#witley camp

[fromthesomewhere]

29 December 1917 - Letter to Edith from Witley Camp, Surrey, England

“Oh - I’m sick of writing letters just how wonderful it would be to drop in at your home tonight, instead of sitting here at the Club with my feet about about 10 below zero. There is a scarcity of coal this week end - and we are chilly.”

While opening with a bit of homesickness, Fred’s letter to Edith goes on to share the news that his cousin Herb Anderson - who was injured during the Battle of Passchendaele - is “getting on splendidly”. The short letter details a pleasant visit with friends Edge Elliot (”foster brother of Herb Anderson”) and Annie Dean.

Fred promises to send some “snaps” to Edith as soon as he can, and writes hopefully of receiving some in return. We learn from this letter that Fred’s brother Ernest is doing well at “M.A.C”, and is particularly enjoying debating. Fred writes that he hopes Edith has had a chance to meet his brother Frank, at home in Manitoba on leave. We know from Edith’s 14 December 1917 letter to Fred that she has spent quite a bit of time with Frank, but Fred will likely not receive this letter until the first week of January 2018.

Finally, this letter contains a postscript of sorts on the last page with an updated mailing address: “Cadet F. D. Baragar, O.T.C [mess] C.R.A, Witley Camp, Surrey.”

[fromthesomewhere]

2 December 1917 - Letter to Edith from Witley Camp, Surrey, England

Fred announces to Edith that despite months of hoping to join the Royal Flying Corps, he has decided to take a commission back with the Canadian field artillery. Among his listed reasons he states, "I'm proud of the Canadian Corps record, and hated to leave them, they can and do fight." 

Fred then describes a visit and news from his friend "Denny", who provided news of the "terrible time up around Ypres" and friends such as Burt Hurd (possibly William Burton Hurd) and J. W. Graves (likely Joseph Waddington Graves). Fred goes on to report that his brother Arthur has returned to France, and that Art had indicated that their cousin Herb had lost a leg among his injuries, but that he was "full of grit and courage." 

Fred concludes by writing about the anxieties running high regarding the Canadian Federal election. He also notes that he will write a Christmas letter following the next arrival of Canadian mail.

[fromthesomewhere]

14 October 1917 - Letter to Ernest from Witley Camp, Surrey, England

Fred writes to his brother Ernest about his recent activity in his artillery course, which he states helped him feel like "an ordinary human being again". Fred also describes an outing to Guildford to see the musical comedy "Maid of the Mountains", and notes a planned visit to Watts Gallery. 

Fred mentions a letter from someone named Emily who is in London and expects "to transfer to the Canadians," implying she is involved in the military. Fred also notes that he doesn't feel great about the chances of moving to the Royal Flying Corps, noting he'd have to wait until he was "gazetted" in the Royal Field Artillery.

Fred includes a few comments for his father and sister before describing his camp menu (with its absence of sugar and milk). He then responds to previous letters from Ernest and requests details about the end of harvest work and whether Ernest will be able to return to the Manitoba Agricultural College that year. He concludes by noting that he just realized he had written his brother the previous week and that he wasn't playing favourites but rather Fred was "just forgetful", and noted that either way the letter was "for the tribe".

[fromthesomewhere]

8 September 1917 - Letter to Edith from Witley Camp, Surrey

We’ve written before about how important correspondence with family and friends at home was to soldier morale during the First World War, a truth that Fred captures neatly in the opening of this letter to Edith:

“There is a very serious objection to this coming to England and that objection is that it means no Canadian mail for a log time. All your letters have gone to France, and now I have to wait for them to come back, I really am lonely for letters.”

As in his other letter of 8 September 1917 Fred updates Edith on the status of his upcoming leave.   Fred also describes his feelings upon arriving recently in England:

“I wish I could express to you how wonderfully England looked to me after France. Say what they may; England is a land of wonderful homes, how quiet, how beautiful are these homes surrounded by well kept lawns, shrubbery and trees.”

It’s important to remember to contextualize sentiments like the one above, which praise England uncritically, and idealize the countryside. Fred, and Edith the  intended recipient of this letter, were white, English-speaking protestants who had family ties to England and Scotland respectively. They both wholeheartedly supported Canada’s (and England’s) role in WWI. And it’s important to remember that as Canadians in 1917, both Fred and Edith were British subjects. The view expressed by Fred above, one he expects Edith to sympathize with, reflects what was likely a dominant viewpoint at the time, but also a view that is limited, privileging the mainstream (read: white, English, protestant) at the expense of other opinions.

Fred spends the bulk of the letter describing recent visits to friends and acquaintances in and around both Shorncliffe Camp and Witley Camp. At the end of the letter Fred provides his new address: “Corporal F. D. Baragar, 80668, Regimental Defense Battery, Canadian Reserve Artillery, Witley Camp, England”.

