Dreams of Things That Were

The Wartime Correspondence of Harry William Manchester

L/CPL Harry William Manchester of the Canadian Provo Corps, at Elm Croft House, Preston Road, Brighton, England, circa 1941.

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  • Artifact 1939-09-10 – Letter To La Verne Woods

    Letter to La Verne Woods – September 10, 1939

    TRANSCRIPTION OF ARTIFACT CONTENT

    Dear La Verne:

    I finally have settled myself enough to write to you, even though it is the first letter I have written in a long time.

    Well I hope you are well. I am fine outside of the little touch of that hay fever which I get every year.

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  • Artifact 1939-12-17 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – December 17, 1939

    TRANSCRIPTION OF ARTIFACT CONTENT

    Dear Sister:

    Just a few lines to let you know I am fine, I did one guard last night from midnight until 6:00 A.M. this morning but didn’t intend a go on another one until tomorrow night at 6:00 PM.  It really is tough guarding.  You are plowing in white clay up to your ankles all around the joint.  This sure is a good place for a barracks it is just like a mansion (inside) alongside of ours in Windsor.

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  • Artifact 1939-12-23 – Christmas Card to La Verne Woods

    Christmas Card to La Verne Woods – December 22, 1939

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  • Artifact 1940-02-19 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – February 19, 1940

    TRANSCRIPTION OF ARTIFACT CONTENT

    Windsor, Ontario

    Feb 19/40

    Dear Frank:

    Just a few lines to let you know I am O.K. I was going to come down at 4 O’clock last night, but it snowed so hard that I thought I would put it off until some night during the week.

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  • Artifact 1940-05-07 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – May 7, 1940

    TRANSCRIPTION OF ARTIFACT CONTENT

    Windsor Ontario

    Tues. noon.

    Dear Frances:

    I think I promised you a letter, so here it is. It sure is hot this last couple of days isn’t it. We are almost cooking with these heavy clothes and equipment on.

    We went on the scheme last night. We left barracks at seven, and by the time we marched out there, it was dark. Then we got in some time between eleven and twelve. Then I had a nice hot shower before I went to bed.

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  • Artifact 1940-05-13 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – May 13, 1940

    TRANSCRIPTION OF ARTIFACT CONTENT

    Windsor Ontario

    Tues. Aft.

    Dear Frances:

    Just a few lines as I promised I’d write. I am over a Dot’s house in is really cool in here, compared to the barracks

    Our platoon went to Cedar Springs today but I didn’t get in until 8 o’clock and they were gone. I have to go on guard to-nite, which I’m glad of as I soon will just have fatigue work to do over the on the next duty next weekend. When you get it done you are off in the evening.

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  • Artifact 1940-05-26 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – May 26, 1940

    Transcription of Artifact Content

    Camp Borden

    Sun. nite

    Dear Frances:

    Just a few lines to let you know we arrived O.K. at five O’clock of course as soon as we got here we had to set our watches ahead an hour.

    We have been sort of busy this aft. But didn’t do much but sleep this morn. I wrote to Onnellee this morning right after breakfast but haven’t had any way of sending it out yet.

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  • Artifact 1940-06-02 (Assumed) – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – Unknown Date, assumed June 2, 1940

    Editor’s Note

    Editor Note – Unknown Artifact Original Date

    The actual date of this artifact is unknown because there is no envelope with postmarks, but believed to have been written during the first or second week of June, 1940.

    Transcription of Artifact Content

    Camp Borden

    Sun. aft.

    Dear Frances:

    Received your parcel O.K. and also a letter Fri. & Sat. Thanks a lot for the dinner. It was really swell. I just got the parcel about nine last night. I also got one from Pearl’s sister. It was a big chocolate box full of date cake & some candy. Well I had Marshall Healey over to our tent for dinner and of course I had Glen piper stay is he and I are in the same tent. The chicken & dressing was swell, but it is so warm in the day time I thought I’d better get it ate up.

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  • Artifact 1940-06-04 – Letter to La Verne Woods

    Artifact 1940-06-04 – Letter to La Verne Woods

    Transcription of Artifact Content

    Camp Borden, Ont.
    Tues. nite.

    Dearest La Verne:

    Your letter was a very pleasant surprise I sure did feel good when I saw your writing I opened it even before Onnellee’s.

    I had an address of yours, but I did thought you had moved since. So I asked Frances what it was in my last letter to her. She’ll probably send it in her next letter. But however I’m glad you got mine & wrote to me. I guess I’ve written about 25 or th 30 letters & I don’t know how many cards since I came a week ago.

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  • Artifact 1940-06-06 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Artifact 1940-06-06 – Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman

    Transcription of Artifact Content

    Camp Borden, Ont.

    Dear Frances:

    Was so glad to get your letter to-nite. I was looking for one from you. I didn’t get one from Onn. To-day. I guess she didn’t have time to write yesterday. Although it’s the first she’s missed this weeke.

    You sure had a lot of pullets out of that bunch of chicks. I hope you have as good luck with these others as you had with the last bunch. We were out on a scheme the other day & went into a farm house to get our canteens full. They were just bringing some baby chicks as we were there & Bob Diamond & I watched them put them out.

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Advance Party Air Raid Aldershot Barrie [Ontario] Base P.O. bombing Borden [Ontario] Camp Borden Charlie [Charles Manchester] cigarettes cigs Dot [Dorothy] Elton [Newman] England Essex Scottish Regiment Frances [Newman] Gladys Glen Piper Halifax Hospital Jimmie Tweedale Jimmie [Woods] Kiddies La Verne La Verne Woods La Verne Woods [née Manchester] London London [Ontario] major Marshall (Marsh) Healey military leave Onnellee [Reive] parade Pearl Pearl’s sister Peggy police Regiment Ross [Reive] ship sister tonsils Toronto [Ontario] train United Kingdom