Niagara Falls newspaper published letters from the front

“Letters from soldiers always make interesting reading. The Review is anxious to print them and any relatives who may at times receive letters from soldiers … are cordially invited to send them to The Review.”

On Sept. 10, 1918, The Evening Review newspaper published the above invitation to their readers. Although the newspaper had been publishing letters since the early months of the war, the supply of letters had recently dried up. Letters were published during both World Wars but many more were published from the First World War.

Letters from the war front to the home front served to remind readers of the sacrifices so many Canadians were making for the cause of freedom. Letters sent home during the Christmas holidays might also symbolize the possibility of light over darkness that is celebrated both at home and abroad.

For security reasons, Canadian soldiers were not allowed to identify the exact location that they were writing from. Two of the most common return addresses during the First World War were “Somewhere in France” and “Somewhere in Belgium.” Letters were also examined by military censors who would delete any sensitive information. Most letters featured in the newspaper during the First World War were personal letters to family and friends. During the Second World War, most of the published letters were written to organizations such as church groups, schools, local Red Cross chapters and war service committees. They were usually written to acknowledge the receipt of a holiday gift package.

During wartime Christmas seasons, Canadians made a great effort to make sure that no one in the armed forces was forgotten. Packages were often delivered early to increase the chance that they would make it to their destination in time for Christmas. Not all packages made it, however. Passage across the Atlantic was often interrupted by German U-boats that torpedoed and sank many cargo ships.

Packages were sent by both family members and local community groups. Locally, groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, church groups, the Lions Club, the Navy League of Canada and schools worked to raise funds, gather goods and package and mail the boxed holiday gifts. The Red Cross served as the postal service and delivered Christmas letters and parcels to all, even behind enemy lines in prisons and labour camps.

You might wonder what was in the packages that were delivered to the soldiers. The most popular items were wool socks and tobacco. Other items such as chocolates, razors, writing paper, playing cards, books and toothbrushes were also popular. One other gift, almost as popular as cigarettes, were copies of local newspapers so that Canadian servicemen could keep up with the latest news of home.

On Dec. 26, 1915, from “Somewhere in Belgium” a soldier named John penned a letter to his mother and father that appeared in the Evening Review. He said: “I received your letter at supper time last night, and then the parcel with the wristwatch, ring, candy and cake … just after the sing song. Believe me, I was glad the parcel got here in time to have a piece of that cake on Christmas! All the boys in the tent had some and they said it was first class.”

If you would like to find out more about this topic, Dwight Whalen’s book “War Christmas: Letters from Niagara Servicemen” is full of interesting information and also an excellent read. The book is still available from the publisher (www.batteredbox.com) and can also be borrowed with your library card!