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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out about twice a day, and you got some hot water to make tea, if you were lucky, at the stops. However we saw the country, and admired the whiskers, and red trousers of the soldiers. The next night was better because we lay down on each side of the car, feet inwards, everyone lying on his right side, the feet of the man opposite cam between you and the next man, so we kept each other warm. On the command, "Turn Over", given by the foreman, Bill Casey, we turned, and most of us had the first decent night for a week. Our grub was bully beef, hard tack, and jam, and we are anxiously waiting for our first hot meal. The hard tack are in great demand by all the kids. I do not know why, perhaps they use them to pave the streets. The populace were very enthusiastic, the favourite gesture being to draw the hand across the throat, and point towards Germany. The farm was occupied by the Germans for over a week, but they did not damage the property. The old lady is doing a great business selling eggs, tea, coffee, etc., I have just consumed a quart of milk mixed with five raw eggs, and feel better. The weather is rotten, cold and rainy. I suppose you know this letter will be censored, so I cannot write much. Well I must close now, and hunt up something to eat, as there seems to be no rations.
A post card, dated March 2nd, says, Just a line to let you know that everything is lovely. We have been in the trenches, and has sixty shells fired into us, besides doing lot of other more or less exciting work.
BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 10 RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873 - 1964. Victoria; librarian. Selected letters from Sergeant John Raymond McIllree, 1915.