I received word that my uncle Bob, Clarence's son, passed away last night. He was 77 years old and had been ill for a while.
Bob was only 14 when Clarence died and he went to live with his sister, Ruth. Ruth passed away in November.
Bob did the original transcription of Clarence's letters and distributed many copies amongst our family members.
RIP Bob. You will be missed. Gone but not forgotten.
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Saturday, April 9, 2011
August 4, 1915
Dear Father:
I received your letter and the paper on Sunday the 1st and was mighty glad to get them.
The Herschel did land at Devenport but it's in Plymouth Harbour and the two are the same, just like Windsor and Falmouth, only they are on one side of the water. The Caledonia left St. John on Sunday, June 13, at 11 a.m. with the Fredericton Company of the 4th Div. Am. Column and the 26th Battalion and took on the Heavy Artillery at Halifax. She arrived in port one day ahead of us. We left St. John Monday, June 14, with the C.P.R. Construction Corps and 410 horses. The 23rd and 25th battalions are about 15 minutes' walk from us, but I have seen none I know there yet, although I know they are there. It's so hard to catch them. Walter Glassy must be some sport now and I guess Walter Card is not so hard up as some people think, leave it to him.
I can't give you the names and addresses of any of our officers yet. They would be no good anyway, for if we go to the Front they won't, except for a Lieut. once in a while. At least that's the way it has been since I came here. One went and was only gone two days, brought back all shot up, so I was told. From here we can get into the firing line in a couple of hours, so the boys say. We have several back from the Front and are always meeting others in town and they have some great stories to tell.
I have plenty of socks, anyway those things are cheap over here. Smoking tobacco costs twice as much as at home, and cigarettes only half as much. Players are only 6 cents here. All amusements are very cheap and real good. The pictures are fine. They were all American films. None of our boys were drowned so there is a mistake. In fact, I did not hear of anyone being drowned.
Eric Smith is here in the 42nd Highlanders, but I have not seen him. You see, we are all on duty and off at the same time, so it's like looking for a needle, looking for anyone here. Last Friday, I went to Diligate and found Smith. He was thrown from his horse while doing police duty. He was laid up a couple of weeks but soon got well when he heard they were coming across. There is some talk of turning them into artillery.
We came from Paddington to Charing Cross Station underground through London, so we did not see much of the city. We are only two hour's ride from there now and I guess I will see some it some weekend. Those photos were not good ones at all for I look much better than that. English photographers do good work, so I may send some home of their work. We are getting new horses to train so I guess we will have some fun.
Well, I must save something for the next time. There is a big inspection on and I guess by the cheering it must be the King. It is raining like fury and they have no coats. I beat it. I was on one before and that's enough for me. Our sergeant has not got my name on his roll call so it's not very hard to get away once in a while. I should like to see the King, though. But you would never know when he was coming.
With love, Clarence
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
I received your letter and the paper on Sunday the 1st and was mighty glad to get them.
The Herschel did land at Devenport but it's in Plymouth Harbour and the two are the same, just like Windsor and Falmouth, only they are on one side of the water. The Caledonia left St. John on Sunday, June 13, at 11 a.m. with the Fredericton Company of the 4th Div. Am. Column and the 26th Battalion and took on the Heavy Artillery at Halifax. She arrived in port one day ahead of us. We left St. John Monday, June 14, with the C.P.R. Construction Corps and 410 horses. The 23rd and 25th battalions are about 15 minutes' walk from us, but I have seen none I know there yet, although I know they are there. It's so hard to catch them. Walter Glassy must be some sport now and I guess Walter Card is not so hard up as some people think, leave it to him.
I can't give you the names and addresses of any of our officers yet. They would be no good anyway, for if we go to the Front they won't, except for a Lieut. once in a while. At least that's the way it has been since I came here. One went and was only gone two days, brought back all shot up, so I was told. From here we can get into the firing line in a couple of hours, so the boys say. We have several back from the Front and are always meeting others in town and they have some great stories to tell.
I have plenty of socks, anyway those things are cheap over here. Smoking tobacco costs twice as much as at home, and cigarettes only half as much. Players are only 6 cents here. All amusements are very cheap and real good. The pictures are fine. They were all American films. None of our boys were drowned so there is a mistake. In fact, I did not hear of anyone being drowned.
Eric Smith is here in the 42nd Highlanders, but I have not seen him. You see, we are all on duty and off at the same time, so it's like looking for a needle, looking for anyone here. Last Friday, I went to Diligate and found Smith. He was thrown from his horse while doing police duty. He was laid up a couple of weeks but soon got well when he heard they were coming across. There is some talk of turning them into artillery.
We came from Paddington to Charing Cross Station underground through London, so we did not see much of the city. We are only two hour's ride from there now and I guess I will see some it some weekend. Those photos were not good ones at all for I look much better than that. English photographers do good work, so I may send some home of their work. We are getting new horses to train so I guess we will have some fun.
Well, I must save something for the next time. There is a big inspection on and I guess by the cheering it must be the King. It is raining like fury and they have no coats. I beat it. I was on one before and that's enough for me. Our sergeant has not got my name on his roll call so it's not very hard to get away once in a while. I should like to see the King, though. But you would never know when he was coming.
With love, Clarence
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Sunday, March 27, 2011
July 26, 1915
Dear Father & Mother,
Since I last wrote, the major has put me on a lead team with the regular driver who has been driving since February. We take turnabout with the horses, so if anything happens to him I can take hold of the team. The second time I was out, when it came time to change drivers, the major asked me how long I'd been driving and I told him that I had only been out once and he told me that I was driving all right. It was then he put me on regular.
I got a complete issue of clothes and boots last week. I took the breeches and tunic to a tailor and had them fixed so they fit me fine. The boots are an awful size but well made and comfortable. They are the English make.
On the drill ground there are an awful lot of horses. Three batteries of artillery and six or seven riding schools of English hussars. When we get the 89 horses from the sick lines, we will have some bunch. I was on picket at the sick lines Saturday night and as there is no one around there it makes a good job. I have cleaned no harness for a week and don't plan to for another if I can get clear of it.
Every Sunday afternoon, the Canadian band gives a concert on the leas in Folkstone and thousands of people go to hear it. I very seldom go in there now because I have seen all of it and got tired. Last night, I was coming along the leas and I met Walter Buchanan, who used to be in Windsor. He has been to the Front and was wounded in three places at Ypres. He is in a Scottish regiment and wears kilts. He enlisted at Truro and is married. I met Gargin again on Friday night and he tells me Eric Smith is near him in the 42nd from Winnipeg.
This morning, after we changed drivers, one of our boys who had a single horse out got frightened of him so I took him and you bet I had a circus. He would rear right up, wheel around in a circle so fast his nose was against his tail, then he would straighten out for a good run. Well, I had no spurs on so I could not do much but stick and I stayed there. Last week he three himself, rider and all, and broke the man's arm.
Well, I can't think of any more till I hear from you, so goodby.
Clarence
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Since I last wrote, the major has put me on a lead team with the regular driver who has been driving since February. We take turnabout with the horses, so if anything happens to him I can take hold of the team. The second time I was out, when it came time to change drivers, the major asked me how long I'd been driving and I told him that I had only been out once and he told me that I was driving all right. It was then he put me on regular.
I got a complete issue of clothes and boots last week. I took the breeches and tunic to a tailor and had them fixed so they fit me fine. The boots are an awful size but well made and comfortable. They are the English make.
