Letter to Mother from Bramshot Camp
Bramshot Camp
Nov. 5th 1916
Dear Mother:–
It’s 8.30 and I have just taken in a good sermon at the S.C.A. and thot I would write you a few lines before I go home to bed.
I suppose there was about 200 boys here for the sermon, and there seem to be the bigest bunch that I have seen yet at the bible class this after noon. I was there, then they gave a free supper for any who would stay but I waited until I saw that the table would be full and then I went back to camp about or close to a half mile, I think it still rains but I guess it might as well be raining as doing any thing else most of the boys are in side any way, an other 500 came in to camp this evening but I guess they would only have marched from the station which is about 2 ½ miles I think, When I thot of writing to you I thot I would tell you that I had drempt about home five times this last week. I can’t tell you all about the dreams but once I was on George and Ted had some other poney we road down from McGillivarys to my place on one of those grass strips in my north quarter, Then another time we were all in the house at home just enjoying an evening together. Then a cupple of nights ago I was with the boys in France advancing to find the enemy, I remember asking a woman for some thing to eat and she waited until all of the others boys had gone by then she said she hadn’t much herself but she would give me some thing I got it but I don’t know what it was.
Now any letter you receive from me may come from France after this because after you have taken your course on the ranges you are ready to go and the boys of the 128th that completed there course the day before I started mine 10 days ago have been Put in a draft from last Tuesday ready to go at any minuit, but we may be at the base a long time before we go up to the firing line The Myers boys are in the first draft Alf has given up his two stripes so he can go to for they won’t take any N.C.O’s in the drafts. I can’t finish this letter tonight for I have to be in at 9 o/c and I have just 10 minuits to put on my coat and go very near the half mile so good night as ever your most loving son Laurie.
Nov. 6th 1916
Well Mother dear we have started taking our bayonet work and gass helmets again also the M.G. work, we got paid today I got 2 pounds and had quite a bit of last pay left
so I am getting some saved up again for use in the future,
I started to sleep with Armatige an Englishman from out in Sask. He is one of these smart men who never had to work hard about the size and maby it would be mean to say that he was like Frank Bolin but to make a short story long I will say that he has a big sneer for every thing good and still he has a knowledge of the bible that I wish I had but he is an Atheist I think Now I can’t see how it happened that we got throwen together but any way he asked me to dubble up with him yesterday and I hope that in time he may change his language he tryes to when he is talking to me when no one else is around to here, and that showes a little of something I don’t know what. To day is a nice day and it dryes up so quick I think that it is a lot nicer camp ground that Witley. We have a great big couley to the east about 400 feet deep to the S.E. a small town in the valley but the valley is big and filled with big trees oh if I could make you see it I don’t think you will get the idea that it is near a fifth the size it is. The you go to the south up the valley to Hazelmere where a girl friend of mine lives that comes up to Milford each sunday to teach the little girls and boys S.S. class I haven’t learned her last name yet altho I have been with her several times her first name is Mazie.
We got paraded for pay at 2 P.M. which took about 30 minuits and then the Sergeant told us to beat it and do some thing so we went to our huts and if that Sergeant Major Hardy didn’t come about a minuit ago and it only 4 o/c, I thot he would jump use but he never said a word so we are in luck our sergeant would get in an awful mess if we were caught for we are supposed to be on parade. I am going to hunt up the 203 tonight the boys say that they have seen several of the boys so I guess they are in all right I want to see Elmer in the worst way
bye mother dear as ever your loving son Laurie.