The Earl Campbell Story - Life In The Army

Jun 18, 1918 postcard sent to Pauline from Earl

Postcard sent to Pauline June 18, 1918 from Earl

Jun 27, 1918, Seaford, Sussex, England letter to Pauline telling her he is no longer seeing his English girlfriend. Also in the letter Earl mentions a Doris Smith in Folkestone… see letter dated August 1, 1918 addressed to Earl from Dorrie Smith.

"Dear Pauline,

I was very glad to receive yours and Arch's letter last night. It came in very quick time this 16 days was all. No Pauline I have no Misses yet. And I will never get one over here. My little Babe happens to be no good. So I had to leave her. I never want to see her any more. Merelda is right about these English girls. She knows em far better than I do. I'll now waite until I get home. Than you can be the Best one.. get that.

Tell Arch I think it was about time he was writing to me. But I am awful sorry he is in army. Some awful government we have. I can call them a word a mile long, But I hope Dad's lawyer gets him off. Any man with brains would let him off. It makes me savage to think of those families close home who has'nt shown theirselves. Tell Arch to sling the lead as hard as he can while in training at Niagara-on the-lake. And if he does have to come. I hope Mother & Dad and the rest of you will not worry to much. Cheerio all we will all be back home soon. And then the happy times will be. I see this war will not last longer now. But don't tell Arch that. He will be in a hurry to go to Blighty. I had a letter from Fred Young today. He says he sent you a photo. He wants me to go back to the 2nd C.R.T. But I don't know if I will yet. I am leaving here to-morrow for my Base at Purfleet. There I try for a transfer into the 15th Batt. It is made up of all Toronto Hilanders, 48th, 92nd and the 134th. I have a photo of myself and S.Ball. But I hate to send it home on account of my moustache, ha-ha. I had another letter from Merle today. She gave me the deuce about the girl over here. But I think Merelda gave me a good calling down. She certainly done right tho. I see she is quite right about the English girls. They only want a Canuck so they will get a free pass to Canada. But nothing doing here now, just mark it down on the wall. Ask Harold about a Miss Doris Smith in Folkestone she invited me to her place next leave, I get. But don't think I'll go. I will go to Witley and see my old chum Sid. I am sending some badges so you can put in that cushion you said you were making for me. Well Pauline I must close now and get read for my 80 mile trip tomorrow. I will write as soon as I get there and let you know how I made out in transferring. S. Ball is going along with me. I hope you all are in the very best of health. I wrote to Merelda a few days ago telling her I rec. the $5 Mother sent me. I will hang on to it until it is necessary for me to bank it. Tell Mother & Merelda they had to use my assign pay. I know times are hard in Canada now. But there will be good times soon. I wish Arch the very best of luck in getting off. I would hate to see him come on account of Dad & Mother. I know how they would feel. But if he does come tell them to cheer-o better times are coming. Au Revoir, Love to all, Bro Earl.

My next address is this

Sap N.E. Campbell
No 779051
2nd C.R.T.
C.R.T, Depot
Purfleet, Essex England

Will send photo later.

Jul 2, 1918, letter from Earl to Merelda – missing p.1

p.2 "It was very good of Dr. Lockhart certifying that Arch was not A.1. The men that should come now are those unmarried between the ages of 25 and 35 not the ages of 19 and 24 – keep them at home for farming.

But you are right Merelda those are the lads that they know are the bravest. I bet if I was home to-night I would trisse up all the Smetzers, Folliots, Cains, Bryson's. And allso the gang of curs of yellow up the sixth. I hope Arch made out allright the 29th of May at Niagara. And I do hope poor Dave Robb get off too. I should worry a lot one could build on if the censoers opens this letter. I will not put my Reg. number down anyway.

p.3 D.1 is what I am, that is as good as A2 in Canada. I am doing my best to keep in Blighty as long as I can. I smell a rough time in France soon again. The Yanks are going to end it by this fall. Hope so anyway because there is no one feed up on this more than I am.

Yesterday was Sports day here. I go in for everything now. I took 2nd in the 100 yds dash, only A2 men ran. And I took 1st in the 440 yds race. The prize was small. Boot blacken and button polish. I have enough to do me for the rest of the year. Some day when I am broke I will peddle it off. The ginks here all have to wear their category number on the shoulder strap. There is the A.1 class, A.2 class, A.3, B.1, B.2, B.3 and the best of all B.3.1.7.9 that is a green tag which means CANADA. That class or B.3 and B.2 have nothing to do here. They are sent to some other place and sorted out for Canada.

