Letters home from the war

[mdellamalva]

My father, Philip Larkin, and his brother, Arthur Larkin, both served in WWII.  My father's family in their infinite wisdom saved all ( or at least a large number) of his letters.  I thought I would share them with this forum.  I hope you enjoy them.  Mary Della Malva (nee Larkin)

There are close to 100 letters from 1941 thru 1945 - I'll list when I can - check back periodically for new letters

 

[mdellamalva]

25-10-40
McNobles Island
Halifax N.S.
​

Charlottetown
P.E.I​

Dear Phil,

Just a few lines in answer to your letter.  I was home for a few days, was sorry I didn't see you.  How do you like the training?  Six days home are not much good.  We are quarantined in here now for measles.  It is a bad rig.  Have you got Canteens over there?  Jimmy Wilson is with you isn't he?  I think we will soon be moving to Imperial.  Any of the boys that were there say it is a bull of a place.  We do Guard Duty here.  I am at the post now have to go on beat at 8 oclock.  It is all good duty at Imperial.

Write Soon.
Pte Arthur Larkin
D. Company P.E.I.H.
Dartmouth N.S.​

 

[mdellamalva]

H.2. Squadron
1st Cdn Arm'd Bde
Camp Debert
Nova Scotia
c/o C.B.H.

8-10-41​

Mrs. John J Larkin
St Peters Bay
P.E. Island​

Dear Mom,

I am back in camp once more and feeling fine.  We got here an 4:30 Monday afternoon.  It sure was a wet place around town the night before we left..  John Henry Ballant and Joe McIssac were in the car with me.  John only charged us a dollar for the trip.  We stayed at The Peardon House that night.  Joe La Pierre from Lot 40 stayed there with us.  We haven't been doing much since coming back.  Just laying around the barracks.  There are a lot of sad looking boys around here these days but I guess they will brighten up once we start moving.  We may not stay in Debert long but I don't expect we will leave the country before Christmas.  I will write every Sunday.  I told Ellen I would stay there when I was going back and I didn't get around to see her.  I suppose I will get heck for not calling to say goodbye anyhow.  I saw Peter Phelan in town that night.  He is working at the airport.  All the boys came back the first day.  I was expecting a few of them to go loose.  Two Morrow brothers from East Point won't be back for a spell.  One fellow took Spinal Meningitis the day after he got home, and is in the hospital now.  I guess his brother is quarentined.  I went to the pay master yesterday to sign over $5.00 to war savings certificates but he said I was too late.  That those books were closed and we couldn't sign any pay until we get to England.  I wonder if Art knows I only got six days.  I hope he doesn't land home this week expecting to see me.  But just the same I hope he does get home anyhow.  We can get a 12 o'clock pass from here, but no weekends.  Let me know if any of this is cut out.  I would like to know what will get by the censors.  There is not much to tell about the place here.  Life is going on the same as usual.  I imagine the camp would be a pretty muddy place in the spring.  It is all low land.  The huts are raised off the ground and the roads are built up.​

the rest of the letter is cut off

 

[mdellamalva]

H.2. Squadron
1st Cdn Arm'd Bde
Camp Debert
Nova Scotia
c/o C.B.H.

2-11-41

​

Mr Herbert Larkin
St Peter's Bay
P.E. Island

Dear Herb,

I hope this finds you all well.  I am "in the pink" myself and having a pretty good time.  "you all" doesn't take in very much now, does it? 

It was a great surprise to me to hear of Vic (Vic is Victoria - younger sister) going so soon.  I didn't think she would go

until the last of October.  I got a card from her on the boat and she wrote to me again after she got to Montreal.  She and Tilly are rooming

together with some other Island girls.  They likely have work by now, as I think there is plenty of jobs.  It's just a matter of picking a good

one.  I wrote that last letter to Vic.  I hope you opened it as I wrote a fairly long letter and there might be something interesting in it. 

