- * (x)
- Kent (x)
- Search results
-
-
Title
-
Diary #2, 1 July 1916 - 24 July 1917
-
Description
-
Consists of a diary kept by Gordon Stepler between 1 July, 1916 to 24 July, 1917. The diary is titled "A Soldier's Diary: My Personal Experiences and Impressions of the Great European War." It spans from his time in the Reserve Brigade at Shornecliffe, England until after his time at Vimy Ridge, France.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (02)
-
Date
-
1 July 1916 - 24 July 1917
-
Identifier
-
ASC34000
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:544250
-
-
Title
-
Letter to his Aunt Dollie from Gordon Stepler, August 14th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his aunt Dollie. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe. Aug 14/16. Dear Aunt Dollie I suppose you have been hearing all about me from Mother but I thought I would drop you a line anyway as I am in the letter writing business to-night. Well I have completed my course in gunnery now and am now what they called a spare gunner and I may be sent to France any day now. I will be leaving on the next draft they send over from here but no one knows when that will be. It may be in a few weeks or as it is getting towards fall it may not be until next spring. The course was very easy and I never had such an easy time in my life as we had no physical drill, foot drill or stuff like that but were on the guns. |page 2 We now will get a little physical drill or foot drill and a few fatigues but a lot of time we don't have anything. There is not much to do around here. There are towns all around here and Folkstone which is a big city is only a few minutes walk but you get sick of going there. We get up at six o'clock every morning so that you never get a chance to sleep in and you can not go to bed until the bunch goes. There are ten of us in a tent and so we are pretty crowded. They are all my chums though so that does not make it as bad. The grub we get is fierce and you can't buy anything decent outside as they are very slow about business here. The country around here is very pretty |page 3 I went down to Canterbury last week end and enjoyed it very much as there are many things to see there. The Cathedral is wonderful. I expect to get a six day leave soon and am going up to Scotland first and will stop off at London on my way back. I had some great fun yesterday horse back wresting and I know mother would enjoy seeing me. There are four to a side, you ride your horse bare-back and try to throw your opponents off their horses. We were practicing for a Field-Day they are leaving here soon. Well, here's hoping that this finds yourself, Uncle Jack & Betty well Gordon P.S. I am enclosing a picture I took of the tent.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
14 August 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19535
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:307917
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, August 20th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe, Aug 20/16 Dear Mother This is Sunday afternoon and I am writing this letter in a soldier's home near the camp. There are several soldier's homes around here where you can go to write or read and get refreshments. Ham and eggs, then sandwitchs [sic] and rock cakes are the only things they make around here. I have forgotten what a roast, steak or piece of pie looks like. The people are pretty slow and old fashioned around here for altho [sic] Folkstone is a city of about 40, 000 there is not a restaurant there where you can get a good meal. I have not rec'd any mail since last writing you but suppose I will get it all in a bunch. I have not rec'd [sic] those papers you |page 2 said Miss Meekison sent about a month ago or any parcels you may have sent. I have just got letters from you, Charlotte, Lorne Geddes, Bernie [Cummiford], Miss Drynan and Verna. When I first got here I sent long letters to [Abu Nettleton], Gladys Donaldson, [Barto] Watson, Edgar Sexton, Lytle, Marjorie Bagg, Jean Thompson, Verna, Helen Sulman, Mary Winlow and lots of others so I am wondering if they even get them as I have not had a line from any of them. It is very seldom that mail is ever censored from England to Canada but they sometimes take a few out and they may have been mine. I tried to get my week's leave a few days ago but did |page 3 not succeeded. I am going to try again to-morrow as I may be sent to France any time now and if I was put on a draft it would mean that my leave was all up. I don't think I will be going for quite a while yet as they do not need gunners badly now and it is getting late on in the season. You aren't supposed to get your weeks leave until you have been in the country three months but as we may be sent to France now they make a different allowance for us. I hope you get those snaps all right that I sent in my last letter. It may be of interest to you to know that Caverhill is a cousin of Florence Caverhill who is going to S.C.I. He has often visited in Strathroy and graduated from Trinity College this year. |page 4 year and so knows Lytle [Cummiford]. I am a spare gunman now and so am apt to do anything. Monday I shoveled coal all day and it was a dirty job. Tuesday I had 2 hours foot drill in the