Hut #15, #8 Lines 2nd Canadian Command Depot, Shoreham-by-the-Sea, Sussex
October 6, 1916
Dear Father,
Yours received a day or two ago and glad to hear you are all about your usual. So Auntie told you about the "Scotch mist". Well I would rather have Scotch mist than the rain we are getting here lately. It is a regular hurricane outside tonight. The sea is rolling 15 feet high. I would not like to be crossing to France tonight on an Isle of Man Packet, called by the authorities a troop ship. The last time, there was not room to lie down. I had to sleep on the open deck in the rain sitting up, with about half the troops throwing up their bully beef. But we did not mind it much as we get used to everything over here. It takes a whole night to cross. And when we were going "up the line" in France they piled us into cattle cars, 30 men in a car. The cars are not as big as those at home, not half as big. An old soldier told us to pick a car with round wheels, but we had the picking done by a transport officer. So we got one with square wheels, at least part of the wheel under me had a flat side. So we bump, bump, bump "up the line with best of luck" as the doctors say as they mark you fit for duty. It would make the folks at home smile to see the boys sticking their heads out of a long train of French cattle trucks and making noises like every kind of animal that ever saw a barnyard. Boys that could never sleep outside of a bed will lie down and sleep now just wherever they happen to be. I never imagined how comfortable and soft a nice cattle car is even if you have to sweep it out before you get in. The food going up the line and at the base is rotten bully beef and hard tack but up the line it is very good - bread, butter, cheese, Mulligan, (bully beef stew) and a preparation called Maconocies. There is everything in "Mac's" - onions, spuds, cabbage, carrots, axle grease, jollop and a dozen other things but it goes down good if you are hungry enough. However, nobody kicks on the grub. Archie and me had a good feed one night in a village for a franc apiece - poached eggs on toast, bread, butter, cake and coffee. A franc is 20 cents. Archie is "jake" (well off or lucky) for some time, 6 months anyway. His wounds are not serious - only lucky! His leg will keep him in hospital for 6 weeks anyway. I will likely spend Christmas in England. I wrote to Miss R. Ferguson thanking her for the socks I received. You can thank Mrs. Macleod for me for the Maple Sugar. I'll close now hoping you are all keeping well as this leaves me at present. I had a letter from James Smith. He is down at Shorncliffe; he has just landed and likes it fine.
Your affectionate son,
Ronald