Send it to Vic next time you write to her, will you?  I forgot to tell you that I got your letter Herb the day I got back.  The one you wrote

me before I came home.  I think I shall take the buzzer overseas with me.  I may send the sweater.  I will see tomorrow.  I sent mom a cushion

cover.  I hope you like it, Mom.  Joe McIssac and I were in Truro last night.  We were at a studio and got some pictures taken.  I am having

two (one large and one small) sent home and a small one to the Mill The Larkin Bros Mill on Larkin's Pond - Raymond the proprietor was his brother.  Ye certainly won't be bothered with rats this winter.  I intended to get a full length photo, but they said it called for dress uniform. I didn't sent Marg sister-in-law married to Eugene a cushion cover yet but I expect to later on.  I signed over $4.00 a month to War Savings Certificates.  I am having the certificates deposited in the Bank of Canada for me.  The photo won't be finished until the 13th. 

It is raining like the dickens here today.  I think if it rains much more we will all go floating down the Bay of Fundy.  The water doesn't seem to get away when it rains.  There are lakes around here are as large as Larkin Bros Mill pond.  Nearly every part that hasn't been built up is under water.  There are alot of fellows here from western Canada, and they hate it. 

I didn't get any weekend passes since I came back and we are not getting an embarkation now either.  I don't expect to be home again unless I get a furlough.  If we don't go overseas this fall I think I'll be sent back to Camp Borden.

Did H get married yet?  McIsaac and I saw a Jim Mallard from St Margaret's in Truro last night.  He is working in the woods about 25 miles Truro.  He says he gets $2.50 a day and board.  Pretty good, eh?

Well I really can't think of any news this time.  There is a lot to say but the censors would cut it out.  I took one film of pictures when I was at the Mill.  I just got it finished and am sending the negatives and some of the pictures to the Mill.  That Sunday was pretty wet for taking pictures.

Well I must ring off now.  Drop me a line and tell me what is going on.

Affectionately yours,

Phil​

 

[mdellamalva]

RAA231 EFM MAR X01​

GREATBRITAIN 26    V***-​

JOHN J LARKIN
STPETERSBAYPEI (MAIL FM AX)
ALL WELL AND SAFE WRITING FONDEST GREETINGS
PHIL LARKIN​

 

[mdellamalva]

H.2. Squadron
1st Cdn Arm'd Bde
5th Cdn. Arm'd Division
Cdn Army Overseas

7-12-41​

Mr Herbert Larkin
St Peters Bay
P.E. Island
Canada

Dear Herb,

How is the old boy these times and what is the whole go around there anyway?  It seems like ages since I heard from you.  And I guess it will be close to February before I get the first letter.  Its not that I am awful lonesome but it seems funny to be writing so much without a reply.  I suppost you have the Fall work pretty well cleaned up by now.  By the time you get this I guess you will have tons of snow, maybe you have some now.  The snow hardly ever stays on the ground here.  They have mild winters and cool summers.

I didn't get my landing leave yet.  We get 5 days with free transportation to any place in the Bristish Isles.  I didn't think last winter when I was studying the geography of the British Isles that I would ever be free to visit any part of of it and all free, gratis, and for nothing.  But one never knows.  The streets and country roads here are very crooked so you can't tell by the way a road or street is heading just where it is going to end up.  There are no lights showing in town at night except a well shaded light at busy street corners and the little peep lights on the cars and bicycles.  You see alot of bicycles.  Most of the cars are the little Babe Austins.  They looked odd at first but we soon got used to seeing them.  The church is about a mile away.  The priest was down to see the Catholics in the squadron yesterday.  He wanted our names and the names of our next of kin and of the parish church.  He said they tried to get permission to have midnight mass at Xmas but couldn't on account of the blackout.  I think we will have a chior and high Mass on Christmas day.  That will be a big day.  There is some turkey talk going around but it may not turn out to be a gone gander.  Come to think of it I may be on my landing leave at Christmas.  McIsaac and I are going together.  I think to Dundee Scotland.  I will be out someplace on a course this winter, I don't know yet what on.  We all have to learn driving.  Some of the boys are going to London on their landing leave.  I must go there on my first 48 hour leave.

I don't think the bombers come over very ofter now.  I guess Jerry has all he can do with the Russians.  It sure looks like he is a goner.

I didn't see Steve yet.  I have his overseas address but I don't know just where he is located.  I will know before very long because I wrote himto let me know or to come and see me.  I know where Donald Bryan is but didn't get a chance yet to see him.  McIsaac and I were going to go this afternoon (its only 15 miles or so) but Joe is on duty today.  We may go some night.

