Letters From the Front
Sergeant Frank Parker
Letter from England
New Liskeard Speaker Published: February 18, 1916
Note: any spelling errors, etc. are as they appear in the original article.
Dated: January 18, 1916
NEWSY LETTERS FROM CANADIANS IN ENGLAND
Letter from Frank Parker
Bramshott Camp, Jan. 18, 1916.
Dear Parkers:
It’s a good long week since I have written and now I hardly know where to start.
Last Friday afternoon we were given a pass, so the whole band went to London and will try and give you a synopsis of the trip.
The afternoon was pretty well taken up travelling and finding ourselves a place to spend the night, which we found at the Earl Roberts Rest House for sailors and soldiers. Now London is a miserable place at night because of the scarcity of light. The place is kept as dark as possible, the street lamps are all painted black on top and sides so that the light only shines downward.
Saturday morning we went to the Tower Bridge and then got a pass to go into the Tower of London. If I had remembered my history a little better I would have enjoyed the visit much more. The Guide who escorted us was dressed in a long black gown trimmed with red wore black big-crowned hat with a red and black rosette in the front. These escorts are all pensioners of the British Army and held the rank of Sergt. Major. They are commonly known as the “beef eaters.
Now I’m not going to try to tell you what I saw there but will send you a Tower guide and some pictures so you will have an idea what is to be seen.
One thing that is worth special mention is the Crown Jewels, the ancient and modern crowns and other gems too numerous to mention.
From here we went to Buckingham Palace where my friend, the and master, had been a coachman so got us a pass and we were shown through Royal stables and carriage sheds. They sure had some beautiful horses there, better than our Jack. The Royal carriage, (used only at coronations and opening of parliament) is 24th ft. long without the pole, weighs four tons, took over three years to build and has been used for six coronations. There were quite a number of smaller ones which accompany the Royal carriage on these occasions.
From here we went to High Park and saw the road used by those who enjoy the “spo’t of ridin’ ‘oss back.” There were quite a few riding then, old and young. We also had a look at Piccadilly Piccadilly Circus. I have often heard of this place and thought it was circus. So it is, or at least you have to be an acrobat to get across that street without being knocked down. Talk about your system, careful handling of cars and busses, this is the worst place I ever saw. They can run their autos just about as fast as they like on those busy streets, unlike our Canadian cities, when a street car stops at a corner an auto can run right past, so when stepping off a car here look out you don’t get your block knocked off.
Now I think this is enough about London so will tell you something about the 58th Batt. We have had two or three inspections lately and the last one (this a.m.) was by the commander of the nineth brigade and after a careful inspection said we would be one of the four Battn’s that have been mobilized nearly a year, while we have been on the way just seven months.
We don’t know who our neighboring Battn’s will be but am sorry to say it will not be our old friends the 35th and 37th who were brigaded with us all summer.
Now I think this is about all for this so will ring off for another week.
Loving Son and Bro. Frank.
Reg. No. 452939
Sergt. F.R. Parke,
58th Batt. C.E.F.
Bramshott Camp,
Liphook, Hants, Eng.
Transcribed by: Dion Loach
