Earl Campbell - Black Sweater

Quotes and Letters

• 1917

  Sep 25, 1917, Belgium letter to Pauline – reference to Mother sending his black sweater.
  "I wish Mother would send me my sweater the Dutch Belter one. That is if the war keep on for this winter. There won't be many Fritzies left next spring. Be a good girl and write soon. And tell the rest to. Have not heard from Mother for 6 months, ha,ha. Au Revoir, Bro Earl. Did Merelda get the post card I sent her the one with the five brave soldiers on ha-ha."

  
  Oct 9, 1917 letter to Merelda
  "Dear Merelda, p.2 … It will be looking like fall in Canada now. The mornings over here are quite chilly and towards night it starts and get cold. It makes me think of the mornings I use to go hunting at home. I will be glad when I get my Black Sweater to wear over here."

  
  Oct 25, 1917, letter to Sister Merelda,
  p.2 Earl asks again about Mother sending him his Black sweater. Has Mother sent me my dutch-belter sweater yet. And the main thing some doe. (money). I expect to get 10 days leave this winter and I will need it up in Scotland & Ireland where I intend to go. I have not received the box you packed me yet. The one with the jar of honey in. And the gum Alex Walker sent me. I might have it by to-morrow night tho. Merelda, I'll have to close now the candle spilt allover my pad. And I am talking backwards. So take care of yourself. Hope all are well will write girls soon. Your Bro. Earl'

  
  Oct 29, 1917 ... once again Earl asks his Mother for his black sweater
  "Have you sent my black sweater yet. It will be a dandy one for this winter. I missed it last winter for it was very cold over here at times. I guess this war will hang on this winter allright. But I don't see how the Germans can stand it. Our bombarding is something awful. I would not want to be on the other side of it. Fritzie side."

  
  Nov 8, 1917, letter to Pauline
  "Has Mother sent my black sweater yet? I will bring it back with me all right."

• 1918

  Feb 8, 1918, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Eng.
  p.3 I wrote to Merle a few days ago I will look for a letter from her soon. I find it very lonesome to be without mail from home. I have been so use to getting it so regular in France. When I got back off my 14 days leave. I sure had some mail waiting for me. There were 5 boxes. I sure had a feed for once in France. I wrote to the Coy and told them to send it along to me if they could. But I am not sure if they are allowed to send parcels or boxes. So I guess that sweater Mother sent me will have to wait until I go back again.

  
  Mar 9, 1918, Cheltenham, Eng.
  "Dear Merelda & All, I received your 17 page letter of Jan 15th a few days ago. I should had written you before. You say that I can write awful good letters. Maybe I can. But I can't beat you writing letters. I am allways glad to get your fat ones. I had a box from Ruth the other day same day as I rec the one Mother sent with the black sweater and streaked socks in. Ruth's had a jar of chicken preserved in butter. It was jolly fine. The Nurse had some of it. She said she would have to go Canada if the butter was so good as it was" .

• 1919

  May 13, 1919, letter from Earl to Merelda from brings the Black sweater full circle. As
  I'll never forget that foot-ball match I played at Kettleby in July 1916. My Black sweater was like a rag that had been in a river for a year.