[fromthesomewhere]

8 September 1917 - Letter to Mother from Witley Camp, Surrey

Newly arrived at Camp Witley in Surrey, England, Fred wrote this letter to his mother describing his move away from Shorncliffe Camp with the rest of the Canadian reserve artillery.

As in his 31 August 1917 letter home Fred is waiting to hear about being granted a period of leave, which he hopes to be granted within a few days from the time of writing. He has requested a railway warrant to visit Inverness, Scotland which even today is a 13 hour journey by train.

Fred writes about catching up with old acquaintances in camp, and about planned visits during his leave. He describes the food in camp as “moderately good”, though the food in France was better “as it should be” given the importance of fueling soldiers on the front lines.

Read more on Canadians stationed at Witley Camp in Surrey during WWI from the article “Canadians at Witley Camp” published by the website “Surrey in the Great War: a County Remembers”, a project by Surrey Heritage.

[fromthesomewhere]

Canadian Soldiers at Witley Camp during WWI

Witley Camp (or, Camp Witley) in Surrey, England was established in January 1915 as a training camp for both British and Canadian soldiers. Soldiers serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.), including Fred Baragar, were put through basic training at Witley, and camps like it throughout England.

The terrain at Witley provided “an ideal landscape for artillery training, with rolling hills, [and] sandy soil”. The surrounding scenery and villages offered entertainment for soldiers that supplemented the camp’s “housing, medical attention, recreation facilities, and shops”. Witley served as a training camp from 1916 through 1918. 

After the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, Witley functioned as a demobilization and repatriation camp. The C.E.F. demobilized over 250 000 soldiers from Europe. At multiple points during the demobilization efforts in 1918 and 1919 Canadians at Witley rioted, likely due to “boredom, lack of information, rumours, and growing...confusion and anger”. 

Witley Camp was later utilized as a training camp during the Second World War.

The photos in this post are courtesy of the University of Victoria Archives Archie H. Wills fonds. Additional images and collection information available through the University of Victoria Digital Collections.

[fromthesomewhere]

11 February 1918 - Letter to Edith from Witley Camp, Surrey, England

This note from Fred to Edith was attached to a letter for Edith to pass along to friends Minnie and Maurice. Fred recounts a trip to Hindhead with W. J. Graves (possibly J. W. Graves, a 1915 graduate of Wesley College - see the Honour Roll in the November 1916 Vox Wesleyana) to attend church. Fred reports that his friend Graves has a house and that "Mr. & Mrs. Argue" (Fletcher Argue) had been staying with him. 

Fred also tells Edith that he had written 10 letters the previous day in order to catch up with correspondence, noting that for 3 to 4 weeks the only letters sent had been to home and to Edith. He mentions a recently received letter from Bill Mann, who had invited him to his location at Maidenhead, where Fred was hoping to visit soon. 

Fred passes news of Fletcher Argue via Bill Mann (who was married to Fletcher’s sister Amy), specifically that he is in charge of YMCA educational work at Bramshott Camp. He reflects on Bill Mann and Fletcher Argue and their recent marriages, and how it makes him "envious and restless and lonely". However, he ends with the message to "hope and pray and believe that this year is the last" of the war, signing off with "kisses from your dearest."

[fromthesomewhere]

25 January 1918 - Letter to Edith from Witley Camp, Surrey, England

On paper with insignia of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Fred writes to Edith of his longing for Canadian mail: "I sure would like some letters, they are the touch of things real." Fred then recounts the week of warm weather and the enjoyable horse he had for manoeuvres training. He also notes the poor luck at some of his dinners at various inns, as the kitchens were unable to get meat during those lean times. Fred describes in detail to Edith the Crown Inn which he had dined at that day, with a lease dating from the 1200s, and expresses his wish that they might return together to Chiddingfold one day to see it together. 

Fred then goes on to talk of his completed Senior Gunnery and Miniature Range courses, and of re-writing an exam for the instructor, Captain Reade, who had been one of Fred's officers back in the 26th Battery. We learn that Fred achieved a 99% in the gunnery course, and that he was told it was only the second time in the history of that course that such a mark had been achieved. Fred follows this with mentions of his upcoming horsemanship course and of the previously mentioned Donald Hankey books he would be sending for Edith.  

We then learn that a Major Buckley, of Fred's 17th battery, was in camp and had invited Fred to visit before Buckley's return to Canada, "broken in health" as Fred described him. Fred also discusses of a letter from Arthur, mentioning that the family had written to Art of how much they liked Edith. Fred concludes his letter with mentions of peace talks and his hope that peace will come with, "all the worth while things we have fought and suffered for."