The Earl Campbell Story - Life In The Army

In Sep 26, 1916 p.10 letter Earl mentions " We were inspected by General French last Saturday and yesterday by Old Sam Hughes the best place for him is a bullseye for the Germans. He gave Col. F.F.Clarke a calling down yesterday and all us 127 men started cheering and booing at him for doing so. We told him to go back to camp Borden and die in the sand. General French is a nice man and Gen Alderson and Prime Minister of Ontario inspected us three weeks ago. They gave us a great name. Gen French gave us name of the best Batt at Witley. He said he would not split this Batt. So we all will fight to-gether."

It was not to be that the Battalion would fight together as Earl's letter dated October 12, 1916, p. 2 : "The 127th Batt. has been broken up in drafts 60 men out of each Coy. A.B.C.D. were picked out this afternoon to go as a Construction gang. Such as Carpenters, Manson, teamsters and all that kind of work. I was picked for to go. But Jenkins took me out. He said I was to handy with the rifle and bayonet to go. They picked all the poor shots out. And the slow and weary when (sp) on a march. T.Wise, Frank Gamble, and old Happy Platte are the only ones you know that are picked for it. Old Happy got put in it on account of his slowness.

Earl continues in the letter "240 men are to be picked tomorrow to go as a I.N.F. Draft right away. If Wallace and Paddy get picked for it. I will volunteer for it to. My name was called in front of the Batt. to go as a sniper. I kicked up a deuce when I was that none of my chums were with me. I got Major Bell to take me out. I told him I only won my good shooting by chance.

In his Oct 12, 1916 letter on p.2 Earl writes about life in Camp and his training. He also mentions at the end that he is in 5^th Platoon instead of 6^th. " We carry 90 lbs on our backs now. We have not reached 125 lbs yet. It is coming though. Last night all of B.Coy were out on night manoeuvres. We were supposed to be in at 11 o'clock. It was close on to 2 o'clock when we got in to bed. Capt Jenkins and Lieut Draper got lost and took all over the whole country up mountains through buses water and even over the tops of the thimbleberry bushes. Jenkins told us to sit down and rest till he and Draper went to find out where we were. We had nothing to eat since dinner time. And that was not very much we had 1 Onion, a piece, 1 piece of cheese, 1 slice of bread with no butter. So you know how hungry I would be lucky there happened to be a large thimble patch not for. I must have eaten 3 or 4 pints of them."

Earl on p. 4 " Well Merelda you want to know if I want any clothes. Don't send me any underwear or top shirts. I am loaded down with them now, but I would like some socks. I have been mending socks it is a nice job jabbing my fingers with the needle."

October 12, 1916

Oct 17, 1916 letter from Witley Camp, Earl writes: "The Canadian mail comes in here twice a week, Tues, and Thurs. There certainly was a lot this morning the bags were so heavy I had to run with them to get there all the quicker. Like Art Walker use to do"

"240 men were picked for a Construction gang to go to France right away. Platte was picked for it. Russell Parker and Paddy and I got him out of it.

On page 3 of his letter Earl speaks of General Sam Hughes: "The old 127 is all going bughouse. It is all through Old Sam Hughes the day he inspected us. He doesn't think anything of Col. Clarke. He is going to get shot the next time he comes around here."


In the Oct 24, 1916 p.3 letter he refers once again to being picked as a sharp shooter and the fate of the other King boys. "I have some bad news to tell you. Wallace and Paddy are parted from me at last. 500 men are leaving for France this afternoon. They were up to our measeley hut bidding us goodbye last night. Bob Wilkins and I are the only two King fellows left. They picked Bob, Frank Platte and myself for sharpshooters or snipers. We were to to France on November 1st. But one of our fellows caught the measles in our hut. So they locked us up for 15 days. So we will not see France for a while yet."

Oct 25, 1916, p.2 reference to Earl going to France as a sniper, but they are in quarantine from a measles outbreak. "I don't know when I will be going. I am picked for a sniper. I don't think I can get out of it. I would give anything if I was with Wallace, Paddy and Sid Goodswain. I am going to try and get with them anyway after I get out of this measley jail."