morning and got paid in the afternoon. We got £4 this time which is more than we should get. Let me know when my assigned pay reaches you. Wednesday we had a mobilization and every man in the camp had to appear in marching order ready to move away. We were inspected by a bunch of high officers and it took all day. We had bathing parade in the ocean at 5 a.m. so that we had a busy day. Thursday and Friday we had a couple of [?] drill in the morning and a [route] march in the afternoon. |page 5 We marched to a high hill near here. You can see the country all around from it but it is a tiresome tramp up. Saturday morning I practiced for an alarm race for the sports that are going to be held here soon. You have fair trams, a gun and six horses each. The horses are all unharnessed and are tied to the gun carriage and lie down. The gunners and drivers take part of their clothes off and lie down too. Then when the whistle is blown, everybody get up, gets dressed harness up the horses and gallops to a certain place, put your gun into action, lay it on a certain place and fire a dummy shell. You are judged by speed, the way the outfit is fixed up and the accuracy of the way your gun is laid. |page 6 I went to Folkstone in the afternoon and had a bath, and in the evening came home by way of the [leas] and listened to the band concert there. It gets dark a lot earlier now than it used to - about half past eight. We generally go to bed early and sing for an hour or two as there is not much to do. Well I guess this is all the news now. Love to Dad, Dorothy and yourself. Gordon.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
20 August 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19536
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:307925
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, August 31st 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe, Aug 31/16 Dear Mother, Well I am back at camp again. I had the time of my life on my leave but it was rotten coming back to camp again and makes the life here seem a lot worse. The best part of it was having decent meals and a good bed to sleep on. I found Margaret's cake waiting for me and two letters, one from Verna and one from Bessie when I got back. Peggy sent a swell fruit cake and my it was good. The parcel you sent arrived this morning and you may be sure I was glad to get it. It arrived in perfect condition but I was sorry the postage was so much. You showed good taste in what you put in it as everything was just what I wanted. A "Life" also came. |page 2 There was no name on it but I suppose it was from Miss Meekinson. I wrote you two or three letters on the way but in case I left out anything I suppose I might as well start from the beginning. Well, Harcourt, Caverhill, Colbeck, Coliton, Steele and myself left here on last Wednesday noon. We arrived in London about half past three and as our train did not leave for Glasgow until eleven o'clock we had some time to see the city. We first took a ride on a bus. They didn't have street cars in the central part of the city but double decked motor buses. They have girl conductors and they looked real snappy in their uniforms. We rode around by High Park to King's Cross and then got off. We went through Westminster Abbey. It |page 3 was very beautiful and we saw where all the kings and queens were buried, etc. We then saw Buckingham Palace. I was disappointed in it and did not think much of it. We also saw the Parliament Buildings, Queen Victoria's monument, Nelson's monument and London Bridge. By this time it was time for something to eat so we had a good meal. In the evening we went to the "Duke of Yorks" theatre and saw "Daddy Long Legs." [It was] fine. We took a taxi to the station but got separated in the crowd but thought we would meet at the train. Harcourt and I took the underground to Euston Station as that is the fastest way of travelling but we just missed it. Colbeck and Coliton got it but we |page 4 did not see anything of Caverhill & Stule till at the station coming back. Harcourt and I stayed in London all night and took the train in the morning. We arrived in Glasgow at 6.15 pouring rain. We went to a hotel first and then to the Glasgow "Alhambra" theatre and saw a good vaudeville show. First thing next morning we met Coliton and Colbeck so we were very lucky. The next morning we went to Edinburgh. It was raining so we first went to a hotel. Then we went to Edinburgh Castle. It is an old large castle built of stone on a steep rock and in the olden days must have been almost impregnable. There were old cannon and all the old fashioned implements of war in it also points of interest as Queen Mary's bedroom, the smallest chapel in Scotland - St. Margaret's - and other things. We then walked down through an |page 5 [?] rather poor part of the city, by the John Knox house to Holywood Castle. It is where the old kings and queens of Scotland used to live. It contained many interesting things of historic importance. We then walked along Prince's Street which is the prettiest street I ever saw, as it is one of the most beautiful in the world, passed Scott's monument which is over 200 ft high and very elaborate, to the Royal Scottish Museum. We went in and saw the statues, paintings and other