Glenbow Archives (M-742-9) Harold McGill's First World War letters, May 2-July 28, 1918
France, May 2, 1918.
Dearest Emma; -
Your letter of April 25 came yesterday and the fine long one dated April 26 reached me today at noon, at least I found it at noon, in the mess when I had finished a morning’s work in the dressing room. Have had practically no mail from Canada lately. The forget-me-not you enclosed was not really necessary you know but I am very pleased to have it anyway and wish to express my thanks. It is very pretty. The apple blossoms are all coming out on the trees in the orchards here and are beautiful.
Personally I should rather you took up some work in England than come to France, for the present at any rate. There is now a grave possibility of things becoming rather serious over here at any time regarding the communications with England and I should be just as pleased to have you on that side of the Channel until the situation is clearer. But as I said before make your own choice. Your decision in any case will have my full approval. That convalescent place you mention, I should think, would be rather attractive. There isn’t a chance of me getting to England on leave in May or, so far as I can foresee, at any time during this season of active fighting unless I acquire a souvenir in the form of a chunk of shell. You know I never become ill, so my only chance to get over during the next 6 months is to become listed as a casualty, and much as I desire to meet you that price would be too great. It would be mighty fine though to have you there to come and kiss me if I should happen to be sent over wounded. I know from experience that it is mighty cheerless for one to be in a hospital with no acquaintances or friends to call around.
We have had 4 or 5 days of dull cloudy weather but this morning the sun came out warm and bright for the first time in I don’t know how long. The airplanes are very busy to day and there will doubtless be a lot of fighting before night. The weather yesterday was very dull and cloudy. I had to go off to give evidence on a court martial case in the morning. The case did not come up however so I had my trip for nothing.
The tailor in London had not sent me a bill for my clothes yet - Have just opened the box you sent with the ink and filled my pen. I was about to say that the tailor had not sent in my bill and is likely waiting for me to come in for a try on. When I ordered the clothes I wrote him that I expected to be in London very shortly and would give him a chance to try the clothes in regard to the fit before he finished them up. This was before the bottom began to drop out of things. I am busy saving money these days so that we shall have enough to celebrate our victory properly over there next winter, for I think that if we get another leave before the war is over it will be because the Hun is beaten. However if we are to win the war decidedly we must expect at least two more years of it. Well, I do not like the war very much but I am prepared to spend the balance of my life over here rather than see Germany get off with less than a crushing defeat. If the Huns win they will as Bernard Shaw put it “Skin us alive” and if we win we should certainly give the civilian population of Germany such a taste of real war that the survivors would ever after shudder at the sound of the word. Some of the things our people have tolerated in the way of slackness and corruption in this war though makes one almost doubt at times that we deserve to survive as a nation. You gave me a few instances yourself in your last letter.
With best & greatest love Harold W. McGill
France, May 5, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Had two letters of yours yesterday those written on the dates April 27 & 28, respectfully. There was no letter from you to day but I drew three in the Canadian mail that arrived, one from my brother one from your sister in Standard and one from my cousin in Toronto.
I am very pleased to know that you are at the Drysdales. The change will make a very welcome break in the monotony of life at the hotel.
Your information regarding the re-opening of leave was entirely incorrect. I shall be very much and agreeably surprised if there is any leave at all during this summer.
So Major Selby is now O.C. 8th Canadian Field Ambulance. I had not heard of it before- What has become of Lt.Col. J.N. Gunn? It is a long time since I have had a chance to see any of the personnel belonging to that unit, not since I joined the ambulance in fact. No, I must confess I never sent an answer to the message you mentioned.
Capt. Petty has been acting adjutant of the 31st Battn for quite a long time, ever since Hornby went to England last summer. Petty is a very fine chap and I should like to have him meet you sometime. He was in London on leave while we were there, last December, but if you remember our program was fairly full in the matter of appointments at that time. Hornby is now a company commander in the battalion. I have not seen him for some months. If the day is fine to morrow I may go out for a horseback ride and call on some of my old friends.
It is fine out to day but I am putting in my spare time during the afternoon writing.
The apple blossoms are very pretty. Our mess hut is built in the middle of an orchard, but by the time the apples are fit to eat we shall be “Over the hills and far away”.
Our padre (The good one) organized a concert party, and last night put on a show which was quite good. The padre himself took part and proved himself quite as artist in the way of an entertainer. He is the second chaplain that I have come across in the B.E.F. that really did good work with the troops. The other was Capt. Appleyard who was chaplain of the 31st Battn. after Walker was sent back to England. Capt. Johnson is a captl man but is one of the kind that practises rather than preaches. He is busy all day and devotes a lot of his time to helping to make the canteen a success and a convenience to the men and patients.
Yes I know Capt. Anderson of Brooks. I met him in Calgary when he was doing Dr. Francis work for a short time and also met him out here with the 8th F. Amb. I quite agree with you.
Oh! I nearly forgot to answer your question re “Canada”. We get it here in the mess but I should be pleased to have a copy for myself if you could send it along after you have quite finished it yourself. I enjoy receiving the copies of “Life” and so does everybody in the mess for that matter.
No, I have never played golf, but it must be a very entrancing sort of a game if one may judge by the enthusiasm of those who play it. I fear that people will have less time to devote to sports and pleasure after the war than was the case a few years ago. Everybody will be kept busy to earn money to pay off the debt caused by the frightful wastage of the war.
My batman took off one of those shirts to a peasant woman in the village with the idea of having it mended. I told him this morning not to go to any such trouble as my shirts were now almost useless even as salvage. I intend to make them do until I go on leave again.
When the warm days come and I am up the line I shall wear a Tommy’s serge over my underwear and thus save money as well and keep cool. That was the way I dressed during the Lens fighting last summer. Of course I wore riding breeches and riding boots too, in case you misunderstand me.
The day before yesterday I got completely caught up with my correspondence but of course now, after the mail to day I have a few more letters to answer.
Your ever loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, May 5, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Did not have any letters from you yesterday or the day before but the one you wrote on April 29 arrived to-day. Now my dear girl, I don’t wish you to take what I said about buying articles of household equipment too much to heart. By all means if you see anything that you fancy, and which you think might contribute to our future happiness & well being, buy it, i.e. if I send you enough funds to enable you to do so. I fear that you will not be able to do any extensive shopping on what you can save from the pittance I am able to contribute to your monthly income. I shall therefore expect you to be able to show me a few pieces of superfine linen for our “Little grey home in the West” when we next meet.
Yesterday was a peculiar sort of day. The morning was fine but heavy showers of rain kept coming on all day with bright sunshiney intervals between squalls of rain. I did not go out horseback riding as I had intended but went off in a car going up towards the line. I saw some men of the old battalion on the street of a village so I got off the car and questioned them with the result that I found that two companies were in the village and the other two with Hq. in the adjoining town. I called on A & B companies who were messing together and saw Major Hornby and Captain Tucker, the respective company C.O.s. They were just going over the Bn. Hq. to a conference so I went along. Major Doughty is now m/c of the battalion. After the conference we had afternoon tea in the Hq. mess. There were 11 at the table and Capt. Petty called attention to the fact that 8 of these had come overseas with the original battalion. In the evening I walked back and had dinner with the combined A & B mess, and afterwards walked back to my own unit, which I reached just at dark. Col. Bell is now a Brigadier General and is in command of the brigade. I am very pleased that he has at last obtained that which has been due him for such a long time.
Had a bath in a time tub this afternoon. I have finally decided to discard one suit of underwear and the top shirt to which you had such a pronounced aversion. The cuffs were becoming very ragged and the sleeves were nearly worn through the cuffs were hanging down and showing at the wrists. I had some idea of cutting the sleeves off and wearing the balance of the garment during the remainder of the summer but finally decided to make a complete sacrifice.
Am pleased to know that your had such a good time at the Drysdales but feel very sorry that Miss Reid is not improving any in health. The poor girl I fear will have to return to Canada but what then?
Have not heard from Margaret for a week or more. I presume she is now kept very busy. I wrote to my cousin in Toronto to-day and when I answer the letters from Herb and one or two others I shall be again caught up with my correspondence.
I dream about you nearly every night. This may mean that I am soon going on leave but more likely that I very much wish to be with you once more. The latter is true any way.
Your very fond husband Harold W. McGill
France, May 8, 1918.
Dearest Wife; -
Your letter of April 30 reached me yesterday and the one written on May 1 arrived to-day. You will observe that they are now taking a full week to come. I also received a letter from Miss Corbett to day in which she asked me to advise you not to go back to work. I shall write her in a day or two thanking her for the interest she has shown in your welfare.
Your sister Edith has very surely taken me up as a real member of the family, for yesterday I received a really splendid parcel from the Lockport Community Club of which she is an active member. The box contained all sorts of useful things, including a pair of socks, a towel, hankerchief,, a cake of soap, a fruit cake and other things, besides a package of cigarettes I gave to our O.C. as I do not smoke them to any great extent. The socks were knitted by Mary Gunn and the box was packed by Irene Sinclair who sent along the squeeze used in the packing. It would surely seem that with you I had acquitted many allied, although of course minor blessings. I have not answered Elo’s letter yet but shall do so one of these days.
It is a perfect day outside and I had made up my mind to go off for a ride on horseback this afternoon but did not carry out my resolution. The roads are very muddy although it is fine overhead for it rains hard nearly every night. Everything is growing very fast. It must be very nice to live in your part of the country at this time of the year.
Our mess has been reduced considerably in size as we have now several officers away relieving M.O.s of battalions, these last mentioned M.O.s having become ill. Our good padre was also ordered to report elsewhere and he departed yesterday. We are all very sorry to lose him for he was a first class chap and a big help at the station.
Bye Bye for present With all my love Harold W. McGill
France, May 11, 1918.
Dearest Emma ; -
You will have been thinking that I have forgotten you entirely but such is not the case. Your letter of May 4 enclosing the C.G.H. invitation arrived yesterday and to day I received the one written on May 2 & 3 and the one dated May 5. I am pleased to know that Enid liked my letter although I fear it was a rather poor performance at that.
