The Earl Campbell Story - Life In The Army

May 30, 1918, letter to Earl from Merelda in King.

We are fortunate that Earl kept and returned home with one of the letters written by his sister. In her letter Merelda writes about the young 19 year old boys being drafted and sent overseas to fight. She gives us a first hand account of life in King Twp and Canada during the war.

My Dear Brother Earl,

Your letters to Mother & myself arrived today. We are all very sorry you have to go back to France – but cheer up, dear boy. We will all be praying for your safe return to Canada before long. Everyone things the war will be over soon. There are so many men leaving Canada now, also U.S.A. all men are called up & in A.1 training. They are calling up B. men the 19 year old boys now. The next class is all men from 19- to 45. There is sure awful times in Canada, now. I have never told you before about it Earl. When you were sick, but I had better tell you now. There will be a rebellion in Canada before long if the envirnoment does not change, terrible hard times here. People can hardly afford to live. Meat & flour is so high & we are only allowed a little of it & sugar you can hardly get at all. Oh everything is gone up so high & they are taking all the men off the farms even. Archie has to go. He went to Niagara to train yesterday. We are going to do everything to get him off. Have a lawyer employed & are doing everything the poor dear boy does not want to go. It seems so hard to see boys who do not want to go be forced to. Dave Robb is in the same fix as Archie his only brother is in France his Mother & two sisters left to work the farm of 100 acres. They are appealing his case too. The Military Service Act exempted the sole remaining son of military age with a brother overseas, disabled or killed. So Archie & Dave stand a good chance of getting off if the Gov't keep their word, but they are a rotten bunch of liars. Conscription would have been a good thing if they had left it as they promised to before the election, promised to leave one able-bodied man on 100 acres but they are not doing it. I went down with Archie Tues night. We stayed at Harold's all night & all went with him to the boat. There were a lot of boys from around here going over in A.1 class between the ages of 20 & 23. There were Archie, Pick McQuarry, Jack Orr, Fred Judge, George Miller from Pellats, Bert Snider a Kaake boy, a Woods from Nobleton. The two Hillard boys & a Gunn?? Boy an Ireland from Kleinburg & Wilson from Teston & two or three hundred I did not know. Those are all ?? f. fellows Ralph Gillies, two Wells boys, Art Bovair & Billie Grey got in the artillery & train at Ax. Camp. B. class have all to report next week. Jim & Lucky Burns have to go in that. Art Gillham & lots more. I will be glad to see a lot of that class go especially those that spouted so much for conscription. Norman McMurchy & Burns, etc. Orrs they never though they would have to go but like to see our nice young boys go. The 19 yr. old boys have to report before the 15 June – Ed Lloyd, Jack Hamilton, Jess Richards, Alfred Gillham, Vick Orr, Ike McQuarry, Harold Cain, Dick Williams & lots more. Ed. Teasdale's bunch left for Eng. yesterday. I had a letter from C. Williams today. He hates Eng. & all English things – also had a letter & photo of Fred Young to Pauline. Fred is a fine looking fellow now. I hope he gets back to Canada safely.

Now dear Earl. I am going to say something you will not like, but it does not matter. You will Thank me for it later. About that girl, you imagine you are in love with, don't you believe it. You have got roped in, the same as so many of our Canadian boys do. Harold says he was roped in the same, but got wise to it in time, before he got married to her. Also, Katie's brother he wrote home telling them off the sweet little girl he was going to marry & first thing he found out she was a married woman & had just wanted his money & succeeded in getting it too. Ask F. Platt what he thinks of the Eng girls, also Harper Wells & lots more – oh yes the Eng. Girls have lively charming ways & are sure looking out for husbands & to get their way paid to Canada, but their ways are not like our ways, they are only laughed at here & looked down on. Harold says they are alright in Eng but no good here & Archie says for you not to bring any Bade over here. The Eng. Girls know there will be nothing for them but old maids after the war is over & are looking out for a soft snap by getting some rich Canadian so they imagine, but Earl, you must think of the future, Canada is on the verge of a rebellion. The returned soldiers can't get work – living is most terribly high – farmers can't get help only 16-18 yr. old college boys & girls – imagine what they can do re the farm. Earl if you brought a wife home to Canada you could not keep her- & she could not do farm work - & Earl, if Arch has to go to the war, our farm will be sold. Dad won't work it himself & can't so Earl think seriously before you marry a wife. Anyway Earl you are so young to marry, only 23. I guess you feel old. Harold got married young & he is not getting on very well. Katie is working out now in a candy store & Harold is off work half the time, the gas is effecting him more now than it did before. So Earl have all the good times you can with the girls over there, but don't marry them or bring them to Canada & think of the nice girls here of your own kind who will be able to take care of you, & will have money too & it is a returned soldier they all want. If that girl really & truly loved you – you would not be spending your hard earned money on her – she would give you her money instead, it is her right to pay for things instead of yours.