works of art. It is one of the best collections in the world. The original cartoons of the war by the famous Louis Raemaekers were there. By this time I was late so we went back, had lunch and went to a theatre in the evening. The next morning we went back to Glasgow in time to take the boat trip down the Clyde in the "Isle of Arran." The first part down was through all the dockyards and the greatest ship-building plant in the |page 6 world. All kinds of boats were there. you could see battleships, big merchantmen, destroyers, submarines etc, in all stages of completion - from first a framework to the finished article. We had a good dinner on the boat and reached the town of Dunoon about half past one and had an hour ashore. It is an old fashioned old Scotch town where they had not seen many Canadians and we were sort of looked upon as curiosities. It's as far down the Clyde as pleasure boats are allowed to go for fear of subs and we then took a cruise through the lochs. The scenery was wonderful. The lochs were deep and narrow and high hills rose on each side. Most of them were covered with purple heather and many of them were rocky. Some had an old castle on top where some old lord used to reside. After seeing the Gareloch we came back via Dunoon, had afternoon tea and supper on the boat, and got into Glasgow again. |page 7 about eight o'clock. We went for a walk around the city till it was time to go to bed. The next morning we saw the Art Galleries and Museum and of course saw many wonderful things in there. Saw all the statues you see pictures of in your Ancient History and Latin book. Also saw Glasgow University. We were so fed up with seeing things that we went to see a show in the afternoon. It was a movie "The Battle of the Somme" - and shows the real pictures of the great drive since July 1st. They are the actual pictures of the battle, so if it comes to Canada and you want to see what war is like, see it. It is a rather gruesome thing though. We went to a theatre at night and took the evening train |page 8 for London again. Traveled all night and got to London in the morning. It was raining so we went to a hotel. We saw London bridge and the Tower in the morning. The Tower was worth seeing because of the historic importance of the different things in it and all the old fighting implements it contained. Also saw all the crown jewels and you can imagine what they are like. We then came back to the hotel and decided that we had done enough sight seeing as it was pouring rain. This is all the paper I have and as I was too lazy to go downtown to-night after more, I will continue to-morrow. |page 9 (9) Friday It was raining Tuesday afternoon and so was not very good for [sight seeing] so we ordered seats for Razzle-Dazzle at the "Empire." It is a swell theatre and believe me it was some show being about the best now playing in London. There were about fifty in the orchestra and there were hundreds of pretty girls on the stage at once. In the evening we went to the "coliseum" and saw a fine vaudeville show. I sure did see some great shows while I was away. The Royal Alex in Toronto can't be compared with them. The next morning we left for camp again and arrived about |page 10 noon. It was pouring rain and we got soaking wet coming up from the station. It had been raining continuously at camp for three days and there was about six inches of mud around the tents so that we had a nice welcome for us. McMurtry, Shipley, and Keith who are taking the signalling course had to move to another tent and they put three other fellows in who we are not stuck on. They are good and sick of their signalling now. They had quite a lot of excitement while I was away. I am glad I missed most of it except the Zepp raid. The Zepps tried to raid the district |page 11 around here one night and the camp way up all night. The search-lights, anti-aircraft guns and our own aircraft drove them off. The only damage they did was to kill two horses at Folkestone. The next morning at four o'clock there came our order for mobilization and the whole camp had to turn out. It was pouring rain and they had to stay out for two hours. It rained for the next two days and when you get wet here you have no way of getting dry until the sun shines again. I was sorry I could not get any pictures of the trip. It was raining on two days and dull most of the time. Besides |page 12 there are very strict laws all over against taking pictures. I got my Kodak out on the boat trip down the Clyde, as the sun was shining a little, and almost got arrested as the shipyards are there. There were five drafts from Canada came in while I was away so that they will have to do something with some of us as the camp is overcrowded now, and I am among the oldest here now.The ammunition column when all gunners went first in France has been done away with, and so they have more gunners there than they need. I liked Scotland fine, better than London. There are |page 13 not as many Canadians up there. There were an awful lot of Australians & New Zealanders in London, some Canadians and very few Imperial troops. Coming down from Glasgow to London, there were three sailors in our compartment who have been in all the naval battles of the war and they were telling us all their