I replied to Miss Corbett this afternoon thanking her for the interest she had shown in your welfare. Miss Corbett asked me to advise you not to go to work as she says she is quite sure you are not in fit physical condition. The poor lady seems quite concerned and worried over the matter. I told her that I was leaving the decision entirely with you and I presume you will have her after you in an attempt to dissuade you from your intention.
Now why didn’t I write? Well, yesterday was my day to write as you know and I fully expected to be able to get a letter off to you in the afternoon. I had to go off in the morning to give evidence at a court martial and did not get back until evening. Then the A.D.M S and some other guests arrived for dinner and immediately after dinner we all went off to a concert given by a flying squadron entertainment company The concert was splendid, one of the best if not the very best I have seen in France. After the concert a couple of the flying officers came into the mess and we had a lobster salad lunch at midnight. One of the officers asked me down to their aerodrome, to have “A flip up” as he put it. I shall try to get down some fine day when there is not much wind, but may not go up with this particular officer as he has crashed 3 times in a few weeks and is still hobbling around with a cane.
Had a letter from Margaret to day, the first in nearly two weeks. She says that she has not been kept very busy lately and had been out horseback riding on a borrowed horse. I was very pleased to hear from Margaret for I had been so long without a letter from her that I was beginning to become anxious.
The weather has been decidedly cooler the past two days and we may be in for a period of dry weather. If we get dry weather the enemy will likely tear loose again somewhere on the front. I have high hopes that he has had about all the big spectacular successes that he can get, but there is no doubt that we are in for a full summer of strenuous and almost continuous fighting.
I was talking to our A.A. and L.M.G. the other day and he informed me that in his opinion leave would not be reopenend until next November. That sounds reasonable.
Write often and at as great length as you please.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, May 12, 1918.
Dear Emma;-
I did not have any letter from you in to-day’s mail but because it is Sunday and also the 12th day of the month I feel that I must write you. 5 months ago to day we were married and 3 years ago to day I left Calgary with the 31st Battn. We all thought then that we should be back home within two years at the very outside.
It is a miserable day out, quite cold, and every few minutes a squall of rain comes over. It has not been raining hard at any time though. I have been half expecting some of the 31st officers to drop in this afternoon but so far nobody has shown up. We have a nice fire going in our fire place and the temperature is quite low enough to make it appreciated. I do not suppose you ever have a fire in England now with all the fuel conservation rules in force.
Have you heard from Roehampton yet? I hope that you may be able to find something congenial in the way of a billet over there. Are Canadian nurses still being brought out from Canada? Matron in Chief Macdonald must have been speaking in a Pickwickian sense last winter when she told you to apply to her when you were ready to go to work.
We had another concert last night but I stayed away and wrote two letters, one to you and one to Margaret afterwards. Those who went to the concert reported that it was not up to the standard of the one the night before.
I am very sorry to know that Col. Hewgill has not been well. He was on the sick list very little, if at all, in France and I feel quite sure he will soon be himself again.
Good bye sweetheart.
Yours lovingly
Harold W. McGill
France, May 13, 1918.
My dear wife; -
This has been a dreary wet day and it is still raining hard at 9.30 p.m. I had intended writing to you this afternoon but was prevented from so doing by the arrival of a visitor and later on by a game of bridge. The visitor was Gordon Jack of Calgary whom you perhaps know.
Your two letters written on May 6 & 7 respectively came to hand this morning. I am not getting many letters from Canada these days. Just now I am in the happy position of having no unanswered correspondance on hand. Several friends in Calgary used to write me more or less regularly but they are dropping out of the line one by one. I do not mind though how many quit writing to me so long as I have you to send me so many nice loving letters. Dr. Chambers has not written to me since he sent the one I forwarded to you last February. I never hear from Dr. Follett now.
I shall look forward with considerable interest to the receipt of your letter describing the result of your interview with the matron of Roehampton House. I do hope you will find something that will suit you. The main thing to be desired is to get among congenial surroundings and people. One reason I stayed on with the battalion so long was that I liked the people with whom I was working and could always be sure of working amicably with my O.C. The same thing applies to where I am now doing duty, and so long as things are as at present I shall hesitate to make any change. I know one M.O. who used to be with the division but who went down to the base at his own request. Lately he was sent up the line again and was attached to a British ambulance. Now he wishes to rejoin his old division but naturally the A.D.M..S. is not going out of his way to make room for him. The officer who fancies running from one job to another does not make much of a hit as a rule although there are exceptions apparently.
Yours ever,
Harold M. McGill France, May 15, 1918
Dear Wife;-
I did not get mail of any kind to day but yesterday received your letter of May 8 and one from Enid written of April 5. Enid told me that Elo had made a cake for me and was sending it forward.
It is a most beautiful day out of doors, quite the finest we have had this spring. Everything is growing very fast and the trees will be completely in leaf before long. I had had some idea of going out for a ride this afternoon but my mare got kicked on the leg and is for the time being out of action.
By this time you will have made your trip to London and probably know your fate in regard to the particular appointment you have been considering. I hope that the interview was a success from your point of view.
We are kept fairly busy in the mornings here but there is not a great deal to do in the afternoons. This afternoon I had a hair cut out under an apple tree in the orchard and afterwards played a game of quoits. The artillery has been quite lively lately and during the past two days the aeroplanes have been showing great activity.
Fine weather like this makes me wish I were about to get away on leave. When leave does open again we shall likely have to feel our way about in a fog as we did last winter.
Please excuse this very short note.
Your lovingly
Harold W. McGill
France, May 17, 1918.
Dear Emma; -
Did not have any letters yesterday or the day before but was delighted beyond measure to receive yours dated May 9 this morning. I do hope that you will like your new work and the people with whom you are associated and I am sure that if these conditions are fulfilled you will be much more contented than when you were living at the hotel.
Am very sorry to hear of Dr. Leacock’s illness and trust that it will not turn out badly. Of course pleurisy is always a serious matter. I understood that Dr. Leacock had gone back to Canada some time ago. If she has not, please give her my very best wishes and kindest regards when you next see her, or if you are writing her you may do the same.
Enid’s letter was the only one that I drew from the last Canadian mail but it was good enough to make up the shortage. The copies of Canada’s “Life” came today. Many thanks.
It is very hot to day but not too hot for me. I like the hot weather in spite of my fat. The growth is simply wonderful. I like the weather when it is warm enough for one to sit outside without a coat in the evenings. It may be that if the war takes a turn in our favour we shall yet be able to have our Scotch honeymoon before the Summer flowers fade.
Will you please do something for me? I should like a union suit of summer under wear, something in the line of loose knit material. I should like it sleeveless but with a full length leg. Do not send a suit with knee length legs in any case for I could not use it with riding breeches. You will begin to think that I am expecting too much of you as a wife when I ask you to buy my underwear. Nor can I promise to do the same for you some day, for I shouldn’t in the least know what to buy. Oh! About size. I should think that a 38” chest measure would be about right. Send me the bill and I shall remit the amount less any discount. You could have this mailed from the shop direct, I should think.
We are kept fairly busy here in the mornings but can be lazy through most of the long hot afternoons. I should be perfectly well satisfied to be stationed here for the balance of the summer, provided of course that I had leave regularly every 3 months. I have not been getting around the countryside very much although there is no particular reason why I should not. Just a present we have a quoits competition going on among the officers of the unit. I shall have the honour of playing off for last place in the series. The games cause great excitement after dinner every evening.
Major Ings was here for lunch yesterday. He is just the same as ever. I rather admire the way the old chap sticks it over here. He is M.O. to the D.A.C.
A boy has just been a round selling copies of yesterday’s Daily Mail and I shall now close this letter and read the latest war news. You will note that your last letter took 8 days to reach me. I hope now, that you are up in London, your letters will make better time on the way. Margaret has not written me for some days and I have not heard from Frances for weeks.
I send you all my love.
Your husband
Harold W. McGill
Enclosed cheque please.
H.W. McG.
France, May 19, 1918
Dear Emma;-
I was just settling down to answer your letter of May 10, which reached me last evening, when the mail arrived bringing me 3 letters from you, those written on May 11, 12 & 13, respectively. The mail was very late getting in yesterday and again to day.
It is a very fine day again and a little cooler than yesterday & the day before, a bit of a breeze has come up this afternoon. The moon is very bright at nights now but somehow we fail to appreciate the beauty of it. In fact we should be just as well pleased to have it cloud up and rain every night while the moon is doing business.
Had a fine dream last night, thought I was back in England on leave and in your company again. One of our officers came home last night with the story that leave had opened up for the army we are now in. However the rumor has not been confirmed to date. When leave does open I shall be the second to go from our unit. Capt Moses is on the list ahead of me. There are 11 officers in our unit, 9 M.O.’s, a dental officer and a L.M. At the present time 2 are away.
I met with quite a disappointment yesterday. Major Elliott, our dental officer, was going off up country for a movie machine with which to put on shows for our patients. He thought that his business might take him to the town where my sister’s unit is located so the Colonel suggested that I should go along also, which I did. It was a beautiful day and we had a fine trip through a most picturesque country. We arrived at No 4 shortly after noon only to find that Margaret had gone off with a party of the sisters for the afternoon. They had gone off to a horse show or something of the kind by special invitation, and the exasperating part of the whole business was that after our return we found that this performance was held at a place within a few miles of our C.R.S.
Had two Canadian letters to day, one from my brother and one from Mrs. Clarke of Calgary. I was very sorry to hear of the Flesher’s trouble. How is the other child that was born about a year ago? From the tone of the letters that I received from Canada I should judge that the people over there are doing a little more worrying over the war situation that has been case heretofore. It is about time that the realization of what a German victory would really mean reached some of them .I see by the papers that a monster delegation of Ontario and Quebec farmers went to Ottawa for the purpose of protesting against the conscription of their own class. They were most emphatically turned down by the government. At times Borden shows a little evidence of possessing a backbone. The United Farmers of Alberta however I was pleased to see passed a resolution in favor of the new conscription regulations and wired the government to that effect.
Was most sorry to hear of Grant’s casualty and can only hope that his wounds are not serious. It is strange that I had not heard of his being hit before for I have been seeing officers from his unit quite frequently. Give him my kind regards when you see him.
Best love to you and to you alone.
Your husband,
Harold W. McGill
France, May 21, 1918
Dear Emma;-
I did not have any letter from you yesterday and the mail is not in yet to-day although it is now 6 P.M. It has been a very hot day but quite enjoyable nevertheless.
