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WW1 Letters Home - Jan 25, 1917

2/12/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
As we can see from the letterhead of this letter, Noah appears to have started this letter while at the Union Jack Club in London. Perhaps he even wrote his letter at one of these tables before setting it aside and then finishing it on the 29th while  back at the Chatham Naval Barracks.
​
​
Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 29 yrs old
Dated:  Jan. 25 1916 (1917) (Letter started Jan 25, completed 29th)
Mailed from:  Chatham, England (Union Jack Club Letterhead)
Attached to: HMS Pembroke
Profession:  Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman
Addressed to:  Mrs. N.C. Draper, Keswick, Ont.
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument:  Fountain Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: 9" x 7" medium-light weight, smooth, folded into booklet form, but with the inside page written across the 7" width and all the way down the 9" length like foolscap. The pages are not numbered.


People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper (Noah's wife of 5 yrs)
​The babies:
- Mildred* aka Midge, 3 yrs old 
- James David* aka Jay, 6 months (later called JD)
Mr. Beck - Probably the Hassocks inn owner from Noah's last letter


Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Chatham - Royal Naval Barracks in Chatham, England
- London - Capital city of England 
- Union Jack Club in London - See Historical Note #1 
- Strood & Rochester, Madistone, Grave's End - nearby locations
- St John's Ambulance 

- Player's Navey Cut cigarettes - See Historical Note #2
- two deck bus - See Historical Note #3
- ferrit's - ferrets used in rabbit hunting, a common English practice

- huts - barracks
​
Word or Phrase Use: 
Noah always spells the following as such:
- no apostrophe for contractions - dont, wont, isnt, havent...
- Saturaday vs Saturday
- untill vs until
- navey vs navy

- corpse vs corps 
​
Legend: 
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this 
  person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

​
Picture
Jan.25  1916
Mrs. N.C. Draper,
     Keswick, Ont  Canada

Dear Ethel; -
     Well I am on my way back
to Chatham came up here today
& am going to stay to morrow
& going on tomorrow night. I am
feeling fine got rid of my cold
allready, I was out hunting with
Mr. Beck Tuesday. we got 1 rabbit
but I saw how the ferrits work
anyway & that was the chief
thing, Well I was at the
theather last Thursday
night in London, this
​
Picture

is Monday the 29th & I am back in Chatham
came back Sat. morning enjoyed my trip
fine, then Sunday was my day out
so I went to the Strood & Rochester in
the forenoon, came back to Chatham after
dinner & met a man in the St John
ambulance corpse so we went out to
Madistone about 2 oclock & stayed untill nine
it is about 7 mile from here & is a fine
place, we are going out to Graves end
Saturaday, we went out on a buss they are
two decks the same as the street cars, 
it was full in side so we had to ride on
top & it was not very hot. but it is a lovely
ride would like to go out in the summer.
     I am glad I met this chap as the fellow I
chum with is in the 3rd division & I do
not care to travel with all ofthem he
does not smoke or drink so we get along fine
I smoke enough for the two of us, haHa.
am writing this in his office now as it is much
quieter here than in the huts,
     Well Ethel I got the letter Saturaday also
the box of cigars & was glad to hear from
you even if it was old, thanks for the smokes 
but would not send any more cigars as I do not
​
Picture
like to smoke them in the
​hut as it looks pigish, HaHa.
     Say Ethel I am going to tell
you the truth about tobaco
​here, Players navey cut cigarettes
are 8 cents a box here & 10 over there
so you see the people who say
they can not get tobacco here
are broke, but do not say
anything outside as .30 cents
a day does not go very far
when you spend 15 in the
canteen for food. that is
about the only thing we are
short of here, HaHa and we 
are not over fed. We are going to
be vaccinated to morrow
dont you wish you were,
​     Well I guess I will have
to close for this time kiss
the babies for me, Love
to one and all, yours as B.4.
                           N.C. Draper
​​


​Historical Notes
​

There are 3 History notes for this letter...

History Note 1 - The Union Jack Club

​Noah begins this letter while at the Union Jack Club in London which was an imposing building with quarters and everything a visiting soldier, sailor or airman would need. It included a canteen, library/reading/writing room, and recreation room with billiard tables. 

It's interesting to note that the initial idea was from a Royal Red Cross nurse with field experience in the South African War. Determined not to start such a serviceman's club in debt, the initial £60,000 was raised by galas and functions, with the rest coming from the idea to name a room for £100. Thus, there came to be a "Lady Conan Doyle Room" after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made a donation on behalf of his wife. 
Picture

History Note 2 
- Player's Navy Cut Cigarettes

​​I
n this letter, Noah makes a shrewd observation that although serving members kept writing home and asking for cigarettes to be sent over, it wasn't due to a tobacco shortage overseas, but a lack of budgeting on behalf of the men themselves. 
Picture
Player's Navy Cut Cigarette Newspaper Ad, Regina, 1911

History Note 3 - Double Decker Bus

Motor omnibuses, such as the one shown below by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), were first used in London in 1902, so when Noah mentions a two decked bus, this is the type he is referring to, with the open top deck and no track on the streets.
Picture
1 Comment
Paula link
6/10/2022 03:37:29 pm

Great readiing this

Reply



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