Alma Russell Letters
Letters of British Columbia men on active service with Canadian and British Expeditionary Forces, 1914-1918. Learn more.
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They will always be very welcome.
We are not allowed to send picture P.C.s. except under cover, hence I enclose some, one for each of the family.
I should love to see little Dave again.
Until the last few days we have hardly ween a woman or children all the time we were in France, excepting one or two old hags and some unkempt kiddies. You see we have been practically the whole time within Shell fire of les allemands, in the French phrase ‘dans be ligre de combat.’
I have made considerable progress in my French since we have been here, meeting so many French soldiers in cafes and estaminets. I have the honour (a doubtful one) of interpreting for our platoon, but I read French far better than I speak it.
I sincerely hope we will not have another Winter out here; I think we would go balmy if we did, standing for hours over your knees in mud and water but mostly mud. I have had to be pulled out once or twice, in such a terrible condition are the trenches. I believe this Spring will see a battle and bombardment that will stagger humanity - but why worry ‘sufficient unto the day’ and summer is coming; for ’Winter slumbering in the open air wears on her smiling face of a dream of Spring’.
Let’s hear from you soon old man.
Thanking you for all your generosity at Xmas.
Your old pal.
“J. GUNN”
“D”
lm
BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 5 / RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873 - 1964. Victoria; librarian. / Letters and associated items from Private Jack A. Gunn, 1915 - 1916.