On the drill ground there are an awful lot of horses. Three batteries of artillery and six or seven riding schools of English hussars. When we get the 89 horses from the sick lines, we will have some bunch. I was on picket at the sick lines Saturday night and as there is no one around there it makes a good job. I have cleaned no harness for a week and don't plan to for another if I can get clear of it.
Every Sunday afternoon, the Canadian band gives a concert on the leas in Folkstone and thousands of people go to hear it. I very seldom go in there now because I have seen all of it and got tired. Last night, I was coming along the leas and I met Walter Buchanan, who used to be in Windsor. He has been to the Front and was wounded in three places at Ypres. He is in a Scottish regiment and wears kilts. He enlisted at Truro and is married. I met Gargin again on Friday night and he tells me Eric Smith is near him in the 42nd from Winnipeg.
This morning, after we changed drivers, one of our boys who had a single horse out got frightened of him so I took him and you bet I had a circus. He would rear right up, wheel around in a circle so fast his nose was against his tail, then he would straighten out for a good run. Well, I had no spurs on so I could not do much but stick and I stayed there. Last week he three himself, rider and all, and broke the man's arm.
Well, I can't think of any more till I hear from you, so goodby.
Clarence
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Sunday, March 20, 2011
July 17, 1915
Dear Father & Mother:
Since I wrote you last wrote you not much has happened, so I have not much to write about. Just the same old routine, those who have horses drilling with the guns, and those who have not cleaning harness. Last Saturday, Fredericks and I went down to Sandgate to have a real feed. We went to a tea house and had a piece of ham, two eggs, a cup of coffee, six small slices of bread and butter and eight pieces of different kinds of pastry each and the lady charged us three shillings (75 cents); oh, they do soak Canadians. On Sunday, we went into Folkstone to the Soldiers' Recreation Roooms and had our supper. We had pudding and custard, brown bread and butter, cocoa and pastry for one and six (30 cents)and, believe me, we were filled up, and only 15 cents each. This place is purely for soldiers, having billiard tables, ping-pong, books, two pianos, lunch room, gymnasium, and writing room with paper and ink, and is nicely fixed up and is always filled at night, so we go there every night.
Last Sunday night, the steering gear of one of the buses went wrong and a woman standing on the sidewalk was driven through a fence and killed. Her daughter went one way and got clear, but her mother got excited and was caught as though she had never moved.
On Monday, we got one hundred new horses, but everyone of them had to go to the sick lines with ringworms so we can't work them for some time.
On Wednesday, we went to the ranges at Hythe for our shooting examination. It is about four miles and downhill all the way on an asphalt road so it was all right going. We left at seven and it was cool. Coming back it was all uphill and in the middle of the day and mighty hot. We had two rests on the way, but my clothes were wringing wet. However, they always let us march at ease, so we walk the easiest way we know how and carry our rifles anyway we like. The first round was to see in how small a space we could put five shots at one hundred yards. I put all five in a four-inch circle. The next round was at a target the size of a man's head, in fact, made to represent a man looking over a bank. I made two bulls and three inners. I think I did very well considering that I never fired a bigger rifle than a 44-40 in my life. About ten days ago, I tried my skill at a .22 range in Folkstone and made 68 out of 70. That's as good as has been done by Canadians here, but I have used a .22 quite a lot so was more at home.
On Wednesday, I was on picket from 2 - 6 a.m. and did not intend going to the range, but our officer told me to come along. So I hurried my breakfast and dressed but the others had gone. I met our captain going on horseback and he told me to come along on a bus, so I went down to Sandgate to catch one and had to wait an hour. When I got out there, they had fired the first series and the captain was a bit sore at me for waiting, but I did not mean to walk out and back too after doing picket half the night. Anyway, I never fired a shot that day, but I will have to go again likely, while the others have finished. I will let you know how I do when I go. I have to shoot 15 shots - five rapid fire at 200 yards, and five rapid and five slow at 300 yards. In rapid fire we have 30 seconds to load and fire five shots and make the best score we can.
I can get any kind of clothes I want around here dirt cheap, about ten days after payday. The only thing I bought was a pair of Fox puttees that sell in Fredericton for $2.80, and I got them brand new from one of the boys for one bob (24 cents). They sell in the stores for $1.60 here. All other clothes are correspondingly cheap in this country.
Two days agao we got word that Col. Sam Hughes was coming for inspection and then the fun started. We were out drilling morning, noon and night, rain or shine for two days, leaving 70 men or 35 men to move in line anywhere and there was some awful growling around here, mind you. If we had some kind of drill every day instead of cleaning harness all the time, we would not have to do a month's drill in two days. However, he is gone, and all O.K. Yesterday afternoon, all the troops handy lined up on the field for a little practice. We came in at 4:00 o'clock and started stables. We no sooner got our clothes off and were cleaning horses than our Lieut. Col. Rathburn made us fall in for an hour's drill with no greatcoats and it was raining like the deuce.
After that I got paid. I got four pounds and you will get the twenty this month. Ten of my twenty was what they stopped for clothes at Fredericton. Yesterday, I left my letter purse in my pants with my monthly pass, the address in my lunch from Fredericton, the letter and address in the socks I got from there and about six shillings and someone stole the whole business. They would take the milk out of your tea if they could. I would not keep much, but for the box I keep locked.
The 600 in our barracks went on parade at 8:30 this a.m. All shined and were inspected by our O.C. We went out to the field at ten and were inspected by Col. Hughes and R.H. Borden and a lot of other officers, Canadian and English. There were between 35-40,000 men there, all Canadians, from every branch of the service and dressed in Khaki. It was fine with bands playing, but tiresome standing.
More next time,
Clarence
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Since I wrote you last wrote you not much has happened, so I have not much to write about. Just the same old routine, those who have horses drilling with the guns, and those who have not cleaning harness. Last Saturday, Fredericks and I went down to Sandgate to have a real feed. We went to a tea house and had a piece of ham, two eggs, a cup of coffee, six small slices of bread and butter and eight pieces of different kinds of pastry each and the lady charged us three shillings (75 cents); oh, they do soak Canadians. On Sunday, we went into Folkstone to the Soldiers' Recreation Roooms and had our supper. We had pudding and custard, brown bread and butter, cocoa and pastry for one and six (30 cents)and, believe me, we were filled up, and only 15 cents each. This place is purely for soldiers, having billiard tables, ping-pong, books, two pianos, lunch room, gymnasium, and writing room with paper and ink, and is nicely fixed up and is always filled at night, so we go there every night.
Last Sunday night, the steering gear of one of the buses went wrong and a woman standing on the sidewalk was driven through a fence and killed. Her daughter went one way and got clear, but her mother got excited and was caught as though she had never moved.
On Monday, we got one hundred new horses, but everyone of them had to go to the sick lines with ringworms so we can't work them for some time.
On Wednesday, we went to the ranges at Hythe for our shooting examination. It is about four miles and downhill all the way on an asphalt road so it was all right going. We left at seven and it was cool. Coming back it was all uphill and in the middle of the day and mighty hot. We had two rests on the way, but my clothes were wringing wet. However, they always let us march at ease, so we walk the easiest way we know how and carry our rifles anyway we like. The first round was to see in how small a space we could put five shots at one hundred yards. I put all five in a four-inch circle. The next round was at a target the size of a man's head, in fact, made to represent a man looking over a bank. I made two bulls and three inners. I think I did very well considering that I never fired a bigger rifle than a 44-40 in my life. About ten days ago, I tried my skill at a .22 range in Folkstone and made 68 out of 70. That's as good as has been done by Canadians here, but I have used a .22 quite a lot so was more at home.