experiences. They worship Admiral Jellicoe. In the Jutland battle, there was a fog so thick that you could not see your hand in front of you. If it had not been for that the whole German fleet would have been wiped out. You remember seeing in the account of the battle in the paper |page 14 that the British thought they sunk one of Germany's biggest super-dreadnoughts but the Germans did not admit it. These sailors were on the destroyer that sent the torpedo, and saw the battleship disappear with a big flash and smoke and are positive it was sunk. Hundreds of German submarines have been sunk but the British do not talk about it until the Germans acknowledge their losses, just to keep them guessing. The Germans never know what happens to their submarines - Jellicoe does. No prisoners are ever taken in the navy. |page 15 Pay day was the day after arriving back in camp and so my life was saved. I got weighed while I was away and weighed 175 lbs so you had better get rid of all my old clothes. I have not been over to the mess room since getting back as I can not stand the food there after just getting back and having good meals. Well I think this is the longest letter I ever wrote and guess I had better quit now. Your loving son. Gordon
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
31 August 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19541
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:307953
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, September 15th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe. Sept 15/16 Dear Mother,- Have rec'd several letters from you since last writing so you see I am getting them all. I got ten letters Wednesday but then often don't get any for quite a while. There is not much news to tell you just squad drill every morning until 10.30 and physical exercise in the afternoon until about 3.30. I was on cookhouse fatigue one afternoon as every one hates physical jerks. We had to cut up green beans. This afternoon I managed to drop out of the parade as it was going by the W.C. and am now over at the Papilion Soldiers Home. It has been pretty cold the last two days and as it came rather sudden we feel it especially |page 2 at night. It is also nasty getting up at reveille in the morning. The moon and stars are shining and it is very cold. Also cold getting washed. It is getting dark earlier now (about 7.30). We are not supposed to have candles in our tents at night because of air raids but we generally manage to keep them going until about 9.30 and then the military police makes us put them out. We got paid yesterday afternoon. It was one pound ten this time. My pay has varied from one pound ten to four pounds so you can't tell what you are going to get. However our draft has been paid higher than any other draft here. |page 3 I was talking to Oscar Davis the other day. He was on his weeks leave and was visiting some relations in Folkestone. I am going to try and get a week end free soon and will go to London Saturday and Whitley Sunday to see the 155th. Well I guess this is all the news there is to tell you. Love to Dad Dorothy & yourself. Gordon P.S. My washerwoman lost one of my washings containing a [suit] of underwear socks and [?] so you can send over some more socks now.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
15 September 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19545
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310028
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, October 6th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe Oct 6/16 Dear Mother I rec'd three letters from you yesterday and of course was glad to get them. Wasn't it too bad about Mr. Cummiford. I did not acknowledge that Life Miss Meekison sent as there was no name or anything on it to tell who it was from. Well I am in the Second Reserve Battery no longer. I am on a |page 2 4.5 howitzer battery. There were two of them found one under Major Simpson of Guelph and the other under Major Harris of Vancouver. I am on Major Harris. All the officers and noncoms are men that have been to the front and the men are nearly trained so that we won't be staying here very long. Harcourt, Colbek and about ten other Varsity |page 3 fellows are on it. It is much nicer going over as a battery as you stick together. When going over on draft you are all separated. We also get used a lot better and you get to know your officers and fellows in the battery. When going over on a draft and you are put in a battery, they naturally give the new fellows all |page 4 the dirty work to do. If I stayed in the Reserve I would probably be put on the next draft of eighteen pounders in about for or five weeks. The last two drafts of eighteen pounders from here were put on trench mortars instead. They are called the "suicide club" as they are about the most dangerous branch of the service |page 5 so no one wants to get on them. There is no danger of me being put on them now that I am in a battery. A draft of 4.5's with some of the second draft of the [8]th on it left for France this morning. McMurtry & Shipley are almost through their course in signalling and they expect to leave for France in two |page 6 or three weeks. I think the new battery is going to be called the 2nd