9 P.M. An interruption occurred just after I got started at this letter and now I shall try to make a finish of this short note before the mail closes. We have to censor the letters of our patients and personnel to-night. We do this every night after dinner. Since beginning the letter the mail has come in and I received your letter of April 15 describing your trip to London and the “Layout” of your new sphere of duties. From your description I should judge that it is none too promising but hope that you will not find it too bad. If the work is too hard for you or the hours unreasonably long do not stick it.
We are not busy here now and I am keeping in the best of health. We have to wear our box respirators one hour every day now for practice. It is quite an inconvenience but I believe the idea is sound.
I have not been doing any letter writing lately except the ones I send to you, if they can be called letters. Consequently I have quite a pile of unanswered ones on hand. I had intended answering Enid before this but have not done so. Had a letter from my cousin in China yesterday and to-day had one from Frances in Winnipeg.
The big enemy offensive still hangs fire but it is undoubtedly coming. I do not think though he can again turn the trick he did on March 21. Personally I am now having the easiest time that I have had since the war began. You need not worry over me. You yourself are probably working twice as hard as I am and have less comfort. I wish I could see you again to tell you how much I love you.
Harold W. McGill
France, May 22, 1918
Dear Wife;-
The mail came in early to-day and brought me your letter of May 16. You seem to have plenty to do and I sincerely wish that you may keep well and able to carry on with the new duties you have undertaken. Have you a good class of patients? I mean are they civilized? Whatever else you do, under no circumstances submit to any petty tyranny on the part of those in charge should they appear disposed to exercise such. I should not wish you to accept such treatment from anyone, and certainly not from English officials whom I am learning to love less every day the war proceeds.
Last night when I wrote I was too scared to confess that the cause of the interruption in the afternoon was my being called away to take part in a game of quoits. After dinner we all went to the opening of the moving picture plant that we have just installed, the one Major Elliott was after the day I went to see Margaret and found her away. After I returned from the movies I finished my letter and then we all turned in and censored the outgoing mail. It was then 10 P.M. and not quite time for bed so we had a few rubbers of bridge. It was a beautiful moonlight night and we could hear the night flying enemy planes buzzing around but no bombs were dropped near us. By the way I hear that you have had a big raid in London and that several enemy planes were crashed.
I forgot to tell you that I won the game of quoits that I mentioned before as having been about to take place to decide who was to be the low man in the singles competition. We are now playing the doubles and our games yesterday afternoon were the first of the series. My partner and I won two games, or at least my partner did, for I contributed very little towards the victory. There is no playing going on this afternoon on account of the heat. I have just come in from having a siesta in a hammock out under the trees. This does not sound much like a tale of the horrors of war, does it? I was through with my work by 2:30 P.M. It is clouding up now and we may get some rain to-night. We shall all be quite satisfied to have the moon covered up for one night. It makes too good a lantern for bombing planes.
We had an inspection of our transport by the G.O.C. Division this morning. The General asked me if I had heard of the fine raid my old battalion had pulled off this morning. It seems that a big party entered the enemy lines, captured about a dozen prisoners and killed a large number of Huns. The G.O.C. was greatly pleased with our transport. The D.A.A and L.M.G. was along and again mentioned the subject of leave. He has charge of the leave business of the division. He told me in a joke to get my application in early for “You know” he said, “We married men have to stick to-gether.”
I see by the paper that Their Majesties were up inspecting a hospital at Richmond. That is near your locality is it not? I shall look out for you in the pictures that appear in the illustrated papers if they visit you and photographs are taken. So get right in the eye of the camera.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, May 23, 1918
My dear wife;-
The mail was in early this forenoon for the second day in succession, and with it came your letter of May 17. The mails between England and here are becoming slower than ever before. They probably made better time in the days of Edward the Confessor.
The weather is much cooler to-day especially this afternoon. It is now 4 P.M. and I have just managed to escape being drawn into a game of quoits. Had I weakened and been drawn into the game it is hard to say when I should have written this letter. I shall probably not get time to- morrow for purposes of letter writing for we are having a field day of athletic sports. We are likely to have an American band to furnish music for the occasion.
I had a fairly busy morning, and this afternoon I inspected my section equipment. After doing that I had a bath and changed into “slacks” so here I am with the history of my day recorded up to date. We shall likely have a moving picture show again to-night. Capt. Dunham has just ordered afternoon tea. This morning the sky began to cloud up and we had hopes of a cloudy night. It has cleared up this afternoon though.
The letter I sent off to you last night was sent off in such a hurry that I did not have time to read it over before sealing it up. I hope there were not many uncorrected mistakes in it. Please excuse any such that you noticed.
Am pleased to know that Grant is likely to make a good recovery. I am anxious to know just how far out of town you are and how you get down when you go. I suppose I should say “Up” instead of “Down.” Which is it? How am I to find you when I am suddenly surprised by receiving a leave warrant?
Your fondly loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, May 25, 1918
Dearest Emma;-
I did not have any mail yesterday but to-day received your two letters written on May 18 and 20 respectively.
Our sports program did not come off yesterday as the rain poured steadily all day. We had a moving picture show in the afternoon and a concert at night. The A.D.M.S. and D.A.D.M.S. dined with us, and after dinner they went to the concert with all of our officers except two of us who remained behind to censor the letters. The concert was very good and was put on again to- night. Capt. Dunham and I went to night. There was also quite a big bunch of British officers present. The concert was from one of the Canadian battalions and was much appreciated. It contained a sketch taken from the “Bringing Up Father” pictures and was excellent. Jiggs and Maggie were both perfect and I nearly went into convulsions.
General Bells’ brigade was holding an afternoon of sports to-day and Col. Kappele and I went over. I saw General Bell who inquired for you in his usual kindly manner. I think the General is quite satisfied I have made a judicious move in getting married and I am sure he is right. He will be fully convinced when he has the pleasure of meeting you which I hope he will in the not too distant future.
Could you send me some more envelopes like this one, please? I have plenty of note paper but my envelopes are nearly done. If you can send me a package I shall be infinitely obliged to you. Please excuse this hastily and badly written scrawl.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, May 27, 1918.
Dearest Emma; -
Your letter of May 20 came yesterday and the one written on May 22 to-day. I was much interested in your account of the bombing raid on London. It must have been a bad business by all accounts but it is satisfactory to know that a number of Hun planes were brought down. The raid on the Base hospital was a much worse affair and I fear that there were quite a few casualties among the nurses. The Germans that were captured from the plane that was brought down should have been turned over to the Chinese coolies for proper treatment. The Huns bombed a Chinese camp over here not long ago. The Celestials didn’t take this in a meek spirit by any means. They got possession of a bunch of Mills grenades and paid a visit to an adjoining German Prisoners’ compound. This is the way the story goes but of course I cannot vouch for its accuracy. It is nice though to think of the Chinamen lobbing bombs over the wire fence among the unspeakable Huns.
I have just finished a letter to Enid. I rather excelled myself, having written 7 pages. There is really not much to write about but sometimes I hit a piece of good going and write a somewhat bulky if not good letter.
Am very happy to know that you are beginning to like your new sphere of endeavor. Your first letter was not very full of promise regarding your expectations in that regard. It will be nice if you can stick it until I get over on leave. I really expect to get over long before November. Leave will likely open after the next Hun offensive, i.e. unless he drives us to the sea and I don’t think he can do that.
Yours very fondly Harold W. McGill
France, May 29, 1918.
Dear Wife; -
Received your letter of May 23 this afternoon. Am glad to know that you are getting along alright in your new work and hope that you duties may become lighter later on.
Many thanks for sending the underwear which has not yet arrived. I wanted only one suit though as I already have one summer suit and it is quite out of the question for me to carry around a lot of extra clothing. I have altogether too much now and shall probably have to ditch some of it in case we get orders for a hurried move as we are very liable to. Please do not send me any more socks. I have now all I can use during the next year. I have been giving them away, both light and heavy ones.
Another big Hun offensive seems to have begun, this time chiefly against the French. We haven’t had any definite news so far but it would seem that the enemy is not having the great successes that attended his effort two months ago. Leave has opened again, but it is very limited and my turn may not come for some months. It is only right that the infantry should get the first chance to share in the little that is being given. If the new Hun offensive is held up perhaps the number of leave warrants granted per week may be increased. In any case you had better decide upon the hotel we shall honour with our patronage when I do get over. I shall want two or three days at least in London. After that we shall chase ourselves up to Scotland and have a nice quiet time to ourselves. I do not feel that I shall feel disappointed if I do not see a show at all during our next holiday.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, May 31, 1918.
Dearest Emma; -
I did not have a letter from you yesterday but the drygoods stock, or should I say haberdashery ? arrived. My dear, I asked you to send me one suit of underwear, not a whole wardrobe. I already had one light suit of underwear and two heavy. I also had three top shirts, two heavy and one light weight. However the mind of my batman has now been set at rest for he seems quite pleased with my new clothing. He intends to get some marking ink with which to put my name on the clothing. The handkerchiefs and tie were quite superfluous. I had three handkerchiefs so that I could always depend on a spare one even when one was in the wash and none of my ties are nearly worn out yet. However the underwear is just the thing I needed and I may be able to make use of the other things some day provided I can get the transport to carry them.
As evidence of my appreciation I took a bath this afternoon and put on new things all around, underwear, top shirt, collar & tie. I shall be able to go without my serge now on hot days without causing people to comment upon the condition of my shirts. Really though I didn’t need any new top shirts.
Your letter of May 24 came to hand this morning and I was as always very pleased to hear from you. I hope you are still finding life and conditions at Roehampton House at least tolerable. You will probably be able to see quite a few of your friends who come up to London. How far are you from Charing Cross which I presume is considered the centre of London? Did you see that Grant had been mentioned in dispatches, at least I presume it is our Grant, Lt. E.G. Grant of Alberta Regt.
The weather here lately has been much like that of Alberta, warm days and with quite chilly evenings and nights. The only fault with the nights is that they are too fine & clear. I am pleased to know that you have heard from Margaret. She has not written to me for some time. I am somewhat anxious about her for the Germans have been doing a lot of bombing hospitals and clearing stations. We had a moving picture show this afternoon but I did not go except for a few minutes. I was busy going around with a couple of officers on another field ambulance showing them our station. They may take over from us but we shall not be badly disappointed if they do not show up for some time.