I was up to Mass this morning before breakfast, so I am writing this while they are all away on the church parade, which left the barracks at 9:15.  And speaking of time I think there is a five hours difference in our time and your time.  We get up here (6:30) when you are getting your first sleep and maybe in the wagon coming home from a time too, eh?  haha!  It's not so comfortable sleeping that way ha!ha!  We have to be in bed early here.  Lights out at 10:15.  It's not much good being up town anyhow after that because all shows and dances are over before that and the eating places closed.  We get good grub here and enough for all we are doing.  I didn't get weighed yet but some of the boys are actually getting fat on it.  Of course we generally buy a lunch at night if we are in town.  I guess I lost weight on the boat.  I know I lost a lot of sweat on the little walk from the boat to the station.  We were in full kit with great coats on and kit bags with everything we were owner of.  We had over a mile to walk.  I didn't mind it "ahem" - we stopped three times to let down our kit bags and take our wind.  Three fellows had to fall out.  A bunch of letters just came in.  Most of them were addressed to Debert.  I didn't get any this time.  I guess we will have mail every day now.

Adios for now, Herb

Votre frere

Phil D.​

 

[karl28]

Thank you for sharing the letters  I had  found them enjoyable to read thanks again

 

[PoPo]

Mary Della:  Thank you so much for sharing.

PoPo

 

[mdellamalva]

F77759 Tpr Philip Larkin
H.2. Sqdrn, 1st C.A.B
5th Cdn Arm’d Div
C.A.O.

28-12-41​

Mr Herbert Larkin
St Peters Bay
P.E. Island
Canada

Dear Herb,

I received your letter the 11th and sure was glad to get it even if it was mailed to Debert.  There was great excitement in the squadron the evening of the 11th.  The first big lot of mail arrived.  I got three letters.  Yours, one from Vic and one from Art.  I heard from Jim McInnis.  I suppose he is in Toronto by this time cooking for the Air Force.  Perhaps you will be in the army yourself by the time you get this.  I hope not.  It’s not that I don’t like it. But its hard to get used to.  And I know you wouldn’t like it.  You don’t know how lucky you are to be on your own on the farm.  I hope you don’t get called up.  Art said to me in a letter to Camp Borden – “Herb don’t know how lucky he is to be on his own,  I guess we could tell him a thing or two.”  Well maybe!

I am glad you got your turnips away for a good price and you did pretty good with the potatoes too.  Did you get that Rolls Royce Herb?  I suppose you made a whack of money at the Christmas trees.  What kind of a Christmas did you all have at home Herb?  We had a pretty good time here.  I was one of the unlucky fellows whose week in the kitchen fell on Xmas week.  Of course we had all the good things to eat but even so I’d sooner stump any day than wash dishes for three or four hours a day.  I must have gained five lbs last week.  We had turkey and pudding and apples.  The mess hall was decorated up and we had a tree in the centre covered with tinsel and lights and lord knows what.  The seargent major called out each man’s name and he went up to the tree and received a present of 5 packages of cigarettes and a chocolate bar.  The tables were all arranged in a circle and when all the men were seated the officers and seargents carried the food to them.  I was in the kitchen dishing out the grub.  There were lieutenants, captains, the brigadier the colonel amd even Father (capt) Cahill our squadron priest all running in and out from the kitchen to the mess hall with plates of food to the troopers until each man had had his three courses.  The officers then got what left and some got very little.  And to make everyone feel alright there was thrice twenty gallon kegs of English beer on a stand at one side of the hall.  The officers passed this around until there was none left and everyone was feeling fine.  Then two of our Scotch ladies brought in the pipes and played some Highland music.  We had three masses on Christmas Eve, at 10, 11, and 12 o’clock.  You were required to fast two hours in order to go to the first two Masses.  I went to the 6:45 Mass the next morning.  The church wouldn’t hold all the Catholic soldiers at one time so we had to get tickets before hand if we were going to midnight Mass.

