Hitchcox
Table of Contents
1. Hitchcox Letters Number 29
Writing from Barrie, Ontario, on a cold Tuesday during his First World War training, Dudley of the 76th Battalion Medical Staff pens a warm letter to his dearest Minnie. He shares updates on daily camp life, including his recent fever inoculation, a…
2. Hitchcox Letters Number 34
In this letter sent from Barrie, Ontario, shortly before Christmas, Dudley of the 76th Battalion Medical Staff writes to his dearest Minnie. He apologizes for a hurtful letter sent the previous day and asks her for holiday gift suggestions as local…
3. Hitchcox Letters Number 27
Writing from Barrie, Ontario, approximately three weeks before Christmas, Dudley of the 76th Battalion Medical Staff pens a warm letter to Minnie to thank her for a pair of handmade socks. He describes his current duty guarding a soldier quarantined…
4. Hitchcox Letters Number 30
Writing from Barrie, Ontario, shortly before Christmas, Dudley of the 76th Battalion medical staff sends his love to Minnie while detailing his recent military activities. He describes his first route march, his duties as a mess orderly, and a hectic…
5. Hitchcox Letters Number 28
Writing from his military barracks in Barrie, Ontario, on Christmas Eve, Dudley pens a warm letter to his darling Minnie to coordinate his upcoming travel plans for New Year's leave. Along with sharing updates about his daily life and letters from…
6. Hitchcox Letters Number 26
Writing from Barrie, Ontario, shortly after Christmas, Dudley of the 76th Battalion Medical Staff sends an affectionate letter to Minnie. He shares his thoughts on the holiday, describes the drunken behavior of fellow soldiers returning to camp, and…
7. Hitchcox Letters Number 31
In this letter written from a snowy Barrie, Ontario, Dudley of the 76th Battalion Medical Staff writes to his beloved Minnie while remaining behind on guard duty. He details his quiet winter routine, inquires about her health, and reassures her of…
8. Hitchcox Letters Number 32
Writing from the 76th Battalion barracks in Barrie, Ontario, during the winter, Dudley updates his sweetheart, Minnie, on his daily life, including route marches, mess duty, and Red Cross training. He also shares lighthearted gossip about mutual…
9. Hitchcox Letters Number 33
Writing from Barrie, Ontario, where he is stationed with the 76th Battalion medical staff, Dudley pens an affectionate letter to his beloved Minnie as he prepares for deployment. He reflects on receiving his final military equipment and the emotional…
10. Hitchcox Letters Number 6
Writing from Barrie, Ontario, during a wet spring season before Easter, Dudley of the 76th Battalion medical staff writes to his beloved Minnie to share his hopes for an upcoming month-long furlough. He discusses news of nearby battalions departing…
11. Hitchcox Letters Number 5
Writing from West Sandling, Kent, on June 2, 1916, Dudley sends a letter to his sweetheart Minnie sharing updates on his recent picquet duty in Hythe and the completion of his training at the ranges. He reflects on their past time together in…
12. Hitchcox Letters Number 20
Writing from West Sandling, Kent, in June 1916, Dudley sends an affectionate letter to his beloved Minnie while awaiting release from quarantine. He describes his rigorous military training, the sounds of a recent naval battle, and his longing for…
13. Hitchcox Letters Number 7
Writing from Belgium on August 13, 1916, Dudley sends a weekly letter to his darling Minnie, describing his experiences near the front lines while performing Red Cross duties. He recounts watching aerial combat, surviving a close-call shell explosion…
14. Hitchcox Letters Number 39
In this letter from August 19, 1916, Dudley writes from Belgium to his beloved Minnie, sharing details about his daily life with the 1st Canadian Division. He describes cooking camp meals, playing baseball despite nearby German shells, and preparing…
15. Hitchcox Letters Number 8
In this letter written from France on September 18, 1916, Dudley writes to his beloved Minnie in Toronto about his experiences with the 1st Entrenching Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division. He describes the cold, rainy weather, his unkempt…
16. Hitchcox Letters Number 9
Writing from France on October 1, 1916, Canadian soldier Dudley pens a heartfelt letter to his beloved Minnie, balancing expressions of deep affection with sober reflections on heavy Canadian casualties. He describes his dangerous work details near…
17. Hitchcox Letters Number 10
Writing from France in October 1916, Dudley of the 1st Entrenching Battalion sends an affectionate letter to Minnie asking if she has yet revealed their engagement to anyone. He reminisces about past summer canoe trips in Oakville and expresses his…
18. Hitchcox Letters Number 11
In this letter written from France on December 4, 1916, Canadian soldier Dudley writes to his sweetheart, Minnie, sharing his experiences of the freezing winter front and his longing to return home. He describes breaking ice in shell holes to wash,…
19. Hitchcox Letters Number 12