Let me hear from you soon often and at great length. Also do not build your hopes too high in regard to my getting leave this summer.
Yours fondly Harold W. McGill
France, June 2, 1918.
Dearest Emma:-
Your letter of May 27 came this morning. I did not write you yesterday as I was very busy all day. In the afternoon we held our C.R.S. sports which had been postponed from May 24 on account of rain. The weather was perfect yesterday and the sports turned out a great success. The G.O.C. of the division attended, also the D.D.M.S. of the Corps, the A.D.M.S. division and I do not know how many more “Brass hats”. The were quite a good representation of Imperial and American officers. The last item on the program was a baseball game between the team from our Divisional train and the team from an American battalion. The Canadians won by quite a large score. In the evening we had a concert but I did not go. We censored the mail between 12 o’clock and l this morning.
To day has been very fine but the roads are very dusty and we need rain. I was away taking part in a game of indoor baseball this afternoon. Baseball is a game I have never played and I find the art a very hard one to acquire so late in life.
I may get a chance to go up and see Margaret some day this week and I am writing her to that effect to night. The enemy has been shelling the town where she is and I have been somewhat anxious, although I hear none of the shells fell near the C.C.S.
Found out some particulars about leave this afternoon. The medical service has been allotted only two leave warrants per month per division so I fear I shall not get my turn until near the end of the summer.
How would you like to go back to Canada? The O.C. has just shown me a communication to the effect that my services are required in M.D. 13 Calgary. I have not the slightest idea of what this may mean, and the O.C. is replying (at my request) that I cannot be spared for the present. Tell me when you write what you think of it.
Ever yours dearest Harold W. McGill
France, June 4, 1918.
Dearest Emma ;-
Have not had any word from you since I wrote two days ago. We have been quite busy since Sunday but I managed to attend a cinema show yesterday afternoon and a concert at night. The concert was put on by our own C.R.S. party and made quite a hit.
The sky is quite cloudy this afternoon and we may get a rainstorm. A good soaking rain would do a lot of good now. It would help the crops, put down the dust for a short time anyway and might hold up the German offensive to some extent. The cloudy dark nights are much more peaceful in the back country here but I suppose the clear weather helps our bombing airplanes more than it does the Hun’s for we have a greater number doing business.
I am living in hopes of getting up to see Margaret to-morrow. I hope the mail comes in early so that I may receive your letter or letters before I start off. Wish I were leaving for England in the morning. I saw an officer last night who is starting for his leave in England to morrow. So long as there is such an institution as leave in existence we must not despair.
I had a letter from my friend Christie in Baltimore the other day but have had no Canadian mail for I don’t know how long a time.
I shall write you the day after to-morrow and let you know how I have come out in regard to my visit.
Your dearly loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, June 6, 1918.
Dear Emma:-
I did not have any letters from you for 3 days but this morning was made very happy by the receipt of those you wrote on May 28, 28 &30 respectively.
Well, I managed to get up to the C.C.S. and see Margaret yesterday afternoon. She is in good health and spirits and is still on night duty. She expects to have another week of it. I reached the C.C.S. at about 4 p.m. and had tea with the sisters. After the tea we went to a concert given by the 3rd Cdn. Division entertainment party. The show was very good and well worth one’s while. After the show Major Bell, who was with me, and I had dinner with the O.C.C.C.S. and then sat in the sisters’ lounge until eleven p.m. when it was time to take our departure. Fortunately the unit was not taking in yesterday or last night and Margaret was not busy. I saw Miss Lynch who is looking very well indeed.
Margaret is quite concerned about the long hours of duty that you are doing and I fear from what I gather from your letters to day that her anxiety is quite justified. My dear I do not want you to get tired out. I do not understand why it should be necessary for you to return to the wards after 9 p.m. Of course if you were in a hospital giving active treatment I could understand everyone having to do extra hours during a rush but I fail to see why such a thing should be part of the regular routine in a convalescent hospital.
The sisters have very nice quarters prettily situated and their only fear is that they may have to move. The Huns have been bombarding the town but none of the shells have fallen near the hospital. There are also enemy planes around nearly every night but up to date they have done no damage. The search lights got on to one large bombing plane the other night and one of our fighters who was up shot him down. The nurses were all out watching the fight. The Hun came down in flames. One of the crew jumped out and was killed of course, and 3 charred bodies were found in the wreckage.
It was quite cold enough for Alberta last night. We had a long weary ride home after dark but reached our destination without any mishap. I came away with out my stick though.
You asked me about Al Spencer. He was slightly wounded up the line somewhere by a shell but I do not think his injuries were severe enough to require his evacuation.
I have heard that there is a Canadian mail in the war zone but none of it has come our way yet.
Good bye for present and please do not overwork yourself.
Yours with greatest love,
Harold W. McGill
France, June 7, 1918
Dear Emma:-
An attempt was made to entice me into a bridge game this evening but I considered it my duty to first write to my lovely and always adored wife. Your letter of June 3 reached me this morning, having been only 4 days on the way. I think this makes a new record as I am pretty certain that 5 days was the shortest time that any of them took to come heretofore.
The Canadian mail arrived this morning. I had several letters from home and a bundle of papers from Dr. Chambers. Among the letters I had one from Mrs. Clarke and one from my brother Frances, my sister has not been well and I am somewhat worried about her. She has been working very hard.
Do you know I am beginning to think that you will have to give up that work you are doing? Good Lord! Only think of making a meal with two sardines to do it with. Why I could eat a whole box of them quite handily before the soup. You require better rations than that if you are to work until 9 30 at night. Margaret has great faith in Matron in Chief Macdonald and thinks she will eventually find something suitable for you in the Canadian service, but personally, after reading that letter you enclosed to me, I cannot say that I share that confidence. Of course it would be much nicer if you were with a Canadian hospital. In any case do not let the powers that be in that institution impose upon you to the slightest extent. It doesn’t pay.
We had a game of indoor baseball yesterday. It was very hot work for those of us who have done no running for years. Lt. Col. Murphy was playing. When I told him I was too old for the game he asked me my age and upon learning it said I was just ten years older than his daughter. After the baseball game I went to the movies. We had a new film yesterday. The second performance is now going on.
I am wearing the new top shirts you sent me, although I feel guilty in doing so for it is a frightful extravagance. I should have worn out my old ones before starting on the new, but I must confess I like the ones you had sent. However that does not absolve you from blame for having exceeded your orders.
The weather here is not very hot during the days and the nights are quite cool, almost like those of Alberta. I am sure a good rain would be good for everything & everybody and might help to check the German offensive. It begins to look as though that were being held up anyway. The French are putting up a remarkable fight. The Americans are getting into the fight more and more every day, and unless Fritz can pull off something of a really decisive nature during the next two months his chances are probably gone. By that time I may think it worth my while to put in for my leave. There will be nothing doing in that line this month my dear. Most of the leave is being given to the infantry and that is perfectly as it should be.
I see by the wireless that the U. boats have been working off the American coast but apparently they have not done so much damage as first reports indicated.
Good bye for present Sweetheart
Your loving husband
Harold C. McGill
P.S. Many thanks for the envelopes. I am about to use one of them.
H.W. McG.
France, June 8, 1918.
Dearest Emma;-
Your letter of June 1 came this morning arriving as you will see a day after yours of June 3. I think though that the latter must have been incorrectly dated as it bore the postmark of June 2.
Now please do not send me any more notepaper at present. I have plenty to do me for some time and an excess only means extra weight when we are moving. I have now quite a few letters to answer and I shall try to do one every day or every other day until I get caught up.
The weather here remains monotonously regular. It clouded up last evening and a few drops of rain fell but not to amount to anything. The cloudy night furnished us one benefit though. We did not have any bombing planes around.
I have just had a bath and put on clean clothing with “Slacks”. I am wearing one of my old shirts just to show you that I am more or less independent of the ones you sent. I shall need a special limber for my baggage when we come to another move.
This will have to be a very short note for I have nothing of interest to tell you. I just wish to say Hello: to you and to assure you of my undying affection.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill France, June 10, 1918.
My dear wife;-
Your letter enclosing the one from Dr. Leacock arrived this morning, also the two packages of envelopes for which I wish to express my thanks. I am very pleased to know that Dr. Leacock is enjoying improved health.
It has been trying to rain at times during the past few days but with very little result so far. Up to the present June has been much cooler than was the same month last year. I hope that the weather is fine during September for I expect to get my leave about then. Of course it might come sooner or again it might not come until late in the autumn.
We have now an American officer attached to us for instruction. He is wondering what he will do with his excess baggage. He tells me it is ridiculous the amount of stuff they are instructed to bring out from the States, and states that if he had it to do over again he would bring very little except his uniform.
I fear I did not answer your questions regarding the choice of hotel. It makes no difference whatever to me, my dear one, and when the time comes when we shall need one you better engage a room at the hotel you like best. I always take a room with a bath when I am on leave but outside of that I am not fussy. I do not consider the Petrograd too much out of the way. It is quite close to a tube station. In any case we shall probably remain only a few days in London.
I played three games of quoits this afternoon and in half an hour I shall go to the movies. We have a new picture showing to-day.
Many thanks for the markers. I have not shown them to Scotty, my batman, yet and cannot give you his opinion of them.
Your loving husband,
Harold E. McGill
France, June 12, 1918.
Dearest Emma;-
Your letter of June 5 arrived this morning having taken a whole week to come as you will see. I did not have a letter from you yesterday. Canadian mail arrived to day but there were no letters for me. I got the cake though that Elo sent. We shall probably have it for dinner to-night. It was mailed on April 8 and I fear that Elo will think that I have forgotten to write and thank her.
I am awfully sorry to hear the bad news about Dr. Leacock and fear that she may have a bad time of it. It is too bad that she could not have returned to Canada before her illness. Is Lieut. Leacock going to remain in England? Please give them both my very kindest regards when next you see them .
