I would give a whole lot if I were out of the Field Ambulance but there is not much chance of being able to do so apparently. I am looking out for a chance to get into something else. I want to stay with the 4th brigade if I can. Write and tell me all about how Orville is doing with his case and how everything in general is going on.

I am feeling fine and hope everyone at home is the same. We had our first casualty last week. One of our men was hit on the head with a piece of stray shrapnel. It was not serious however and might not appear in the paper.

Well news is so scarce I'll have to ring off for now.

Your loving son and brother,
Harold

PS the sort of socks I have been getting are the kind that seem to be the most common. H.R.S.

30 December 1915 Somewhere in France

Harold writes his last letter of 1915 to his mother in Teeswater.

Dear mother,

Well, I am back at the Château again and busy from the time I get up till I go to bed - in fact I have a 24 hour duty shift to commence at seven tonight, and I am just trying to get a line or two written this afternoon.

I got my discharge from the hospital on Tuesday after being transferred to our new divisional rest (station) ( D.R.S.). I was among the first batch of patients to go there. It was a pretty draughty place when I was there - only two days - and I was not a bit sorry to get back to my section again even if it is to be a general "flunky" at the Château.

I will not get very much time to write while I am here and it seems an age since I have written any letters. I have a big bunch to get done too, for the people who have sent things to me at Christmas all have to have an acknowledgment sent and there are quite a few of them.

Parcels have been very slow in coming and I have only gotten two that I had any notification of so far. The one from Mrs. Rumble which arrived on Christmas day and the one from the Teeswater Patriotic Society which arrived today. Everything in both of the parcels was okay and the sweater is just dandy and fits like a glove.

I have not tried on the shirt Mrs. Reid sent but it came at a very opportune moment. I'm crummy and I've had to burn an undershirt and it was the last clean one I had, as I lost another while I was in the hospital. I had taken it to a woman in the village before I took sick to be washed and she moved away before I got better.

I'll try and write each of the ladies a card anyway and thank them for their part in the parcel. Oh yes, I got Gert's while I was sick too, and have not written to her yet. Ettie's and Bathurst Church's came during the first week. Mrs. Rumble's apples have not arrived; they were reported to have been sent about November 1. The chicken has not arrived either but surely none of the rest will be long now.

I suppose you will be getting ready for New Year's celebrations. Was Bill home for Christmas? I guess you would always have a big crowd during Christmas and New Year's. I got Maud's papers and also the Teeswater News are coming along OK and the last I got was December 9th. Where did you get the idea that I got those clogs while scouting for wounded in Ypres? When I was up there I was scouting for firewood etc. We used to have to depend on that place for our firewood to supply our cookhouse and huts; also that was where we got the stones for the huts. That was how I got access to the houses hunting for stones and pipes etc. I got those boots in another village though, made on the premises.

I guess you will be wondering what kind of a time I had at Christmas. Well, I was sick all day and things were not very bright. But we had a fairly decent day all the same. A Christmas stocking was given each patient in the morning from The Toronto Patriotic League and then we got a turkey dinner with a Victrola concert in the afternoon. Mrs. Rumble's parcel came Christmas night and was transferred to D.R.S. on Sunday morning and came over here on Tuesday morning. On the car I came over here on last Tuesday, Charlie Scott a member of "B" section came along and was on his way to Canada. He is going on with three others to finish their courses in medicine and come out with commission in R.A.M.C. when they get their degrees M.B. (M.D. ?). The others are Bill Scott, Walter Barnes and Harold Irvine who was in London with me. I told Charles Scott, who is son of Rev. Dr. Scott of Toronto, to phone Orville when he gets there. I had no chance to see any of the other fellows before they left.

I didn't get time to finish this last night so we will try and get it away on the mail tonight. I am off the latrines (?) job and I'm holding down the desk today. I hope I'll get a chance to catch up with my correspondence here. I think I'll stop trying to write to very many and confine myself to about two or three letters a week. A whizbang will have to do any others that want to hear from me.

