Description

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 coordinates his upcoming travel plans to visit her for the New Year. The 76th Battalion trained in Barrie starting in November 1915. This letter is written just after Christmas, 191576 Battalion Medical Staff Barrie. Ont Tuesday1 Dearest Minnie Just a few lines to say I received your nice long letter this morning also your short one yesterday. Am sorry your baby was troublesome Xmas day, it takes all the fun out of everything especially when you want to go out too. You seem to have been rather lucky with presents and they were rather nice ones I should imagine, but up to now I haven't had one, but I guess I'll get some next Christmas if I am alive, but really dearest I don't even expect many this year somehow, but we had a good time up here, and you should have seen the drunks they were terrible, and last night they started coming back from Christmas, and most of them had been drunk all the time they were away, but dearest, don't think I am going to get drunk on my holiday as I haven't had anything to make me happy and you may be sure I am looking forward to Thursday night and also to coming up to tea in the afternoon but don’t let Ruth know that I am go coming on that train that leaves here at twelve thirty as I wrote and told her I was coming for New Year’s Day. Now dearest please don’t think I am selfish, but I think I will go home on that midnight Thursday and come back for you Saturday or else I'll stay overnight, as I have to be back here I2 twelve o’clock midnight on Monday, so would like to be home as much as possible, but dearest don't think that I am going to forget you, as you are the main one I want to be with when I am down, and if I didn't have you to write to, and go and see, I might me bad as some of the fellows, but you may be sure we are going to have a dandy time together. I don’t know whether to bring my skates as there doesn't seem to be much skating down, but guess I will in case there is any.  Well dearest I don’t know of any more so will close now, and I guess there won’t be any time after this letter reaches you to write another, so good bye dearest with love and hopes of seeing you Thursday. your ever loving Dudley, xxx xxxxxxx