Betty Johnson of London to Hugh Walter Dickson in Rosemont Kansas 1917

15 Birley Rd
Whetstone Middlsex, No. 20
Nov. 29, 1917

My Dear Uncle Walter,

I am sorry I have been so long in answering your very welcome and interesting letter First of all Jack returned to Canada on the 25th or August this year to be discharged owing to wounds. He has had four wounds, been passed. The last time wounded was in the capture of Courcelette and advancing when a German jumped out of a shed hole and shot him at close range through the right shoulder and fractured the shoulder blade. He was in the hospital nearly a year and cannot lift the right arm from the shoulder. The wound wouldn't heal. He brought the Hun's helmet home that shot him which I have here with many other trophies.The matron of the hospital where he stayed asked me if I had heard about his triumphal entry into Shrewsbury when wounded and I said, "No, I hadn't." Apparently he was perched on the top of a Red Cross car wearing the helmet and looking very dilapidated when everyone cheered him. Large numbers of people meet the Red Cross trains and welcome the men in many ways. A French custom seen every day at Charing Cross now is to pelt flowers into the cars at the men. It is very impressive and pathetic.

Jack is in Montreal. He spoke of coming down to see you and of taking trip to New York, but he will wire you before he comes. His chum killed the German and his hat was the only thing Jack said was worth saving. This was about the time of the Somme attack and Jack was in the Hospital in France at Rouen. At that time Alice's husband "Jack Thacker" had to take draft of men from England to Rouen, and as he had several hours to spare before returning he sat on a seat outside the General Hospital here little dreaming Jack was inside.

About 14 days before Jack was wounded I had a field card from Bert saying, "I am wounded and in the Hospital." I felt thankful one of them was out of it as I had been worrying very much. The Somme push was just starting. About three hours later I received the following wire: "On His Majesty's Service." "Regret to inform you A. V. Dickson 10222 is seriously wounded at 22 General Hospital Commiers France. He may be visited and should you be unable to bear expenses you will be sent out at public expense. Wire whether you wish to go and whether able to bear expense or not at once." I received my passports and papers within 24 hours and about eight hours afterward was by his bed. I went on a troop ship. We were sending 3,000 men a day at that time and I had a Y.M.C.A. car to meet at Boulogue (an ordinary passport takes 3 days). He had been shot through the head by a sniper and was blind. The bullet passed under the shrapnel proof helmet in behind his ear and out at the temple. He was shot from behind while stooping to pick up his rifle, being very tall his head was above the trench. He was in an American hospital, the whole staff was from New York and they were all extremely nice and kind to me. I stayed in a Y.M.C.A. Hut behind the lines and close to the hospital for 8 days when I returned home. His temperature caused the greatest anxiety. A second operation performed while I was there and at which 14 surgeons were present, removed some pressure from the brain and restored his sight. He has recovered; however, but is deaf in one ear has attacks of giddiness. He is acting instructor at a military school now in the north of England. Since I was in France this hospital has been bombarded by enemy aircraft, and some of the staff killed.

My husband was in the battle of the Somme and did not get wounded. He held a wood with the remnants of 4 regiments for 48 hours and until reinforcements came for which he was afterward mentioned in Dispatches by Sir Douglas Haig in the New Year Honors. He has a much safer post now and it is in the Royal Engineers. He was transferred owing to ill health, but has entirely recovered now. He has met a number of the American staff and likes them immensely. He had a terrible tale to tell of his experiences in the Somme attack. He was a Town Major for a short time at Amines. A sort of Lard mayor but military representative and is responsible for the town. He nearly went quite crazy and said he would rather be a "town crier." Every complaint is made to the Town Major. If the military want 3,000 bullets at five minutes notice, if the dustbins are not emptied, if soldiers have misbehaved in billets or stolen a chicken, they all come to the poor Town Major. Charlie is in Egypt and has had injuries three times, he has just returned to his unit fit again and the last time was only back 8 weeks before being taken ill again. Alice's husband is in the Royal Garrison Artillery and is in France. Being a heavy gun he is about eight miles behind the front lines. He is Captain (acting Major) and said when he was home a few weeks ago that in September alone he sent 600 tons of shells over the Hun lines. I'd like to write 2 pages on how I hate Germans but the paper is too precious.

The food question here is very serious and people are eating anything on bread. Alice has just written she hasn't been able to get any butter for three weeks. I have been for weeks without sugar sometimes. I did get one-fourth pound of butter yesterday but do not know when I shall get any more. Also I believe the country is being skinned of cattle to feed the armies; so I do not know where we should be if it wasn't for America's help. I usually see my husband twice a year and he was home last, two months ago. I hadn't seen him then for seven months. We had an air raid nearly every night whilst he was home and he said it was worse here than behind the lines in France. After about five nights of little sleep the children were all looking worn out. I know when the guns close to me are firing, enemy air craft is pretty near. It isn't until these guns fire that Newton wakes up, generally I sit in the safest corner of the house in a corner where middle walls meet. Open stairways and near glass or doorways are very unsafe. I listen for the nearer guns to fire; and can tell if the firing gets nearer, which course they are taking. I can tell if they are driven off, because the guns gradually die away. When they are close I can hear the engines overhead and the perpetual firing makes a dreadful noise. The shells screech as they pass over the house mingled with a noise like rattling stones on corrugated iron which really is the small pieces of shrapnel rattling down the roof. The warnings have made an immense improvement as every one with common sense takes cover. I was out in the west end once when a warning as given, and I sheltered in a theater I was passing as the first gun fired. Since we have decided taking reprisal it has been much better in fact we have only had the once which were brought down by the French. The bombs have nearly all been dropped in poor quarters where I believe the panic is great partly owing to the large number of aliens. We had a day raid once when the boys at Newton's school were placed in the basement. It was only a tiny preparatory school, but one boy fainted and another was taken ill.

