Search The Archive

Search form

Collection Search
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in oa_core_visibility_data() (line 607 of /app/profiles/viu/modules/contrib/oa_core/includes/oa_core.access.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in oa_core_visibility_data() (line 607 of /app/profiles/viu/modules/contrib/oa_core/includes/oa_core.access.inc).
Date: June 23rd 1918
To
Sister
From
John
Letter

#2022192
Pte John H Robertson
1st Canadian Reserve
Seaford Sussex

June 23/18 England

It was tag day in Seaford when I was up The flag is for Sonny.

Dear Sister

Here are a few more lines to say I am well. I received your letter dated May 26th a few days ago but I had just written to sonny the day before so I had to wait a few days Tell sonny I got his little section on the back all right. I'm glad he keeps sending me a note. you certainly had lots of news in that last letter. I'll bet there was quite a splash when Willie and Corby went through have margaret and [?] recovered yet. They will be lucky if they are kept in Petawawa for a few months.

Had to break off here to go to supper. We had canned Salmon. How is that for Sunday night. After supper I went to the Canteen dad got a plate of rice with a spoon full of jam on it. It tasted good too. You know how much rice I used to eat. It's different now though lots of thing go great that couldn't be faced before. My plate of rice was 5D.

I was down town yesterday with Harry Shaw he is hear with the Engineers at a camp about half a mile away, we had quite a talk. His right arm is disabled. He can't straighten it but I dont think he will have to go back to France He has a job in the office. He said to ask Dad if he remembered the time they worked on the wharf at Crofton. I'll bet dad remembers quite well. Harry married that old girl of his in Scotland the one Aunt Mary used to tease him about. I was also down town with Bert Smith from Kamloops. The fellow that worked in Wilcox & Halls. He is in the Engineers too I looked the town over. It was the first time I had got a chance to get out I'm just beginning to catch up on my shinning. I suppose practise is making me better at it. There isn't much to say about the town. It is just a collection of crooked streets about ten feet wide situated on the sea shore when you are down town you alway think that you are in some ally out of the way but they are all the same. It seem to be a rule not to have two streets running at the same angle. A fellow nearly needs a guide. If it was very big place you would need a compass I got a few choclates and some gum. Gum is 98 and chocolate 15 per � lb. It tasted good too. Bert and I strolled around looked in all the windows and went inside and looked over the shops. we were like a couple of women shopping we looked everything over and bought very little.

Flix Pollock was over to-day. He comes over every few days and pays us a visit. He is looking fine. He had a letter from Jake and he is alright. We always have quite a talk. All the Ladysmith boys around bunch up and talk of old times.

I think I will get leave pretty soon now Our names and address where we are going have all been taken about a week more and we will likely get away. That will be about the 2nd of July. They are going to celebrate July 1st so I will see the sports. I just wrote to Scotland a couple of days ago. Archie and Billy Allsopp were telling me about our cousins where they come from. The one that is boss at the Pit Head I forget his name. They say he has a son that looks just like me. He works in the mine. They said that when they first went there they used to point him out and say it was me. He must be some kid. They say he is not called up. He has got out of it somehow. I might see him when on my leave so I'll be able to send a full account of them all.

Well this is some letter nearly as long as yours. I have had three different pens in writing it so what can't be read you will just have to whistle it. I will close now with best love to Mother, Dad Charles and yourself

You loving brother

John

Original Scans

Original Scans