We are still in the same place and enjoying life as much as is possible with the military situation what it is. I fear it will be a summer of ferocious and almost continuous fighting. What the final result will be no one can say but I have every confidence that the enemy will have exhausted himself before he can obtain a decision in his favour. Great numbers of American troops are coming over but of course many of them are insufficiently trained to go into action. They will soon get themselves into shape though. Did I tell you that we now had an American M.O. attached to our unit for instruction? He is a very good chap. His home is in Pennsylvania.
General Bell and Capt. Petty had dinner with us last night. Mrs. Bell is still in Paris.
Do you remember what happened exactly six months, a half a year, ago to-day? We have been married half a year and have lived to-gether for 12 days, or on an average of two days a month. Hope the ratio will improve before long.
Your ever loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, June 16, 1918.
Dearest Emma; -
Three days ago I had two letters from you, the one written June 7 and the one written June 9. To day three came to hand, those written on June 10, 11, 12, respectively. I must tender you my most abject apology for not having sent you a letter during the past four days. To tell you the truth I must say that I was knocked out by a sharp attack of influenza. I did think of sending you a whizz bang, but remembered in time that you had issued me instructions not to mail you any of them except when I was in the line. I was quite ill for a couple days but feel alright again now although I did not go on duty this morning. The day before yesterday was my worst time. I did my work in the morning but went to bed in the afternoon. Yesterday I did not dress at all and I stayed in bed until nearly noon to day.
Am very pleased to know that you are having it a little easier in the hospital and hope that the tonic that the MD. prescribed may be of some assistance to you. What ever else you do stop working before you play yourself out. I do not wish to have my wife an invalid for our next leave, besides which of course it would not be nice for you either.
How are you off for funds? It must be nearly time for me to be sending a cheque. Please let me have the bill of that haberdashery you bought for me and I can add the amount to the next cheque I forward.
Canadian mail came in while I was ill in bed but one letter from my brother was all I drew. I must try to write to Mrs. Clarke of Calgary soon, and also to Elo thanking her for the fruit cake which was fine. We had had it on the table about twice when the influenza hit me and the cake was entirely too good to outlast the short period of my illness.
The other officers are all off to a football match and I am in sole charge of camp. Shall try to write you at greater length to-morrow.
Your ever loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, June 17, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Was pleased to have your letter of June 13 this morning. I hope you are now feeling better since you went to the hut. Evidently your late ward is killing off your successors rather rapidly.
I went on duty again this morning but have been taking it easy all day. I have fully recovered from my illness but feel rather shakey still. A few days will put me back in good shape.
Col Kappele and Capt Clark were up at No 4 C.C.S. the day before yesterday. They recovered my cane which I had left in the C.O.s room when I was up there a week or two ago. I have not heard from Margaret since I was up, and on the other hand must confess that I have not written her myself.
Several 31st Battn. Officers including Major Spencer were in to tea with us this after-noon. We have one of their officers, the Q.M. here as a patient.
I note that you have been having strawberries and must say I greatly fear I shall miss the strawberry season this year. Do you remember some good ones we had in Hatchett’s last summer?
Now about going home to Canada I must say that I had given the matter very little thought after writing you on the subject. Anyway I have heard no more about it. I have never heard what position I was required to fill but do not imagine that it would be one of much importance. I told Margaret about the offer but cannot recall that she expressed any opinion as to the advisability of my accepting it. It is unlikely that we shall hear anything further of it.
The weather keeps miserably cold for the time of the year, also very dry. The sky is cloudy this evening a circumstance to noted with satisfaction.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, June 19, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Did not have a letter from you yesterday but the one written on June 14 came this morning. I was, as is always the case, very pleased to hear from you and to know that you are feeling better and more contented.
Have not heard any more about leave and think I shall have to wait as patiently as I can until the leave allotment is extended a little. I should very much like to get over before the summer has quite passed by.
It has rained nearly all day and everything seems to be so much fresher in consequence. Rain was badly needed. I hope though that none has fallen in Germany or Russia. A crop failure in those countries would be a grand and good thing.
Canadian mail came in yester-day. I had two letters from my brother, one from my cousin in Toronto and a bundle of papers from Dr. Chambers. They have had good rains in Western Canada and crop prospects are good. At one time there appeared great danger of a dry season.
Is there much of a food shortage in England? From reading the papers one would conclude that the situation is much better than was the case a year ago. Our rations in the field still keep up to the usual high standard but we have not indulged in strawberries and cream or anything like that. Even fresh vegetables are difficult to buy. Our own garden is helping us out now and we are using the radishes in our mess.
Our concert party has been broken up and unless the boys can get another going some of the entertainment will have to be cut out. The leading lady had to return to duty with his battery. We have two changes pf pictures a week now in the cinema show.
Have not heard from Margaret since I was up two weeks ago to-day. I shall take another run up there the next opportunity that I get. I send you my very best love with this and a hope that we may again meet before many months.
Yours lovingly Harold W. McGill
France, June 21, 1918
Dear Wife; -
Your letters of June 15 & 16 respectively came to hand this morning. I am so pleased that you are feeling better. Are you getting enough to eat. I hope there is not Tb. in your hospital. If there is keep away from it, you had your shared of that stuff down at the hospital in Bramshott. Anyway your last few letters have relieved my anxiety somewhat & made me feel a lot more cheerful. I dream about you nearly every night. Sometimes in my dreams we are together in England and at other times back in Canada. Last night we were having a great time trying to catch our train for Liverpool in order to take ship for Canada.
I had some Canadian letters this morning, one from my sister Frances & one from Dr. Chambers. Chambers sent his kind regards and wished to know if you had yet acquired the proper accent. He said Miss Murphy often inquired for both of us.
We have just finished dinner. There is a drizzling rain falling which means that we shall not be bothered by Hun bombing planes to-night. They have not been bothering us much lately anyway. I suppose they are all busy on the more active fronts. Last evening we had a late dinner as most of us went off to the picture show. I shall soon be quite a movie fan.
I hope you are able to get out quite a bit and see your friends. I do not mind where you go or whom you see provided you refrain making special visits to German officer prisoners. Did you see that account in the papers of the young officer being court martialed because he remonstrated with the commandant of a prison camp for allowing certain prisoners special visitor privelages? The visitor who had a special pass was the wife of the under secretary of the blockade. Ye Gods! Is it any wonder that the people are suspicious of the government? Hearing things like that make one positively ill. What in the devil is the matter with the English anyway? The ones that amount to anything turn out to be mostly Scotch or Welsh.
Am very sorry that you are anxious about your cousin, at least I am sorry that you have failed to hear from him for so long a time. Let us hope though that he is alright.
The Americans have been engaged in some very heavy fighting lately and have given a good account of themselves.
No dear I never tire of having you tell me you love me. The effect of the pleasant surprise never seems to wear away. I shall never cease to wonder though how it happened.
I have now 5 manuvered letters from my brother and must really try to write him to night. Good night my loved one.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, June 22, 1918
Dear Emma; -
Your letter of June 17 came this morning. I hope you continue to feel better than when you were working so hard a short time ago. I saw in the paper that the epidemic of influenza that we have here has reached England and that all sorts of people are ill of it. I trust that it may pass you by. I am pleased that I am through with my bout but one in the family is quite enough to have it.
It has been a cool windy day but very little rain had fallen. We rather enjoy the cloudy nights during the full of the moon and I dare say you do also. I wonder when we shall have some more warm weather.
I should have written to Elo thanking her for the cake before this but have not done so. I wrote to my brother last night and answered his five letters. One can do a great stroke of business and clear up a lot of unanswered letters by answering five at a time.
Do you ever hear from the people at Broadlands now, or have they a sort of drifted out of your circle? They were certainly very good to you when you were down there and I have a most kindly feeling towards them in consequence. I do not suppose that you have seen or heard anything of Col. Hewgill since you went up to London. I saw in the paper an account of the big reception that Lt. Cal Cross received upon his return to Regina.
I should have mailed you a cheque earlier in the month than this but am waiting until I receive the bill of those clothes you were kind enough to buy for me. Please hurry it along. How are you for funds?
Have heard no more about leave, but know that Capt. Moses, who if ahead of me on the list of this unit, has not gone yet.
Hope to see you before too very long.
Yours lovingly Harold W. McGill
France, June 24, 1918
Dear Emma;-
You have been very good in your letter writing lately and I am getting them quite regularly. Yours of June 19 came yesterday and those written on June 18 and June 20, respectively, reached me this morning. I think you have made a mistake in your dates though. The letter of June 18 was, it is quite certain, written after that dated June 19 which I received yesterday.
Now about that bill; I want it, so please send it along and I shall remit you the amount with your monthly cheque.
I am pleased to know that Leacock’s have a young son and sincerely hope that the ordeal will not have been such a strain on Dr. Leacock as to impair her chances of shaking off the attack of TB. When will she start for Canada? I hope that I shall get over on leave before she goes.
There has been a drizzling rain falling nearly all afternoon and the temperature is quite low. The sky is cloudy to-night which is one thing we have to be thankful for. My room was so cold this afternoon that instead of writing to you as I should have done I put my great coat over me and lay down on the bed. I went to sleep and when I woke up it was nearly time to go to the movies. We shall all miss the movies when we go away from here.
It is just six months ago to-day since I kissed you good bye at Victoria Station. I had no idea then that such a long time would elapse before I had another chance to kiss you or I should have given you two or three more. However it may not be so very much longer before we meet again.
Please excuse this very short letter. I have to censor mail now.
Your always loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, June 26, 1918
Dear Emma; -
There were no letters from you either yesterday or to-day and I am beginning to fear that you have been taken down with this epidemic fever that is going the rounds. I am expecting a couple of letters from you in to-morrow’s mail though.
I wrote to Elo yesterday and to-day I shall try to get a letter off to Margaret. It is 3 weeks ago to day since I last saw her and have had no word from her since. The O.C. of her unit lost his only son in the R.A.F. the other day. The boy was only 19 years of age and had been in France but a short time. I feel very sorry for his father Col. Campbell whom I have known for many years. I heard that his son’s machine was shot down and fell in no man’s land. Col. Campbell was sent for and when he got to the scene of the fatality he found that the body had not been recovered. The story has it that the father went out between the lines alone in daylight and brought in his son’s body.
The weather keeps miserably cold for the season, much different from last June which was very hot. We had a little rain last evening but nothing to amount to much.
