Camp Hughes

June 16th 1916
Dear Mother and Dad

I was inoculated for the second time yesterday. I won't have another dose of it until I cross the ocean or so I hear. It is about 11 oclock a.m. now and I will soon be having dinner. It was Tuesday June 6th when I got my first inoculation. On Wednesday (the day after) we did not drill. I believe that's the day I wrote to you last. On Thursday my Company ("C" company) or rather a part of it, went out to the rifle ranges. The Rifle Range is about a mile from here. We left camp at 7 o'clock a.m. and stayed at the rnges until 5 o'clock P.M. when we came back to camp. We had our dinner out there. We were setting up targets out there. The targets are arranged on posts which are stuck down in 10 ft. deep trenches. There are men in the trenches raising & lowering these targets. The target works on a hinge which when raised the target sticks up over the trench and when lowered is down in the trench out of sight of the men who are shooting at it. The 108th were in the trench looking after the targets and the 101st Battn were Shooting at the targets. At first they took their own time at aiming & shooting & after every shot we would take down the target to paste over the bullet hole. Then when we put up the targets again we would show the shooters by signs where they hit last. There were two men looking after each target. One put the target up & down according to orders & the other one pasted over the bullet holes & kept the score. Another time the shotsmen only got 6 seconds to get their aim & fire. The target were raised all at the same time and then lowered after six seconds. Another time the targets were up for thirty seconds and in that time the gunners were to aim & fire 5 shots. The 101st were shooting that day and the scores were rather mixed. Some of them scored fairly & others scored rotten.

We target men had aas rather easy time of it. The afternoon was rather hot and we did not get any breeze in the trench. It was warm work. We were not in any danger because we did not go out of the trenches at all until dinner time and by that time the shooting was stopped & no shooting done until after dinner. We will go over there some day soon and then we'll do the shooting

June 22nd

I am going to try and finish this letter today. It has taken me nearly a week to write it and I guess it is about time I finished it. It is nearly 5 o'clock now & supper will be served soon. We only drilled a short time this afternoon because it started raining.

June 23rd Forenoon

It was raining this morning and we did not drill aat all. I don't know whether will have to go out this afternoon or not. All depends on the weather I guess. We were to go out to the rifle ranges to shoo but the (?) I will have to go on guard to-night. It won'g be very pleasant as it is raining hard.

June 30th

Well it is about 14 days since I started this letter and about 8 days since I wrote the last addition to it. I went on guard that night and liked it alright. It will be quite a while before I have to go on guard again. The 108th Battn went to the rifle ranges yesterday and the day before to see how well they could shoot and they did pretty well. They scored very high on an average I scored fairly well though I do say it myself. We had a general Review today The Duke of Connaught Reviewed all the Battalions in Camp Hughes. Sam Hughes was there I think and some big bug by the name of Sifton. It was some grand Parade. Everybody dressed up & polished up to perfection & all marched their very best. I have got paid up to the end of this month. I got $50.00 the first Pay day and $21.90 the last pay day. I will send you as much as I can pretty soon. I am in too much of a hurry to do it now. I heard that some of the Gimli girls were coming to Camp Hughes on July 1st. That is to say to-morrow. We are all feeling well. Dennis Lee and G. Fenn & Joe Daniel & Barney Viborg are back again. Those three that took a holiday without pass or permission did not get much punishment. It was certainly worth while for them to skip. It was Joe & Dennis & Viborg who went without permission. The men who cant get passes are taking a pass on their own hook. They just catch a freight train in the middle of the night & comeback when they feel like it. They keep on skipping all the time. It is not the Battalion Commanders fault. It's the Staff Officers of the camp who have to sign the passes. no private is allowed more than a week end pass. Even Bradbury has to get a pass and the same with all the Lieut-Colonels and all the officers. They are not much better off as far as that is concerned. I am going to apply for a pass in July about the 8th or 15th. There are all kinds of Rumors about when when we will leave for England. Sometimes they say July 15th but you cant believe a word you hear about it. In some of the letters that the men get from Winnipeg from their wifes they say that in Winnipeg the people talk so much about the life we lead in Camp Hughes & the way we are treated. And they are the awfulest lies you ever heard. We have no kici coming except for the passes. The men are all complaining about not being able to get passes. I got a letter and a box of pancakes from Gudrun Danielsdotter & I treated th boys to pancakes. Joe Daniel got his box from Home all right and I got my stuff O.K. I kept the tarts for myself & Mundi & Frank and treaated the boys to the cookies or the cookies to the boys. There are quite a bunch of Ladies & Civilians here on Saturday afternoons & Sundays. Its rather a novelty to see a woman here.

I wish you would send this letter to Bonnie when you have read it and then Bonnie can send it to (?) I cant write long letter (?) everybody. Give my best regards to all the friends & Love to all the family

With Love from

Archie

P.S. I am going to start another letter soon Because (?) kes me so long to finish (?) Don't feel worried though (?) don't get a letter often. I won't keep anything from you that you should know. I am getting along fine.

Don't forget to give my best regards to Miss C.(?) Orr and aske her to write. Tell her how little time I have to write. She promised to write to me. Tell her I will write to her very soon.

Mundl bid ur ad heilsa.
Hann er oskup onytur ad skrifa,

Archie