Transcription
Dear Papa,
I received your letters of the 1st + 8th Feb, within a few days of each other. I am awfully sorry you hurt your wrist, it must have been pretty painful and I guess it is yet. I know what it feels like as when at Harvard collegiate I [?????????] Mine. It is more painful then a [????????]. I hope it in means well is this time. It seems strange to think of ice & snow. We have seen very little snow here and no ice. Blauche wrote me of a snow[????] trip she had one night and it made me [????????] For Canadian winter weather. Here it is damp + soggy all the time, and so damp that it reaches worst than Canadian snow weather.
It is too bad [??]ella has been unable to come over to Toronto as I would feel much easier of she were there, and it would be so much more pleasant for you, so stick with it and try to get her.
Yes it [?????] as if the U.S must come in on our side, willy - nilly. The [??????] [??????????] Of the seaman attempted alliance with Mexico x Japan, and of Be[????????] Deep - dyed t[????????] [?????] To [??????] The nation so near to war that news of the [?????] u.s ship [????] [?????] To start an [??????????]. But the u.s are the u.s and may not [?????] Under any circumstances. I agree with you that the German unlimited [??????????] "Warface" is the act of a drowning nation. It is Germany's last card and its failure leaves no choice to the German people. I have [????] [???????] From Germany paper of [??????????]'s [??????] Pledge to the people that England would be brought to [??] Knees in three weeks. The appoite search will put the people in a peace - [?????????] [????] [???] [????????]
I did not write you last weekend as I was hardly able to, a man from [???] Company at the univirsites, who had rush arrived, looked me up and down [???????] Just as I was setting out here to write my letters. Of course as he went his [???] [???] [????????], I had to spend the afternoon with him, and so I did not get any letter off. Furthermore as last week was our most formidable week and the [????] Empirtant exams of the course to take [?????], every [???????] Of my time at night was occupied.
We have now completed half our course at this school, (not counting the [??????]'s gunners course at [????????????], to follow) we were in "D" squad. It is the [??????] Of the school to make the exam. In "D" squad the handout and [????] [??????]ing because our body not yet ready for the advanced work in all prospects is not allowed to proceed until he is ready. We had an exam, in [???????] Detail of gunners movement in d[????] To begin with. My [????] experience in [????????] a [?????????] Of [???????] Stood me [??] [????] To give some of the hand[???] detail, he only allowed me to [?????] A few [?????] Of it when he told me to [????] In again. He saw I could shout and was perfectly at ease when [?????] Commands and didn't waste [????] More time on me. The next exam was on the description of the 18 po[?????] Gun and the mechanism and [??????] Action (what each little [????] does) I knew I had all night [???????] [?????] "Half - a - crown" or 60 cents [??] An hall's extra [???????????] On the mechanism the night before, mainly to [??????] Me t get my hands on it to take it apart + not to much for our instructions.
My next exam was in tyims [?????????] [?????] Of knots I got that all night. Then we had a written paper on theory and [??]ialey an exam with the [???????] [??????] ([??????????]) I know. So I think I will move up into "C" squad [??????] The [??????] [??????] [??????] [???] [????]. I don't think he will [????????] I am [?????????] And there are worse ideas than I here.
On Monday the 19th Feb, we had [???] [????] "[?????]ing Drill" that is with [???] [?????]s hitched up to the gun, and 4 to the ammunition weapons. Each [????] Have is hidden and the [?]ides has [????] [?]eino, [????????] The [?????] Ho[?]se as well as his own. [???] Different [???????]ts a [??]tters days are gone [???????] In a huge pack called "Regeuth Pack." It is all done at the that and [?]all[??]s and it was exciting and inte[??]t[??]s. [???????] Love it, especially as we have it for two [????????] How. The captain in charge told us we were better at that than "A" squad. On the whole our squad seems to be thought [????] Well of is the [?????] Of the school
We [????] Have jumping with the ha[???]s [???] And I can manage that all night too. I [????] Perfectly comfortable.
[???] Ask me whether I have yet received the slippers, I have not and I am afraid something has happened to them, part[??????] As I did receive a parcel of cakes from Blaucke mailed on Jan 19th [?]ay at [???] You mailed the slippers. That was turn up yet though. I am going to see if they have been held at the customs office for any reason but if no one would think they would notify me.
[????] In queen about [?]id, [??????]. I heard he was going home on sick leave. Between you and I don't think [???] Was even [????] [???????] [????] The channel.
Jean ([???????]'s wife) and I have not yet seen each there as she had to [??????] her [?????] [???] I daily expect a note from her making an appointment in London.
