The Harbor Grace Standard, 1916

 

The following interesting little letter is from two Harbor Grace lads, Fred. Frost, son of the late Captain Levi Frost, and Albert Brazil, son of the late John Brazil:

 

Saint Nazaire,

Boite 68, France,

 

March 30, 1916.

 

Harbor Grace Standard,

Harbor Grace, NFLD.

 

Editor,—

You no doubt will be glad to hear from a couple of your town boys out here in France doing their little bit for their country. Their names are Fred Frost and Albert Brazil.

 

To-day we had the pleasure of receiving a couple of copies of your paper, and you may say we were glad to see how our old town is showing up and coming out to whip the Germans.

 

It kind of makes a fellow feel good to be amongst them; but as it is with us we are in a different capacity out here.

We have been here for one year now and have charge of handling all the grain and ammunition at this place. We are at present erecting two more elevators for discharging the vast amount of grain that is coming to this country.

 

We have not had the pleasure of coming across any of our boys from Home; only now and then we come across a fellow who volunteered from Montreal, Canada; and that itself makes a fellow feel good as to meet anyone from across the water whether he Canadian or Newfoundlander seems to cheer a fellow up.

 

At present the French soldiers are having some hard fighting at Verdun, but they are equal to the task. They are wonderful soldiers—never down hearted, always in good spirits, and it is either death or glory for them.

The other day we had a little experience which made us both feel good. We had the pleasure of seeing one of your French aviators and hearing him speak English. He at once got into conversation with him. His dialect seemed strange to me and I [Fred] said to Brazil, “why it seems to me that fellow is a down homer.” So he said to me to ask him where he learned to speak English. He said “why don’t you ask me where I learnt to speak French? I am an Englishman.” I said you seem to be a fellow from that little island of Newfoundland. Said he “you have hit it. I am from Carbonear. My name is Drake.” Now what do you think of that? He told us he hadn’t been home for 25 years. He was born in Irish Town. He has been in this country about 10 years. I asked him if he ever expected to go back and see the old place. He said, why sure some day if I live long enough. They are all the same. They never forget the old sod.

 

We are not in a position to say very much as a fellow has to be very careful over here in this country. But I will say this that the Germans are going to get “theirs” in the near future, and the sooner the better.

Will now close hoping that the old town is still on the move and prospering.

 

We remain your old townies,

FRED. & ALBERT.