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.
*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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]
Extracts from letter received by Colonel and Mrs. Ms Illree from their son, Sergeant Mc Illree, who left Victoria with the 88th Fusiliers, August 28th, 1914.
February 17, 15. Well at last we are in the promised land, and in sound of the guns. We arrived this morning, and are billeted in a most luxurious barn, which is heaven after our recent experiences. We left camp late on the 9th, and reached our port of embarkation the next morning, where we boarded a big Tramp, well known in Victoria. There we took up our quarters in palatial cattle and pig pens, which were so arranged that you could not lie down without getting fifty seven kinks in your anatomy. We started at 4 A.M., reached our destination on the 14th. We had a fine passage especially as we went through ** ** ** famed for its roughness. We did not land till the night of the 15th, because of the wind. Two of the transports went aground on the bar, and caused plenty of trouble. When we did land we hung about the wharf for two or three hours, taking off our kit, and putting it on again, and solemnly marching about ten feet, and halting again. Finally we went back on the boat, and had an issue of mufflers, mitts, wristlets, and enormous fur coats. The latter are short and the best yet, and we look like a bunch of Musk Ox. Finally we pussy footed through the town, and boarded a train about a quarter of a mile long composed of box cars about 10 by 22. We had 37 men in ours with equipments, so you can picture the jam. The first night was glorious! all that could be seen was huge pile of feet, and everyone was paralized several times. We had a personally conducted tour of France, marred by consuming hunger and thirst, principally the latter, for we were only allowed
BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 10 RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873 - 1964. Victoria; librarian. Selected letters from Sergeant John Raymond McIllree, 1915.