Deborah Florence Glassford Letters and Memorabilia
Letters written to Deborah Florence (Leighton) Glassford of Vancouver by men serving overseas, including some cards, programs and memorabilia. 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.
Current Page Transcription [edit] [history]
2
assaulting one of the senior officials, & so getting cashiered in which case I might manage to enlist under an assumed name & thus get to the front as a private.
Practically all the Battalions are being broken up in this way. At the front, all they want is men (no officers or N.C.O.s) to replace the casualties. When there are casualties amongst the officers they are replaced by promoting junior officers as N.C.O.'s & N.C.O.'s are replaced by promotion from the Ranks. The state of officers is being kept from the people in Canada, as it might have a bad effect on recruiting.
For a long time the officials here have begged & prayed the officials in Canada not to send over any more Battalions, but to just send drafts of men, but this they will not do.
There is a great deal of trouble between the military people in Canada the military people in charge of the Canadians here, & they have both had serious trouble with the War Office. The War Office here in consequence practically washed their hands of the Canadians, given them a couple of cautions, & told them to do as they damn well please. The result is that Canadians are running everything here & the resulting chaos is indescribable.
The 3 Divisions in France are weak, as reinforcements have not been sent over to replace the casualties, to help them up to full strength. Every time a Battalion is split up, there is a devil of a row. The Colonel uses every bit of pull he can get, both here & in Canada & the wires get busy, but the result is understandable - they must have the men.
It is very doubtful whether Canada can feed the 3 Divisions.
BC Archives, MS-0089 Box 1 File 4 GLASSFORD, Deborah Florence (Leighton). Vancouver Correspondence inward, 1916.