I wrote to Steve before I went on landing leave and there was a letter waiting for me when I got back.  He got quite a surprise to hear I was over here.  He is too far away for me to go to see him unless I get a forty-eight hour pass.  I will get one of those sometime in January and may get to see him then.  He is not very far from Frank so if I go to see him I can see Frank too.  I suppose Freddie’s ship has left port by this time.  It’s a funny thing but when we were on our way over hear we heard over the radio that our convoy was sunk.  We didn’t feel very sunk at the time.  It sure was a laugh on “Jerry”.  I sent a cablegram as soon as we got to camp but I think they must have been held here for some time.  We heard lately that news of our arrival was broadcast on the Island on the 26th.  We got here the 23rd.  Ye must have got quite a shock though if ye heard over the radio that our ships were all sunk.

There is nothing much going on over here now, bombing I mean.  I haven’t seen a bomb yet anyhow.  I can’t say where I am but ask Raymond to look at the stamp of the money order I sent lately and then look it up on the map.  I guess Clifford was here one time.  Our priest was here about two weeks ago and got all our names and the name of our parish church.  He is a nice priest.

I had a great time on landing leave.  The Scotch people sure treat the Canadians good.  The most of them go there on leave.  Well Herb I must close.  Hope to get an answer to this some time in April or May.

Votre frere
Phil

P.S.  I am enclosing my Credit Union book.  Please see that it is put in some safe place and if I don’t come back to claim it I think the money will go to Mom.  I’ll be back though and before 1948 too.  You wait and see if I don’t.

Another P.S.  The Credit Union book shows that I have $8.00 in shares but if you look at it you will see that it is a mistake and that I only have $7.50.  I hope we don’t get sent to Western Canada.  I want to see this place first.​

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

Thanks for your efforts in publishing these letters

Alex

 

[mdellamalva]

I started this project 10 years ago and then life got in the way.  I have decided to resume where I left off...

 

[mdellamalva]

Headquarters Squadron
1st C.A.Bde, (P.E.I.L.H)
5th Cdn Arm'd Div.
Canadian Armt Overseas

5-1-42

Dear Mom

As I have a little time to myself I thought I would drop a line to "home and mother and dad".  Joe LaPierre my roommate is writing to his mother so I thought I would write to mine.  How everything home Mom?  How is Papa and Herb making it?  The house must seem pretty empty at Christmas time.  I hope ye had lots of goodies.  I suppose there was snow there for Christmas.  I haven't seen a bit of snow over here yet.  The weather here is much the same as we get home in October. 

There is no snow in Scotland yet either.  A bunch of the boys just got back from landing leave in Scotland.  They were there for New Year's and sure had a swell time.  You better tell Herb to get the little lady and settle down and take over the farm because I am coming home next fall with a dear little Scotch lassie and I am digging a cellar and putting up a shack in the front field over by Wilfred's line.  It's a fact Mom.  Another trip to Scotland and I'll have one of those bonnie lassies in the loop.  They are hard to resist.  Something tells me this is going to be a kind of foolish letter in spots.  I feel kind of funny to-night.  LaPierre had an airgraph from home yesterday dated the 16th Decmeber.  They got his cablegram but didn't get any letters before that.  So we are not expecting much mail until the last of this month.  Some of the boys got parcels already.  I think they got word home from Debert some way about us leaving.  A fellow in the next room got two big parcels to-night.  He has enough tobacco for the winter.  He got half a dozen Ch'town Patriots in one parcel.  I saw Francine's wedding in one of them.  In the one dated Nov 24th I saw a big write up about us sailing off into the north Atlantic from an eastern Canadian port one evening at dusk and landing safely in the United Kingdom.  We heard over the ship's radio when we were coming over that our convoy had been attacked and sunk.  I hope ye didn't hear that in Canada.  It was a laugh on "Jerry" though.  He likes to count his chickens before they are hatched.  If you want to know where I am ask Raymond to look on stamp on the Money Order I sent lately.  I wrote to Herb not long ago and told him this but in case he don't get it I am telling it again here. 