Oct 24, 1916, p.5 "They give us some rotten rabbit for dinner on Sunday. It was the rottenest stuff I ever did taste. I would rather eat dogs than it. You should see us fellows is here at meal times every man for his self you know. I will be ashamed to go back to Canada. Instead of cutting butter with a knife we grab a hold of it with our hands and pull it off."

Oct 29, 1916, p.2 "Dr. Hillery was in this morning sounding all of us. I pass all right just four failed out of the 33. He would not tell us if we were going to France. He said we were going to leave Witley. Two Battalions came in last night from Canada. So we got to clear out of here. And look for another home The only officers we have around here are Major Bell, Capt Jenkens, Major Campbell, Lieut Wallace, Lieut Clarke and Old Major Agdun. Lieut Beck went to the front when we landed here. We heard last week he has been wounded. He is the first of the 127 Batt to be wounded he was only in the firing line 7 hours until he was wounded." "The only Sergents we have now are Herb Tack and Serg McKenzie from Woodbridge. Serg McKetrick has been sent to France with the draft. There are only 70 men here out of B.Coy. 16 out of A. Coy, 23 out of C.Coy. All of the D.Coy has gone with the draft. So you see the 127 is no longer a Batt."

Nov 21, 1916 Earl's letter comes from Bramshott Camp : "Well I am out of quarantine now was let out yesterday. As soon as we were let out a Sergeant of the 134th Batt. marched us down to Bramshott 8 miles with our heavy pack to carry. It was a hard march for us 36 fellows after beening penned up so long. We were in 31 days had no work to do at all. Only play football in the afternoons. We were a tired bunch of Tommy's when we got in. Tis a dandy camp away ahead of Witley camp. The hut we were put in is a swell on to all big pine trees around it. But believe me it is someplace for mud. I have been mucking through it all day to-day. Bayonet fighting, bomb throwing, trench warfare and physical torture on the hands down in the mud.

Nov 29, 1916, letter from Earl comes from Bordon Camp . "I just came in off a 12 mile route march over the country." "We are having another medical exam to-morrow. It will be our last one in England I expect." P. 2 " We are certainly busy since we came to bordon Camp. And they are getting awful strict. The Emperial Soldiers are close to us. I guess that is why our Officers are getting so strict. 2 days pay stopped if we move our head when standing at attention. They have not got me yet."

Nov 30, 1916, p.2 Earl writes "I have'nt heard from Paddy, Sid, or Wallace since they left for France. I wish I could join them again. Billie Bowler is looking for a letter from you. Art Trent, Pete Machell are in France. Harry Bovair is with me in my own Coy yet. Jenkins, Major Bell, Lieut Clarke, Major Campbell, Lieut Draper, Lieut Wallace, Lieut Johnson, Serg Jack and McKiceric and Serg McKenzie of Woodbridge are all with us yet. Your Lieut was wounded some time ago in France. Beck of Richmond Hill."

p.3 "I can hardly waite until the day comes for me to go and fight. I could have been there long ago only for Harold. Harold told me if I went this fall he would go with me. I don't want him there again." …. "I am getting my manners back again since we have been moved into houses. I spread my butter with a knife instead of my fingers." … "We made the English people look to-day allright. We were out on a route march through small villages in one of the Villages which we pass through our band played O'Canada. It is a very easy piece to keep instep to. And we showed them if a Canadian Band was any good. And that if the men were to. We have a dandy Band the same fellows are in it."

p.4 Earl writes of the duties of a soldier in Camp: "I have been scrubbing our house out to-day. Every Saturday we got to do our house cleaning. We try and do it all in the forenoon, then we have the afternoon off for football. Sat and Sundays are the only two days we have a little peace." … p.5 "There were 20 teams of heavy horses brought into our Camp Friday. Allso a train load of harness and saddles, guns, ammunition, spurs and such like. So, you see we will not be going as Infantry men. Engineers are what we are beening put into."

"I have been playing up sick for 3 days now on account of my boots. There are no soles in them. I am going to play up sick until I get a new pair. About a hundred of us fellows are doing the same. A carload came in Friday so I will be on the job again Monday. "



« Back: Life in the Army (Page 4) Next: Life in the Army (Page 6) »