The shoulder strap is of a German of 111 regiment removed after he was killed in the Somme. I have a number of different regiments, --- regimental, l always marked --- the shoulder. I wonder if you will be kind enough to allow cousin Bertha to read my letter I owe her one; and am very sorry I have not answered but hope she will forgive me. It will save me writing two long letters. I work very hard and get little time for letter writing. This is about the 6th letter I have started to you. I spent Christmas with Alice, we shall both be alone. I only wish now that some of our boys had joined the navy instead. I hope Walter meets Jack in America. Newton is simply mad to join the navy. He wants to go to Osborne but my husband thinks it is no career for a man as the pay is so bad. I will send some snapshots a little later. I have some recent ones but none printed.

With much love. Believe me.
Yours very affectionately,
Betty Johnson 

Original Letter and more at Past Voices

1919 Letter re Sparling Family Tree

March 28, 1919

Dear Minnie:

In answer to your letter to Margaret, & as far as I can recollect, my
grandfather, Philip Sparling, lived near Naina. His place was called Faha
House. There were 15 boys & 2 girls in the family. I believe my father
was the eldest of the boys. His name was Augustus Sparling; another
brother was Percival Sparling; then Edwin Sparling, who was in the
English army, & lived & died in the East Indies. He had a large family,
being married 4 times. I believe his family lives in the East Indies.
Most all of his boys are in the British Services, then there was
Christopher Sparling, Sophia Sparling, Philip Sparling of Derry House,
John Sparling of Adaire, Lofta S. Sparling, & that is all I can call to
mind of the 15 boys. Then came John Sparling of Broome Lodge House. He
lived about 10 mi. east of Limerick; he had quite a large family. I think
they were boys, with the exception of 1 girl. There was John Sparling, &
Julius Sparling, who went to St. Louis & settled there. I think Julius
died. There was also Henry Sparling & George Sparling. I do not remember
the other names in his family. Then there was my aunt Louisa, who married
a Ligare. They went to Canada, & although very old at the present time, I
believe they are still alive. My uncle Christopher Sparling went to
Toronto, Canada. Around the Fifties, I believe he had to escape in the
middle of the night with his family on account of the Catholic uprising
at that time, he being a very strong Orange-man. He had quite a family.
His oldest son is Charles Sparling; he is in the printing business, I
believe, in Toronto, Canada. He had several sons. I believe 2 are in the
Church of England, & one a doctor. Then there was another John Sparling,
of Scaroff, County Claire, where I was born. He was in the dry goods
business; he also held some position in the govt. Philip Sparling of
Derry, who was my uncle, married my mother’s sister, Miss Hannah Palmer.
I believe they had a large family but all I can remember are the girls. I
believe the girls all married pretty well-to-do. Philip Sparling is
living at the present time, I think in Queens County, Ireland, on the
Kent Estate, which his wife inherited from old Mrs. Kent. Her husband was
Sir Holligan Hastings, but she never assumed the title. Possibly this
will help you to trace the family history. You know I was very young when
I left Ireland, and my father never said much about his family. I always
understood we are of Holland descent, what they call Palatine, & the 1st
Sparling that emigrated became an office, & he took commission in the
British Army Service with distinction & received land in Ireland in
recompense for services rendered. I can remember my great grandmother
very well, she was a Sparling, and was 104 years old. The last I heard of
her, she lived with Uncle John Sparling of Broome Lodge. I do know that
our family was prominent around Limerick, my own father being a prominent
man in that section, & we lived in a place called Eagle Cottage, on the
Parade Road leading straight from O’Connel Monument in the city of
Limerick.

I cannot tell you very much more. I remain Your loving borther-in-law
Philip R. F. Sparling

Notes: I am not sure who Minnie or Philip are, but recognize some of the older names; this letter was given to my grandmother, June Sparling, by her father's cousin Shirley Sparling.

Submitter: Celia Emmelhainz celia.emmelhainz@gmail.com

WW 1 Letter Jamse Ritchie Martin, CEF

Dear Mother,

I arrived safe in Calgary this morning. Don’t worry about me I am OK. Give Jim my job. We are going right to Camp the seargeant (sic) is taking care of us and everything is all right. Hoping you have no ill feelings towards me when you now (sic) I have gone.

I remain
your everloving son John
XXXXX

Postcard from John Elder MARTIN to his mother, Mary Martin informing her that he joined the CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) Canadian military forces. The postcard has a picture of the Virgin Mary and Child with the words underneath “Mother of God”

Part of the postmark says: Field Post Office Calgary. No date is shown. Probable date is August 1915 when he enlisted.

In true sibling fashion,he gives his job to his brother Jim, aka James Ritchie MARTIN.

Card is addressed to: Mrs. David Martin, Box 729 P.O. (sic), Medicine Hat, Alberta

John Elder MARTIN was born in Dundee, Scotland on March 10, 1898 to David MARTIN and Mary Wighton ELDER. They immigrated to Canada about 1912. He was assigned to the 50th Battalion, CEF, #435516 soon to be joined by his brother, Thomas Elder MARTIN, #435847. Thankfully, both brothers survived the war. John immigrated in 1923 to Detroit, Michigan. He died in Detroit on June 21, 1962. We are very proud of his service.

Submitter Donna Cromwell Kinshipmatters@twmi.rr.com