On Wednesday, I was on picket from 2 - 6 a.m. and did not intend going to the range, but our officer told me to come along. So I hurried my breakfast and dressed but the others had gone. I met our captain going on horseback and he told me to come along on a bus, so I went down to Sandgate to catch one and had to wait an hour. When I got out there, they had fired the first series and the captain was a bit sore at me for waiting, but I did not mean to walk out and back too after doing picket half the night. Anyway, I never fired a shot that day, but I will have to go again likely, while the others have finished. I will let you know how I do when I go. I have to shoot 15 shots - five rapid fire at 200 yards, and five rapid and five slow at 300 yards. In rapid fire we have 30 seconds to load and fire five shots and make the best score we can.
I can get any kind of clothes I want around here dirt cheap, about ten days after payday. The only thing I bought was a pair of Fox puttees that sell in Fredericton for $2.80, and I got them brand new from one of the boys for one bob (24 cents). They sell in the stores for $1.60 here. All other clothes are correspondingly cheap in this country.
Two days agao we got word that Col. Sam Hughes was coming for inspection and then the fun started. We were out drilling morning, noon and night, rain or shine for two days, leaving 70 men or 35 men to move in line anywhere and there was some awful growling around here, mind you. If we had some kind of drill every day instead of cleaning harness all the time, we would not have to do a month's drill in two days. However, he is gone, and all O.K. Yesterday afternoon, all the troops handy lined up on the field for a little practice. We came in at 4:00 o'clock and started stables. We no sooner got our clothes off and were cleaning horses than our Lieut. Col. Rathburn made us fall in for an hour's drill with no greatcoats and it was raining like the deuce.
After that I got paid. I got four pounds and you will get the twenty this month. Ten of my twenty was what they stopped for clothes at Fredericton. Yesterday, I left my letter purse in my pants with my monthly pass, the address in my lunch from Fredericton, the letter and address in the socks I got from there and about six shillings and someone stole the whole business. They would take the milk out of your tea if they could. I would not keep much, but for the box I keep locked.
The 600 in our barracks went on parade at 8:30 this a.m. All shined and were inspected by our O.C. We went out to the field at ten and were inspected by Col. Hughes and R.H. Borden and a lot of other officers, Canadian and English. There were between 35-40,000 men there, all Canadians, from every branch of the service and dressed in Khaki. It was fine with bands playing, but tiresome standing.
More next time,
Clarence
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Sunday, March 13, 2011
July 4, 1915 - Shorncliffe, County Kent, England
Dear People,
I suppose you would like to know where I am now so I will tell you all about this place. We only stayed at the Otterpool Camp till about 2 o'clock last Monday, when we were loaded into motor trucks again and moved to the barracks. This is certainly some camp. There are about 25 buildings here, all built of brick, nicely laid off and the yard is all paved and kept clean as a whistle. I think about eight of them are the mess quarters and the others are stables, with the exception of the cookhouse and the gun shed. There is a very nice parade ground in the centre and a field for gun drill at the back which has become as hard as a road.
Just across the field is the Canadian hospital, a very large brick building with numerous other buildings that go to make up the hospital station. I don't know anything about it for I have not been in there yet. The greatest part of their cases are all kinds of venereal diseases. The women in this country are simply rotten with all kinds of it and the men won't keep away from them. When they get in the hospital for this, their clothes are taken from them and they get a suit of blue overalls and are confined to grounds, so you always know them. Some don't report but there is a heavy penalty for not doing so when found out, discharge and I don't know what all if they wish to enforce it, but they need men so badly that they have not discharged any that I know of. After treating them at the hospital for a while they are sent to a canvas hospital a short distance away and there a[re] a deuce of a lot of men there. Then they are getting a lot of wounded from the Front, but I never hear of any dying.
This whole country is the Canadian camp for miles around and they say there are 50,000 here but I don't know for sure. Anyway, every way you turn the country and towns are overrun with them.
Each building has from four to eight rooms, each holding 23 men. Our room has a washroom just outside the door, a bed for each man and four tables to eat from. Each man has his row of pegs and two shelves for his clothes. The beds are jointed. At night we pull the bottom half out and push it in again in the morning. It makes a bed two feet wide and six feet long, made of iron as are the supports of the tables and benches.
There is a dry canteen where you can get anything a soldier needs and a wet canteen where you can get soft drinks and beer for 5 cents per pint. The officers have a very fine building of red brick beautifully finished with lawns, flowers, hedges and a tennis court. It is like a town right here, horse and mule transports, motor transports, motor ambulances, fruit peddlers and all kinds of rigs running around. A horse would not last long in this country at fast work, everything is done by motor.
Every road in town, city or country is made of macadam and they take great care of them, never let them get out of repair. The only fault is the roads are very narrow, especially in the country, where they are barely wide enough for one vehicle to get along. Everyone in this country is a gardener and the places look lovely, with flowers, hedges, shrubs and trees of all kinds. The farms are great with the evenly planted fields. I guess the farmers are the equals of any, but no one hurts himself. They take their time about it. The women are the best workers.
The children are an awful nuisance and awful bums. They drive you nearly crazy if you don't drive them away, and that is a hard job. A soldier from Canada dare not stop hardly. They gather around, tramp on your feet, climb up on you by your bandolier and rub their greasy hands all over you and they are always dirty except the better class. There are a good many cripples and they all know how to beg.
We are right on the Channel and on a fine day we can see the coast of France. All kinds of warcraft are always going back and forth and it makes a nice view. About two miles away is an airship station and the three dirigibles and 20 areoplanes are flying overhead all the time. Sometimes you can hardly see them, they go so high. The propellers on the aeroplanes make such a noise you hear them before you can see them.
There are several towns around here. On one side Sandgate, a place of 3-4,000 people, mostly a Channel port but it has a large motor works where they build the buses for between towns service. On another side, Hythe, probably 5,000. I don't know much about it because I was only there once. Anyone gets tired of it, nothing going on at all there. On another side, Chariton, a place of about 7-8,000 people. It seems to be purely residential. A good many soldiers spend their evenings there with girls or drinking beer, but most of them go to Sandgate and Chariton to catch a bus for Folkstone, which is the main place around here. This place is a very large summer resort. There is a large beach, pier, gardens, promenades, hotels and fine large residences all along the waterfront. In fact, all the houses and stores are very fine and are kept in wonderful repair and order.
Plymouth and London had the only streetcars. I have seen all double-deckers and all the towns have motor buses, holding about 30 people. The buses have solid rubber tires and the rear wheels are like two tires on one wheel and are twice the size of the average tire. After the tires get worn (from 3 - 6 inches wide) they are very hard to turn. Some of the buses in the cities, in fact all of them, are double-deckers and they carry a big load.
There are such a lot of Canadians around here you can hardly get along the streets, especially on Saturday night. Instead of having restaurants like we have, they have a few good places and the balance of them are fish shops where you get chips and fish, but they smell so badly I have never been in one. Some of the men like it and you see them sitting everywhere eating from a newspaper. Every place tries to soak a Canadian when he goes to buy anything, but if a man stops to think a minute he can do all right after an argument.
