(M-742-9) Harold Mcgill's First World War Letters, August 1-December 30, 1918

Glenbow Archives (M-742-9) Harold McGill's First World War letters, August 1-December 30, 1918 France, Aug. l, 1918 Dear Emma;- You will think I am an abandoned brute, not to have written to you for 3 days. I shall explain the reason to you when I go on leave. I have your two letters of July 24 & 26 respectively . The latter and one from Margaret came to hand yesterday. There was no mail of any kind for me to day. Please excuse this official stationary. It is all I have with me. The weather has been quite hot and dry lately i.e. for the past 3 days. The sky looks somewhat as though it might rain to night. House flys are becoming very troublesome around billets. You may have gone from Roehampton House by now. I think you said you would leave to day. Not knowing what your new address is to be I shall mail this to Roehampton. I see by the paper to hand this afternoon that the King & Queen were down to visit your institution. I have just returned from having a swim in the river. It is the first real swim I have had for over a year. It did not take much of it to tire me for my wind is poor and the current in the river is fairly stiff. The old lady at the house where I am billeted called my attention this morning to the fact that the war had been going on quatre annees. It is hard to realize that the thing has been in progress that length of time. I am very glad that you consented to marry me before the conclusion of hostilities. Otherwise we might have waited “A long, long time” Must close now. I shall try to write you again to morrow. With all my love, Your husband, Harold W. McGill France, Aug. 2/18. Dearest Emma; - Two whole days have passed by, two mails have been delivered, and still there is no mail for me, not even a card to say that you have become tired of being a war widow and have cast me off. I am indeed feeling desolate. It may be though that you are merely having your revenge upon me for not writing more frequently. If so, dear lady, please do not indulge your cruel desire too far. The rain that I predicted yesterday has been pouring down nearly all day. It will lay the dust on the roads, but I hope that it clears away before to-morrow. I did not go for a swim to day on account of the rain, but I shall go to-morrow if the day is fine. I have been wondering if you are still at Roehampton or what has become of you. In the letter that I still dare to hope for to-morrow I expect to learn something of your plans for the immediate future. You asked me in one of your letters for my opinion as to the nature of war service you had better undertake. My dear girl, I am not in a position to offer any advice in the matter. I think though that you should see Lady Drummond and explain your exact position to her. She would probably be able to give you sound counsel. In any case get into something where the food is at least fit to eat and in sufficient quantity to sustain health and strength. Please excuse this very short letter. I am not too busy to write just now but am not in the proper humour. I shall try to do better to-morrow. The flies are a perfect plague here and one has to keep fighting them off. Au revoir with fondest love. Your husband Harold W. McGill France, Aug 3, ’18. Dearest Emma; - The arrival of your two letters of July 27 and 28, respectfully greatly rejoiced my heart and relieved my anxiety. They came to hand at noon to day. Many thanks for the shaving brush which also came in the mail to-day. I opened the box during lunch. All the officers at the table had a look at it and all pronounced it “Tres bon”. It is really a very fine one. I shall discard my old one at once. We had a very heavy rain this morning but the sun is coming out now and there is a promise of a fine afternoon. I shall probably go down to the river for a swim. Who are the Salmons whom you mention in your letter? I was much amused by your account of the people pretending to do V.A.D. work. Their attitude towards their duty in life is quite characteristic of a large section of the English. Many of the English whom one meets are the very salt of the earth, but there are others who are quite impossible. There has been no Canadian mail out here for some time and I am expecting some letters almost any day now. I have not yet answered Enid’s letter and must do so before long. I have some real news for you at last. Capt Moses went on leave this morning. Of course this does not mean that I shall get away immediately upon his return to the unit, but I am the first on the list now and will likely get the next leave granted to our unit. Capt. Moses is the first officer of ours to go on leave since the first of March. I note that your two letters were posted in the same place and at the same hour. Your devoted & loving husband Harold W. McGill France, Aug 6, 1918. Dear Emma; - Had two letters from you yesterday and one today, that dated July 31. I wrote you a F.S.P. card yesterday and mailed it to the address you had given me in your letter of July 29, i.e. 30 Craven Hill Gardens. I shall address this to Roehampton House as I note by your latest letter that you are to remain on duty there for a few days longer. How long do you expect to be at Broadlands? I infer from remarks in the letters to hand that you intend going down there for a time, although you have not said so directly. Had a letter to day from Margaret. Her unit is again on the move and her present address is No 12 Stationary Hospital. I have no idea where this unit is located but shall try to find out. Margaret has an idea that those of the sisters that are now due for leave will be sent off at once. You may see her before I do. She thinks of going up to the North of Scotland. She is somewhat afraid of being kept in England after her leave is expired. Most of the nurses I think prefer to work in France, and especially up in the war zone. You should see the room I now occupy. Never had anything like it in my life before. It is quite large and has double doors with a vestibule between. There is a bathroom attached but there is no plumbing in it. The bath tub is there but the water must be carried if one is to use the bath. Inside the room there are all sorts of things, two clothes cupboards three writing tables, and two beds, (I sleep in only one). There is a fire place with a marble mantle, and on this mantle is a fine ornamental clock which seems to keep good time. A big mirror is set in the wall above the mantle shelf. There are fixtures for both gas and electric lighting, but as there is neither gas nor electricity the former are more ornamental than useful. Two large windows occupy most of the space in the outside wall, and these are hung with beautiful heavy curtains. I do not know what the material is called. These curtains are both useful and ornamental, for the windows are suffering from a slight degree of shell shock. Luckily the rain does not beat on my side of the house. Please excuse this short letter. I hope to hear from you again to-morrow. Hope that you are away from Roehampton House and having a rest by this time. Your adoring husband Harold W. McGill P.S. Leave shouldn’t be much more than a month away now. H.W.McG. France, Aug. 13, 1918. My dear girl; - You will think of me as a horrible savage because of my neglect in the matter of writing to you. The reason you have not been hearing from me is not because I have been too busy to write. It is true that I have had very little time to spare since a day or two before the show started, but still I could have found time to write you a short letter now and then had it been possible for one to get it sent out. Naturally our mail service was more or less disorganized. The day before yesterday I received my mail for the four preceding days. In it were 4 letters from you, those of Aug 1, 2, 3 & 4 respectively, two from my brother and the copies of “Canada” & “Life” that you were good enough to send. Thank you ever so much; the magazines came at a very opportune time for reading matter is at a premium where we are now.

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