BX January 19, 1918 

Note: Alfred Gray enlisted under the name Alexander William Anderson

Strong Appeal from Trenches for a Letter – Brantford Boy Disappointed at Not Receiving a Call from Postie – Praise for the “Y” - A strong appeal for letters from his home town has been received from Pte. Alfred Gray by Mrs. M.A. Colquhoun, he writes:

Mrs. Colquhoun

Dear Madam,

As it is only a few days from Christmas, and seeing all the 215th boys receiving lots of mail and parcels from the ladies of Brantford, I felt sure that you would be interested in my case. I have received no boxes or mail since I left Canada, my mother being a widow and having an invalid sister to support out of my pay, I know that they cannot afford to send me anything. I can assure you, Madam, it is not for the contents of a box, but there is nothing more disappointing than to stand and hear the P.O. Corporal cry out every name except yours. The boys receiving boxes from their people always share the contents with the rest of us, but if you could only see the pleasure expressed in the faces of the boys receiving mail. I feel perfectly sure that all the ladies taking part in this work would feel more than repaid for any trouble they may have gone to on behalf of the boys out here. I would ask you to give my name and number to any lady interested in my case. As I have said before, it is not for the contents, but the pleasure it gives to get mail. I may say that I was in Sergt. Lloyd’s platoon of signallers at Brantford and I can assure you that I hope and pray that we will all be back safe and sound in Brantford after another Christmas has passed.

The boys of the 215th over here asked me to give our best regards to Lloyd and we hope he is well. We are having very cold weather over here, and it is no fun to “stand to” for 10 or 12 hours, but what would surprise a stranger most in the line is the cheerfulness of the boys. Even the wounded are cheerful. I remember one occasion; a fellow got wounded badly in the arm and drew a mouth organ from his pocket and to the amusement of us all started playing “Home, Sweet Home.”  To take the more serious side of the war, I remember a Hun crying for help, and an officer went to help him, and in return the Hun took a shot at him with his revolver. He didn’t last long. A big Scotchman, bursting with anger, soon made short work of the Hun. There is one thing I would like the people of Brantford to know; that is, now the boys appreciate the work of the Y.M.C.A. They are right in the line cheering the boys and distributing hot tea and biscuits, cigarettes and hot soup, and a man has to be half-frozen before he can understand what that means as we have been many times. Also the work of the C.A.M.C. Most of the men used to think that the Red Cross had a bomb proof job, but that impression soon left them here. When they see them attending to the wounded while bullets and shrapnel are flying all around, and they have to carry the wounded about five miles, with roads past description, but that remind one of a sponge, each hole in the sponge representing a shell hole, the carriers slipping every second step into a hole up to their waist in green, slimy water. Their patient is always in their thoughts, and I have never tumbled off the stretcher. So you can understand that the boys of the Red Cross went up in our estimation quite a bit.

Well, we will be watching Fritzy this Christmas, and if it is like the last there won’t be much doing. People in Canada hear a lot about hate in the trenches, but it is all imagination. Just as soon as any of the Fritzies are captured our boys put themselves to a lot of trouble to make them comfortable, giving them cigarettes, hot coffee, etc. Well, I will have to close this letter, trusting that you won’t think me too forward in writing, as I certainly feel down hearted when I see all the boys writing to their friends and receiving letters, and myself waiting for the letter that never comes. I ask you also to excuse the writing and grammar, as we haven’t any conveniences here.

