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The Earl Campbell Story - Life In The Army
Jul 2, 1917, Belgium p.2 "Supose you heard of Harold Boys being wounded in the arm. It is not bad. He is with us here so you see he did not have to go to the Hospital." " Big Tom Reinford the man John Lawson had hired was wounded he is in Hospital he got a dirty one in the neck. My chum of A. Coy was killed last wk. Gordon Tait of Toronto. And two others of A.Coy was killed the same day. It is fierce around here. Harold was here last year."
Jul 5, 1917, Somewhere in France to Merelda & all "We worked all last night. So we have to-day off. I crawled out of my bed at half past three this afternoon. We had some rain last-night for the first in 8 wks." " I did something last night I never done before. I played football under the Fritz`s shell fire he broke quite a number of shrapnel shells above our heads. One of our balloons her was after. I think not us. One of the RE men said 'Lord Brimmy mate. I will have to get my steel Lizzie on.'
Jul 17, 1917 Belgium from Earl to Mother informing her that he had been injured:
Dear Mother,
Well I got it at last. We were working up the line yesterday. He was putting big stuff at us all day. A 8 inch burst close to me a splinter of it made a way through my steel helmet into my head. It is not very bad. The M.O. down here says I was awful lucky. I don't know if I will be going to Blithy or not. Hope so, ha,ha,ha. I am in Hospital in Belgium. I am the only Canadian in it. Well must close Mother don't worry about me. I am safe now. Supose the men will be busy haying now. Was it a good crop this year? All the rest of the boys were fine when I left them. Harry Bovair and Art Brown stuck right to me when I fell. I can never be to good to them now."
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Jul 21, 1917 letter informing the family of Earl's injuries "Deeply regret to inform you that 779051 Sapper Earl Campbell "Services" admitted to 20 General Hospital, Dannes Camiers, July 19th, 1917 gunshot wound to the head. Further word will be sent when received. Signed, Ottawa |
Jul 21, 1917 France letter to Merelda from Hospital
"You will be wondering why I do not write. I just got out of bed to-day for the first. I am feeling fine. Does not bother me only at times. The dangerous part is over. I am in a very pretty place 15 minutes' walk will take me to the sea. I left the C.C.S the 18th. I had a nine hour ride in the R.Cross train down here. The ward I am in there are some Canadians. 3 from B.C., 22nd Batt., 4 from the 13th Canadian Highlanders and 1 from the Q.O.R, Toronto. There are 36 of us in the one Ward. We are used great. I will stick here as long as I can. Maybe I will be going to Blithy, hope so anyway….. I will not get my mail for a week or so now. I will write to my Company and tell them to send it on." There are a bunch of Americans training [the next portion had been erased by the Censors] . They wear a swell uniform. They will make old Fritz toe the mark. He is a hard old nut allright. Harold was right when he told me in England that there would be heavy fighting this summer."
Well Merelda I will close for this time will write soon.
My address is
Jul 24, 1917, No. 6, C.C. , France
"Dear Mother, Well I must write to you again and let you know how I am. I have been sent to a Convelscent Camp came here yesterday. I was examined this afternoon. I am sorry to say I have to go back to my Company in Belgium. I was sure I was going to get a trip to Canada. I nearly knocked me down when the M.O. marked 'A' on my paper. Active it means. I go back tomorrow night. Back the line with the best of luck. I think I will be able to get a pass to England when I go back. Will try hard anyway. Jim Jenkins will have something to say about me getting a pass. He and the Col. are the only men, gentlemen I should say in the Battalion."
Jul 26, 1917, Can Base, France
"Dear Brother, I wrote home and told Mother that I was leaving for my Company the next night. I didn't go to my company. I was sent down to the Canadian Base. I am not ready to go back yet, maybe I will be getting my discharge. I am going up to a Medical Board pretty soon. I passed one of them allright. I was marked for Active Service. I went sick down here. I get very dizzy at times. I had a small splinters of shell taken out of my dome. There are an awful lot of Canadians here. I know quite a few of them. Some of the 129th, 128th, 134th, 72nd,and some of the 127 No. 1 CRT. 3 of our lads are here out of my own Company I mean. One of them is getting a Canada. I think I will be getting one also. So might be hunting with you this fall & winter.