Howitzer Battery and it is going to help the 2nd Canadian Division which is on the Somme. I was talking to a returned last night who said there were about 100,000 Canadians fighting on the Somme alone now. They don't leave the returned's here very |page 7 long. As soon as they are able to move around they are sent back to the front. It does not seem fair as there are lots of soldiers here who have never seen the front but they want experienced men. It has been raining off and on all week here and so the weather has been rather rotten but I guess this is the kind of weather they get here all fall. |page 8 So Billy Rapley had that one cent sale. What did Dad let him get ahead of him [for]. He had better wake up! Have you taken any maps this summer that you could send me. Dorothy will be so grown when I get back that I won't know her. Guess this is all the news now. Your loving son Gordon.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
6 October 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19550
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310133
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, October 9th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe, Oct 9/16 Dear Mother, There is not very much news to tell you as none of us know what is going to be done with us, but this camp is going to be changed around a lot in a few days. As far as we know the artillery will all move to a place called Merryfield for the winter except the two new batteries. The cavalry who are in Somerset |page 2 Barracks just beside us are to move to Canterbury. The two new batteries are then going to move into Somerset Barracks. They are five quarters being the best around here and Shornecliffe Camp is supposed to be the best in England. We will be in buildings then, as it will soon be getting too cold an wet for sleeping in tents. The rest of the camp is going to be a hospital or for Imperial |page 3 troops or something. Of course none of us know what is going to be done with us until it happens. We are still sleeping in the same tent in 2nd Battery and get our meals there. The tent will soon be broken up and of course we are sorry but going over with [this] battery, the battery sticks together. The others will be all separated in France. Caverhill started an officers course to-day. He was a qualified lieutenant in the cavalry and a graduate of [Trent/Trinity] when he |page 4 enlisted. Last week the new battery was just putting in time. We would go[crossed out] march down to the seaside and sit along the beach until it was time to go back or else go [in] a bush and eat berries. On Sunday we brought our guns up from the station. They are 4.5 howitzers of the latest type, direct from the arsenal. This morning we received our [?] [desks], field dressing and ration bag from the quartermaster and this afternoon we had section gun drill for an hour. We will be getting down to work now and it will be quite a change. Guess this is all now. Love to all. Gordon.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
9 October 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19551
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310146
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, October 22nd 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Shorncliffe, Oct 22/16 Dear Mother,- This is Sunday night again and I am over at the Papillion Soldier's Home writing. It has been pretty cold here the last few days but we got two more blankets each [?] to-night so it wont't be as cold at night. We are still sleeping out in tents. This morning we practiced gun laying and I laid in the tent and read one of Aunt Dollie's Sat Eve Posts in the afternoon. Yesterday afternoon I went down to Folkestone. I had supper at the Connaught Club and after I went to the Pleasure Gardens theatre there. I saw George [Formly] in Front Folly and it was a real good show. It gets dark early now about five o'clock and there are no street lights and no lights are allowed |page 2 to be seen from windows because of Zepp attacks. This taken away a lot of the pleasure of going down. I think I told you in my last letter that the first part of the draft had left. Another one was picked a few days ago with the rest of the fellows of the first 67th draft on it. They will probably leave Tuesday and I would have been on it if I had not been put on this new battery. Well this is all I can think of now as there has been nothing exciting happening. I am enclosing a few snaps. With love. Gordon My new address is 83rd Howitzer Battery C.F.A Ross Barracks Shornecliffe Eng
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
22 October 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19556
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310178
