Letter to Mother from Witley South Camp
Witley South Camp
2-1-16
Dear Mother:–
I received your letter last night with Teddies and today I got the parcel of gloves which were fine I have enough gloves to do me untill summer again and I have four pair of socks from you and Alice that I have never woren. I have woren the other two pairs for the last while there is a hole about the size of a pea in one of them the others are all hole yet, then I have a pair of socks they issued that are pretty good allso a pair sent from M. J. Red Cross I think. so I have eight pairs and none have been darned yet.
I was on guard of quarantine hut for 24 hours till 9 a.m. then I get the next 24 hours off then I am on again for 24 hours.
last night I spent the time as I walked up and down by repeating verses of poetry I have learned while doing guard, praying, stripping and naming the parts M.G. and re-assembeling it in my mind allso repeating the mechanism as we have it in our notes.
There has been quite a bit of criticism about my hold all and house wife that you made me in the spring instead of the issue that they gave me in the spring. Well I asked the major at kit inspection today, and he said that I could keep this hold all and house wife you made me, so it is settled till I get into on other batt or some other officer comes along. They are getting stricter than they were because the officers have nothing to do to keep them buisy now there is 37 officers and about 250 men, maby a few more now we got 47 boys of 18 years this week.
We have been having some great talks on grain growers and cooperative elevators politics and etc these last weeks there is a man a grain buyer of the line co’ys and he and I have some great good natured talks that make use all have some good laughs he is a conservative and likes his drink but is heartily tickled that it is gone out in Sask, for he realizes the terrible wrong it does to humanity.
It is just about supper time, Last night I was down at Milford congregational social we surely had a good time eates and coffee and tea free and good recitations and songs every one is so hole hearted and friendly but Mother some of the poor wemen are very sad I would like to talk to some of them at times but there is no chance in a time like that.
3rd 11.30 A.M.
I went up to the Salvation Army hut in Tin Town last night and had a talk with the old Lady I spoak of going to see several months ago she is still at work among the boys and is doing good I am sure, the boys all like her and she gets there confidence which is needed over here where the boys are away from home.
I bot a cheap watch for 10 shillings last night and at 9.50 a.m. it stoped the hair spring is boaken so I will have to take it back to the man today. [in margin] I got watch fixed again all right at noon
I am going to send my good watch home to you so you can do any thing with it you like. it needs a new crystal now. It froze harder last night than it has at all but the sun is shining fine to day and it is dry so we are the luckiest boys this winter because it is such a dry and before now was warm and damp under foot, but that never hurt use any at all.
I wonder if the U.S. will come in with use now. if they do it surely wont last long, I would not think it could any but we never know where this struggle will end yet it may be years and may spread to mony other countries yet.
Sunday 4th 1.30 P.M.
Well Mother I was asleep all fornoon got up and ready for dinner since then we have been talking around the stove I am going down to the S.C.A. bible class at 3 P.M. then I will come back to supper and go down again after supper and take in the service and write some more and post the letters before I come back The weather is still nice and dry and cold yet. so we are lucky.
I sent you the watch yesterday by registered mail it may not get there in the same mail with this letter for it always takes an extra week for parcels going this way.
I have a picture that I am enclosing today The man sitting beside me is the grain buyer whos name is McDonald he is a married man with three little boys. Fred Barns Bob and Mitchel Burns and young McDowell a good boy. Bob ruffled my hair up but that don’t hurt any, I was on guard yesterday and have no idea what we will do tomorrow, we had good raisain pie for dinner the first time they have given use pie since Xmas but we are fed good. we are sitting at the back door of the hut you can see the wash house and how much snow we have does it look like the 22ond of Jan by the picture it was a cloudy day tho so the picture looks blurred. I will send you more of the pictures in a few days when I get them back LTC. corpl. Brubeckes took them.
Well Mother it is after 4 P.M. we have had a good bible study this P.M. about 6 of use had a good time we all pulled up around the stove with our bibles and talked about different thing the lesson was on the 1st 11 verses of 1st. corinthians we had a big talk on the churches before I left the hut. I ended it up by reading a few verses in the bible to prove my point. The boys never oppose the word of God not one of them and they always listen.
Well Mother I will have to close we are going to have tea in the little room at the S.C.A. Just use that have been in to S.S.
bye bye as ever your dearest boy
Laurie
P.S. The last report was that we would not pull for France untill June but don’t build on these reports at all Mother I ant. I am ready to do any thing, any where that I am called for no man can call me where God don’t want me to go as ever
Laurie