Jul 28, 1917, No.7, Canadian Gen. Hospital, France
"Dear Pauline, I will have to write to you this time. Or you will be giving it to me when I get back. I did not get back to my Company in Belgium after all. I was sent down to a Can Base. I took sick there, so I was sent to a Hospital again. My head doesn't bother me much. But the gasing I got some time ago came back on me. I can hardly see some times. I think they are sending me to England and from there to Old Canada. I will make you step around I bet if I get back. I had two little pieces of splinters of shell taken out of my head. I have them with me. Will try and hang on to them. I have not had a letter since I have been wounded the 16th that was you know that is awful for me. I allways got so many letters from all my little girls. Not many from the dear Baker sisters tho. I told a chum of mine in my platoon to tell the Orderly Corporal to send my mail to me. But I have been moved about so much around here. I think it will all go astray. There are quite a number of Canadians her, P.P.C.L.1. , 10th Batt, 14th, 21st, 172nd Highlanders. The fellow next bed to me was transferred into the 10th Batt out of the 35th. He knows that Gardiner that Harold use to run against. His name is Pte. Lemon, maybe Harold will know him. He forgets nearly all the 35th lads. He was gassed, 26 of them in this Ward have been gassed.
p.3 "I cannot write to May or Harold I forgot their addresses. I left the addresses in my Great coat in a dugout up the line. So when ever you write to them or see them tell them why it is I don't write. Au Revoir
Aug 1, 1917, No. 7 Canadian Gen Hospital
"Dear Mother, Well I will try and write a few lines to pass the time away. I am still in Hospital in France yet. I am feeling fine. I have given up hope in looking for a Blighty. I was up to another Medical Board yesterday. I don't know what the M.O. marked me yet. I have had no mail since I came down. There will be a heap for me waiting if I go back to my Co. I wrote to a chum of mine and told him to have it sent to me. But it has'nt arrived yet. How is Harold feeling now. He told me he was going to join Caromga Army or Uncle Sams But I guess he is a wise head now. Arch is the wise one, hope he keeps that way."
Aug 4, 1917, Canadian Base France
Dear Merelda, Supose you all will be wondering where I am now. Well I was sent from Hospital down to the Base again, came down yesterday. I do not know how long I will be staying here. But my next move is back to my Coy. When I came down yesterday who do you think I ran across Art Trent of No. 1 CRT, Tom Reinsford of No. 2, CRT, B.Coy and my old chum F.Lucas of our Coy. He has been away in Hospital for two months with a skin trouble. Big Tom was wounded and A. Trent had scabbies. In the afternoon Lucas and I were in a Y.M.C.A. We were talking about who all had been wounded from King. We mentioned Bert Kelly's name just then I spied poor Bert coming in. I said Luke here is Kelly. I very near took a fit. And he could not speak for a while. Gosh he was glad to see us again. He was wounded in the breast in May and is here waiting to be sent up the line again. He is in the 19th Batt. He has change quite abit. Has that old soldier look on him. He went with us to a show last night. The first show I have been to since I left Eng. He is in the same Batt as Ab Hollinshead & Sam Armstrong. He says Ab is a brave fellow in the trenches. Afraid of nothing.
Aug 7, 1917, France
"My Dear Mother, I am still at the Base yet. I think I will be going back to my Coy this week. My chances are all gone for getting home. I was sure at one time I was going to be sent home. I told you before I guess they took two small pieces of shell splinters out of my head. It sure hurt some to. Kelly is still here. He, F. Lucas and I go to a show every night. It is a dandy show. I hear from one of my chums that Harold Boys has gone to a Hospital in England. He stayed around camp with us for three weeks where he should have had been in Hospital. His wound went to poison I guess."
Aug 10, 1917, Canadian Base, France
"Dear Merelda, just a line to-night to let you know I am still at the Base. Kelly and Luke is here yet I call Locuas Luke for short. We go to a show every night. They are just fine the ones over here. I had a streetcar ride to-night for the first since I left England. I am having a high old time. But I don't get any mail down here that is the worse of it. What a heap there will be for me when I get back to my Coy. I have not written to May or Harold since I have been wounded. I lost their addresses. So you write and tell them the reason I don't write. I sent some souvenirs home the other day. I sent Mother a dandy. Did she get it? And Paul & Floss some silk cards. How is Dad & Arch getting along at the harvest. Guess they will be through now by the time you get this. I thot I would be back in time for Exhibition. But not now. Maybe Xmas. Will look that way anyway. I expect to leave for the Coy about the 12th Sunday. I very near been away a month from the noise of guns and shells. Well old girl. I think you are old. Close onto forty and never been kissed, ha-ha. I will close now, wishing you all the best of luck.
Your loving Brother. The pie eater."
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