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, October 25th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Ross Barracks, Shornecliffe Oct 25/16 Dear Mother, Rec'd your letter of Oct 7 to-day and although there is no news to tell you I thought I would drop you a line to let you know I am all right. It has been raining all day and we had gun laying down in the gun sheds. The mud around the tents is fierce but there are good roads around here - better than those in Toronto so that when you get on them you are all right. It has been raining part of nearly every day here for the last week but when it rains it is not as cold. However when you get wet you can't get dry until the weather clears up. We are still in tents and it looks as if we are going |page 2 to stay here until we go to France. The rest of the first daft from the 67th left for France early this morning. It was raining and there was a strong wind blowing so that they would have a rough trip across the channel. If I had not been put on this new battery I would be going too. We are still getting good meals in the new battery. We got poached eggs on toast and coffee for breakfast Sunday. We never got eggs, toast or coffee in the Second Battery. Don't send any more socks over until further notice as I won't need them. If any body wants to send anything, candy, eats, cigarettes etc would be far more acceptable. Well I guess this is all the news I can think of now. Lots of love for Dorothy, Dad & yourself. Gordon My address is No 337810 Gunner W.[G.s.] 83rd Howitzer Battery. CFA Ross Barracks Shornecliffe Eng
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
25 October 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19557
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310182
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, October 30th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Ross Barracks, Shornecliffe Oct 30/16 Dear Mother Am just dropping you a line to let you know I am all right as a mail leaves to-night and I may not get a chance again for a couple of days. Well we have been getting lots of wet weather and the mud around the tents is fierce. It has rained almost every day for two weeks. We are still in tents and so are not very comfortable but we expect to move to-night. We are going to move over to Risboro Barracks and expect to be very comfortable. I think there are going to be five of us in a room and they have gas and a grate fire so it will be quite a welcome change. I received your parcel Sunday and sure was glad |page 2 to get it. Also got a Sat. Eve Post from Aunt Dollie and a Sat Night from Miss Meekison so I had something to read Sunday. I went over to the Papillion Soldiers Home and read there as it was pouring rain and very disagreeable weather. Because of the bad weather we can't make much headway and so may not leave here until Spring. Our horses have not come yet either. Well this is all the news now but will write in a couple of days and I will be able to tell you more then. With love Gordon P.S. That battle with the German destroyers was just off the coast here but none of us saw anything of it.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
30 October 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19558
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310185
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, November 1st 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Risboro Barracks, Shornecliffe Nov 1/16 Dear Dad, Rec'd the parcel you sent all O.K. and also the M.O. I have not spent any of it yet but it is nice to have something in case you should need it. What two months were my assigned pay for? I guess it [went] just before Aug & Sept. We sure have had a fierce time here the last two weeks raining every day and still in tents. We had to be out by the end of the month so it was just like the army to leave us there till the 31st. The mud was six inches deep around the tents and a pond of water under the boards. |page 2 P.S. You need not show this to Mother if you think it will worry her. The tents leaked, everybody was wet and several tents blew over in the storm but we managed to keep ours up. A cigarette is quite a comfort in weather like that. Nearly every body had wet feet as the boots we get issued in Canada are just like blotting paper. I had not worn one of my pair and had traded them for a pair of British issue and so I had dry feet. However it is all over and we are in fine quarters now. It is hard to prophecy when we are going over but we expect It will be in a few weeks so I am giving my address as the Army Post Office. Must close now as it is mail time and they are coming around. Gordon.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
1 November 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19559
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310190
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, November 2nd 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Risboro Barracks, Shornecliffe Dear Mother, Rec'd your letter of Oct 17 to-day and was glad to get it as our mail has not got started coming here right yet and I just got this one by chance. Well we are in fine quarters now and it is a welcome change as it was fierce in the tents the last two weeks. We are in a terrace of houses which were the married mens quarters of the permanent garrison before the war and were just built a few years ago. There are cement walks all around and paved roads. They are on the outskirts of the town of Cheriton which touches Folkestone. There is a room and kitchen with closet adjoining downstairs and two rooms upstairs. There are nine in a house. Colbeck Redmond and |page 2 myself have the downstairs room. There is a grate stone in the