At Folkstone, you pay six cents to get on the pier. There are two concrete floors, one for roller skating (pay six cents more to skate). The other floor is waxed for dancing and is free. A lady plays the piano in the centre and a crowd made up of girls and soldiers dance all the evening from 6 - 10. Then in the building at the end of the pier there are moving pictures. They run off six reels of pictures, then anyone can sing, dance or recite on the stage and the best performance gets a nice prize. After that, six more reels of pictures and good night. This is free also. Just now they have two lady swimmers on the pier each afternoon and evening. They take day about [is a word missing from transcription here?]. Diving in the day when the water is high and an exhibition of all kinds of swimming at night. These girls take a collection before they enter the water and do very good. On the pier there are all kinds of devices to get money like other summer places, but I don't monkey with any of them. Gambling is strictly forbidden anywhere in this country, although they have all the machines that would be forbidden home - all penny slot machines.
There is a dandy rifle range on the pier where you use .22 repeating rifles at a range of 30 feet. It is the best small range I ever saw and as I have not used a .22 since I was in Halifax five years ago, I tried and made 61 out of a possible 70. Three of the seven were bulls, not bad without any practice. This costs six cents.
I am sending a small book of views of Folkstone so you can see some of the places I speak of. You get from the upper leas to the beach by means of steps and steep walks, all of stone, with benches and corners. Everywhere, the whole side of the hill is walks and benches in pretty little groves.
If you don't want to walk down, you can take a lift which is a small car on rails (there are four). These are drawn up and let down the face of the hill by means of a winch cable and is three times as steep as the Jail Hill at home. I don't know what power they use, I never asked and I can't see any.
When I first came here, I was in this place every chance I got because it was strange but I have seen most of it and I don't like the ways here and it costs money to be going all the time, so I guess I will spend more time in barracks resting after this.
July 1st we got three pounds (about $15.00) and some of our boys are nearly broke now. I still have a little of the money I had when I landed and have not touched mine yet. About the 15th of July we will get the balance along with pay for this month to that date. By that time our pay books will be ready (everyone carries one) and we will get squared up. The money I signed home is paid to me here for the month of June, but it will go home after this. I don't know where from. I suppose they thought we would like some extra money to start on in a strange country. They tell me if a man goes to the Front and loses his pay book he can't get any money till the war is over! But I believe the wounded who get home leave have been able to get some money before leaving.
Now then, for the routine here. We rise at 5:30 and fall in in any old dress at 5:45. Then do the horses till 6:45. Then we get breakfast and dress in full with the exception of pants. We march to the parade ground and get our instructions for the day. Drivers to the stables and gunners to gun drill till 12:00 o'clock. Then dinner and fall in at 1:45 for the same thing till 5:30, then supper and free till 12:00. We have a M.N. Pass (privileged characters), but they don't care what time you come in as long as you are there at 5:45 a.m., so some stay out all night. There is only one guard near the officers' quarters and there are a dozen roads into Barracks. Lights out at ten (gas) and no roll call.
Each town is patrolled all night by a picket of ten men and an N.C.O. to keep order and some English military police who wear a blue uniform with a red cap. These are dirty men, you bet. Last night I saw one of them try to pull a Canadian off a bus in Folkstone because it was too crowded. They were both big men. The Canadian got down and asked him who he was pulling. The E.M.P. said he was pulling him, so the Canadian drew back and hit him full in the face. He lit fifteen feet away. They carried the cop away and the other man got on the bus laughing. There were enough Canadians there to clean up the town. They are the only soldiers around here for miles. This whole country for miles is the Canadian Station.
The first three days here we got a rifle course and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we go to the ranges to shoot (six miles away). Walk and stay all day. Those that pass are through, the others do some more. We go by stages from the 3rd to the 2nd then to the 1st Battery when we are ready for the Front. A draft of 200 men go this week. When they go, we drivers expect to get our saddles, harness and team. When we do, we will start riding and manoeuvering with the guns (we have four and four wagons). Up to now the drivers have mostly done nothing but clean dirty harness that was sent down from Salisbury Plains and was never cleaned before. They were in such a hurry to get the men away. Every officer has his horse and there are a lot of them, too, but we are short of gun teams, expecially the 3rd Battery.
The officers are very nice men, so are the N.C.O.'s with the exception of our two sergeants who came with us. No one likes them (overbearing and ignorant and show it). One is an Irishman and the other an Englishman. One was bawled out for saluting an officer from the cap with a rifle on his shoulder. He should simply place the hand on the stock of the rifle across the body. The other got the same twice, once for carrying his rifle wrong (he looked like a young rooster trying to fly), and again for marching a body of men in front of our Major's Parade. The last is the Englishman and the worst of the two. He had his experience pounded into him years ago in this country and if something doesn't happen to him I don't know.
The gunmen have nothing to do with the horses, so spend their time on the guns. The drivers have nothing to do with the guns yet, so spend their time around harness trying to look busy till we get something to work with. Saturday is a bad day on fatigue because the colonel holds an inspection and it fell on me. Talk about scrubbing floors and cleaning up, well I guess we had to, but she was clean.
There are two men to a room, so while the men have half a day Saturday room orderlies stay around to draw rations and watch the room. Then our little bunch of drivers have to do stables today at 6:00, at 11:30 and 4:30. Then I am on picket tonight with no time off, so I am getting it in the neck these three days. But the life is not hard yet, only the hours are long! Thursday was the 1st and we had to work all day, but by not pushing myself forward I got a bare-back ride in the morning away out in the hills and we had a great time.
That morning the fog was so heavy you could see it come over the bank from the sea like smoke, you could not see down the valley 100 feet. The air is so full of the ocean and salt air that you have to shine your buttons twice a day to keep them right. We have to be in full dress for all parades (except the 5:45), but not shined. But at church parade on Sunday we have to be shined and shaved. And have a moustache, too, or you get an awful bawling out right before all the men from the brigade sergt.-major. He is fine soldierly man, very neat and covered with colors for service, but there is nothing too sarcastic and saucy for him to say to a man when he finds a fault.
Perhaps you would like to hear of our meals. Breakfast: tea, bread, and either bacon, eggs or salmon. Dinner: roast meat, gravy and either peas, beans, or cabbage. Supper: tea, bread and either jam, cheese or peaches or pineapple (canned).
This week we get an issue of everything, so I may be sending some clothes home after I wear them a little to make them second-hand. I'll let you know later. I got three pairs of heavy socks from the ladies of Fredericton. I think we must have between 150 and 200 horses, I don't just know. I can get washing done very reasonable here. I sent fatigue shirt and pants, 2 pr. socks, 2 handkerchiefs, 1 towel, 1 top shirt and a change of underwear to a wash woman and had it back in three days for 48 cents. There are half a dozen boys around gathering up laundry every day. There is a laundry at Chariton but it doesn't give satisfaction, so we send it to the women. Even these people soak you. One boy's pants were 24 cents, but mine were only 12 cents. I am getting onto this money now, but in writing I will speak of it as in our own and you can understand it quicker.
Now I have said all I can think of. I hope you are well. I am feeling better all the time and gaining. I have a fine red moustache now, but no hair. I had it clipped close on the boat but it's starting to grow now. I have talked with wounded drivers from the Front. They all get wounded from the hips down and these men say a driver very seldom gets killed. Now I will have to go on duty soon, so must eat. Write as often as you can. It will keep me in touch with home. Now in case you did not get my right address here it is, and I think it will take about one month for me to get an answer to this. A long wait.
With love, Clarence
Driver C.A. McCann
No. 90152 3rd Battery
Canadian Artillery Reserve Brigade
Ross Barracks
Shorncliffe, County Kent, England
(This is for Everybody...Be sure that Ada gets it too)
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
I suppose you would like to know where I am now so I will tell you all about this place. We only stayed at the Otterpool Camp till about 2 o'clock last Monday, when we were loaded into motor trucks again and moved to the barracks. This is certainly some camp. There are about 25 buildings here, all built of brick, nicely laid off and the yard is all paved and kept clean as a whistle. I think about eight of them are the mess quarters and the others are stables, with the exception of the cookhouse and the gun shed. There is a very nice parade ground in the centre and a field for gun drill at the back which has become as hard as a road.