Writing from the British Expeditionary Force in France on December 14, 1916, Dudley (signing as Paddy) sends an affectionate letter to his beloved Minnie sharing hopes of an early peace and a swift return home. He discusses military censorship…
20. Hitchcox Letters Number 13
In this letter written from the British Expeditionary Force in France on January 10, 1917, Dudley writes to his beloved Minnie about the unforgettable, flashing spectacle of the firing line at night and a recent heavy German bombardment. Despite…
21. Hitchcox Letters Number 14
Writing from a shaking dugout in France on February 15, 1917, Dudley pens an affectionate letter to his beloved Minnie, expressing his deep longing to return home to Canada and marry her. Amidst the roar of nearby artillery, he shares hopes for a…
22. Hitchcox Letters Number 15
Writing from the British Expeditionary Force in France in March 1917, Dudley describes to his sweetheart Minnie his recent experience helping a medical officer treat captured and wounded German prisoners. Alongside expressions of his deep romantic…
23. Hitchcox Letters Number 35
Writing from France on March 20, Dudley expresses his love and anxiety to Minnie as he awaits her delayed letter from home. He describes the windy March weather and shares his joy over a recent visit from a mutual acquaintance, George Richie, which…
24. Hitchcox Letters Number 16
In this letter written from France on March 25, 1917, Dudley writes to Minnie to express his hopes of returning home to Toronto by the fall. He shares updates on the improving weather, laments missing Ruth's wedding while hinting at their own future…
25. Hitchcox Letters Number 36
Writing from France on April 7, 1917, Dudley pens a letter to his beloved Minnie expressing his optimism that the war will end before another winter. Alongside his thoughts on the United States entering the conflict and gossip from back home in…
26. Hitchcox Letters Number 37
Writing from the British Expeditionary Force in France in April 1917, a soldier named Dudley reassures his sweetheart Minnie of his safety following recent heavy fighting and wet trench conditions. He expresses his hope that the war will end this…
27. Hitchcox Letters Number 38
Writing from France on April 17, 1917, Dudley sends a letter to Minnie discussing their shared pastime of playing cards and his disdain for a critical officer named Captain Bailly. He also notes the arrival of American forces, sharing his experience…
28. Hitchcox Letters Number 17
In this letter written from France on June 9, 1917, Dudley writes to Minnie before heading into the trenches, expressing his longing for her and their home in Toronto while reflecting on Canadian slackers and his eight months of first aid service. He…
29. Hitchcox Letters Number 18
Writing from France in September 1917, Harold sends a letter to Minnie thanking her for a package of candies that he shared with the other boys. He also reflects on the dull weather and shares news regarding the tragic death of Harry Parker, a G.T.R.…
30. Hitchcox Letters Number 19
Writing from the British Expeditionary Force in France on September 30, 1917, Dudley sends this affectionate letter to Minnie to thank her for a welcome parcel containing a razor. He expresses a deep longing to return home to her, shares his hopes…
31. Hitchcox Letters Number 21
Writing from a trench dugout in France on July 25, 1918, Dudley pens a letter to his beloved Minnie, expressing his deep longing to be home with her and his recovery from a recent bout of influenza. Amidst the sounds of gunfire, he shares his hopes…
32. Hitchcox Letters Number 22
In this letter dated October 31, 1918, Dudley, a Canadian soldier recovering at a hospital in Eastbourne, writes to his sweetheart Minnie in Toronto. He shares updates on his recuperation from a leg wound, declares his unwavering fidelity to her, and…
33. Hitchcox Letters Number 23
Writing from a military convalescent hospital in Epsom, Surrey, on December 26, 1918, Dudley pens a letter to his beloved Minnie reflecting on his quiet and lonely final Christmas in the army. He expresses a deep longing to be reunited with her soon,…
34. Hitchcox Letters Number 24
In this affectionate letter sent from Oakville on September 2nd, Dudley writes to Minnie regarding a sudden scheduling conflict for their upcoming wedding on the 18th. Because their planned minister is unavailable, Dudley urgently asks Minnie to help…
35. Hitchcox Letters Number 25
Writing from Oakville, Ontario, on a Sunday, Dudley writes to Minnie to express his excitement for their upcoming wedding. He details his preparations for the ceremony, including his preference for a home wedding and his recent purchases of a striped…
36. Hitchcox Letters Number 41
Sent on May 3, 1917, G L Hitchie writes to an unidentified recipient using a standardized Field Service Post Card to convey that they are doing well. Hitchie also acknowledges the receipt of an April 1st letter and notes that a longer letter will…
37. Hitchcox Letters Number 40
Included with the Dudley letters was this booklet listing the people who formed the 76th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force which Dudley joined on his enlistment. Dudley is not listed in the booklet. It may have been produced in…