Jan. 17th 1918
Dear Doris,
It's a beautifully wet day, fit for nothing but letter writing so I'm going to get one off to you. – Long overdue I know, I have two of yours to answer. – I'm glad you found that snap interesting. – Your surmises were fairly accurate as you will see when I tell you that I am known to most people as “Red” – even the men in my section called me that (When they didn't think I was around) – the ribbon is that of the Military Cross. – Am enclosing a bit. – the two stripes on the sleeve are called “gore stripes”. – That's a new stunt in the army. – Each time a fellow gets wounded he puts up a gold stripe. Silly idea, I call it – They're going to give us chevrons for length of service as well now. – The French do that but they are strong on the grandstand stuff. – There really isn't much similarity, except in color, between our service packets and the ones your chaps wear. – The one I was wearing when the snap was taken isn't regimental really as I have my stars (rank markups) on my shoulders instead of on my cuffs as the other two chaps have, which is the proper way. The other pattern was done away with several years ago but I keep one “swank” jacket with little gilt stars to wear when I'm on leave. – Another difference is that we wear more of an open necked jacket with a soft khaki collar and tie. –
Enough talk about clothes, Though I dare say you find that a very interesting topic at times but more so regarding “vetements” of the fluffy variety, what? – Sure, your letter was a mess as you say, but I appreciate it all the more as you wrote on the train instead of putting it off for some more suitable time, which would have probably been a long time in coming. – Don't you worry, just go ahead and write any old time. – I'll read it whether it's written in pencil, ink, red paint or with burnt matches. –
I say, I am sorry you went to all that trouble to try and send me the sweets you mentioned. – They haven't turned up yet, but probably will in due time, as you said. – The reason I gave you that address in London was that I was being shifted around considerably after I went to hospital the last time and it only requires a day or two to notify my cousin over there if my address is changed so he forwards my mail to my latest address, - otherwise in April and May, they would have been following me from place to place all round the B.E.F. – However I am fairly settled where I am for now for some time yet (As far as one can tell in the army) So I'll give you the address “P.B. Co'y – Canadian Engineers – B.E.F. France”
Got that?
Your account of the young fellow enlisting in the engineers to the dismay of his mother would have been rather amusing if it wasn't so pitiful. – Especially the way her friends were comforting her. – Some people are built that way. – The less they know about anything, the more they can tell other people about it. Personally, ( I may have a one sided view) I can't see anything either tragic or heroic in a fellow's joining up. – I mean to say, what else can one do? – Provided of course, one hasn't a wife or mother dependent on his personal earnings and he is medically fit. – In that case, once a country is at War there is absolutely no choice, he is bound to go as a matter of course or be looked on as a weakling. – If the house a man is living in catches fire, is it particularly wonderful that he should voluntarily grab a bucket and run to the cistern for water? – If he didn't he would be looked on as a double barrel lunatic, what?
Had to quit this raving and go to play a couple of rubbers of bridge. – There are only three other bridge players in the mess at present and when they want a game, unless I make the fourth they give me no peace. – I can't play for nuts, but my partner plays a topping game and as luck favored me with good cards we managed to put the other people about 800 in the hole. – I've really had phenomenal luck at cards lately. – Hang it all, you know the saying tho don't you, “Lucky at cards, unlucky in love” so I'm anxiously waiting to hear which one of the “only” girls in the world has given me the bird.
Let's see, I haven't written you since I was in paris, have I? – That was in Oct. – Well, there isn't much to write about it. – I really didn't have much of a time. – Found it frightfully slow compared to london. – Of course I went down alone and that rather spoils it. - bumped into a couple of Am. chaps at the hotel and we mucked around together a bit. – Ripping fellows, both of them. – One of them, a gunner johnnie (we call all our artillery people “gunners” as a sort of nickname, irrespective of rank) from Birmingham, Ala. had just come over. – The other fellow had been over for some time, driving an ambulance in one of the American convoys – Had a letter from him just the other day – He had switched to the French Flying Corps. – My chief kick against Paris was the lack of music in the restaurants. – They take the war too blinkin serious. – Think it's awful to show any sign of gayety while it's on – Goodness knows it's bad enough, but it's no use pulling a long face about it, what? – Of course there may be a reason for it. – Probably is – As near as I can figure it out, this is it. – In peace times, Paris was famous (at least so we are led to believe from the usual type of musical comedy, “Merry Widow” for instance) for “wine, women and song. – When the war came along I suppose they felt called on to cut out something and decided that the “song” part of it should be banned for the duration.
I will give them credit for their meals, however. – The hors d'oeuvres (I daresay I've spelt it wrong but you know what I mean) at the Café de Paris – well words fail me – I have no idea at all of the number of different sorts they put in front of us and you wouldn't believe me if I told you.
The theatres didn't appeal to me very much. – I don't pretend to be a French scholar but I know the lingo well enough to get the general drift of a play.
No, take it all round, I don't think I shall spend a full leave there again if I can get to England. – London's heaps more fun and not really so expensive.
Am rather thinking of taking a trip to the south of France shortly as I am about due for leave again. – This is hardly the season when England is at its best, so I'll wait till May or June before going over there. (I'm awfully optimistic about these “leaves” of mine I suppose you think. – Well I might as well go ahead and plan them forever if they don't materialize I shall have had the pleasure of anticipation.
A little farther back, mentioned that our artillery people are spoken of generally as “the gunners”. In the same way, we in the Engineers are spoken of as “the Sappers” (among other things, not so very complimentary which I will leave to another letter to explain. Just remind me of it please if you care to hear any more.) The Sunday name of the corps to which we C.E.'s are affiliated and from a very minor branch is “His Majesty's Corps of Royal Engineers”
– Am also enclosing a bit of the R.E. regimental ribbon, (red and blue). – It is not a decoration.
Well, my dear cousin, I must quit and crawl into my flea-bag as it is late.
Cheerio and my love to all,
Murray