The Munro Letters 1914 - 1917 : Letters Home from the Front - World War I
Date of Letter:
1917/12/23
Summary:
Arthur Melville "Porky" Munro writes to his mother about his plans for Christmas on the front. He talks about his current conditions in the trenches, and talks briefly about his hopes for the upcoming election.
Transcription:
France
Dec 23.17

Dear Mother,
A couple of nights ago I got your letter dated Nov. 3rd, and last night I got one from Ed, dated Nov.11th. I am sorry I didn't get the box with Jess's candy in it but I got one that was pretty good. It is Sunday today and I suppose

(PAGE 2)
they will be having Christmas services at the Church. Just about now you will be trying to wake Bill and Margaret to go get ready for church. I am sitting in a little hole in the ground about five feet long and four feet wide with about four feet of earth on top and the rest of the earth underneath.

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We don't get along so badly in this part of the line. Fritz doesn't (blacked out) where we are so we don't have to worry much about that part of it. The weather has been pretty cold for the last week but it is dry and not disagreeable. Our chief problem here is how to keep warm. Our grub is pretty good. Every morning we have

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bacon for breakfast and for dinner we have some nice steak. For tea we have bread and jam and someone usually has a box with cake or cookies in it, so we have some of them too. All the work we have to do is clean the gun and cook our meals, besides filling belts and doing guard. We wash and shave

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Once every two or three days. I cleaned up this morning and you should have seen me before commencing operations. My razor isn't very sharp and I have no strop so it seemed as if I was pulling half my face off. However I got most of the whiskers off and got cleaned up in time.

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The worst time is the night. It is dark from five o'clock until nearly seven and as we (blacked out) have (blacked out) men on our team (blacked out) fellow has to stay out in the trench (blacked out).
When we came in we had (blacked out) men but (blacked out) got (blacked out) and had to (blacked out). On clear days we

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have to keep pretty well hidden on account of aeroplanes and balloons but when it is hazy we can get out in the trench and stretch our legs.
Ed was right when he said things seemed to be lively down around? They were quite a bit too lively or deadly to suit me. It doesn't make you

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feel very comfortable sitting in the cold wet mud in a funk hole with nothing over you but a rubber sheet held up by four or five old rifles and two or three inches of dirt over top of it, when every kind of a shell from a whizz bang to a mine. Two is breaking all around you.
The war should be over soon anyway.

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I was glad to hear that the Union Government got in. It will help to make the war finish sooner. I am glad Ed got his raise. He should make a kick for another one. He will be getting quite a pile stowed away by this time.
I haven't seen Brock yet but expect to any time when we are out

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of the line. This is quite a long letter for me. I never thought I could write such a long one. I won't read it over because that would be wasting time so if there are any mistakes please pass them over. We will be in here for Christmas.

Love to all,
Your loving son,
Melville.

P.S: Give my regards to the Chisholms - I haven't forgotten them yet!
Object ID:
2017.22.141
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Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro
Munro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie MunroMunro Letters: Dec 23, 1917: Melville Munro to Jessie Munro