I just got out of the hospital in Bailleul (?) in time, as the village was shelled on Wednesday and over 100 shells were dropped around the village. One fell about 50 yards from the front of the hospital. There were 18 casualties but only three killed, 2 soldiers and a civilian. None of our boys were hurt. P.P.C.S.I. were just marching through at the time and had to lie in the ditches for a couple of hours.

Things are pretty quiet here now however after the big cannonade (?) we had the Sunday and Monday preceding Christmas. It was north of our lines and none of our brigade was hurt except that the gas the Germans sent over, drifted over part of the line. We were coughing away back at the hospital and were getting pretty husky throats before it cleared away. It was not bad enough back where we were for us to put on our helmets, but up at the front line they had to use theirs and they say they worked like a charm. When the Germans started to charge behind their gas, they didn't get a hundred men over their parapet. The artillery had the range perfectly and just blew them back - and up - so quickly that it was the only attempt they made to come over. Our guns kept at them though and from all accounts will take some few work parties to make their trenches habitable again.

Be sure and write soon and tell me all about your Christmas etc.

Your loving son,
Harold

8 December 1915 Somewhere in France

Dear Mother,

This is Wednesday morning and I am trying to get a small bit written at this while I can. It is a splendid morning and is a great one for walking. I had an easy time easy night last night and had intended going up to the next village to see Billy Redburn. However the S.M. put that idea on the blink by announcing a muster parade for inspection of gas helmets and of course everyone must be on that parade. Since there is no use going to bed and no time to go to see Billy I'll just try and get this written.

I hope you get the few little souvenirs I sent for Christmas. They are not very much but the choice of stuff here is very limited and it is hard to get stuff through the mails. I sent to Toronto and told Orville and the girls to get something for you and father for me. I hope it gets there by Christmas too. It no doubt will if it is not delayed too long by the extra rush. The parcel you sent on November 5 got here on Monday December 6, just a month from the time it was posted. The cake in the bottom of the box was in fine shape and is a dandy cake. Several of the fellows who sleep close to where I do, had a piece and ever since they are hovering around at meal time like flies around a tin of jam. The cookies were pretty dry but good just the same. I guess it is not very practicable to send eatables such as cookies and doughnuts so far, at least when it takes a month to get here. The maple syrup and nut candy and nuts were all fine and dandy. I have been about the luckiest fellow with parcels the last week or 10 days and have sure been living high. I had a great big parcel from "the Bathurst Patriotic Club" and it had nearly everything in it that you could imagine. There was not much to eat (except chocolate bars)  but in a big pair of socks they had crammed two leather bound pocket diaries, a toothbrush, shaving powder, two pencils, envelopes and one bar of Ivory soap, a housewife with scissors in it, a towel. Each article was contributed by a different person and nearly all had a small Christmas tag on it. It was a good parcel for a soldier and I can tell you I appreciated it too. I had another one from Ettie the next day and it was peach. Two pair of socks one pair from Laura Haynes. They are dandy and both pair fit like a glove.  They are the first ones that Ettie ever knitted too, a pair of wristlets and a couple of handkerchiefs. Say by the way, I have about enough of them. I also got your ? There were three or four in the Bathurst parcel and also a can of insect powder and a comb. ha! ha! Mighty handy stuff too for most of us are getting like a cage of monkeys now.

There was a lot of eats in Ettie's parcel too. Peanut butter, candy, etc. etc. and of course it was good. Aunt Aggie had one land along too and it was full of figs dates candy and nuts. I had a letter from Mae and she says there is another one from Toronto on the way and that Mrs. Rumble also was sending one. They are not to hand yet but will no doubt soon be here. Some of the fellows do not get very much and when it comes pouring in to me, it hardly seems as square deal. I try and divey up as best I can and they all seem to appreciate it.

