Date of Letter:
1915/10/24
Summary:
In which Gordon Munro sends his mother a "want" letter requesting warm woollen gloves for himself and Scotty, a scarf of some sort and Hosetops. Included is mention of G. B. Chisholm, John Robinson, Bud Lobb, and "young" Vickers.
Transcription:
Belgium Oct 24/15
Dear Mother, -
This is going to be a "want" letter mostly. It is Sunday about dinner time. We are in the trenches. It is a cold day & I tried to get warm by running up & down the trench but I gave it up as a bad job as there wasn't room. We are lucky in not having any rain yet & I hope it keeps off. I had letters from Pork & Marion last week & they nearly croaked me. they both ended the same. Marion said,
I am
your cousin
Marion.
Pork said,
I am
your brother
Melville.
I could hardly survive this startling information & it sets me laughing everytime I think of it.
Well in the first place "I want" a pair of warm woollen gloves. you might put in a pair for Scotty too, as he needs them badly. Also a scarf of some sort. thats all I need. If you like sometime when you go to Toronto you can get me a pair of 48th Hosetops, they are a dice pattern on top. I guess you should be able to get them at some of the stores. When you send me a parcel anytime I think it would be better not to send the heavy chocolate. We can get all sorts of it here fairly cheap & I havent much of a taste for it. I like fancy ones better. (this can be taken as a hint) Brock & I may possibly go in the Machine Gun 1 Section but are not at all sure yet. I saw him yesterday & we read each others letters. I hope you get that little box I sent. You might give John Robinson a chunck of shrapnel for his father with my regards & tell him I still hope to be able to send a shell-head. There is no difficulty in getting them, but it is in sending them. We get lots of souvenirs from the Germans these days & I guess we send them lots. I saw Bud Lobb & Young Vickers last week, Vickers is looking fine, but looks awfully young he is the one younger than Ab.
You asked if I needed knee caps to keep them warm well I am surprised to think you, a Scotchwoman, should ask that. My knees although they get scratched now & again are doing fine & never get cold. they get so they can stand any weather your face & hands can.t & I guess mine are unusually tough as I used to be on them every morning at home for years. There is no room to get on your knees in our dugout if you do you get a crack on the head that cools you some.
I just finished David Copperfield. it is sure some book. that part where his wife died kind of gave me the weeps but I survived allright. Well dinner is now ready in the dining car so I will close.
love to all
Gordon
P.S. Send me the "age" with my letter in it.
Dear Mother, -
This is going to be a "want" letter mostly. It is Sunday about dinner time. We are in the trenches. It is a cold day & I tried to get warm by running up & down the trench but I gave it up as a bad job as there wasn't room. We are lucky in not having any rain yet & I hope it keeps off. I had letters from Pork & Marion last week & they nearly croaked me. they both ended the same. Marion said,
I am
your cousin
Marion.
Pork said,
I am
your brother
Melville.
I could hardly survive this startling information & it sets me laughing everytime I think of it.
Well in the first place "I want" a pair of warm woollen gloves. you might put in a pair for Scotty too, as he needs them badly. Also a scarf of some sort. thats all I need. If you like sometime when you go to Toronto you can get me a pair of 48th Hosetops, they are a dice pattern on top. I guess you should be able to get them at some of the stores. When you send me a parcel anytime I think it would be better not to send the heavy chocolate. We can get all sorts of it here fairly cheap & I havent much of a taste for it. I like fancy ones better. (this can be taken as a hint) Brock & I may possibly go in the Machine Gun 1 Section but are not at all sure yet. I saw him yesterday & we read each others letters. I hope you get that little box I sent. You might give John Robinson a chunck of shrapnel for his father with my regards & tell him I still hope to be able to send a shell-head. There is no difficulty in getting them, but it is in sending them. We get lots of souvenirs from the Germans these days & I guess we send them lots. I saw Bud Lobb & Young Vickers last week, Vickers is looking fine, but looks awfully young he is the one younger than Ab.
You asked if I needed knee caps to keep them warm well I am surprised to think you, a Scotchwoman, should ask that. My knees although they get scratched now & again are doing fine & never get cold. they get so they can stand any weather your face & hands can.t & I guess mine are unusually tough as I used to be on them every morning at home for years. There is no room to get on your knees in our dugout if you do you get a crack on the head that cools you some.
I just finished David Copperfield. it is sure some book. that part where his wife died kind of gave me the weeps but I survived allright. Well dinner is now ready in the dining car so I will close.
love to all
Gordon
P.S. Send me the "age" with my letter in it.
Object ID:
2017.22.68