Yesterday was Vimy Ridge Day and, to be honest, I'd never heard of it before. This year, ceremonies were held in capital cities across the country after the last Canadian vet of the First War passed away. This morning, I pulled out the letters that my Grandpa Cecil wrote to the woman he was courting back home, my Grandma. The letter that follows was written March 29, 1918, just about a year after Vimy.
FranceGood Friday, 1918Dearest Muriel,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still on the land of the living alive and well and hope this finds you the same. This is the first I have written you since about a week ago last Sunday - we have been pretty busy lately and I have felt anything but in the right mood for writing believe me. Our rest has been broken at nights a whole lot but it is getting better again. I only wrote a little page home last Sunday saying that I was alive and well still. At present the excitement here is mild as the big push is farther down the line but there is no telling the time that we might be shifted out of here. I don't expect we will however there is no telling. I see in the Canada Daily Records a little paper we receive every day containing the general news of the Dominion that the people are watching the results of the big push very closely. I can't understand how it is there is no Plainville or Landing items in the paper. ha ha. Clark was up a few nights ago to see the bunch. Apparently he knows quite a bunch in this battery. He kept me up pretty late, thereby losing more sleep as usual however I enjoyed his visit as it was his first. He was talking to Ken Herald a few days ago he said. His Battery is not far from here. I haven't ran into Jerry yet for all I see some of his bunch quite often going up and down the road. Our good weather came to an end a couple of days ago and it has been quite cool and raining off and on. It doesn't look as if it might last long however I guess we can expect wet weather anytime from now on. I suppose you still hear from Gammy as your mamma called him. I have lost all track of him as I know nothing of the whereabouts of his battery. Bruce and Carl are on opposite shifts on the guns to me so that leaves me all by my lonesome when off duty. When Nichols is here why I have company but at present he is away on leave to Blighty. Of course you know I have company again but not the right kind. Clark thought we had a joke dugout here. I told him it was alright as long as a shell didn't give it a tap on top and cave it in. Last week we had some of the largest mosquitoes around I ever saw. When one landed on you it just felt as if he was going to carry you off to devour you. This rain has put a damper on them for a few days. It looks as if I will have to stay in today and write to Aunt Mary also. I will also have Sunday off this week to do some writing also. Well dear kid I guess I will have to draw this to a close. I hope you were not disappointed for not having heard from me last week for I know you will understand how it is. Our Canadian mail ought to be in again next week. Bye Bye. Lovingly, Cedric.
PS Some of the boys told me this morning that it is one year today since leaving Cobourg.
6 comments:
When I first saw the title, I was thinking it had to do with you being alone with the kids today.
What a great letter!
Courting? Whatever happened to those 'courting candles' we ordered at Blackcreek Pioneer village?
If, way back when, the WWI and WWII soldiers were able to look ahead into the future, say 2010, do you think they still would have had the gumption to fight?
"To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields."
They are great letters and I'm glad to have them. I'm struck by how everyday they are, although, knowing the letters were going to go through the censors, I guess they were careful about what they wrote. And I love that he called her kid.
I have the main part of the courting candle but can't find the part the candle actually sits in. Wonder what the kids imagined they could be.
Kids are better now - or maybe I should say I'm better now. I was about ready to ship them all off.
Oh, and the PS tugged at my heart. Imagine. They'd been over there for a year and still had close to another year to go. I can't fathom it.
Daddy says.
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In 1995 another fellow and I made a trip to the military sites of w.w.#1. We visited some of the 161 cemeteries(can.) At tyne cot cemetery and the Mennen Gate at Ypres onthe walls are enscribed the names of 100,000 Soldiers of the the British Empire who lost their lives and were never Identified.
Not far fromTyne Cot cemetery is the Grave of John MacRae.
It seems you need to see these 1000"s of graves to really grasp the extent of the war.
At Vimy Ridge acres and acres of ground are potted with shell holes.
A lot of the area is roped off because of the danger of old shells exploding.
Bye, love Dad.
Gee, your Dad is depressing.
Don't tell him that. He'll start telling jokes again.
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