When I was on landing leave in Dundee Scotland we went to visit a sister of one of the Scotch fellows in the squadron that had come out to Canada in the 1930's.  She was married with a grown up family.  She didn't know what to say when I asked her if she was Tom Farbes' sister.  She hadn't known him for 22 years.  That was 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon.  We were there until 9:30 that night.  We heard a hockey match from Toronto over the radio.  Coffin from Morell was with us.  There was four of us.  The next morning we went down to the station to meet her brother.  He left camp a couple of days after we did with his son.  She didn't know he had a son.  Ye have the grain and turnips in long ago.  La Pierre just came back from Scotland and he said the turnips are all out yet and some of the fields of grain too.  I don't think they ever have winter here.  They go in for a lot of turnips in Scotland.  I saw an awful lot when I was there. 

It was too bad about Joe O'Brien getting drown'd.  What will George Phelan do now?  I heard Joe was drowned the day after his sister was married.  I heard Hazy got married over in Nova Scotia.  I suppost Hazel is living in Newfoundland now.  I had a letter from Art mailed to Debert.  Also from Vic, Herb and Jim McInnis.  I didn't have any straight through yet.

Write soon Mom.  Your son

Phil

F77759 Tpr. Philip Larkin
H.Q. Sqdn, 1st C.A. Bde
5ht Cdn Arm'd Div.
Canadian Army Division

 

[mdellamalva]

King George and Queen Elizabeth
Victoria League Club
121a Princes Street, Edinburgh

January 16, 1942

Dear Herb

I sent you a card from here and said on it that I would answer your air-mail letter when I got back from leave (I received it the day I left on leave).  Well this is my last day in Edinburgh.  It is ten past six by the big clock in the lounge of this big overseas club (the name is on top of the sheet).  The train for London does not leave until 9:40.  I am down to my last "bob" so I have nothing to do but wait around till the three hours roll by.  All of which
explains my ambition in answering your letter now.  I started a letter to Pop when I got the news about the leave.  I had to hurry to get ready and didn't send the letter.  I will write him a long letter when I get back.  I sent Mom a souviner from here to-day.  I hope she likes it.

I had an air-mail from Mrs Lazarus McGough the same day I got yours.  I sent them a card at Christmas.  She told me the sad news about Mrs Allan Gillis getting killed and Joe getting his shoulder broke.  And Allan Gillis himself was killed by a horse not long ago.  God rest them both.

I am glad you got the radio Herb.  It will be great company in the winter nights.  We have no snow to speak over here yet.  We had half an inch one night shortly before I came on leave but it turned to rain before the morning.  There is just a sprinkling in the cheviot hills south of here and in the country between here and Dundee.

Joe McIssac didn't fancy Scotland for leave this time.  He went to Manchester with another fellow.  I had my pass made out for Dundee but I intended to stop off here for a few days.  Well I liked it here so decided to stay.  I had to go up to Dundee to have my pass stamped.

I got a nine day leave this time.  I left camp at noon Friday ... (there is a line in the letter cutoff) London.  I came north the next day and got into Edinburgh about 7:30 Saturday evening.  Sunday I found a church and went to High Mass.  That afternoon I explored Edinburgh castle.  The club is just across Princes St. from it.  I was here that I wrote your card.  This club is a great place to stay.  I am writing this in the lounge - a big room on the second floor facing the street with more easy chairs in it than at RJ Holman's.  Across the hall is large billiard room, next door is a large writing room, downstairs is a large dining room (the Canteen) with lots of pretty waitresses.  On the next two floors up are the bedrooms for about one and six a night.  Just a big hotel converted into a soldiers home.  I only discovered it today.  I stayed at a Y.M.C.A., which is a nice place too.

Monday I explored the city some more.  Tuesday I went down to Peebles by bus (25 mi).  Wednesday I went up to Dundee by train to get my pass stamped.  Thursday I went south again by bus to Galasheils and then to Selkirk in the cheviot hills.  When I was coming back from Selkirk to Galasheils I got into a conversation with a friendly Scot on the bus.  He pointed out Sir Walter Scott's home to me - a mile away from the bus route across the hills.  Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh.  Selkirk over here is a bit larger than the home "town".  It is about the size of Ch'town.  I had a great dinner there.