Harold if you brought an old country girl here, she would be looked down on their ways are so different from ours. Mother will send you $5.00 this time & will send more soon. It is all she has in the house at present, & we will send you a box too, but Earl be sure & spend your money on yourself. Now Earl I hope you are not angry with me for this, but think twice before you do such a thing as get married. We shall be worrying over you until you ans. This & hoping it is not too late. Harold promised me to write you & tell you not to have any old country girl. You are too good for them. Of course you are your own boss but you can imagine what Daddie says about it. I am afraid to tell you & poor Mother is awfully worried about it. It was noised around that Lorne was married to an Eng. Girl, but is not true – it sure was the talk of the country. Uncle Aaron was awful mad about it. I am so glad it wasn't true. Well dear boy, you will think I am an awful crank, but perhaps some day you will think all the more of me for it. It is for your own self I am thinking. If the girl was an heiress it would be different but quite likely she is a poor working girl, looking out for someone to keep her. After the war it will be hard for anybody to make a living, every body is being ruined by this awful war. Canada is altogether different from what it was when you went away & will be worse soon. There will be a rebellion before another year if you could only see the newspapers, but the Gov't will not allow us to send newspapers to Eng. So the post masters tell us. If my letter was read, I guess I would land in jail for calling the gov't rotten, but it's true, Canada is going like Russia went in govt. The poor class are being kept down & the rich men can get their sons out of the army some way or other, but the poor fellows have to go. This country will run by Jews & other foreigners soon. They are not conscripted.

Now dear boy, I have said enough perhaps too much. Now ans. soon. We shall be praying & thinking of you all the time & hoping the letter is not to late.

Best love & wishes from your loving sister

May 31, 1918 letter from Earl's sister Merle voicing her opinion on Earl's upcoming marriage.

My Dearest Bro,

I have been thinking so much about you lately that I just have to write to you. I have been sick in bed for three days so am pretty shaky yet, but hope you can read this letter. I just heard yesterday that you were thinking about getting married, but my dear brother don't you do it for married life is hard- even if you do get the best girl in the old country she is not good enough for you. You were always such a good hearted kid besides if you come home single we can all help you along for a year or so you know if you are crippled you would have lots of homes to come to and welcome but if you had a wife it would be different then after you are back for a while and get good & strong then take some good Canadian girl. I have lived among so many English, Irish & Scotch girls in the West and there is not one as good as a Canadian. Now my dear brother take your big sisters advise and don't get tied up. Look at Harold he is worried to death trying to make enough to pay for two rooms, if he wasn't married he could often be at home for a rest but you know Daddy never did like strangers around long. We have always tried to pay for our board in some way when we are there.

It is for your own good I am telling you all this for times are so hard in Canada now we haven't made a cent since the war started and you know Henry always was a good rustler. Of course we have had so much expense, doctor bill, moving and everything costs so much to live. Just think we are paying 50 cts a lb for butter, 50 cts a dozen for eggs and 2 dollars for a piece of beef that lasts about too days and they will not sell anyone living within a mile from the store any more than 25 cts worth of sugar that is just four cups full. Just yesterday Henry was in Toronto to the Dr. and he was talking to a returned soldier & he was awful mad. He said he got married in England just a month before he came home to the nicest sweetest girl over there then last week she gave birth to a baby. It belongs to some other man, but the poor soldier cannot do anything it is too late now. SO he will have to dig into the work & support his wife and someone else's kid. It seems too bad for a soldier certainly deserves an easy time – after they come back if- any one does. Harold could have worked with Henry or Colin this spring & had a far easier time than in the city if he hadn't been married. Now my dear good hearted brother don't be vexed with me for I think far too much of you to let you do such a foolish thing without trying to stop it.

I suppose you know that Archie is at Niagara we don't know if we can get him exempt or not yet. I hope so for Mother's sake. It will go hard with her to loose another boy. And Daddy intends selling out if Archie has to go and the girls will have to get positions. Pauline & Floss will be good for office work or anything but Merelda is not very strong. I don't think she could stand a steady job. Pauline has been staying with me since I got sick. I just caught cold & it settled in my side & I couldn't walk but I am getting along fine & I guess Pauline can soon go home for they are milking a lot of cows & Dad needs her to help him since Arch is away. I will close now for you will be tired of reading this. Please write soon. Henry joins in love to you.