We are not getting very much to do just now and we have only been having an occasional wounded man where a while ago we were getting from 5 to 15 a night. It is a pretty good record for the 4th Brigade considering that they hold the trenches  (which hardly deserve the name ) that have seen some of the heaviest fighting of the war and where the Princess Pats made some of their famous charges.

You were asking in your last letter if I was getting fat. Say you would hardly know me. I cannot button my tunic when I have on a sweater and it is two sizes larger than the one I had last fall when I joined. If I wasn't getting fat I should worry because I am not doing enough work to take anything off me and with the parcels I get.

It is such a dandy clear day that the air is chuck-full of airplanes and au pom-poms and anti-air guns are busy. They very seldom seem to hit anything but I suppose they keep the airplanes from taking too many liberties etc.

Well this is Friday morning and if I get this away by noon it will likely leave England on the Saturday midnight mail and probably get home before New Year's.

I got a big Canadian mail yesterday and there will likely be more along today
but it is coming very irregularly now and will no doubt be worse as it gets near Christmas.

I think I have received everything that has been sent to me and I always try to acknowledge it. I guess I'll have to drop a "whiz-bang" (a field postcard) whenever I receive anything just when I get it and then you will know as soon as possible. In Mae's letter she seemed to think that possibly some things had gone astray. I do not think I have lost anything yet. Don't worry about me writing too many letters. I only write two or three a week. I try to write one home at least once a week and that will do for everyone. I might sometimes drop a letter to Ettie (and) to some of the others when I have time. By the way I'll enclose a letter I received from Mrs. Skillings of Scarborough. I got it sometime ago but have not answered it yet.

Oh yes the boxes I get are fine but do not weigh them down with fruitcake please. There will be lots of that and Christmas pudding etc. floating around here by Christmas  -that is if it can float-  and the hospital will likely be full of fellows with gout etc. they will all be calling it "trench feet" though. We get all the clothes we can possibly use or carry so any extra you have, send it to the Red Cross first and the fellows in the trenches will get it. If you have a good hot bath you might send it across. I haven't had a good one for nearly a month so possibly you will see how the insect powder comes in handy eh! I haven't had to use any yet but I have a "little 'itch in my arrangements".

Well I must ring off now and get this posted and then turn in.

Yours lovingly,
Harold

6 December 1915 Somewhere in France

An incomplete letter to his mother in Teeswater.  

Dear Mother,  

Received your letter of December 12 yesterday and as usual was very glad to hear that everyone was okay. I guess you would be so busy at Christmas time that you could hardly turn around. I see that you expected your usual crowd at Christmas.  

I got your parcel with Ettie’s, Mrs. Nixon’s, Mrs. Calvin’s and Mrs. Hughes’ contributions but failed to find your own. In its stead was a note from the postal authorities to the effect that, as the enclosed parcel of potted chicken was in a high-state of decomposition, it had been removed and destroyed and the remaining part of the former parcel repacked. So I guess it is not practicable to send stuff like that so far. Everything else was in good condition and I must write to them all and thank them. I have written to Mrs. Nixon and will drop a line to the others to as soon as I can.  

We are at the Château yet but expect will be leaving in another 10 days or so for our D.R.S. I don't know for sure just how long we will be there but I guess it will be a month at least and from there we will go on to our dressing station where we were last.  

Yes, we have been seeing quite a bit about Ford's peace expedition but I am afraid it is not going to be of much value. Oh yes, it was our own hospital that we were building the sandbag barricade for. It is not sand we put in the bags, only earth or anything else like that, that we can get.

Since we left our advanced dressing station there has been quite a bit of artillery firing around there and on one occasion two or three days after I had been sent on to our D.R.S., the village got quite a drubbing from the German artillery and the hospital handled 18 casualties in the afternoon. Our men got off okay and there were none hurt at all. I understand that since that bombardment (these were about 100 shells thrown over) there is a big dugout being built (bombproof) for the patients from the hospital to be carried to in case of a bombardment (say excuse this mixed up composition but I am writing this at the desk and people are continually…