Just across the field is the Canadian hospital, a very large brick building with numerous other buildings that go to make up the hospital station. I don't know anything about it for I have not been in there yet. The greatest part of their cases are all kinds of venereal diseases. The women in this country are simply rotten with all kinds of it and the men won't keep away from them. When they get in the hospital for this, their clothes are taken from them and they get a suit of blue overalls and are confined to grounds, so you always know them. Some don't report but there is a heavy penalty for not doing so when found out, discharge and I don't know what all if they wish to enforce it, but they need men so badly that they have not discharged any that I know of. After treating them at the hospital for a while they are sent to a canvas hospital a short distance away and there a[re] a deuce of a lot of men there. Then they are getting a lot of wounded from the Front, but I never hear of any dying.
This whole country is the Canadian camp for miles around and they say there are 50,000 here but I don't know for sure. Anyway, every way you turn the country and towns are overrun with them.
Each building has from four to eight rooms, each holding 23 men. Our room has a washroom just outside the door, a bed for each man and four tables to eat from. Each man has his row of pegs and two shelves for his clothes. The beds are jointed. At night we pull the bottom half out and push it in again in the morning. It makes a bed two feet wide and six feet long, made of iron as are the supports of the tables and benches.
There is a dry canteen where you can get anything a soldier needs and a wet canteen where you can get soft drinks and beer for 5 cents per pint. The officers have a very fine building of red brick beautifully finished with lawns, flowers, hedges and a tennis court. It is like a town right here, horse and mule transports, motor transports, motor ambulances, fruit peddlers and all kinds of rigs running around. A horse would not last long in this country at fast work, everything is done by motor.
Every road in town, city or country is made of macadam and they take great care of them, never let them get out of repair. The only fault is the roads are very narrow, especially in the country, where they are barely wide enough for one vehicle to get along. Everyone in this country is a gardener and the places look lovely, with flowers, hedges, shrubs and trees of all kinds. The farms are great with the evenly planted fields. I guess the farmers are the equals of any, but no one hurts himself. They take their time about it. The women are the best workers.
The children are an awful nuisance and awful bums. They drive you nearly crazy if you don't drive them away, and that is a hard job. A soldier from Canada dare not stop hardly. They gather around, tramp on your feet, climb up on you by your bandolier and rub their greasy hands all over you and they are always dirty except the better class. There are a good many cripples and they all know how to beg.
We are right on the Channel and on a fine day we can see the coast of France. All kinds of warcraft are always going back and forth and it makes a nice view. About two miles away is an airship station and the three dirigibles and 20 areoplanes are flying overhead all the time. Sometimes you can hardly see them, they go so high. The propellers on the aeroplanes make such a noise you hear them before you can see them.
There are several towns around here. On one side Sandgate, a place of 3-4,000 people, mostly a Channel port but it has a large motor works where they build the buses for between towns service. On another side, Hythe, probably 5,000. I don't know much about it because I was only there once. Anyone gets tired of it, nothing going on at all there. On another side, Chariton, a place of about 7-8,000 people. It seems to be purely residential. A good many soldiers spend their evenings there with girls or drinking beer, but most of them go to Sandgate and Chariton to catch a bus for Folkstone, which is the main place around here. This place is a very large summer resort. There is a large beach, pier, gardens, promenades, hotels and fine large residences all along the waterfront. In fact, all the houses and stores are very fine and are kept in wonderful repair and order.
Plymouth and London had the only streetcars. I have seen all double-deckers and all the towns have motor buses, holding about 30 people. The buses have solid rubber tires and the rear wheels are like two tires on one wheel and are twice the size of the average tire. After the tires get worn (from 3 - 6 inches wide) they are very hard to turn. Some of the buses in the cities, in fact all of them, are double-deckers and they carry a big load.
There are such a lot of Canadians around here you can hardly get along the streets, especially on Saturday night. Instead of having restaurants like we have, they have a few good places and the balance of them are fish shops where you get chips and fish, but they smell so badly I have never been in one. Some of the men like it and you see them sitting everywhere eating from a newspaper. Every place tries to soak a Canadian when he goes to buy anything, but if a man stops to think a minute he can do all right after an argument.
At Folkstone, you pay six cents to get on the pier. There are two concrete floors, one for roller skating (pay six cents more to skate). The other floor is waxed for dancing and is free. A lady plays the piano in the centre and a crowd made up of girls and soldiers dance all the evening from 6 - 10. Then in the building at the end of the pier there are moving pictures. They run off six reels of pictures, then anyone can sing, dance or recite on the stage and the best performance gets a nice prize. After that, six more reels of pictures and good night. This is free also. Just now they have two lady swimmers on the pier each afternoon and evening. They take day about [is a word missing from transcription here?]. Diving in the day when the water is high and an exhibition of all kinds of swimming at night. These girls take a collection before they enter the water and do very good. On the pier there are all kinds of devices to get money like other summer places, but I don't monkey with any of them. Gambling is strictly forbidden anywhere in this country, although they have all the machines that would be forbidden home - all penny slot machines.
There is a dandy rifle range on the pier where you use .22 repeating rifles at a range of 30 feet. It is the best small range I ever saw and as I have not used a .22 since I was in Halifax five years ago, I tried and made 61 out of a possible 70. Three of the seven were bulls, not bad without any practice. This costs six cents.
I am sending a small book of views of Folkstone so you can see some of the places I speak of. You get from the upper leas to the beach by means of steps and steep walks, all of stone, with benches and corners. Everywhere, the whole side of the hill is walks and benches in pretty little groves.
If you don't want to walk down, you can take a lift which is a small car on rails (there are four). These are drawn up and let down the face of the hill by means of a winch cable and is three times as steep as the Jail Hill at home. I don't know what power they use, I never asked and I can't see any.
When I first came here, I was in this place every chance I got because it was strange but I have seen most of it and I don't like the ways here and it costs money to be going all the time, so I guess I will spend more time in barracks resting after this.
July 1st we got three pounds (about $15.00) and some of our boys are nearly broke now. I still have a little of the money I had when I landed and have not touched mine yet. About the 15th of July we will get the balance along with pay for this month to that date. By that time our pay books will be ready (everyone carries one) and we will get squared up. The money I signed home is paid to me here for the month of June, but it will go home after this. I don't know where from. I suppose they thought we would like some extra money to start on in a strange country. They tell me if a man goes to the Front and loses his pay book he can't get any money till the war is over! But I believe the wounded who get home leave have been able to get some money before leaving.
Now then, for the routine here. We rise at 5:30 and fall in in any old dress at 5:45. Then do the horses till 6:45. Then we get breakfast and dress in full with the exception of pants. We march to the parade ground and get our instructions for the day. Drivers to the stables and gunners to gun drill till 12:00 o'clock. Then dinner and fall in at 1:45 for the same thing till 5:30, then supper and free till 12:00. We have a M.N. Pass (privileged characters), but they don't care what time you come in as long as you are there at 5:45 a.m., so some stay out all night. There is only one guard near the officers' quarters and there are a dozen roads into Barracks. Lights out at ten (gas) and no roll call.