Merl

Jun 1, 1918, 3rd C.C.D. Seaford, Earl writes of 250 men being paraded down to the sea for a bath.

Dear Merelda, Well I owe you a letter now. My mail stayed a week at Monk's Horton so that is why I have been slow in getting it this time. I was sure glad to get your long letter of April 24th. You told me so much news. I wrote to C. Williams this morning maybe I will get leave to go and see him. I will be glad to see him again. I am sorry Harold is not well yet. That gas certainly stick to oneself. Quite often I feel the small bit I got last June. Yes, I don't think I will home this summer. But cheer up all. I will be home sometime, ha, ha. Fritzie has never got me yet.

Well Merelda, S.Ball of the 127 is here with me. He comes from the 3rd of King. Dad will know him. He and I are going to leave the 2nd C.R.T. At least I am going to leave the 2nd. He is leaving the 1st C.R.T. He was with Wallace Merchant the night he died. We are going to try for a transfer into the 15th Batt 48 Highlanders and 92nd Highlanders of Toronto. If we fail well we still stay as we are. I allways did want to get into the Kilties. In Feb 1916 Wallace and I missed the G.T.R. at King or we would have had been in the 134th Batt. I heard Col Clarke won the D.S.O. in this big battle. He stood on the top of the trench firing his revolver into advancing Germans. If I had had been there I might had won the V.C. , ha-ha. But I am mighty thankful I was'nt there. I might of got a R.I.P instead. Rest in Peace. If I do go back to France again the next gass or sickness I get will put me to Canada. I am sure of that. They will not send a person across to France to many times. It will be my sixth trip across if I go this time. I hear that Roy Sinclair had'not the heart to come and deserted. Am glad he was caught. He is one I just love to see go. I had a letter from Harold a few days ago. You think he will enlist again if I had to go to France. Be sure and not let him. Can't you know it into his head? He wants me to hunt a girl up for him in Folkstone. Well the next time I am in it I will. And will look Miss Nurse Bydon up allso. I think Dad got a awful price for his big cattle. What will he do with all the money, ha-ha. This afternoon we were all paraded down to the sea for a bath 250 of us. I bet we left some dirt in the sea. We are took down every week like a bund of sheep.

How is Arch getting along with the Jane up the 6th. I suppose he does a lot of fishing up at the lakes. I bet the mosquitoes bother him and her some. Lorne is trying for a transfer into the R.F.C. I guess he will make it allright. I do think I will try for it. I did have the notion once. S, Ball and I are going to have our photos taking to-gether to night. I will send you one. I have finished all my boxes. I had three in one week that's going some eh. That can of honey was dandy. I hope for another. I am sure some hog yet. But say Merelda, there is nothing so good as eats from home. The baking is far ahead of the stuff you get over in the stores here. If one wants a good fruit cake he has to pay about 10£ for one. Than it is not so good as that I get from home. Everything here is a awful price. I don't see how people live here. Eggs are 4 pence each that is 8 cents. Bread is 1£ a loaf than it is dark bread too. This war will have to end soon. Well Merelda I have a towel and a sheet to wash so I will have to close for this time. Does Mother still hunt for hen nest in the grass? It took me to find them. Hope all are well and getting along fine. Love to all, Bro Earl

Sap. N.E. Campbell
No. 779051
2nd Can. Rly Tps
3rd C. C.D
Seaford, Sussex

Jun 13, 1918, 3rd C.C.D., Seaford, Sussex

Dear Merelda & All,

I have now two letter from you and Pauline & Floss had allso put in a letter for me. I'll write them later. One was dated May 9th and the one I rec to-night May 15th telling me that Arch stands a poor chance of getting out of the army. I knew you had your ginger up when you were writing me that letter. It is not wonder you had. I know what kind of a sister you are. There are not many girls like you Merelda. Those men at the head of the Canadian Gov should all be sent in the line for a taste of soldiering. And if they have any brains at all they would not try to get the only boy at home the Father & Mother has to help with the farm. Why in the world don't they get after the yellow backs that are slinking out of it. They should have some brains hammered into their rotten heads. And if they were sent to France they would sure get some or else loose all of them. I sincerely hope Arch does'nt have to come. I wish him the very best of luck in getting off. And if he does has to sign up tell him to just listen to what I say. While in Canada report sick every morning. The back is the best to report sick on. Not to carry a pack, not to do long route."

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