From the News

Home Leave for First Contingent CEF Men - letter to Editor

Toronto Star

This letter to the Editor of the Toronto Star was published regarding the topic of granting a home leave to unmarried men known as the "Originals" or the first Contingent men, who had left to Valcartier Camp back in September 1914, and overseas soon after. Many had made it through at least three years of fighting in France, and had yet to return home.

Married men among the "Old Originals" did get their furlough. On April 18th, 1918, at 6:30 am, a party of 20 Toronto men who had enlisted with the 1st Canadian Contingent, and had seen over three years of fighting, arrived at the rail depot in Toronto. Due to some confusion about the arrival time, there was no one there to welcome them, but the reporters who interviewed the men. The men stood there and waited, and finally made their way to their homes, surprising their families by walking through the door for the first time since late 1914. Source: Toronto Star, 18 April 1918.

One of the leaves that was eventually granted to the Originals was ultimately cut short, and the men had to return early.

- Marika Pirie

Dated: April 15, 1918

Unmarried Men of First Contingent.

Editor of The Star:

These are heartbreaking days for the families of "Originals" who did not have the good fortune to marry before leaving home in 1914. I cannot see how a single man can stand the strain of three months in France any better than a married man, but nevertheless he does not get a furlough.
I think a good idea would be to give those surplus, superfluous, and useless officials, who are constantly returning because they will not revert in rank in order to get to the front, a chance to take the places of the remaining "Originals" for three months, and if at the end of that time they find France too lively then let them come home to their mammas. The Government complain that they cannot afford to bring the men back, but they can afford to send officers on "Cook's Tours" of the world, allow them to occupy the best cabins on board ship, have liquor on the table, while the widows and orphans of brave men who have fallen in the fight can take steerage, or worse than steerage, and if not that they needn't come at all.
I would like to see a little British fair play. Let the privates, mere unmarried privates of the first contingent, come home to their families for six weeks, after being away over three and a half years, instead of footing useless dressed-up dolls back and forth on the high seas, because at this time of the year it is liable to be rough for the poor, dear souls, while a man who has been on active service would not mind how high the sea, as long as it brought him home to mothers, sisters, and friends.
A SYMPATHIZER

Transcribed by: M. I. Pirie