Each town is patrolled all night by a picket of ten men and an N.C.O. to keep order and some English military police who wear a blue uniform with a red cap. These are dirty men, you bet. Last night I saw one of them try to pull a Canadian off a bus in Folkstone because it was too crowded. They were both big men. The Canadian got down and asked him who he was pulling. The E.M.P. said he was pulling him, so the Canadian drew back and hit him full in the face. He lit fifteen feet away. They carried the cop away and the other man got on the bus laughing. There were enough Canadians there to clean up the town. They are the only soldiers around here for miles. This whole country for miles is the Canadian Station.
The first three days here we got a rifle course and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we go to the ranges to shoot (six miles away). Walk and stay all day. Those that pass are through, the others do some more. We go by stages from the 3rd to the 2nd then to the 1st Battery when we are ready for the Front. A draft of 200 men go this week. When they go, we drivers expect to get our saddles, harness and team. When we do, we will start riding and manoeuvering with the guns (we have four and four wagons). Up to now the drivers have mostly done nothing but clean dirty harness that was sent down from Salisbury Plains and was never cleaned before. They were in such a hurry to get the men away. Every officer has his horse and there are a lot of them, too, but we are short of gun teams, expecially the 3rd Battery.
The officers are very nice men, so are the N.C.O.'s with the exception of our two sergeants who came with us. No one likes them (overbearing and ignorant and show it). One is an Irishman and the other an Englishman. One was bawled out for saluting an officer from the cap with a rifle on his shoulder. He should simply place the hand on the stock of the rifle across the body. The other got the same twice, once for carrying his rifle wrong (he looked like a young rooster trying to fly), and again for marching a body of men in front of our Major's Parade. The last is the Englishman and the worst of the two. He had his experience pounded into him years ago in this country and if something doesn't happen to him I don't know.
The gunmen have nothing to do with the horses, so spend their time on the guns. The drivers have nothing to do with the guns yet, so spend their time around harness trying to look busy till we get something to work with. Saturday is a bad day on fatigue because the colonel holds an inspection and it fell on me. Talk about scrubbing floors and cleaning up, well I guess we had to, but she was clean.
There are two men to a room, so while the men have half a day Saturday room orderlies stay around to draw rations and watch the room. Then our little bunch of drivers have to do stables today at 6:00, at 11:30 and 4:30. Then I am on picket tonight with no time off, so I am getting it in the neck these three days. But the life is not hard yet, only the hours are long! Thursday was the 1st and we had to work all day, but by not pushing myself forward I got a bare-back ride in the morning away out in the hills and we had a great time.
That morning the fog was so heavy you could see it come over the bank from the sea like smoke, you could not see down the valley 100 feet. The air is so full of the ocean and salt air that you have to shine your buttons twice a day to keep them right. We have to be in full dress for all parades (except the 5:45), but not shined. But at church parade on Sunday we have to be shined and shaved. And have a moustache, too, or you get an awful bawling out right before all the men from the brigade sergt.-major. He is fine soldierly man, very neat and covered with colors for service, but there is nothing too sarcastic and saucy for him to say to a man when he finds a fault.
Perhaps you would like to hear of our meals. Breakfast: tea, bread, and either bacon, eggs or salmon. Dinner: roast meat, gravy and either peas, beans, or cabbage. Supper: tea, bread and either jam, cheese or peaches or pineapple (canned).
This week we get an issue of everything, so I may be sending some clothes home after I wear them a little to make them second-hand. I'll let you know later. I got three pairs of heavy socks from the ladies of Fredericton. I think we must have between 150 and 200 horses, I don't just know. I can get washing done very reasonable here. I sent fatigue shirt and pants, 2 pr. socks, 2 handkerchiefs, 1 towel, 1 top shirt and a change of underwear to a wash woman and had it back in three days for 48 cents. There are half a dozen boys around gathering up laundry every day. There is a laundry at Chariton but it doesn't give satisfaction, so we send it to the women. Even these people soak you. One boy's pants were 24 cents, but mine were only 12 cents. I am getting onto this money now, but in writing I will speak of it as in our own and you can understand it quicker.
Now I have said all I can think of. I hope you are well. I am feeling better all the time and gaining. I have a fine red moustache now, but no hair. I had it clipped close on the boat but it's starting to grow now. I have talked with wounded drivers from the Front. They all get wounded from the hips down and these men say a driver very seldom gets killed. Now I will have to go on duty soon, so must eat. Write as often as you can. It will keep me in touch with home. Now in case you did not get my right address here it is, and I think it will take about one month for me to get an answer to this. A long wait.
With love, Clarence
Driver C.A. McCann
No. 90152 3rd Battery
Canadian Artillery Reserve Brigade
Ross Barracks
Shorncliffe, County Kent, England
(This is for Everybody...Be sure that Ada gets it too)
© Copyright 2011 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
Sunday, November 14, 2010
June 27, 1915
Dear Father, Mother, & Wife & Lela & Victor and Everybody:
Well, we are here, but I will tell you all from the start. The letter with this tells you up to 30 miles from St. John so I will start there and tell you as I can remember it. First: We had the best and calmest trip across that ever was heard of. By the morning of the second day out I took sick and threw up about 8 o"clock, then I felt very squeamish for four days, but after that I felt like a top and never felt better in my life than I do right now.
The grub on the boat turned out rotten. Porridge and lima beans for breakfast with butter and rank coffee. Soup and roast meat with bread and sun-burned potatoes for dinner. Canned beef, prunes and bread with poor tea for supper. Everything except the bread that was cooked on the ship was rotten. The canned beef was good. Everyone had to be at the table first to get dishes. There were armed guards and M. Police on duty day and night. We were each issued with a hammock and two blankets, plate, mug, knife, fork and spoon, and a life belt. This all belongs to the ship.
We had boat drill every second day so we would know something in case of accident, but nothing happened. We never got an escort till 24 hours before we landed and then a gunboat with speed of 38 miles per hour and the dear knows how much artillery picked us up and took us in. There was so much gambling among the men that all hands landed broke except about half a dozen and one of them had over $500 and the others nearly as much. These men ran a game of their own, each for himself and they always win in the end. They all belong to the C.P.R. I saw one take $95 from one of them in half an hour, but he lost it all next day. I had $4.25 when I landed and have it yet with six shillings that Mr. Muirhead advanced this morning to those who were broke. I told him I was. If you don't look out for yourself here no one else will. You have to watch your stuff like a cat. Our little bunch had the last boat to leave the ship with the captain so if anything had happened I don't know how we would have fared. We had to wear life belts all day the last two days and keep them close at hand at night.
Six horses died coming over and were hoisted up and thrown overboard. Two more were shot. Could not be got up on their feet and had that disease anyway, so were not wanted. The vet, who came over is a young fellow from out west somewhere and I don't think much of him, though one man said he had seen him tending horses in camp with his father before. The disease takes them in the head below the eyes. The lower jaw starts at the muzzle and swells till they choke to death in from 24-72 hours. Gradually, the head swells, they get weak and dopey looking and have to be put in slings they get so weak. They can't eat and can only suck a little water. The lower lip drops and swells three inches from the teeth. One had pinkeye and distemper with it and he was an awful sight with the bloody matter running from his eyes. He was a fine looking horse as are most of them and some gained a lot on the trip and none lost any. They felt so glad when landed that some ran away, although they were on their feet all of 15 days. The vet. did not seem able to help any sick ones and only used a disinfectant for eyes and distemper. He shot the two horses and made a swell job of the first I don't think. He shot him fair between the eyes and knocked him down. Then after he had thrown the blood all over the place and was tired out, got him right on the second shot, two inches above the eyes.