room a sort of combination open grate with oven and stone attached so that we can cook things. There is a cupboard for keeping things in and gas-light. We have a table, three chairs and a bench but don't expect to keep them long as everybody is swiping things. We sleep on the floor. The old Second Battery is in huts and these are a lot better quarters than they leave. All of the rest of the draft I came over with except the dozen that are on this battery are in France. They have been all broken up and are in different batteries and some of them have been up at the front. It is reported that another draft of 95 is on its way from the 67th |page 3 so there won't be much left of them. We are still working on the guns. Forty-five of our horses arrived yesterday and that means extra work as we have to spend from 6.30-7; 11.30-12 am + 4-4.30 pm cleaning and feeding them. The [drivers] look after them the rest of the time. I wish you would send over some Oxo cubes a small tin of cocoa, prepared coffee of something like that as we can heat them up now - that is if we are not moved by the time the parcel arrives. Would also like a box of [?] and cold tablets. We don't know how long we are going to stay |page 4 here as you never know anything about your future in the army. I want my mail sent to the Army Post Office now as I may be moved any time. Well I guess this is all the news now. Love to Dad, Dorothy and yourself. Your loving son Gordon No 337810 ------ 83rd Howitzer Battery Canadian Field Artillery Army Post Office London Eng I sent Dorothy a bunch of pics a few days ago. That picture of Ross barracks is the old one as the present Ross Barracks is a nice looking building. All them were [taken] before the war.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
2 November 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19560
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310193
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, November 13th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Risboro Barracks, Shornecliffe Nov 13/16 Dear Mother Rec'd your letter to-day and of course was glad to get it. You and Mary are getting to be awfully gay and frivolous. Well there is no special news except that I was up in London for the week-end. However, Colbeck and some of the fellows left here noon Saturday. We got in to London about 4.30 and fooled around for a while and then had a good dinner. At night we went to the Ambassadors theatre and saw "Pell-Mell". It was a revue which is a new kind of show something like a musical comedy and was fine. After the show we had lunch |page 2 at the Strand Corner House. We stayed at the Barrington Hotel which was a very nice place over night. [crossed out] Next Sunday morning at 9.15 I took the train for Bramshott as that is where the 134th was. When I got there I was told that they had moved there [in] four days ago to Witley again so I took the bus there and found them all right. I saw [Doe Bendar], Dave Campbell, the McCabes, Russ [Bultery], Ralph Newton and a few others but most of the fellows from Strathroy had left for the ranges to shoot. I left there at 4.30 again and got back to London about six. We had dinner and then fooled around the Strand and had some fun until train time |page 3 The train for Shornecliffe left about 9.30 and we got back to camp about midnight. The district around Witley is very quaint, picturesque and old-fashioned but I think I would sooner be at Shornecliffe as things are a lot more up to do to around here and we have a big city and lots of towns close by us to go to. We are having regular summer weather now. Have not had any ice or snow or cold weather here yet but we get lots of rain instead. I ordered my pictures the other day. I got two kinds and am enclosing the proof of the one I did [underscored] not get. Am also enclosing some |page 4 more snaps twenty. I sent twenty the other day and hope you got them all right as I hear they have started censoring some letters. Have not you taken any you could send me? Please give the [hint] to any body interested that I don't need socks now. Did I tell you that that laundry I lost came back the other day? However other things are always welcome. I got a nice parcel from the [M. A chap IODE] the other day - towel, [?], candy, soap and cgttes. Well I guess this is all the news I can think of now. Love to Dad & yourself and congratulate Dorothy for me for getting on so well at school. Your loving son Gordon P.S. Saw an ["Oji"] at Witley with all those silly letters in it. Who gave you permission to publish them? I will let you know if I want any more published.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
13 November 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19562
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310197
