Transcription Page

Alma Russell Letters

Letters of British Columbia men on active service with Canadian and British Expeditionary Forces, 1914-1918. Learn more.

*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person. 

BC Archives MS-1901

*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum. Some materials may contain content that is racist, sexist or otherwise offensive. The Royal BC Museum is only the custodian of archival materials; the content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Royal BC Museum.

Current Page Transcription [edit] [history]

-18-

morning we rejoined, only to go on another billeting party that afternoon; of course the district alloted to us was full, but by wandering off on my own, and after being taken for a German spy, I found a place, where I squashed the Company for the night, which is where we are now. On these parties, we travel on a limber, which is a square box, on two wheels, about four feet square, and is guaranteed to scramble your interior mechanism, quicker than any other vehicle known. When you get six men with rifles and equipment in it, and the horses cantering over a good rough road, the effect is immense. The place we are at now, has been figuring prominently in the news lately. The next night, the Bunch moved up into reserve trenches, which were dug-outs, and houses, and very peaceful. Being a Q.M. I came back, and stayed at the stores, bringing up rations every night. Well, nothing much happened, till the night of the 23rd, when Capt. Haynes, and three men of the Company were wounded, and Capt. Carleton took over. About 4.30 on the 24, my driver, who had been bringing up ammunition, came back, with the cheerful news, that there was only one man left in the Company. Of course I did not believe him, but, another driver said there were twelve. Previously, I had heard of the death of Frank ** **, and was already suffering from the blues, which grew worse. When I got up with rations, I found one of my Corporals, a nervous wreck, who said there were six left. Every available man went up to get the wounded, and everyone reported the clean up of No. 4 Company. Talk about "down in the mouth" -- Finally, after all the others, No. 4 came in, and I nearly wept with joy, when I found how many there were. It was pitifully small, but more than I expected.

BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 10 / RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873-1964. Victoria; librarian. / Selected letters from Sergeant John Raymond McIllree, 1915.

Current Page Discussion [edit] [history]

Image 149 of 376