Gunner John Lewis Rose

1. Gunner (Army).
2. Gunner (Army). 1915-12-14 ?

46th Battery, 9th Brigade

C.E.F. C.F.A.

Army P.O.

London Eng.

Feb 16. 1916

Dear Lily,-

I am longing for a letter from some of you Canadian people. We are now at Bramshott Camp, although we may not be here very long. I have tried to hunt Rod up but have not come across him so far. It is very muddy and wet here at present. We are hardly settled yet. Everything is getting spring like. I am going to try to get home for a day or two in about a weeks time.

Write soon,

love

John

to: Mrs. J.P. McRae

3 Suite, Cornwall Apts.

1072 Bathurst St.

Toronto, Ont.

Canada

postmarked:Bramshott 10 a.m. 17 Feb 16

***************************************************************

46th Battery, 9th Brigade

C.E.F. C.F.A.

Army P.O.

London Eng.

April 10

Dear Barbara,

Your very welcome letter with cards enclosed received, thanks for sending them on. WE are working fairly hard these times. Glad you did so well in your exams. We are having grand weather now. Will write later on. Kindest regards,

love from,

John

to: Miss Barbara A. Rose

F.C. Manse

Crossbost, Stornoway, Scotland

postmarked : Bramshott Camp 10 a.m. 11 Apr 16

*****************************************************************

46 Battery 11th Brigade

C.E.F. C.F.A.

Army P.O.

London, Eng.

June 12, 1916

My dear Barbara,

Thank you very much for your very nice box of candy. You may be sure we enjoyed it. Will you soon have your summer holidays? We had a very heavy rain today. I attended some sports held on one of the Lord's place. He had a splendid estate. Write soon.

Love from,

John

to: Miss Barbara A. Rose

42 Bayhead St.

Stornoway Scotland

postmarked: Godalming 16

**************************************************************

Folkestone

Sept 24 1917

Dear Barbara,

I left London at 6:15 this morning. We expect to cross the channel this afternoon. Today is lovely and warm. Write me soon.

Much love,

John

to: Miss Barbara A. Rose

Crossbost, Stornoway, Scotland

postmarked: Folkestone 2:30 p.m. 24 Sep 1917

************************************************************

France,

March 12th, 1918

My Dear Lily,

I have not received a letter from you since ever so long. I think a great deal of our Canadian mail must be going down with the many boats that are sunk.

I hope you John and the baby are well. Have you decided on a name for the little boy yet?

I am feeling very tired today as we have such long trips to go on. We made two trips yesterday equal to near fourteen miles and this morning at 1:30 a.m. we had to go out with rush despatches. We had to go away ahead of the Brigade Machine Guns. It took up three hours to make the trip.

Our weather is just splendid in fact all January & February

2.

have also been very good. From all reports you are having a very cold stormy winter in Canada this year. The grass and flowers are springing up here. It seems a shame to have to fight in weather like this.

We have a fairly good dug out here. It holds four of us and was built by Fritz and occupied by him until the fortunates of war handed it over to us. Our furniture is rather scanty consisting of four bunks, a table, a bench, a chair and a stove. There is a German cemetery only about an hundred yards away from here. Some of the graves are well kept.

You see many relics of Fritz around here. On the side of the road is a big

3.

German staff car, but now badly broken up, further down the road is a large beer barrel wagon also out of commission.

We pass through a number of badly smashed up towns. One of our Canadian soldiers has written a poem describing it. I will quote one or two of his lines.

“ Those scarred and tumbling walls once were a church yet might have been an inn, For all the signs of reverence they show, Save that in the encircling shady yard, Heaped with scattered stones, the uprooted graves and broken crosses speak of holier days:-

Standing stricken, the weary shrapnelled houses seem skeletons, grim and ghastly shapes

Beckoning with scraggly fingers to the sky in silent plea for justice” etc.

He gives a vivid description of the village in 1914 before the war and of it now.

I had a letter from Fraser the other day. He is keeping

4.

none too well. The poor boy would require a good long rest. James is very lucky getting back to Canada. You may have seen him before now as he left for Canada on Feb. 23rd. I wish him good luck.

We are going out on a trip in a few minutes so must come to a close. Our mail has just come in. No letters for me this time.

I will close now. Much love to you all.

Your loving brother,

John

(? rank – looks like Gr). J.L. Rose

304591

Headquarters

9th Brigade

C.F.A. France

To: Mrs. Lily (Rose) MacRae

transcribed by Bev Walkling

Nov 4th, 2006

Sarnia ON

*******************************************************

Belgium Nov 15

Dear Barbara -

How are you these days? We are living in Mons now. It is a beautiful city. The people are very, very good to us. Has Fraser gone back to Glasgow yet? Our weather is getting very cold. Write me when you get time.

love from,

John

sent to Miss B.A. Rose c/o Mrs. Scott 5 Minard Rd. Shawlands, Glasgow, Scotland

postmark not visible

**************************************************************************

Belgium, Nov 20 1918

Dear Barbara, -

How are you these days? I have no word from anyone for a long time. We are getting ready for another move. The people here are very good to us.

love from,

John

to: Miss B.A. Rose

c/o Mrs. Scott

5 Minard Rd.

Shawlands

Glasgow, Scotland

no visible postmark
***************************************************************

Hq. 9th Brigade

C.F.A. Wetley(?)

Camp Surrey Eng.

Inverness 27/2/19

Dear Barbara,

I am spending a few days in Inverness. I only got seven or eight days leave so was not able to get home. There seems a long time since I have heard from you. Are you still thinking of going to Canada? I expect to get back some time next month. I am not feeling very well at present.

Much love from,

John

to: Miss B.A. Rose

c/o Scott

5 Minard Road

Shawlands,

Glasgow

postmark: 3:30 p.m. 27 Feb 19

*************************************************************

Hq. 9th Brigade C.F.A.

c/o A.P.O London

March 7th 1919

Dear Barbara,-

Your welcome P.C. received last night. I got back to camp two days ago. We are not sure when we are to leave but expect about the middle of the month. Write and let me know what you intend doing about going to Canada and when you expect to get away.

Much love from,

John

to: Miss B.A. Rose

c/o Scott

5 Minard Road

Shawlands,

Glasgow

Scotland

postmark: Godalming 7:30 p.m. Mar 7 19

"Joining the University O.T.C. he rose to the rank of Company Sergeant-major. Perhaps his previous slight military experience of militia camps was of use. In 1915 when he had completed his B.A. degree, he joined the Queens University Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery as a gunner, and came over to England with them early in 1916.

After a short period of further training he went with his battery to France, and he remained there continuously until after the armistice. I had been disappointed that, in view of his O.T.C. experience, he had not taken a commission, and in a sense he was a good officer wasted. I think that it was Jim Pomeroy, who knew him well, told me that John was not a success as a gunner and that he was switched to the horse lines as a driver. This change was not any more successful. Then he was given the job of "runner". This comprised the carrying of instructions, mostly oral, between the advanced observation post and the battery headquarters, probably the most dangerous job in the artillery. He was, according to my informant, the best runner in the army. He had the faculty of under­standing quickly and conveying clearly the instructions entrusted to him. Though he merited, and could easily have obtained promotion and a commission., he preferred to remain in the ranks. He was twice mentioned in dispatches."

excerpt from "The Time of the Roses" by his brother Fraser Rose.

Brothers:

Fraser Rose signed up in Scotland and fought with Ross Battery of the 4th Mountain Brigade.