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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March 7th 1918 France.
Dear Dad:-
Just a few lines explaining to you our life out here in France both in billets and in the trenches. Of course I can't explain everything in full, or in fact what my experiences have been in the past year out here in the past year, but still as you asked me to give you some idea of it I will give you a few things that a fellow doesn't very often forget. First behind the line in billetts. Our billets are of course in the barns of the farmers if we are lucky the best part of the barn is left and some straw on the side. Of course it is home to us and we are justbas well satisfied as if we were in a nice house. It is certainly a hard life at first until you get broke in to it. Of course when I first came to France I made up my mind that there was'nt anything too tough to tackle, and about the only time I feel different about it is when old Fitz drops a big Krupp too close. The first thing us fellows do when we come off the march and generally tired, some body will enquire for the cook kitchen. After a bite to eat and it happens to be in hours and you have a few coppers or notes, myself and a pal or two will start for a few hours to the nearest and warmest farmers house selling beer or wine and have a drink and tal of the different things that happened on our trip and especially our poor pals that were casualties when our little recreqtion is over and back to our billets with our candles going we prepare for a flop as we call it. Maybe if our little pals on our clothes are very active which they
BC Archives, MS-1901 Box 1 File 17 / RUSSELL, Alma M., 1873-1964. Victoria; librarian. / Selected letter from Private John Charles Switzer, 1918.