Last week I had a [????] Pleasant surprise. I happened to [???] Ae[????] "Red" [???] [??????], a va[??]ies football [?]ta[?] Of two years ago. He is in my school, a squad behind me, he has just arrived from France where he as 18 months. He and our bunch stick together all the time, together with an a[?????????]. [??] [??????] Is as funny as a basket of monkeys and he adds to the life.
We are all in the [????] Of [???????] Now and all love the work, I would not be in any other [??????] Now.
You may have wondered how suns [?????????] A [?????] [??] Two [??????] The lives, and even behind a will can shoot at ta[???]ts they never see, and be able to p[????] a shell within 5 yards of any [???] And every light on it. It is done in this way. A [??????????] [?????] Called an aiming point on the light & left of a gun in e[????] And the [?????????] [??????] Up at the front[?????] Guns to be said at a certain ample from that [??????] On [???????] Point, so that the guns are pointed at the target though the lights are pointed at the [???????] Point. Each gun has a dial right like a pe[???????] With [????????] [????] Which you can turn all around and as it turns a little a arrow points at a degree [????]. There [????] If you turn the light tile the arrow points at the degree of the angle [??????] Is the [??????????] [?????], and then [??]ing your whole gun around till the light is laid on TP the aiming point [???????], you will be [??]I[?]ing at the target though [??]ee[??]ins you aim & lighting on an[?????] 50degrees on your right i.e an angle 50degrees [?]as is made by your gun and an imaginary line drawn to the [?????] Point. [???] Is an illustration : -
The order Would be "[??????] Point a certain tree, all guns 50degrees left" When the light would be et at 50degrees, lighted purposely on the tree, and then the gun [?????] Would be pointing at the [??????] target. The range to the target is estimated, [????] Come to fire at a certain range known to the well over the mark so as not to face among our own troops and then the forward [?????????] [?????] With a telescope watchers the shells exploding and orders reductions in the range until the target is hit, it usually takes 5 experimental shots, the fifth being a hit. I hope I have given you an idea of how the game I played. The [?????] In the [???????] Take turns being the forward [?????]ing [????] Who is in a dug-out with a telescope, telephone + [??????], he is safe under his position in di[?????????] When he is fired at and that's two only time his [???] In [?????????].
Yesterday I had another pleasent surprise, [????????] [??????] four or six men who were in my old e[??]pa[??]y who have just qualified. I am to have dinner with them tonight, two of them were classmates of mine at Va??its. I am [???] [?????] Another classmate of Fred, Varraie, and a mutual close friend of ours. He had been very to France with a universities company which[?]ell after the one Bile Patto joined. He was wounded and now has his commision.
Mr. Deuton wrote to me the other day, it seems Mis Crowther, the dauther of Mr Cunnam's housebuyer you remember, for whom I acted with when she bought some property, now she wants to pay off her mortgage and so needs the papers. They are in my room on the floor with the others, you will see the file labelled "Mrs Crowther [??] Dr. Ballaghen" just give the file to Mr. Deuton and he will extract what he requires. I am writing him to telephone you about the papers, there is only the one file [????????] Mrs. Crowther, so you cant mistake it.
Last Wednesday there was the funeral of a Cadel who died from ad[??????]; de[???????] Or something like that. We all marched behind the coffin which was on a gun cariage covered with the fleas - the usual funeral with maililans honour, we were all dressed in our offices and made and made quite a stuant turnout. It was [????] Impre[?????] For me, being the [????] Funeral I took part in the army.
Well there is no news to tell you of I guess, so I will stop for this time and will write again next Saturday or Sunday without fail.
The [?????] Of [??????????] Where I get it wholesale is "[?].w. [?]ea[?]es LTD, 40 scott st" on your list. It is too bad you had so much trouble about it. Thank you awfully for mailing the [??], I am almost out of the supples I brought with me.
By the way [???] [???] Get a ca[???] From me to ca[??]e sme money over to me. Max f[????]am has not yet received his money and consequently cannot pay back the 18 euros I loaned him. I am quite broke myself but expect to receive the allowance of 8 euros for my uniform soon. I already have had to borrow 3 euros from the other boy, so I will only have 5 euros, and of the 8 euros for myself. Living in [??????????] Expensive here. Every time I get a meal now it costs me from 50 to 75 euros, you cant get it under 50 euros. So I may [?????] You to send me over another $50 or 10 euros in English money. If you can spare it please sent it as I am not over being exhausted and only wish I had my 18 euros back. I will get it back sometime but probably not before I am comletely stranded. If you cant spare all send me 5 euros.
When I get back my own money from Max I will return you what you send because I wont need more then I brought over. All yu will have to do is to go to the Royal Bank, [???], Richmond [?????] And get them to [????] The amount to their branch here on Princes St.
Well that's all for the present, [??] [????] [???]
Your [??????????????]
Herry.Transcriber
Victoria StewartLanguage
English
