Christmas in the trenches:100 years of PPCLI holiday letters home

Since landing in France for its first fight around Christmas 1914, members of the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry has spent many holidays abroad. Here is a sample of some of their holiday letters home over the past 100 years.

CBC News Posted: Dec 25, 2014 9:00 AM EST | Last Updated: December 27, 2014

Soldiers from the Princess Pats pose in a trench during the First World War (PPCLI Archive and Museum)

In its century-long history, soldiers of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry have spent many holidays on the front lines. Formed in the lead-up to the First World War, the regiment landed in France days before Christmas in 1914. Since that time, soldiers have seen battle in the Second World War, Korea and Afghanistan, in addition to peacekeeping missions across the world.

Keeping a connection to friends and family back home was always important, but never more than during the holidays. Here is a collection of some of the Christmas letters that PPCLI members have sent from the front lines over the past 100 years.

During their first six months in Europe in 1914, the regiment often found itself in the thick of the fighting, suffering heavy casualties. In early 1915, the regiment was made up with reinforcements by a company raised from the students at McGill University. Among the soldiers, known asthe University Companies, was 21-year-old Alan Mackenzie Gammel of Montreal.

In late 1916, the regiment had finished fighting in the final phase of the Battle of the Somme. Then a lieutenant, Gammel wrote this letter home on Christmas Day, which paints a picture of what holidays in the trenches were like. It would be the last Christmas he would see in battle less than a month later, Gammel would be wounded and was unable to return to the front.

Christmas Day, 1916

My dear Ethel:

Well, here's another Christmas almost over. My second one in France and here's hoping that it is my last one out here.

Was awfully pleased to get yours Dec. 6th, it arrived on Christmas Eve. It was good of you to write when you are tired after working so hard. I can imagine how they keep you busy in the "operation room."

I hope that you spent a good Xmas Day. We certainly had a pretty good one considering the place that we spent it in. I will tell you what we did and ate, so you can judge for yourself if it wasn't a pretty good day.

First of all, the regiment is in the firing line and our company in close support. It has been a fine day, the sun shining, but a high wind blowing. We didn't stir out of the bunks in the deep dug-outs until 9 a.m. this morning. Then we had breakfast consisting of tinned pineapple, porridge and bacon and one egg (they are very hard to get around here.) During the remainder of the morning we censored the men's mail and visited our sergeants. After lunch, a couple of us went around and visited all the company headquarters in the firing line, which took us most of the afternoon. While making our rounds, we saw numerous Bosches as they were celebrating Christmas too. There was very little strafing going on all day.

Dinner was our real treat as we had a couple of chickens which we managed to get after scouring the whole country around for them. We had to boil them as it was impossible to roast them on an open fire and believe me, our cook did them to a turn. First we had caviar on toast, then some beef soup, followed by our boiled chicken, mashed potatoes, tinned asparagus and beans. By the time that we were thru that, we were unable to have any plum pudding so finished off on coffee and some cigars which the Mount Royal Club of Montreal sent out. So don't you think that I did pretty good as far as the grub went, considering we are at the front? But just the same, it was nothing like being at home for Christmas.

New Year's Day, we will be out for a short rest. I believe that the officers of the whole regiment are going to have quite a spread.

You will have to write and tell me how you spent the day. Charliewould be home for most of the day, I presume. Did Bruce or your sister get in too?

Many thanks for the kisses. I took them as a real Christmas present. I only wish that I had been able to have them in person but "aprs la guerre." I am going to collect them all. Ethel, I only wish that I knew when this old war would be over, but nobody knows. There is a lot of talk of peace, but I don't think myself that it will come before next summer after we have given Fritz a merry time of it this spring.

It is time that I quit writing. Hoping that your mother and sister are all well and that you are well yourself and not working too hard.

With best of love,

Yours as ever,

Alan

P.S. Hope to hear from you soon. XXX >>>>

Andr Charles Biler had many titles over his lifetime: celebrated painter, art professor and eventually member of the Order of Canada for his work in creating the Canadian Federation of Artists and the Canada Council. But in 1915,Biler was an 18-year-old soldier with the Princess Pats, one of the many young men who joined up with the University Companies.

For him, and many soldiers, Christmas was a break from the usual rations along the front lines.

25 December 1915

My dear Mother:

I was released from the hospital, as I was almost completely recovered from my problem. I arrived at the convalescent camp in the evening and the next day, after an inspection by the doctor, they told me to leave that evening for LeHarvre, which is our base.

We slept in round tents that aren't at all what could be called waterproof. It might interest you to know how I spent my Christmas. As one of the old boys, I was free for the rest of the day. We had an excellent lunch, served by the sergeants: ham and potatoes, turkey with pudding, roast beef, cake, and candies. At dessert, the colonel entered with a bunch of officers, and drank to our health.

Andre.

Christmas in a conflict zone doesn't always mean roast turkey and stuffing, however. For many soldiers, patrols and other duties don'ttake a holiday. The PPCLI, along with other Canadian forces, joined the UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia in the early 90s, pledging to help humanitarian aid following the country's brutal civil war.

This account from an unknown soldier describes his Christmas morning in 1992 during the mission.

December 1992

I have arrived inKenemasafe and in one piece.

This is harvest season now and activity is on the increase. Soldiers and rebels cross the border in order toplunder and kidnap.

Angus and I were up Christmas morning and headed to check the border locations.What a blast. The route was no more than footpaths.

Thank God forGPS. Without warning the jungle would open out into clearings full of mud houses and villagers.

Chickens would be sent flying and the natives would scurry out of the way. As we tracked along the footpath we entered an area of high grass.

We slowed down, but suddenly the land rover lurched to the right and healed over at a sickening angle. Slowly theland rover tilted more and more....I was looking out the window trying to decide if it was a swamp or dry ground and then FLOP.

The land rover toppled over onto it's side, gear went flying. I braced myself and Angus held onto the driver side door andheld himself in his seat.

When all became still, the first words I heard were Merry "f****" Christmas! "

The soldiers of the regiment didn't only send letters around Christmas time, they also received them sometimes from the very enemy that they were fighting. It's no secret that soldiers felt particularly homesick around the holidays, and Christmas was a popular time for propaganda from nations hoping to demoralize their enemies.

Oftenit came in the form of pamphlets dropped on enemy positions, like this letter from North Korean forces that were dropped on PPCLI soldiers in December 1951.

A Korean propaganda note left at a PPCLI position in December 1951. (The Memory Project)

Dear soldiers,

It is Christmas and you are far from home, suffering from cold not knowing when you will die.

The big shots are home enjoying themselves, eating good food, drinking good liquor, why should you be here risking your life for their profits?

The Koreans and Chinese don't want to be your enemies. Our enemies and yours are those who send you here and destroyed your happiness.

Soldiers! Let's join hands!

You belong back home with those who love and want you back, safe and sound. So we wish you.....

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