1915/11/17

In which Gordon relays from France day to day news and activities to Melville Munro i.e. concerts held in the Y.M.C.A. tent; German shell attack on a nearby town; Gordon's possible transfer to the Machine Gun Section; payday; purchase of lace; etc. Also, included is a joke about St. Peter and Ford automobiles.

Pte. H.G. Munro 47904
No 4 Company 49th H - O.C.
1st Cand. Div. B.E.F.
France

Dear Pork, -

Received your two letters O.K. also the others from home. I am in the Y.M.C.A. It is a big tent now with a piano in it & seats etc. There are some fine concerts in here every night & they put in the time fine. I was to a concert in a neighbouring city last night in aid of the Can. Red Cross. Brock went too. We went in big motor trucks. It was a first class performance. I am enclosing a copy of the concert for a Souvenir.

This afternoon Brock & Pete Maskell & I went out to buy some dinner & also to get some lace for mother. The house we went to was on the outskirts of a town about the size of Oakville. There are hardly any people living in it as the Germans drop a few over now & again & hardly a house has not been hit. Well we had bot the lace & were having some eggs & coffee when all of a sudden I heard a whr-r. r. coming our way. then there was a pause & the awfullest bang you ever heard. A big 12 incher had dropped in a house just about a hundred yards away & it sure made a mess of things. I tried to keep cool & in doing so I swallowed some hot coffee & burnt my throat. The lady beat it off for her coat & hat & I says to myself says I, "this is no place for a minister's son". Brock & Pete did'nt think so either so we all hit off for a cooler spot. There were quite a number of shells dropped around us but we got out of the danger zone all right. It looked pitiful to see the little kiddies beating it along with their mother.

Tell mother the lace I got is not extra good as my funds were rather low at the time. They have much finer stuff but it costs more. This lace I am sending costs about 2 Francs per metre. I will send it next week. There is some of the thread they use too which the lady gave us. Last pay day I sent father 250 Francs ($50). Tell him to pay my Insurance ($36.05) due on Jan 1 & with the rest to buy a book & send to Mrs. Dr. Fisher, from me & then buy mother a Xmas present. The rest of you will have to wait till I get to London which I think will be sometime after Xmas.

Brock went in the Machine Gun Section this morning. He will be away better off there. The Sergeant of the bomb throwers took my name for that outfit yesterday, but I havent heard if they transferred me or not. I'm not caring much whether I go in it or not. I got two parcels from "Harrods" London last week. they were dandies but I dont know who sent them. I also got some chocolate from Aunt Kate last night. Say tell mother not to send any more "overseas" chocolate its too heavy to appreciate & we can buy it here anyway.

Heres one you can spring on Ed about his Ford, I just heard it to day. here it is. St Peter stood at the Pearly Gates and examined those who would enter. one of the questions he seemed to think important was about autos.

"What kind of a car did you own?" he asked a big fat guy.
"A Packard." replied the B.F.G.
"I am sorry" said St. Peter "but that does not help you. You will have to go down.
"Did you have an auto? he asked a long lean bean.
"I did sir = a piece arrow."
"Too bad," said St Peter, "please press the lower button."
"And you, little man, did you own a machine?
"Yes sir I did." replied a spry little fellow starting to enter the elevator.
"What was it?"
"A Ford," he replied
"Come in," said St Peter throwing open the Gates. "You have had your hell on earth."

All the same I wish I had a Ford. Well I'm nearly froze so must wring off. love to all.

Gordon.

2017.22.71