Dated:
Letter from Frank Parker
Bramshott Camp, England,
Dec. 8, 1915.
Dear Parkers:
This is about the first chance I've had to write. It's not because we are so busy, but have been on
[Note: a portion of the newspaper page is missing]
We had no lunch with us and didn't get anything to eat from breakfast till about 3 p.m. when we pulled up at Exeter where a bunch of ladies had a long shaped bun done up in a paper bag with a ticket inside “Compliments of the Mayoress of Exeter.” Then they hustled us off again through long tunnels over hills. Oh talk about Muskoka or the North Shore road of the C.P.R., this country has that beat. When night came on the lights were lit and every blind had to be pulled down so that the train could not be seen by hostile aviators.
I have to take two nights at this as the Y.M.C.A. closed when I got this far.
We arrived at Liphook, a small village where the starving bunch got off and shouldered their packs, followed an officer with a lantern in his hand, to Bramshott Camp, a distance of about 2½ miles, arriving at near midnight.
The 54th Batt. arrived before us and had gone into our quarters down near the 35th who had made everything comfortable for us. You see the 35
th were in the same brigade with us at Niagara and when they heard we were coming, two hundred of them went into our huts and swept up, lit fires and the cooks had a hot supper ready and didn't know they had the 54th there till they were all inside, then of course they couldn't very well, tell them to go. However they got our treat and when we arrived our boys had to wait till the cooks made some “stew,” while we, the Sergts, were invited over to the 60th Batt. sergts' mess so didn't fare so badly.
Our huts are about 24x70 frame with clapboard sheeting outside and sheeted inside with a patent fire proof plaster put on in squares 3ftx3ft. There is one stove in each hut and it's about the size of a nail keg just like a small Quebec heater with brick lining just like them. We sleep on the floor and shiver till we sweat then we freeze off to sleep. Everyone has an awful cold and still it rains and is raw cold. Am going to Glasgow on Saturday. The whole band is getting passes, and I'm going with one of the boys to his home.
Roy has been sick but I saw him on parade this a.m. so guess he is allright again.
Write as often as possible and have as big a Xmas as possible.
Your loving Son and Bro.
Franklin.