We saw whales, sharks, porpoises, flying fish and steamers and ships coming and going and if on a liner with lots of money would be a great trip as would be all of it, and I have not seen the best yet by any means.
We were issued with two blankets and a rubber sheet, water bottle, mess tin and haversack on Thursday and all hands examined for venereal diseases on Friday. I feel sure we have two cases with us, but I don't know what will be done with them.
We got into Plymouth Harbour Saturday a.m. about 7 o'clock and docked about 3 o'clock. There is a remount depot there of 4,000 horses, so I am told, and about 75 men came down and unloaded the horses. I forgot, we had to clean all the manure away from those skates everyday and that is an awful job - no room, you know. Once, we took up the floors of wood and washed the steel floor with water. It's all done by moving the horses over one and I was about the only one game to go in around them, so had most of the moving to do. If they did not get over, pull their head over and tie it there, put your back under their flank and fire clear of the floor right into place and you can move any horse that way. Try it and see. You want to do it quick to be effective, though.
Plymouth is next door to Ireland, I guess. Anyway, it's a large city. The docks are all concrete and take the largest liners. A track runs two feet from the edge and on it are four traveling derricks for unloading steamers. The drydocks take the largest liner and everyone has a battleship in for repairs. I suppose there are eight or so of them. The dockyard is very large, full of cars, tracks and machine shops and all kinds of shops and cops, too. There are big derricks for unloading coal. They are 70 feet hight and swing on a base with a traveling truck on the arm so you can pile a tremendous lot of coal all around one of them. Although we had a pass out, the big mogul, whoever he is, would not let us out of the yard so all we saw was the dock and cars passing the gates. The people jammed all they could to see us but the cops shut the gates.
All the houses are built of stone or brick and tiled with slate or iron. Every street or road in England is made of stone in the country and paved or concrete in the cities. Everything is neat and clean as a pin. Though everything in the towns and cities are of stone, yet everyone has his garden and sometimes you would think you were in the country and they are the best gardeners in the world, I guess. Anyway, everything you can see is beautiful and no money or time is spared to make it so, but stone is cheap. We started from Plymouth at 10 o'clock Saturday and go to camp at 10 o'clock at night and fairly flew all the way.
Now for the R.Roads. All the roadbed is made of crushed stone, the rails are of the heaviest steel and laid on wooden ties. All the roads are laid perfectly, curves and all. All switching is done from a tower. One man does it all by levers, no brakeman on top of trains or throwing switches here. Wherever a train stops there is a dandy station and tower. The tower man throws all switches, even for yard switching, and they seldom have an accident. All the cars and engines are only half the size of the C.P.R. except the passenger coaches. The shunting engines are just like those at Wentworth and pull a deuce of a string of these teapots. They depend on a lot of cars, not what one will hold. The cars are all drawn by a chain and only the passenger trains are connected to the engine with air brakes. Each car has two buffers on each end with a head the size of a tea plate and a spring behind so when the cars meet, the jar is all absorbed and you get a pleasant ride. The main line engines are the same type but larger and a larger tender, but very powerful. No pilot, cylinders out of sight and no bell and a small shrill whistle. They don't need them.
The cars are made into compartments, seating from 5-7 people facing each other, with the door at the side. The top of the door drops down and there is a closed window each side of the door. The third class is as good as first class, both all nicely upholstered. They lock the doors and average about 55 miles per hour from Plymouth to London, but some places when it is extra good go about 70. We tore through some stations as large as Truro without looking at them and you could not see them anyway, just a flash. The curves in the line are so perfect that the drivers go faster on the curves than they do on the straight way. All the way it was farms and beautiful at that. All the fields are fenced with oak trees or green hedges. Hay and grain cut and going in. There are no big barns except where there are a lot of stock. The hay is stacked as large as a house and the top thatched. When they want any they cut if off with a big knife and so always keep a square face to the weather. Lots of sheep, cattle, horses and pigs. Only one farm in twenty has an orchard and down where we are, only large fields of hops on poles.
There are no crossings on the roads here nor a road never goes on the streets of a town or city. When the road crosses the rails it either goes over the rails or above them by means of a stone culvert. The lines are all double tracked and a train is going or coming all the time.
Every farmer's property is hedged around so the railway is flanked all the way by hedge and is very beautiful. We came halfway to London then our two cars were put on another train and we came to Paddington Station. Here we took the subway train made up of five cars driven by electricity drawn from a centre rail. Through a black tube like a funnel just as tight as ever we could go. We left the subway train some place near Charing Cross Station and got to the street by an elevator. At C.S. Station we took the train for here. We went to Shorncliffe but that was two stations too far so the Army Service Corps brought us back here in two army motor transports - 3-ton trucks - about ten miles and we got here (Otterpool Camp) at ten last night. Folkstone is ten miles away and all these places are summer resorts of fame. We did not know where we would eat but the Heavy Artillery from Halifax two days gave us all we want so far and mighty good it was of them, too, but I'll save that till next time.
The Column from Fredericton is here, too, as well as many more with, I suppose, between 800 and 1000 horses. It's an awfully big camp and the county all around is camps. The towns are overrun with soldiers. But I only mean to tell you of our trip this time. We are under tents and I like it fine so far. We came right across the south of England and are now only about 30 miles from Dover and fifty from France.
Well, I am here safe and sound after 13 days traveling (we were on the water 12). I am surprised at the beauty of the country, the queer looking trains and their speed and the cheap price of things. You should hear us squabbling over the deuced money. Now it's hard to think of everything, so anything you want to know just ask. After you get this, you will get one every week. Try to let me have news often. I am getting tired writing lying on the boards we have as floors, so will close with my address and love. (I want Ada to get this.)
Clarence
C.A. McCann
28th Field Battery
7th Brigade
2nd Continental C.E.F.
Army Post Office
London, England
© 2010 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.
Well, we are here, but I will tell you all from the start. The letter with this tells you up to 30 miles from St. John so I will start there and tell you as I can remember it. First: We had the best and calmest trip across that ever was heard of. By the morning of the second day out I took sick and threw up about 8 o"clock, then I felt very squeamish for four days, but after that I felt like a top and never felt better in my life than I do right now.
The grub on the boat turned out rotten. Porridge and lima beans for breakfast with butter and rank coffee. Soup and roast meat with bread and sun-burned potatoes for dinner. Canned beef, prunes and bread with poor tea for supper. Everything except the bread that was cooked on the ship was rotten. The canned beef was good. Everyone had to be at the table first to get dishes. There were armed guards and M. Police on duty day and night. We were each issued with a hammock and two blankets, plate, mug, knife, fork and spoon, and a life belt. This all belongs to the ship.
We had boat drill every second day so we would know something in case of accident, but nothing happened. We never got an escort till 24 hours before we landed and then a gunboat with speed of 38 miles per hour and the dear knows how much artillery picked us up and took us in. There was so much gambling among the men that all hands landed broke except about half a dozen and one of them had over $500 and the others nearly as much. These men ran a game of their own, each for himself and they always win in the end. They all belong to the C.P.R. I saw one take $95 from one of them in half an hour, but he lost it all next day. I had $4.25 when I landed and have it yet with six shillings that Mr. Muirhead advanced this morning to those who were broke. I told him I was. If you don't look out for yourself here no one else will. You have to watch your stuff like a cat. Our little bunch had the last boat to leave the ship with the captain so if anything had happened I don't know how we would have fared. We had to wear life belts all day the last two days and keep them close at hand at night.