When we got to Galasheils the Scotsman offered to show me through a boundry (???) mill he owned.  I was glad to see something interesting like that.  The mill was run by an old fashioned breast water wheel, with water from the Tweed river.  He then took me over to the Anderson Woolen Mills and got a chap to show me around.  The fellow that showed us around looked a good bit like Chas Zigley.  He showed me the whole process of manufacture from the time the wool is brought in in canvas sacks until it is turned into various kinds of cloth for making suits, dress etc. and blanket material and scarfs and kilts and all the others.  He showed me how the wool was dyed and the different colored threads blended together afterwards to make heather and other colors.  I saw the power loom working making material for blankets, Scotch plaids, tablecloths, home spun, fine cloth etc.  I wish aunt Hannah could have seen that power loom working.  It was wonderful to see it putting in the different colors of the material as it wove the strip.

He gave me a bunch of tartans when I was leaving.  I am sending it home as soon as I get back to camp.  Each piece of plaid represents a certain clan - like the MacGregor's, the MacDonald's, the McLeod's and so on.  He wanted me to take a scarf but I didn't want to be greedy and anyhow I have a scarf I got from the Red Cross and I never wear it.

Friday I went over to Dumfirmline with a fellow from the North Nova's.  We went by ferry boat across the Firth of Forth at the Forth Bridge.  Except for the day I went to Dundee I got up at about 10 o'clock on the average all week.  Quite a change from the six a.m. routine in camp eh?

I will spend the night on the train tonight sleeping sitting up.  It gets into London in the morning at six something.  I'll be back in camp by noon Sunday (I hope).

It's 7:20 now.  I will close and get cleaned up for the journey

Your friend Phil.

 

[mdellamalva]

3-5-42

Dear Herb,

I was glad to get a letter from you today and glad to hear you are getting along good, getting the wood out and all that.  I guess this time last year we were hauling manure together.  I little thought I would be over here this year.  My letter broke the record that time.  Your letter was mailed January 24th.  It was over a month coming.  They take a month on average.  There was an awful lot of mail came in yesterday and some today.  I got three letters yesterday and yours today.  Some of the boys got as many as fifteen yesterday.  It is nice to receive letters but I would hate to have to answer all those.  You would have to put the same thing in them all and it gets monotonous telling the same thing over and over again.  I don't know why I said that about not wanting to go to western Canada.  That would be the best place in the world to be stationed.  But of course it would just be for home defense and after all we have to have plenty of volunteers for overseas if we are to "kill the wolf before he gets to our door".  We didn't exactly have summer all the time here like you said.  It must have been down near zero sometimes and we had two or three inches of snow for about a month.  It is so damp here that zero is like 20 degrees below on P.E.I.  So you are working in Kirkwood Herb.  Well at last you are not swimming in snow like we were last winter.  I hope you get along good with the new horse.  You will have the fun of breaking her in anyhow.  When you get her broke in she will be as fast as any limousine, she will.  I suppose ye will have to have a cart horse too.  Ye will miss Nancy though.  And speaking of sending home for money to go on leave one of the boys went to the Post Office here and told them he wanted to send home for fifteen dollars and they put down fifteen pounds.  Quite a difference eh? at 4.47 to the pound.  He got the cheque the other day.  I support Art was home before this.  What kind of leave did he have this time.  Did you have some sunshine for him!  Yes, Joe made a mistake in the Credit Union Book and put down $8.00 for $7.50 and when I payed the rest of that loan it was on a Sunday and I gave it to Fr. George so Joe wasn't there and I never got it marked paid yet.  The note is marked paid to that is all right.  I would like to get Freddie's address and write to him some time.  Could you get it?  I guess Jim McInnis ids having a great time eh?  I didn't hear from him but I heard from Leo McIssac.  He is out there too and knows Jim.  Leo joined for wireless.  So you still have the old accordion eh?  When you start that tap dance stuff first thing you know you won't be a farmer at all.  You will be on the stage haha and with those shoes you could dance in your sleep.  I am having the War Savings Certificates saves for me at the Canadian Bank of Commerce.  I have $8.00 signed monthly.  That gives me two certificates a month.  I had $4.00 signed at Debert and I signed $4.00 more over here.  I hope your new schemes turn out all right Herb, and speaking of music I hope you sent those mouth organs I sent for.

Adios Brother,

Phil