Series 1 Oliver McNaughton

[Canada Letterhead on Maple Leaf]

13. This is now used for show rooms of ancient guns, armour, weapons, etc. There is a chapel in this town where a Royal [crossed out] betrothal took place. The large room used to be used for Council Chambers.

The Beauchamp Tower was much used for holding notable prisoners, and the walls were much carved by these prisoners. These insciptions are plated over with glass and preserved.

The "Kings House" is here, in the upper chamber of which Guy Fawkes and his gang were tried.

I saw the spot where Lady Jane Grey and her husband were executed, and also Henry VIII's wives. Anne Boleyn, I understand, had a special executioner brought from Calais, who used a sword instead of an axe. I saw one of the old axes and block.

Well Nettie I must close this letter, my head is beginning to swim, and it is nearly "Last Post!"

I was at Madam Tussauds Wax Works which are truly wonderful. But you can (OVER)

14.

take it from me, kid, I had all the sight seeing I wanted. I was heartily sick of tombs, historic sites where so and so did something or other, Architecture and dismal buildings.

However we will go west from Trafalgar Square where stands a huge monument to Nelson, and from which nearly a score of streets run. The National Art Gallery is here, I was through it too. We will go through an Archway into the Mall, and go down a very handsome wide avenue by St. James Park & St. James Palace to Buckingham palace. We here stand at the foot of one of the finest monuments in London, that of Queen Victoria. Behind it is Buckingham Palace, very beautiful. St. James is the old royal palaces. Continuing Westward we go up Constitution hill to Hyde Park Corners, a [del] beautiful junction of streets. Passing through an arch we enter Hyde park, a beautiful park, with a narrow winding lake called the Serpentine running thro it. Here you find birds eating out of peoples' hands, they are so tame. Proceeding onward we enter Kensington Park. Turning southward we come to the Albert memorial, the finest memorial I ever saw. It was erected by the Prince Consort to the British Empire, and it certainly represents every portion of it.

Well Nettie, this practically sums up my visit to London, and I will close. London is a wonderful city and has its own ways, but is a very wicked city too.

Love to all, from your aff Bro. Oliver

Miss Nettie Mc Naughton R.R. No 1, Granton Ontario Canada

p.s am in my hut now & have a chance to write a few more words. I have just discovered that a bunch of stamps I put into an empty envelope have all stuck to the envelope. The Mallard boys are in this machine gun hut. [del] Merill Mallard was in the hospital with a sore heel. He blistered it, & the wrong stuff was put on which burnt it to the bone. He has a bad foot yet. It is an awful night out & Black as pitch & raining to beat a band. It rains every day & night too. Bramshott Oct 29, 1916

[Letterheaded] SOLDIERS' CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION CAMP HOME.[Letterheaded]

[Shield with emblem]

From #802301, Pt O.J.Mc Naughton A. Coy, 125th Batt, Canadians Army Post Office, London England

Dear Sister: - This S.C.A Hut is only about four rods from the hut I sleep in. Jack Baynes and I finished a letter to Cliff Hobbs who is in the hospital at Lincoln, then the Sunday Evening service began. The man who runs this hut is an old soldier, (a Grenadier Guard), He is too old to go to France, but is quite an evangelist, and is doing a great deal of good. The service is over and I have barely time to write a few lines and get back to my hut. I did not get much of a chance to write to - day. After church service this morning, a large number of us had to go under medical inspection. I passed the 125th doctor, ok, He only spent about three seconds on me and told me to get out. I weighed this afternoon at a Y.M.C.A. hut, and weighed 150 lbs. Percy Foster was with me, he weighs 180 lbs. Frank Wilson about 170, Cecil Evans, 200, Jack Evans, about 186, etc. So, I am only a midget yet and of course always will be. The 125th doctor was telling Everett Molland, that the type of man who stands this war the best is those who weigh between 140 and 170. When it comes to a show down they have more endurance, that is on the average. I know, on heavy route marches, it is the big fellows as a rule who are most used up, due no doubt to the extra weight they carry. We ^^{The Granton Platoon} got out of quarantine on Thursday at noon, marched from the 115th Batt. camp to the 125th camp, had our blankets, underwear and clothing fumigated and were then sent to our huts. They have taken the Platoon up and even the Granton section. Gowan and I are in the A ^^&B corp, machine gun hut. Foster & Baynes are in the A & B corp.

[sideways in margin] P.S over on back of this sheet

[Letterheaded]SOLDIERS' CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION CAMP HOME.[Letterheaded]

bombing hut. The rest are together in no 3 platoon hut. We are going to try tomorrow to get back together and will throw up the special courses. Of course they will not want to do this as they want Company Machine gunners, and bombers and snipers, and scouts. We all stick to the company, but we are separated in the huts. I like machine gun work, but would give it up to reunite the Granton section. It will make little difference in France anyway. We have often talked about it, and whether we should go as a section or spread out a bit. In a section we stand a good chance of all being wiped out sometime, whereas if we were spread out a bit, some would be sure to get back. Then there is the other side, that that particular section may have good luck. So we are not sure yet. We think we could fight like devils side by side. By the way, I heard this afternoon that cousin Jack is sick, (slightly) in a hospital in France. I don't know whether it is right or not. Lieut Langford who has been taking a course for some time was down to see us this afternoon and is coming to see us again before we leave for France, which we don't expect will be till December. He sure feels badly about the 136th. He will be sent right to the front as soon as he has finished his course. We are being well fed, and I like the bread here much bettter than we got at Witley. Some of that bread we got at Witley could not be cut through with a good axe. But this is not nearly so nice a camp. We heard that the 142nd & 110th were at Shorncliffe, but I do not know whether that is right or not. (OVER)