I remain, yours sincerely,

Pte. Alf Gray

BX March 26, 1918

February, 1918

France

To the Editor of the Expositor

Sir,

I am writing these few lines to thank you for publishing my letter to Mrs. Colquhoun in your valuable paper. I have tried to answer all the letters I received, but I would like through the medium of your paper to thank all the ladies and gentlemen of Brantford for their interest and kindness. I only wish I could visit every one personally to tell them how much I appreciated all their beautiful gifts and encouraging letters. I can assure you, dear friends, it was with no small degree of pride that I passed around what one of the fellows called “Honest to goodness cake,” followed by dandy chocolates, gum, cigarettes, etc. I am quite sure if the senders of the boxes could only have seen the happy faces of the boys receiving a share of the good things they would have felt well repaid for the enormous trouble and expense they have went to on our behalf. I have been asked by numerous ladies of Brantford what are the best things to send a soldier in France, and the boy’s benefit I will mention the most useful things I can think of:  Cake, confectionery, smoking and chewing tobacco, candies, ready-made coffee, cocos, towels, writing paper, magazines, preserves and cigarettes. Any soldier receiving any of those will sure find them useful. I am writing this in my dugout 50 feet underneath the surface of the ground, and there isn’t much convenience for writing. We have had lovely weather until today, but it is raining again and we leave supports for the front line tomorrow, so we are all hoping the rain will stop before we go up. We work every night for about five or six hours fixing trenches or carrying rations. But when we are in the front line we stand looking over the top awaiting Fritzy, from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m., but he has been very quiet lately and we will keep him that way. I seen four prisoners being marched to headquarters and there wasn’t any of them more than 16 years of age. But judging by their faces they were very happy about being captured. I will have to draw to a close as I hear the mess orderly crying, Dinner up (stew and tea), and I’ll have to get a hustle on as mess orderlies are like time, they wait for no man. In closing I ask you to convey to all the ladies of Brantford my sincere thanks for their kind wishes and lovely presents.

Pte. Alf Gray

BX May 14, 1918

Efficiency of Postal Corps – Pte. Gray Received Parcel from Girls of Barber-Ellis Plant

Pte. Alfred Gray pays a high tribute to the efficiency of the British and Canadian overseas postal corps, in writing to the girls of the Barber-Ellis Company, who had sent him a box of good things. The box traveled much of France and finally reached him in hospital in London Pte. Gray writes:

April 16, 1918
London, England

The Girls, Barber-Ellis Co.,
Brantford, Ont.

Dear Girls (every one of you)

I guess you will be very surprised to hear I received your lovely box of good things and you will also be surprised to know that the box followed me all over France and finally arrived to me last night at the military section, Metropolitan Hospital, Kingsland Road, London. So you will understand why I haven’t written you all sooner. I can assure you it was with no small degree of pride that I handed round the dainties to the other patients in the ward, especially the Canadians. I was the only Canadian to come over on the boat from France, but I had the good luck to be put in a ward with about seven other, and I can assure you that the boys that got some maple sugar and gum, with a chunk of real chocolate, were tickled, as it is very hard to get anything (any good) in the way of candies. The Canadian Red Cross in London is very kind to all our boys here, bringing us lovely fruit, and when we first arrived they sent us a new shaving outfit and hair brush and comb, etc., etc., also Canadian papers. Every one, in fact, that I came in contact with was extra kind to all us boys ever since we left the First Canadian Clearing Station, and as I’ve often said, it was worth going through the troubles and hardships just to get back to old Blighty. We have a real good time over here – lots of music, concerts, picture shows, games etc., etc., and all the nurses and sisters are very attentive and kind to us all. We are allowed out for walks between 10 and 12 and 2 to 6, so we have lots of opportunities of visiting the sights of London. Well I think I have given you most of the news, so I will close now, thanking you all for your interest and generosity.

Pte. Alf Gray 270500
Can. Record Office,
London, Eng.

BX December 20, 1918

From a War in Hospital at Bramshott – Pte. Alfred Gray Pays His Tribute to Those at Home who Helped – Armistice Day

From Bramshott military hospital comes a cheery letter from Pte. Alfred Gray, late of the 215th Battalion, who tenders to the ladies of Brantford the thanks of the boys overseas for the many kind remembrances received. The letter received by The Expositor Reads:
 
December 4, 1918
12th Canadian General Hospital
Bramshott, Eng.,
 
I am writing you these few lines to ask you through the medium of your valuable paper to thank the ladies of Brantford for their kindness and interest they have taken in us fellows whilst we have been over here.