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, November 23rd 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Risboro Barracks Shornecliffe Nov 23/16 Dear Mother, Rec'd a couple of letters from you last mail - also the papers with my letters in. I sure am glad that you left out the personal parts. There is not much news to tell you. We go out for a ride on the guns every day now. A couple of days we went through the town of Chilton and then through Folkestone. Another day we went way out in the country and around through the hills. It is an easy and good way of seeing the |page 2 country. It is very pretty as it is picturesque and old-fashioned and the country is hilly. We are getting lots of rain and the mud is fierce. Our horses get pretty dirty. I have a nice horse and we are getting to be great friends. We are not getting the good meals now that we used to as we have a different cook. I think the old cook was giving us too good meals and the higher authorities were not getting enough graft out of it. However I think he is coming back before we go to France. I am sorry that those last socks you sent |page 3 are so tight around the legs. They are plenty long enough but it took me twenty minutes to put them on so I had to leave them on until they got dirty. They would be all right that size if the wool stretched a lot but that kind of wool did not stretch. So you can take the tip. I am trying to go over the hills to Dover Sunday as it is an interesting place I would like to see. I don't know whether I will be able to go over to Ireland or not but it won't be my fault if I don't. Would like if you would send over in the next |page 4 letter a M.O for fifteen dollars as I will probably need it by then. My photos cost a lot as I got them at a classy place, then there is Xmas coming on, I need a good meal occasionally, it costs a lot of money to go on leave and so the need. Last pay day we got five dollars to do two weeks. I was awfully glad to get those snaps. I am sending back some old ones of mine you can keep for me. This is all the news I can think of now so will have to close. Love to Dad, Dorothy and yourself. Your loving son Gordon
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
23 November 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19564
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310216
-
-
Title
-
Letter to Mrs. Stepler from Gordon Stepler, November 29th 1916
-
Description
-
Consists of a letter written by Gordon Stepler to his mother, Mrs. Ethelwyn Stepler. Transcription is as follows: Risboro barracks, Shornecliffe Nov 29/16 Dear Mother Rec'd a couple of letters since last writing you and of course was glad to get them. Also rec'd Aunt [Marnie's] Xmas parcel and altho it is rather early for Xmas was glad to get it now, as I can make good use of it and will probably get a bunch around Xmas time. We have been going out for rides every day lately to get our horses trained. We go out through the country and so see it well and see some very pretty sights. Everything is so old-fashioned and picturesque. We also go along the top of the high |page 2 hills near here and you get a great view of the country. You get a bird's eye view of Folkestone and several towns, Shornecliffe camp, and the Straits of Dover with all the boats sailing by. One of the biggest hills is called Caesar's Hill. It was a perfect place for a camp in the old days, the sides being steep and it can only be approached from one side. There is an old moat around it and other relics of the olden days, and many battles have been fought around it. Caesar first landed in Britain near here and this is where he made his camp. The whole battery went out to-day for a field day in |page 3 a pasture field across the hills. We went in heavy marching order and carried everything we possess, but as we sit on our blankets and our kit-bags are carried on the [limbers] and waggons [sic], that does not worry us much. We had dinner out there, which consisted of a cheese sandwitch [sic]. Colbeck and I went over to Dover last Sunday. We took a motor-bus and the road was along the chalk cliffs overlooking the sea part of the time and was very pretty. We passed by the Royal Naval Aerial Depot where the areoplanes and airships that are always |page 4 flying about and passing to and from France are kept. The air sheds are great, big [basins], clear of all beams on the inside, and the walls are supported by steel girders leaning on the outside. The door is as big as the whole end of the building, is hinged at the bottom and worked by machinery. We have a new type of an air ship here. It is as big as a Zepp but is a different shape, being like two sausages on the bottom and one on top, with a big rib through the centre. The ends are blunt. The gas bag is made of aluminum. The old type are fish or cigar shaped. They fly over the channel and help |page 5 the fleet as scouts and hunt submarines. Dover is an interesting place but the chief thing we saw was the waterfront. It has a great harbour and there were lots of battleships, destroyers, hospital ships, subs etc. in it. The Channel Fleet had just returned from chasing those German destroyers who tried to raid the Channel two days before. The town is hilly and Dover Castle stands on one of the cliffs but I did not go to see it as I have been fed up with that sort of stuff. Expect to go to London again then week end and |page 6 then Monday we expect to leave here for firing practice. I guess this is all the news this time so will close. Your loving son, Gordon.
-
Type
-
text
-
Fonds
-
Dorothy Stepler fonds (F0170)
-
Accession / Box
-
1998-037 / 001 (04)
-
Date
-
29 November 1916
-
Identifier
-
ASC19565
-
Identifier (PID)
-
yul:310218