Saturday Weather remains very cold Nothing much doing today apart from cleaning up am on guard tonight Fritz is very quiet am in the pink
The Christmas mails are arriving, and today brings a parcel from Janie. We can only surmise its contents – the usual soldier’s comforts, perhaps a sketch or two like last year’s, and some sweet words.
He also received a parcel from the “Busy B’s,” though who precisely comprised this group, I don’t know. There were many such groups, perhaps drawing their members from churches, schools, workplaces, or organizations such as the Women’s Institute.
Parcels for men at the front might contain any of the following: cigarettes and tobacco, fruitcake, shortbread, candy and chocolate, maple sugar, peanuts and raisins; magazines and newspapers; socks, sweaters, gloves and mittens. Other very practical items might be included.
Gordon Brown described one parcel from his Aunt Lettie: “The paper wrapping was torn but everything was intact and in good shape. The sweater is grey blue and is fine being just the thing I wanted. There was also two dandy pairs of sox and a pair of mitts. She did not get the Cedar Oil, but a substitute for it which I believe is better – Sabidilla [sic] – stuff [insecticide] that many fellows get in parcels.” (1)
He was particularly grateful because he seemed to have bad luck with parcels, though, he said, “many fellows here get parcels with every Canadian mail and very seldom lose one.” He recommends that his mother not be too specific about the contents when she labels the parcels: “It might be that that is responsible for some losses. If it would be alright to specify contents in very general terms, it might be better – such as – “soldier’s comforts”, woollen comforts” or “woollen goods and eats”, etc.” (2)
The photograph from Library and Archives Canada is identified as Christmas mail reaching the forward lines, December 1917. MIKAN 3383464.
(1) Brown, Robert Gordon. Letter to his mother, November 11, 1917. Available from the Canadian Letters and Images Project.
(2) Brown, Robert Gordon. Letter to his mother, November 1, 1917.
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