BC September 12, 1916

Another Letter from Private Vincent Cutmore – Camp Borden Much Ahead of Present Surroundings – Welcomed on a Visit to London by a Zepp Raid

Private Vincent Cutmore
93 Grosvenor Terrace
Camberwell, England

You see where I am by address, but worse luck, it’s only for three or four days, and my first night here I was welcomed by a Zepp raid.  Some welcome, eh!  Have been up to the damage done, and believe me it’s a terror.  Houses in ruins, just as you have seen them in pictures, and windows.  Oh gee, there’ll need to be an army of glazers at work; nevertheless they tell us there were only eight deaths, eight seriously hurt, and 20 others.  Last night nothing happened.  Now again tonight they expect them again.  It appears they come every other night on these dark nights when the moon is low.  Many have happened, I guess, that we in Canada never heard of.  The victims, of course are mostly women and children.  This time it happened that bombs were dropped each side of an almshouse, where very old people were, many of them bed-ridden.  Seems too bad that they can’t find ways and means to prevent them getting inland.  But still, as I say “I should worry” eh!

We’ve still got light hearts, if we have suddenly started to soldier, eh?  Oh, yes, there’s a difference between Canada and England alright.  Here’s an idea of our daily routine:  Reveille at 5 a.m., roll call at 5.30, drill 6 to 7 then breakfast, parade at 8.30 till 12.15, afternoon parade at 1.45 to 5, first post (everybody in their huts) at 9 o’clock.  “Come on; jump to it.”  It seems as if quite a few things are different in the way of drilling, and after we return from this leave, we were told we should not see much of one another, as a battalion, because so many will take a course of one thing and so many something else, and so on, till every man has had a turn at all things.  As Captain Bingle said, it looks as if we shall all be scouts, signallers, bombers and everything that’s going.  But I must say I like it very much better, being so much stricter.  Only when a fellow has to work hard, he needs good food, and I always had the idea we were better fed here than in Canada.  But honestly, the food we had at Camp Borden has got what we get here beat a mile – in fact two miles, and at the same time, I’ll admit they haven’t’ had time to get the thing working properly, so we’re living in hopes of our rations improving.  Of course, now at nearly every meal we have to buy something, but still as I tell the folks, “I should worry.”  I am not complaining, and shouldn’t have told you only I like you to know that Canada treats her men very well, and if it wasn’t for the dirt at Camp Borden, it would have tis beat in every way.

I find my visit to London very different to other times, for the boys are lost, and I feel I must show them around, so I don’t get much time for visiting, but have written Tom, telling him I’d like to see him.  The first night we landed in London I tried my best to find lodgings for a dozen or so, but all they got was a 4d doss.  However, I met them early yesterday morning and took them to the Maple Leaf Club, in Berkley Square, where they got comfortable beds, etc., at I think most reasonable price possible.  Really, the price of everything is fierce.  I’d just as soon have a dollar over there as a dollar and a half here, and that’s the truth, and they soak us from Canada worse than the others.  “Just say that’s the price if you want it.”  Had a wok in several parks and round Buckingham Palace, and went to the wax works in the afternoon.  Had a good time alright.

One thing uncle Charlie tells me Fred had to do, is to walk 45 miles with full pack.  I don’t think many of our men will do that.  I know very well I shan’t.  That’s all in a one day route march.

All the folks here are well, very well and not complaining, although I don’t understand hardly how they live.  It’s quite a sight at night when all the searchlights are working, because the streets are darker than ever and it’s very pretty watching the skies, otherwise there is nothing to see, so the shows are busy.