We are kept fairly busy just now especially with a flood of cases from this new epidemic disease. It is called influenza but I doubt if this diagnosis is correct. The trouble does not last long enough for influenza but of course it may be an unusual type.
I am enclosing you a cheque for 15 pounds which I am afraid is rather over due. Did you see in the paper that the pay of medical officers (Canadian) was to be increased. I am altogether in favor of this but up to date have obtained no particulars of the proposed increase.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, June 27, 1918.
Dear Emma; -
I must be getting very absent minded for yesterday I sealed up my letter to you without enclosing the cheque that I intended to send. I shall try not to forget this important detail to-day.
Your two letters of June 21 & 22, respectively, came to hand this morning and I was quite relieved to know that you had not been laid up. I have been thinking about you all my spare time lately and am beginning to wonder myself when I shall get leave. There is certainly none in sight just now and I do so want to see you once again. I shall consider myself lucky if I get over within the next two months. But at the rate leave is being granted it will be nearer two years before my turn comes.
I did not write to Margaret after all yesterday but shall try to do so this afternoon. There is a new film at the picture show to day. I shall probably go. The performance begins at 5:30 P.M. It is now twenty to three. I started my letter writing early this afternoon in order that I could get my letters finished before the time for the movies. There was Canadian mail in this morning but none for me. I received the “life” and Canada for which please accept my thanks.
I remember Mrs. Craig quite well. She had lunch with us the day you came up from Bramshott. I remember you did not arrive on the train you said you would and I missed you at Waterloo.
How long have you now been at Roehampton House? You speak of your intention of spending three months there and I have been wonderful how much longer you would have to put it to make up that period. I hope I shall be able to get over while you are still in London. Next Winter we shall try to arrange spending our leave in France. I must in the mean time attempt to acquire some knowledge of the French language.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, June 29, 1918
Dear Emma;-
Your letters are coming promptly and rapidly these days. Yesterday I received yours of June 23, and to day yours of June 24 and 25, respectively. You will note that the latter had been on the road only 3 days. It is very nice to be able to obtain a reply to a letter within a week.
I had a letter from Margaret yesterday – no, it was today – and she reproached me for not writing her sooner. Canadian Corps sports are to be held on July 1. If possible I shall attend and I may see Margaret there.
Leave to Paris is now being granted to our troops. It is of 10 days duration, that period also covering the time spent on the road. It would scarcely be worth your while to come over for that length of time. Now my dear, do not for a moment run away with the idea that I intend to apply for this Paris leave, for leave without you, anywhere, would not have any attraction for me. However, if I cannot get leave to England within a reasonable time, would you consider the proposition of meeting me in Paris? We would not have long together and could not make any side trips in the time at our disposal. On the other hand neither of us has ever been in Paris, and we could probably spend a few very enjoyable days there provided the Germans did not come any nearer.
The weather is becoming warmer and we may yet have some real summer. I see by the papers that there have been heavy frosts in Germany but the reports like others of dire distress in that country are quite likely to be untrue. I note that you also find cloudy nights the most restful especially when there is a moon.
Hope to hear from you to-morrow although I fear I shall not be able to write to you again for 2 or 3 days, especially if I go to the Corps sports on Monday. I trust that you are keeping well and have escaped the “Flu” so far. Do not work too hard for I want you to be in the best of health for our trip to Scotland.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, July 2, 1918.
Dear Emma; -
Your two letters of June 26 and 27 respectively reached me this morning. I had not received any letters from you yesterday or the day before.
Canadian Corps sports were held yesterday and of course a big time was had. Most of our men and all the officers, except the orderly officer, attended. The men went in the morning and the officer remained all day while the officers did not go until afternoon.. It was a most wonderful exhibition and well worth going far to see. There was a very large crowd and it seems to me I met nearly everybody I ever knew. Canadian nursing sisters were there from all over the countryside. The whole nursing staff of No. 4 including Margaret was there. The British sisters from one of the other C.C.S’s had taken their duties for the day. Col. Doughty came and had tea with Margaret, Miss Lynch and a few others besides myself. We met Tommy O’Hagan and the Lord knows who else. My biggest surprise was when I was walking along in front of one of the several grand stands. I heard someone speak to me and on looking up saw Miss Mary Thompson, who used to be at the C.G.H., sitting in a front seat. I had had no idea she was on this side of the Atlantic. She is with No. 3 General Hospital (Canadian) at present.
18 H. There has been a pause of a couple of hours here while the officers and sergeants of the unit had a base ball match. We won but I forget the score.
All yesterday I was wishing you were in France and could have come to the sports. I am sure you would have enjoyed it much more than I did. Everybody out here is very good to Canadian Sisters. Just at present our unit is billeted in a Chateau and some of the officers have mooted the question of giving a garden party and dance. We have several fine big rooms with splendid floors. There is an open space in front of the Chateau and beyond that the finest piece of woods I think have ever seen. It is glorious, and the ideal spot for a garden party. Col. Simpson, our A.D.M.S. says that I shall have to get you over and build a hut out in the woods here. How would you like that? I happened to mention the subject of the garden party to the nurses yesterday and it aroused great interest. Margaret made me obtain the permission of Miss Johnson, the matron, for them to attend in case we did succeed in starting some thing. Col. Doughty is also going to get something started for the nurses at his chateau. We might have a good time out here if it were not for the war.
Yours very lovingly Harold W. McGill
France, July 3, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Your letter of June 28 reached me this morning. I was sorry but not at all surprised to hear that a number of your nurses were down with influenza. I hope that you yourself, will succeed in escaping it.
I fear that I again forgot to answer your question re the Piccadilly Hotel. You know the place better than I do, and as you say it is very central. It would not be too noisey. As I said before any hotel that suits you will meet my approval. Be sure though to get a room with a bath. It may be that we shall be making a choice among the Paris hotels, for if in another month there does not seem to be any prospects of my getting away to England within a reasonable time, it might be really our best scheme for me to apply for Paris leave, provided always of course that I could get you over. I should make sure of that point before I applied for the leave. We should have to arrange some meeting place in Paris or Rouen, preferably the latter. There is certainly very little chance of my getting away until the leave allotment is extended very materially. Col. Doughty tells one that Mrs. Doughty is now expecting him to go on leave almost any day, but that he has no idea himself when he will be able to get away.
The weather is much cooler to day and the sky partially cloudy. I wish we could have a good rain storm. I had quite a long ride in an ambulance car this morning, going around to gather up the sick admission cases from the different units.
We had quite a treat for lunch to say, strawberries & cream, the latter of course being of the condensed variety. The strawberries must be later here than in England for these are the first we have been able to get.
So you refuse to send me a bill for the clothes you bought for me! There were a few other little things that I was about to ask you to buy for me but I shall certainly not do so unless you promise to send me the account.
You may be interested to know that on Dominion Day I wore a full turnout of the things you bought for me, shirt, collar, tie and even handkerchief.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, July 5, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Your letter of June 29 reached me yesterday and that of June 30 to day. I hope that since you wrote you have had a good rest and that the epidemic fever still continues to pass you by.
We are getting beautiful weather here now although it gets quite cool in the evenings. I wish we could have a day or two of good heavy rain. We are not at all busy and are devoting the greater part of every afternoon to games and sports. We have just had two new officers join us.
I am pleased to know that you had a nice dinner at the Carlton. If I am not mistaken it is just a year ago to day since I went down to see you at Bramshott. It looks now as though we should have to spend the next holiday sometime during the winter. There is still a chance though that leave will extend a little next month or in September. September would be a nice month in which to have leave but after that the weather is liable to be somewhat dismal. I see by the papers that the fruit crop in England is the poorest that it has been for years. We had strawberries for lunch again yesterday and very good ones too. The raspberries here are not nearly ripe yet.
There is a rumor current out here that the pay of medical officers in the Canadian service is to be increased. I hope this turns out to be correct, for then we can save a little more to start a home for ourselves when we get back to Canada. Now I do not want you to go out and buy a lot of silverware and fine china on the strength of the information I have given you, for the aforementioned increase of pay may not be forthcoming. My expenses over here are not high. I have cashed only one cheque since March and that was for five pounds. I shall soon have to cash another though for I have not been playing much bridge lately.
It is dinner time now and I shall have to say Good Night.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, July 6, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
I was very pleased to have your letter of July 1 this morning but very sorry to learn that the influenza had at last nailed you. I hate think of your having been ill in bed on Dominion Day while I was enjoying myself at the corps sports. I can only hope that as you promised you will now have recovered. You will feel somewhat languid however for a few days after your temperature comes down.
I heard last night that the allotment of leave for our division had been doubled. If this is true we shall all have our turn within 15 years instead of 30 as it worked out under the former leave allotment to the medical services. We have had nobody go on leave to England from our unit since early last spring. Capt Moses, who is immediately ahead of me on the list, has his application in but nothing has come of it.
Scotty MacLean, my batman ordered me to write to you and ask for some more of those marking tapes. Scotty would like to tags a little bigger as he tells me that his fingers are too clumsy to sew on the small ones.
We are having continued nice weather and our men are having the time of their lives. The officers had a baseball match yesterday, which we won, and one to day which we lost. It looks as though it might rain to night. I hope that it rains all day to-morrow. If it is a nice day to morrow though I shall probably go out for a horseback ride. I have not been on my mare for over three months. There are some very nice dirt roads upon which to ride about here.
Have you had any Canadian mail recently? We’ve had none here now for, it must be over two weeks. Your daily letters though are coming regularly and in fairly good time and the non arrival of Canadian mail does not in consequence bother me very much. I am all caught up now with my correspondence except to answer a letter I had from the States a few days ago.
I sincerely hope Dear, that you will be quite well by the time this letter reaches you if not before. Give my kindest regards and congratulations to the Leacocks when you next see them.
Yours lovingly Harold W. McGill
France, July 8, 1918
Dear Emma; -
I had no letter from you yesterday but yours of July 2 came to day. I am pleased to know that you were feeling better and trust that by this time you will be quite well. Do not be in too great a hurry to get back to duty for you will not feel capable of much effort for two or three weeks after your fever has completely gone.
