Dear Mum and Dad
Remembrance Day 2026
The days seem to move along at their own pace. Some days fly by, and others creep along. We are officially at the halfway point now, though I can’t believe I’ve been here for three months. I try to remind myself to appreciate every experience – even the ones I don’t really enjoy. :)
I have been thinking a lot about fate lately. It was such an accident of birth that we ended up where we did when we did, that we are where we are now, with the choices that we have available to us. It seems to me that we have such a burden of responsibility to make the world a better place for those who were born into far worse circumstances. It is more than donating money to charities; it is taking action and trying to make things better. You have both shown me that throughout my life, but here I realize it more than ever.
My current job and role in Afghanistan is part of that, but it is more the non-governmental organizations that come later. They are the ones that really make the difference. I like to think that my being here means they will be able to come that much sooner and operate more freely. I will be looking for more opportunities to volunteer in Wainwright (Alberta) and to really try to make a difference. It is humbling to be here, part of something so much bigger than myself.
Love always
Dear Mother and all,
Well as usual there is not much to write about. I note that I have not received a letter from you for about two to three weeks but I know that you’r [sic] all well or I would have heard from you.
It rained nearly all last week so we did not do much out door work but fooled around in side just putting in time.
The 62nd were to leave to-day but a wire came through about 8 o'clock last night post-poning it and you may say there were some wild men in town. We were asked to come in Saturday night so as to be on hand to give them a send off. So I guess there will be some sore 72nd men coming back and finding the boys were not going.
Do you know Allan Davidson of Westbank? Well I guess he will be glad the 62nd did not get away. For he is in the Hospital and has just under gone an operation so if they stay for a few weeks he will be able to get away with them.
Oh! I say John I hear that you have cut Rev Marshall out. Congratulations. I hope it is true. I got that information from an ex Peachlander.
As you see by the heading of the paper I am writing this letter down in the Khaki Club. It is a very nice little place fixed up down stairs in the Standard Bank Building with a reading room with easy chairs and a writing room. Say did you get the ten dollar money order OK? Hoping you are all well. I am
Your Loving Son
Gordon
Dear Mother and all –
I received your ever welcome letter of May 27 last night, was glad to hear that you are all well. I am myself in the very best of health, in fact I never felt better in my life. We are having ideal weather, for a few days it was very hot, but we had a thunderstorm the other day and it has not been so hot since. Cherries and early berries are now getting ripe and we are getting our share of them. At present we are camped in an orchard supposed to be resting; we are only a few miles from where the British are bombarding a large town which has for months been a German stronghold. The roar of the big guns is continual and is about the only thing that reminds us that there is a war. In a few days we expect to be back at it again. Sooner or later Germany must give way, before the ever increasing forces that are against her, but they are going to hold on longer than some people think, most of her troops out here don’t think that we will see another winter campaign, but personally I think we will. I read with interest the clipping contained in Glen’s letter. I knew he was wounded but did not know how bad, was glad to know that he got off so lucky as a clean bullet wound is nothing serious, if it is not in a vital spot, as an army bullet is small and hard as steel, but a fragment of a shell is the worst as it is jagged and all shapes. We had a sergeant, a nice young fellow, married, with one child, who got hit in the leg with a piece of shrapnel; he did not think it was very bad, but I guess the bone must have been shattered as they had to amputate the limb and he died – but a bullet if it goes through is not very bad. I have seen thousands of wounded men, some of them were remarkable escapes from death, but the worst wrecks seem to be those who get a bad dose of gas, and that stuff will make your eyes smart and run water, a couple of miles from where it is being used. Well, I have never been sorry for coming here. I have had good health, we get lots of food and clothes and see some wonderful sights. Sights that man will never see again, at times our dangers are as great as any unit in the army and our task just as important, but our food is better than some other corps, while we have a little better chance of keeping clear and better attendance if sick. I have not seen any Germans at close quarters, only prisoners, but have several times seen men killed and wounded by their fire, but I have every hope and firmly believe that I will be safely permitted to return to dear old Canada, the best country in the world. In the Canadian papers we read a lot about elections and the third and fourth contingent with the war news that is about all they contain. You people at home get more news of the war as a whole sooner than we, who are engaged in it, but some day the pages of history that are now being made will be written and those of us who are left will be able to read the chapters of glory of which the volunteers of the mighty British Empire will be the authors instead of the conscript hordes – of Germany and our country shall be free.
Well, I guess this letter will be long enough to try the patience of the censor if he reads it, so I had better close for this time.
Your loving son,
W.J. McMAHAN
By Hollay Ghadery
Source text:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1E6Qj4s1Ce/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://cwvmp.ca/transcription/771-letter-home
https://www.summerlandmuseum.org/wwi-letters-home