Six horses died coming over and were hoisted up and thrown overboard. Two more were shot. Could not be got up on their feet and had that disease anyway, so were not wanted. The vet, who came over is a young fellow from out west somewhere and I don't think much of him, though one man said he had seen him tending horses in camp with his father before. The disease takes them in the head below the eyes. The lower jaw starts at the muzzle and swells till they choke to death in from 24-72 hours. Gradually, the head swells, they get weak and dopey looking and have to be put in slings they get so weak. They can't eat and can only suck a little water. The lower lip drops and swells three inches from the teeth. One had pinkeye and distemper with it and he was an awful sight with the bloody matter running from his eyes. He was a fine looking horse as are most of them and some gained a lot on the trip and none lost any. They felt so glad when landed that some ran away, although they were on their feet all of 15 days. The vet. did not seem able to help any sick ones and only used a disinfectant for eyes and distemper. He shot the two horses and made a swell job of the first I don't think. He shot him fair between the eyes and knocked him down. Then after he had thrown the blood all over the place and was tired out, got him right on the second shot, two inches above the eyes.
We saw whales, sharks, porpoises, flying fish and steamers and ships coming and going and if on a liner with lots of money would be a great trip as would be all of it, and I have not seen the best yet by any means.
We were issued with two blankets and a rubber sheet, water bottle, mess tin and haversack on Thursday and all hands examined for venereal diseases on Friday. I feel sure we have two cases with us, but I don't know what will be done with them.
We got into Plymouth Harbour Saturday a.m. about 7 o'clock and docked about 3 o'clock. There is a remount depot there of 4,000 horses, so I am told, and about 75 men came down and unloaded the horses. I forgot, we had to clean all the manure away from those skates everyday and that is an awful job - no room, you know. Once, we took up the floors of wood and washed the steel floor with water. It's all done by moving the horses over one and I was about the only one game to go in around them, so had most of the moving to do. If they did not get over, pull their head over and tie it there, put your back under their flank and fire clear of the floor right into place and you can move any horse that way. Try it and see. You want to do it quick to be effective, though.
Plymouth is next door to Ireland, I guess. Anyway, it's a large city. The docks are all concrete and take the largest liners. A track runs two feet from the edge and on it are four traveling derricks for unloading steamers. The drydocks take the largest liner and everyone has a battleship in for repairs. I suppose there are eight or so of them. The dockyard is very large, full of cars, tracks and machine shops and all kinds of shops and cops, too. There are big derricks for unloading coal. They are 70 feet hight and swing on a base with a traveling truck on the arm so you can pile a tremendous lot of coal all around one of them. Although we had a pass out, the big mogul, whoever he is, would not let us out of the yard so all we saw was the dock and cars passing the gates. The people jammed all they could to see us but the cops shut the gates.
All the houses are built of stone or brick and tiled with slate or iron. Every street or road in England is made of stone in the country and paved or concrete in the cities. Everything is neat and clean as a pin. Though everything in the towns and cities are of stone, yet everyone has his garden and sometimes you would think you were in the country and they are the best gardeners in the world, I guess. Anyway, everything you can see is beautiful and no money or time is spared to make it so, but stone is cheap. We started from Plymouth at 10 o'clock Saturday and go to camp at 10 o'clock at night and fairly flew all the way.
Now for the R.Roads. All the roadbed is made of crushed stone, the rails are of the heaviest steel and laid on wooden ties. All the roads are laid perfectly, curves and all. All switching is done from a tower. One man does it all by levers, no brakeman on top of trains or throwing switches here. Wherever a train stops there is a dandy station and tower. The tower man throws all switches, even for yard switching, and they seldom have an accident. All the cars and engines are only half the size of the C.P.R. except the passenger coaches. The shunting engines are just like those at Wentworth and pull a deuce of a string of these teapots. They depend on a lot of cars, not what one will hold. The cars are all drawn by a chain and only the passenger trains are connected to the engine with air brakes. Each car has two buffers on each end with a head the size of a tea plate and a spring behind so when the cars meet, the jar is all absorbed and you get a pleasant ride. The main line engines are the same type but larger and a larger tender, but very powerful. No pilot, cylinders out of sight and no bell and a small shrill whistle. They don't need them.
The cars are made into compartments, seating from 5-7 people facing each other, with the door at the side. The top of the door drops down and there is a closed window each side of the door. The third class is as good as first class, both all nicely upholstered. They lock the doors and average about 55 miles per hour from Plymouth to London, but some places when it is extra good go about 70. We tore through some stations as large as Truro without looking at them and you could not see them anyway, just a flash. The curves in the line are so perfect that the drivers go faster on the curves than they do on the straight way. All the way it was farms and beautiful at that. All the fields are fenced with oak trees or green hedges. Hay and grain cut and going in. There are no big barns except where there are a lot of stock. The hay is stacked as large as a house and the top thatched. When they want any they cut if off with a big knife and so always keep a square face to the weather. Lots of sheep, cattle, horses and pigs. Only one farm in twenty has an orchard and down where we are, only large fields of hops on poles.
There are no crossings on the roads here nor a road never goes on the streets of a town or city. When the road crosses the rails it either goes over the rails or above them by means of a stone culvert. The lines are all double tracked and a train is going or coming all the time.
Every farmer's property is hedged around so the railway is flanked all the way by hedge and is very beautiful. We came halfway to London then our two cars were put on another train and we came to Paddington Station. Here we took the subway train made up of five cars driven by electricity drawn from a centre rail. Through a black tube like a funnel just as tight as ever we could go. We left the subway train some place near Charing Cross Station and got to the street by an elevator. At C.S. Station we took the train for here. We went to Shorncliffe but that was two stations too far so the Army Service Corps brought us back here in two army motor transports - 3-ton trucks - about ten miles and we got here (Otterpool Camp) at ten last night. Folkstone is ten miles away and all these places are summer resorts of fame. We did not know where we would eat but the Heavy Artillery from Halifax two days gave us all we want so far and mighty good it was of them, too, but I'll save that till next time.
The Column from Fredericton is here, too, as well as many more with, I suppose, between 800 and 1000 horses. It's an awfully big camp and the county all around is camps. The towns are overrun with soldiers. But I only mean to tell you of our trip this time. We are under tents and I like it fine so far. We came right across the south of England and are now only about 30 miles from Dover and fifty from France.
Well, I am here safe and sound after 13 days traveling (we were on the water 12). I am surprised at the beauty of the country, the queer looking trains and their speed and the cheap price of things. You should hear us squabbling over the deuced money. Now it's hard to think of everything, so anything you want to know just ask. After you get this, you will get one every week. Try to let me have news often. I am getting tired writing lying on the boards we have as floors, so will close with my address and love. (I want Ada to get this.)
Clarence
C.A. McCann
28th Field Battery
7th Brigade
2nd Continental C.E.F.
Army Post Office
London, England
© 2010 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.
Friday, November 12, 2010
WWI Projects/Blogs
John Reid at Anglo-Celtic Connections posted about a new project to watch in this post dated November 12, 2010 http://tinyurl.com/36jynn2 It's called the Muninn Project which Reid says is "An international, interdisciplinary project to investigate innovative uses of First World War Records". Check out the Muninn Project blog. I found a link to a photo of General Sir Samuel Hughes (at the Library and Archives Canada Flickr Photostream) who was mentioned in Clarence's letter dated May 25, 1915. I think both of these sites might be a great resource for my research into these letters.
© Copyright 2010 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
© Copyright 2010 Pamela Wile. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission
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