Really, I would need the brain of a Shakespeare to fully express our gratitude for the many interesting letters, and generous boxes sent to us fellows, so I will have to content myself with saying that we appreciate their kindness very, very much.

I wish to thank you personally for “Dad’s letter,” for as an introduction it’s a charm. All one has to do is holler out “Anyone care to read Dad’s letter,” and if there are any Brantfordites in the ward or hut we soon get acquainted and get as chummy as two thieves.
 
Armistice Day
 
It was better than a movie picture the day the armistice was signed, to see the boys. They nearly went crazy, and the troops took it for granted that there was nothing else to do but “rejoice and be exceedingly glad,”   And I can assure you they did, with a vengeance.

Firstly they commandeered the band, and with them at their head they formed up in any old style, about ten abreast, and marched around the camp singing and shouting at the pitch of their voices. Then in the excitement of the moment the boys started an offensive on the “wet canteens,” and I must say the “the boys” took their objective in great style, and within five minutes barrel after barrel of “beer (?)” was rolled into the parade grounds, and the lids were made short work of by the butts of rifles or anything that was handy.

I never laughed so much in my life, for every utensil which would hold beer was used that day from mess tins to coal buckets; fire pails were the favorite articles, and those who had them could not be persuaded to part with them until the beer was finished.

I don’t know if it was the “beer” or the exuberance of spirits, but some of the rougher element had to lose their heads, and the result was they marched “en masse” on Tin Town and wrecked the stores there, doing some damage to private property, but I have little sympathy for the storekeepers, for they never lost an opportunity of soaking our fellows when they purchased anything, and it’s a well-known fact that the stores that were wrecked had two prices, one for the residents and one for Canadian troops.

The A.M.M. blames the draftees for starting the trouble, and I guess he isn’t far wrong. For the casualties I came in contact with that day, celebrated the good news more soberly, and it was a common sight to see big strong manly fellows shedding a few tears of thankfulness and I’m not ashamed to say that I did a gentle weep myself, to know that it was all over at last, and thank God, with Germany’s ambitions in the dust.

All the category B men are being sent home just as fast as room is available for them on the boats sailing two or three times a week. It is a very happy sight to watch the boys showing each other the photos of their dear ones at home, and to watch the eager, anxious look come over their faces when they start figuring out how long it will be before their time comes to return home. And it is sad yet funny, to see the casualties, some with an arm or a leg off jumping around like a 2 year-old when they are told that they are going home tomorrow. Nothing can worry them now, and they will be home for Christmas in dear old Canada, with those whom they have been longing to see for many a weary month.

Now I would like, on behalf of the boys of Brant County over here and in France, to thank all who took any part in the county’s great effort for the unselfish and patriotic way they have responded to the call for “silver bullets,” and especially do we thank the workmen for the way they have done their bit toward boosting the loans and giving us fellows a chance to boast that we belong to dear old Brantford. We, the boys of the 215th Battalion wish to extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy along with the people of Brantford to Major Sweet in the sad loss that he has sustained for I can truthfully say that the 215th Battalion never had a more sincere friend than our beloved major, who at all times interested himself in the welfare of us boys in the 215th.

I trust Brantford, like England, has got the Spanish flu well under control, and now the war is over at last, I hope the flu, like Kaiser Bill’s hopes, has vanished to trouble the world no more.

I sincerely trust that the persons who so unselfishly made the supreme sacrifice during the epidemic will not be forgotten when the names are inscribed on the roll of honor, and in Brantford’s memorial to her dead.

Now that we are rid of the three evils, ex-Kaiser Bill, war and flu, Let’s all combine with the coming of the New Year to make our old world a brighter, happier and better world than it has ever been before.

Thanking you for your kindness and ready sympathy with any movement that would help the boys, and wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year, believe me, yours sincerely,
 
Pte. Alf Gray