It’s a nice warm summer day ---- . At this I was enticed out doors to play a game of baseball “B” Section vs Officers. The men won by a score of 8 – 6, scoring 4 of their runs in the last innings. It is now 6:15 P.M. and I shall have to go to dinner in a few minutes. This warm weather suits me exactly and I never felt better in my life. I only wish we may have our leave in Scotland before the chill of Autumn comes. One of our officers went off this afternoon to relieve a M.O. of a unit who was going on leave. Hence I still ‘ave ‘opes. The amount of leave granted has really been increased in our division but to what extent I do not know.
The sinking of that hospital ship was indeed a very terrible affair, and I feel sure that the next time our Canadian boys raid the Hun trenches there will be a little suffering done by our friends the enemy. An officer (German) captured a short time ago by our men asked why it was that the Canadians hated the Germans so much. I see that in reply to questions in the House, Mr.Bonar Law stated that the government had the question of convoying the hospital ships “Under consideration”. I have decided that it’s no use, the British government will never never wake up.
I saw Margaret again yesterday. Two other officers and myself went up to the C.C.S. in the afternoon and spent a couple of very pleasant hour at the nursing sisters’ mess. Our excuse for going up was to obtain a pair of crutches for our O.C. who sprained his ankle very severely two day ago in a game of baseball. Margaret is looking well and is in the best of spirits.
Good-bye Love I hope you are well.
Your adoring husband Harold W. Mcgill
France, July 10, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
Your letter of July 4 reached me about 3 ½ hours ago. It is raining now and I shall try to answer your letters before something turns up to prevent me doing so. Your letter dated July 5 came yesterday. I hope that your temperature has not been up to 99 degrees again. A week at Mrs. Drysdale’s would certainly do you no harm while you are recovering from the influenza.
Canadian mail came in the day before yesterday but all I drew was one letter from my brother. I wrote to Dr. Chambers a few days ago and gave him your message regarding the acquiring of the English accent . I have not heard from Dr. Follett, who took over my office, for months possibly years. I suppose the medical men in Calgary are making so much money now that they have no tine to bother with the departed brethren.
I was talking to Miss West up at the C.C.S. the other day. In answer to her inquiries concerning you I told her about where you were and what you were doing. Miss West advised me very strongly to have you go and interview Lady Drummond. Miss West is sure you could get taken on in the Canadian Red Cross. It does not look, and did not at any time as though Matron in Chief Macdonald had any intention to help you get placed, and perhaps it might be well for you to do as Miss West suggested and as you mentioned yourself on one or two occasions. Certainly the place in which you are does not seem very congenial for you, and it would be much nicer for you to be back among our own people.
My batman got a woman in the village to sew those marking tapes on my new clothing and is very proud of the result. He said he found his own fingers two clumsy to handle them himself.
Our baseball team is now badly wrecked. The O.C.s ankle is not well enough to enable him to play and one of the other officers went off to relieve a regimental M.O. who has gone one leave. We have only 8 players left. We have two more league games to play. I have had only two or three games of quoits in the past month.
You are certainly not overfed at the institution you honour with your service. Can the nursing sisters not organize a mess as they do in the Canadian hospitals? We are able to run a very good mess in this unit on 15 francs a week per member. We have not been able to get strawberries lately but should be able to get some raspberries before very long. The troops holding the line in front of Lens will be living well these days. There are some fine fruit gardens up there.
Yours with best love Harold W. McGill France, July 12, 1918
Dearest Emma;-
Yesterday I received your letter of July 3. You will remember that I had yours of July 4 the day before, and the one of July 5 the day before that again. It looked as though you were getting further away from me all the time. Today though I was overjoyed to receive two letters from you, those of July 6 and 7 respectively. You did not say a word about how you were feeling but I should judge from the fact that the latter epistle was penned with ink that you are feeling better. I like to think so anyway. I shall expect your next letter from Broadlands but will address this as heretofore.
The notepaper you noted was bought for me by somebody, but he was one of my section officers, and the purchase was made last March. It is the best I have ever been able to buy in France. The paper is so strong and the sheets so large that I have been using it for my letters to Canada. I still have some paper and quite a few envelopes left. Do not bother to send me any more just yet please unless you object strongly to receiving letters written upon the military stationery I am now using.
One year ago this afternoon I rejoined my battalion after the most pleasant leave I have ever had except one other, and that evening was back in the trenches. If I remember correctly I wrote you my first love letter on paper something like this about midnight in my dugout. I remember the first few letters I had from you worried me considerably. You talked as though you hadn’t quite made up your mind to accept me. I also remember quite distinctly what happened 7 months ago today. I wonder how many more months must elapse before we may have that second honeymoon of ours.
The weather has broken at last out here and we have had a couple of very wet days, almost like the weather we had in the beginning of August last year when we were up near Lens preparing for the offensive against Hill 70. Yesterday afternoon we had a series of very heavy showers. This morning there was a steady downpour falling when we got up and except for brief intervals rain has fallen all day. All our sports have had to be postponed in consequence.
How is Dr. Leacock getting along? You have not mentioned her in any of your last few letters. Has she left for Canada? Well, I must close now. Hope you have gotten down to Broadlands as you hoped to do. If so give the Drysdales my very kindest regards.
Your always loving husband
Harold W. McGill
P.S. Do you really object very much to this style of writing paper?
France, July 14, 1918
Dearest Wife;-
I did not have any letter from you yesterday but am expecting one from you this evening when the mail comes up with the rations. I am anxious to know whether or not you have managed to get down to Broadlands. I hope you did. I hear there is some Canadian mail in to-day, but since you have been writing me every day from England Canadian mail has not the same interest for me that it used to. I have not heard from Margaret since I was up to see her a week ago to day.
We are having splendid weather here now with just enough rain to keep things fresh and clean. In another month though we shall be making preparations for another winter. I wonder when the Hun is going to put on his next big offensive. He will have to get a move on if he is to force a military decision this year. Last evening was very clear and bright and the airplanes were having the time of their lives. I have never had my ride in one yet. I suppose I shall get a chance before the war is over.
Our unit has had no leave except for Paris leave granted it so far since the spring campaign began and Capt. Moses who is the only one ahead of me on the list is patiently waiting for his. If he gets away at the end of this month I might begin mine about the middle of August provided I could leave immediately upon his return. However we shall see what we shall see.
Please excuse the brevity of this letter and also the paper upon which it is written. I may write again to-morrow after I have read the letter I expect from you to-day.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, July 16, 1918
Dearest Wife;-
It will be soon 8 months since I left you and I feel quite sure you are not longing so much as I am for us to be together once again. I still have hopes of getting away on leave before Winter. I should like to spend our next leave in Scotland as we planned, and then in the winter when leave is easier to obtain we shall arrange to go to Southern France.
Your letter of July 10 enclosing the flower came the day before yesterday and the one written July 9 came yesterday. I expect to get one from you to night written on July 8. Thank you ever so much for the flower. What is it? I am very pleased to know that you were able to get down to Broadlands, but it is really too bad you could not have had a longer time to stay.
This is I think the hottest day we have had since the beginning of May. We had a big thunderstorm during the night and this afternoon it is hot and muggy. We shall likely have more rain to-night. This is the third hot July I have seen in France although of course I have not yet seem all of this one. The recent rains have done a lot of good.
I am sorry to hear that Mr. Burrell is nervous about coming over to France. It is, and is likely to be for some time “No bon” for people who are troubled with nerves. England is a nice country in which to do one’s soldiering, but personally I prefer to pick the safest place possible somewhere in the vicinity of the war at least, i.e. so long as I am pretending to be a soldier. I suppose though that the next time I get into a good stiff hostile bombardment I shall be wishing to Heaven that I had accepted the offer of the job in M.D. No. 13 back in Canada. It would take a real heavy strafe, though, to make me take a military position under the command of McGuffin who is now ADMS in the aforementioned district.
Canadian mail reached us last evening. There was a big sackful of papers for my section, and I received four or five bundles myself from Dr. Chamber. There were quite a few copies of “Saturday Night” among them and Capt. Dunham and I have been reading them to-day. I also had a letter from my brother. Dr. Chambers is not much of a letter writer; i.e. he doesn’t often write although his letters are very good when he does. However, he is always sending me papers and tobacco. Chambers is one of the very best. I suppose you know him better than I do and can vouch for the soundness of my judgment in this instance.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, July 18, 1918
Dearest Emma;-
It seems to me that I have had about a dozen letters from you since I wrote to you the day before yesterday. Really I have had 4 but one letter from you is worth 3 ordinary ones to me. Yours of the 9th came the night before last and that of July 11 last night. Then to-day I received two, those of July 13 & 14, respectively. Ordinarily these would not have reached me until after I had sent my letter away, but to day a car came up from Hq. at noon, and our mail came up on it instead of waiting for the ration car to-night which will take back the outgoing mail. Many thanks for the markers which I have turned over to my batman Scotty MacLean, much to his satisfaction. Canadian mail came in to-day and I had one letter from my brother and one from Mrs. Clarke.
Yes, it was a great pity about Capt. Morris and Lieut. Mee. I knew them both well, also Irvine the other officer who was killed at the same time. All had been with the battalion since it was mobilized. Morris especially was a very valuable officer and the unit will feel the loss of him. I do not remember the Miss Fraser whom you mention as having been lost on the hospital ship. That sinking was a very bad business.
Yesterday and the day before were very hot. The weather is much cooler to day and squalls of rain are coming over with a very high wind. Capt. Dunham is now up the line visiting our posts. I expect him back in about half an hour. I shall probably make the rounds to-morrow.
I am pleased to know that your ward is not so heavy as formerly and hope that it will remain so for a time at least. Are you getting any parcels from Canada now? Good bye for present. I shall try to write you at greater length in a few days.
Yours lovingly
Harold W. McGill
France, July 19, 1918.
Dearest Emma; -
Was very very pleased to receive your letter of July 15 which came to hand this morning. ---- I have just had some tea, time being 5 P.M., and shall now proceed as you will infer I am now back at Hq. of the unit and all the officers are going to a concert at 5:45 P.M. It looks as though we might get a cloudy evening for which the Lord be praised. If the sky is overcast the hired assassins of Potsdam will not be able to come over and bounce bombs off of our tin hats. On the other hand, of course, if the moon is not out our gallant airmen will not be able to cross the lines and carry retribution to the murderous Huns.