I wrote C. Williams a week ago but have had no answer. He must be in France with Badger. Yes G. Tate is a Lucky gink to get a job like he has. I wish I am as lucky. I have given up my notion for transferring into the R.F.C I have not put in for the 15th Battalion yet. If I have to go back again I will go with the Infantry this time. Sip Ball is going with me. And I know a few lads from Toronto in it. Alf Folliot from Aurora is in now. He transferred from the 220th into the 134th Highlanders. It is a all Kiltie regiment. One that has made a good name for itself at Vimmy Ridge over a year ago. Sip and I had our photos taken. I will send you one next week. They are not good of me tho. I can never get a good one of myself. I am allways fly catching. I like the Lady slippers and lillies you and Pauline had put in the letter. But I am afraid I can't keep them very long. All the trunk I have is my tunic pockets. My kit is knocked about so much I could not keep much in it long without going to pieces. But I must keep this last letter you have sent me. Well Merelda, I must close now. I will be anxiously waiting to hear how Arch has made out. I will write to the girls soon.

Au revoir, Best of Love and Wishes from Bro. Earl.

Jul 5, 1918, Purfleet letter to Merelda from Earl.

Dear Merelda, I guess I owe you a letter so I will try and scribble a few lines before bed time comes. I feel pretty blue to-night. I am on the reinforcement draft for France on the 8th of this month. 950 are going over to join the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th C.R.T. I made sure I would get to the 2nd again. We put in for our transfer Sip Ball and I. But it has not come thro yet. Maybe it will come thro before we leave, if not we will try when we got to our Batt. Sip is going to the 2nd this time. He thinks more of the 2nd than the 1st. Well you know it is hard to beat, ha-ha. It holds the record of the best railway troops in France. And there are 13 Batt of them. I had a letter from Lorne last night. He is at Hastings training in the R.A.F. He likes it fine. But I don't think I would tackle it. Three of the B.Coy Sergents went with him, McKettrick, Joe Watts and Saigle of Aurora. There are very few of the old boys left in B.Coy now. Locuas and Bowley wants me to hurry and get back with them. They are very good. Pals of mine. That photo of Sip Ball and myself I hate to send one home to you. It is awful of me. But will send it in the next letter I write and you all can have a good laugh at me. How is Arch. And is he out of the army yet?. I hope so anyway. There are thousands of other can take his place. They are not needed as bad as he is. I had a letter from May lately, she sent me a few snaps of the family. Say, but Madeline has grown some these last few years. And Hester looks just like her. Well Merelda I will now come to a close for this time. I will write home again before I leave. You best send me mail onto France now. The same old address will do.

Sap N.E. Campbell, 779051
B. Coy, 2nd Batt, C.R., B.E.F., France

I wrote to C.Williams and told him I could'nt get to Witley to see him. So maybe he will come up to Purfleet for the week end. I have a good notion to beat it to Witley without a pass. But I would get soak went I came back. Maybe 21 days in the clink.

Best luck and love to all, Au Revoir, Loving Bro, Earl
Write soon and tell rest.

Jul 6, 1918 postcard sent to Arch from Earl

Jul 7, 1918, King letter from Merle to Earl. Note that Earl sent his letter on June 20th and was received by Merle 17 days later.

Dear Earl,

I received your letter of June 20th today and will get busy & answer it or you will be sending me writing paper. We have had a very cool spring & summer here so far. Henry is toasting his feet on the stove damper, but I guess we will soon get it warm enough. I have a good garden & lots of fruit here when it gets ripe. I will be busy I guess. I wish you were here to fill the top of your cap with the harvest apples & pears & etc. I guess you would have more than your cap full, eh! Hazel and Walter don't know what to make of apples growing on trees, they thought they grew like potatoes. They see lost o strange things down here & have a good time. They are both growing like weeds.

Archie had to report at Niagara on Sat. he is not home yet but I think surely we can get him off, if he has to go no one deserves to get off. For you & Harold have certainly done his share too. I have been going to send you a box but have to learn how to bake with this awful stuff we have to use called war-flour, but some of these days you shall get one, if they don't stop us sending boxes. It is hard to say what the next order will be. I don't mind using the flour & doing without meat & etc. but if it comes to not sending boxes I think that is too much for they must be needed over there.

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