The Munro Letters 1914 - 1917 : Letters Home from the Front - World War I
Date of Letter:
1917/05/27
Summary:
Melville writes to his father from his camp in England. He mentions his experiences during his trip to London, and talks about his current military courses, especially his gas course and training exercises. He also writes that two brothers from Oakville (the McCraney boys) have been sent off to France.
Transcription:
Corwborough
May 27 1917

Dear Father-
I got your letter dated Apr. 24th just yesterday. I have been on pass as I suppose you know by the letters I have written before this one. When our M.G. course is over we get another pass and I intend to go to London and see as much of it as I can. I had a look through Westminster Abbey and a look at the outside of St. Paul's and the tower. The thing that surprised me most was Hyde Park. There are about 320 acres in the heart of the city. They have large fields fenced off and sheep grazing in them.

(PAGE 2)
The underground in London is certainly a great system. You can go to any part of the city in a few minutes. The trains don't waste any time on the way.
Last week we had a revolver course and a gas course. Yesterday we went through chlorine gas 20 times as strong as they ever had at the front with P.H. helmets on. That is a P.H. helmet you have at home. At the front we carry a box respirator which is good against any kind of gas as well as a P.H. helmet. The P.H. helmet is only used when the other one is out of working order. We went through tear gas as well, with no protection

(PAGE 3)
at all. The tear gas has a pleasant smell, something like pineapples, but it kind of chokes you up and blinds you for a time. It affects your eyes something like onion juice. There are no bad effects from being in it.
To-morrow we start on the M.G. or bombing. I am not sure which. It will be about six weeks altogether until we are put on draft and after that we may be sent to France.
Some of the 164th boys including Ross & Willie McCraney have gone to France, and a lot more of them will be going soon.

(PAGE 4)
The weather here has been fine ever since we came. It rained for two days when I was at Edinburgh and that is all the disagreeable weather there has been. Last night some German Aeroplanes dropped bombs on Folkstone and killed 76 & injured 174 people. Mostly people doing shopping, etc.
Well I guess that is all this time.

Your Loving Son,
Melville.

Pte. A. M. Munro 663550
No. 3 Co. Y
Canadian Machine Gun Depot.
Crowborough Camp
Sussex, England

P.S.: I had a letter from Brock.

Object ID:
2017.22.117
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Munro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. MunroMunro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. Munro
Munro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. MunroMunro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. Munro
Munro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. MunroMunro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. Munro
Munro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. MunroMunro Letters: May 27 1917: Melville Munro to James E. Munro