We have been getting very good war news over the wires to day and we can only hope that the French continue the good work. It would seem that the American troops fighting with the French are doing splendidly. I trust that the British army may be able to deliver the enemy to a body blow before the summer is over.
Your letter was the only one I received to day but it was worth no end of ordinary ones. I have not heard from Margaret since I was up to see her nearly two weeks ago.
I have been delayed very much writing this letter with a crown in the mess discussing the war, and it is now nearly time for the concert. Please excuse this short note.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill
France, July 21/18.
Dear Emma; -
Your letter of July 16 came to hand this morning. I had a letter from Margaret yesterday but did not have one from you. I had a few bunches of Calgary papers from Dr. Chambers this morning.
It was a beautiful night last night, cloudy and windy. Hence we were not troubled by Hun planes and everybody had a good sleep. There was church parade this morning, but attendance was voluntary so of course I didn’t attend. There is almost a gale of wind blowing this afternoon and after lunch I lay down and slept for a couple hours.
Yesterday’s paper which reached us to day gives encouraging news of the French counter attack. It may not go very much further of course but in any case the German offensive seems to be pretty well held up. The British have not been heavily engaged now for some time but I suppose our turn will come before long. The Australians have been doing excellent work again lately.
I have given up all idea of leave for the present. There will probably be heavy fighting for the next two months. If by the end of September there is no immediate prospect of either side scoring a decided success the war will probably settle down more or less for another winter. Then leave should open. Two years ago during the Somme fighting there was no leave in our division until October. I remember that I was the first to go from our battalion. We shall have our leave in France next Winter.
Do not worry about me. Things are very quiet our way. Must try to write to Margaret to- morrow. Am pleased to know that you are sleeping well.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, July 22, ’18.
Dearest Emma; -
Your letter of July 17 came to hand this morning, also the enclosures, i.e. the letters to you from Enid, Mrs. Flesher & Miss Hurcomb, respectively. I found these letters very interesting indeed. Was sorry to hear that the Mrs. Wooster whom Miss Hurcomb mentions had lost her husband and two sons, one of the latter in the war. I knew them all quite well. I had treated the elder son for V.D.H. and it was probably from broken compensation that he finally died. I had not previously heard of these people having died. Of course I have scarcely any chance of finding any trace of the missing son. In the first place I do not even know to what unit he belonged. I think I shall write to Mrs. Wooster expressing my sympathy in her loss and asking for some particulars regarding the military service of her missing son.
Mrs. Flesher writes a very good and quite characteristic letter. I could almost imagine I heard her talking when I was reading it. The Fleshers were a very likable couple. I note that their daughter is now a year old. Those who were children when I left Canada will be grown up, married and rearing children when we get home. Enid I suppose will now be down at Wpg. Beach . I hope she is getting her strength entirely recovered. She mentions having had a letter from me.
Your will perceive of course that the notepaper you were kind enough to send me has arrived. It came this-morning with the letters. It is very nice paper suitable for using in writing to a sweet and very lovable lady. Thank you ever so much. I notice that after I send you a letter or two written on paper from A.B.152 you always present me with a box of stationary. Now my dear girl why must you rush off to buy some and send me some thing?
My kit is already much overweight and I have been thinking seriously of making parcels of some of my extras and mailing them to you for safe keeping. The reason why I have not done so is that I have as you know had some hope of going on leave before the leaves fall (I mean the leaves on the trees and did not mean to be funny). However if it will cause you to love me any more you may send me a nice shaving brush, for my old one is much the worse for wear.
There is a crowd in the mess discussing aeronautics and it is very difficult for me to concentrate my thoughts upon the work in hand. At times I have almost begun to write you concerning bombs and parachutes. I may not get a chance to write you to-morrow but shall do so if I get a chance.
I am very happy in the thought that we did not postpone our marriage. Had we not been married last December the Lord only knows when we should have been able to do so. It would have meant a delay of a year anyway, and if we had decided to wait until the end of the war Wow! It is hard to realize that it is now nearly 4 years since I gave up my practice in Calgary.
Good bye for now Sweetheart.
Yours fondly Harold W. McGill
France, July 24, 1918
Dearest Emma; -
I had 3 letters yesterday, one from you, one from Enid and one from my sister-in law. To day I received only one, but it was a good one, being yours of July 20. Enid tells me that she expected to go to Wpg. Beach about July 1. I hope she was able to do so.
Yesterday we did a march of a little more than ten miles. The rain poured in torrents nearly all the time we were on the road and there was a high driving wind. We were like a lot of drowned rats when we got in. I changed all of my clothing except the strap of my wrist watch. I was mighty glad to have dry things to put on.
My batman, Scotty Maclean, wants to know where those markers are to be obtained as he wishes to get some for himself. His name is J.O. Maclean. I should be greatly obliged if you could get a few for him.
It is now 8:15 P.M. I had intended writing you before dinner but Capt. Petrie, my successor with the 31st, came in just when I was about to begin, and my proposed operation was canceled. Petrie tells me that Col. Doughty is now on leave. None of our officers have gone on leave yet. I am second on the list in our unit as I must have told you before, but there are I know officers with the other ambulances who are ahead of me.
There is a beautiful clear sky to-night and the wind has hone down. The night will likely become lively after the moon comes up. Do you ever see the Saturday Evening Post? There is a fine article in the issue of June 22 called “The Horrors of Moonlight”
Your ever loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, July 25, 1918.
Dearest Emma; -
Had 3 letters in the mail again to day but the one I especially wanted was not among them. I shall expect two from you to-morrow. The letters I received to-day were all from Canada, one from my brother, one from Frances and one from a cousin in Toronto.
Frances is leaving Winnipeg and going to the Government Bacteriological Laboratory in Regina. She is to receive a salary of $3000.00 per year. She does not like leaving Wpg. as she has a lot of friends there, and has enjoyed her work. However she has been working very hard for several years and lately has not had the best of health. She has been steadily losing weight for some time past. I hope that she will have shorter hours and less work when she goes to Regina. Herb tells me that she works very long hours and does not rest much when she is away from her duties.
It is just 7 months to day since I returned from leave, when I went on leave last June I had put in just over 8 mos. without leave, so I shall really begin to look for my warrant after the expiration of another month. Capt Moses has just put in another application to remind the powers that be of the fact the he has not yet been given his leave which is due.
Last night was an almost perfect one for poets and lovers in the war zone. There was a beautiful moon and the night was warm and still. Shortly before midnight I heard a flock of planes flying over. I got out of bed to have a look, and was much relieved to fine that they were our gallant fellows on their way to bomb the unspeakable Hun. As Geo. Pattullo says, there is a great difference between the sound of the Allied machines going over on the perfectly legitimate occupation of bombing the dirty Boche, and the sound of the planes carrying the murderous marauders of the Kaiser, intent upon the committing of their midnight atrocities. The sky looks as though it might be cloudy to-night. In spite of the clear moonlight last night I did not hear a single Hun bomb burst all night.
How much longer do you expect to remain at Rockampton? Are your hours as long as formerly, and are you getting enough food? I was horrified to read in your letter that a steak that you spoke of having had was the first you had eaten since I left London last Winter. Now my dear girl, I don’t want to find you a wreck when I finally do go on leave. Please try to make something up in both food and rest during the next two months for I shall be much disappointed if we do not see each other within that time.
Herb, my brother, spoke in his letter of having met a Capt. McKendrick who spoke in the highest terms of your own sweet self. I do not know this Capt. McKendrick, but I perceive that he is a man of keen discernment.
Your loving husband Harold W. McGill
France, July 26/18.
Dear Emma; -
As I expected there were two letters from you in the mail for me to day, those dated July 21 + 22 respectively. Your letters have been making good time in transit lately. I also received a long letter from my Baltimore friend in this morning’s mail. I shall send it along to you.
The weather continues very wet and it reminds one of the variety we had at the beginning of August last year. Heavy showers fall nearly every day. Last night was clear but the sky looks as though it might be clouded up to-night. Cloudy nights are the best for sleep here.
Do you intend returning to Glen Lea Hotel after you are finished with Roehampton House? I shall continue sending my letters to your present address until I hear what your new one is to be.
I note your remarks re the affairs of the medical service in M.D. No 13. That is the mess into which I should land if I were to accept duty in Canada. It is just the state of things one knowing the conditions would naturally expect to exist there.
The war news is keeping good these days and the French seem to be giving Heinie a little more than he had expected. More power to them!
I am pleased to see that British troops are now taking part in the struggle down there. Even the Italians did their part in stopping Heinie. I see by the paper we got to day that the submarine sinkings for last month were the lowest for any month in nearly two years. We shall probably have plenty of ships to carry all the wheat that can be exported from Canada next Winter, for I understand that the crop in Western Canada is very light owing to lack of rain. Goodbye for present.
Your loving husband
Harold M. McGill
P.S. Please excuse my delay in forwarding cheque enclosed. H.M. M
France, July 28/18.
Dearest Emma: -
Your letter of July 23 enclosing the one from your aunt arrived yesterday. There was not a scrap of anything in the mail for me today. I forget at times to acknowledge the receipt of “Canada” which you are sending to me. I often see items of interest in it concerning people whom I know.
The rainy weather still continues. It poured nearly all day yesterday. To day has been dull and gloomy but so far we have had no rain. I think we shall have some before night though.
I was at church parade this morning. We had a joint parade with my old battalion. We are billeted in the same town, and the service was held in our grounds.
Lt Col Doughty is still away on leave. Capt. Juvett was over to see me last night. Most of the officers in the battalion now are strangers to me. I saw Lieut. Ainliffe on parade this morning.
My cousin was in to see me yesterday afternoon. He has been very busy with his battalion scouts, practicing and training. He claims to have the best section of scouts in the Corps but of course I am by no means convinced that it is so. It is well though that he should be of that opinion.
I have had only one letter from Margaret since I was up to see her 3 weeks ago.
We are having quite an easy time now and are in comfortable quarters. We had some fine cantaloupe ( I am not sure of the spelling) for lunch to-day. It was really quite a treat to me being the first I have tasted since I left Canada.
Your loving husband
Harold W. McGill