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Thompson, Archie Leroy “Shorty”, Sourisford, Manitoba, Class of ’18, 3rd Yr. Diploma in Agriculture (1916). Military Service: Private, Reg. No. 910245 Attestation Papers. Possible Diary Reference: “Letter last night from … T Thompson Mr. A. T. [Archie Thompson?] Commiserations on wound.,” 4:24 Feb ’17.
Additional Biographical Information:
1917
Undergraduate, Archie Thompson, 910245, 196th Univ. Batt.
University of Manitoba, Archives and Special Collections, Managra, v. XI, No. 1 (Nov 1917), 9.
1918
A. L. Thompson
Dear Friend:
I received a letter from you some little time ago. I have been sadly off my writing game lately, but will try and find some interesting news for you.
I have now two Managras that just arrived last week. They were sent to the 196th Battalion, and there are six of the M.A.C. boys here with me so that our mail usually goes over to France before it reaches us. That is what makes it so late. I wonder if you could have the addresses of our boys changed from 196th Battalion to 19th C.M.G.C. These are
E. Waddell, 910069, 19th C.M.G.C.
A. L. Thompson, 910245, 19th C.M.G.C.
Ben Symonds, 910015, 19th C.M.G.C.
M, Savage, 910039, 19th C.M.G.C.
Wm. Savage, 910028, 19th C.M.G.C.
A. Mitchell, 910214, 2st C.M.R., France
F. Laughlin [sic - Laughland], 910018, Borden, M.M.G. Battalion
Sunday, February 10th, dinner over.
Well, here goes again. Our Canadian mail came yesterday and you can make quite sure that we were mighty glad to get it, as we were going on for three weeks since the last scattering came in and then only about half of it came through.
I had a letter today from Miss E. Thompson, and in it I have more news than in any four I have ever had from the M.A.C., so you see I, for one, have reason to be feeling a little elated. I was very glad to get your letter and the news it brought of the work of your branch, especially as you know I am interested in that line and I would like to send to you some accounts of the old gardens I have visited this summer. I will try and have such a note written in shape for the Manitoba Horticulturist, and write it as soon as I get time. You will know that the spring flowers are just appearing now and are quite welcome, but they seem to come just when they take a notion, far more than our Anemone does as we have real spring weather there before the real spring start is realized; whereas the spring here this year has been just a few days that were quite warm and bright in January, and that seemed to start the show, but very little else. But snowdrops have appeared which show the presence of the spring “Bug” being about. They look lonesome without any signs of life in nature about them, yet the thinker knows there is considerable motion already in working order just waiting for the heat of the real spring sun. There does not seem to be any real break between winter and spring, just a gradual change. The weather just a year ago now was like a wet November at home, and this year we have rain during the night about three times a week and one or two misty days, but the main day week is bright, and today is almost a spring day – broken clouds and very bright.
We are at Witley Camp, 10 miles north of Guilford, Surrey and on the main road between London and Portsmouth; in fact, the road splits the camp in half. This part of the country is very old in history and there are some fine old time buildings and ruins to be seen. The house of Lord Tennyson is eight miles from this camp and is a stately senior home in the country.
There are some very large estates near this camp. One of Lord Perrie is our eastern camp boundary and the buildings are certainly built on the no price limit plan. I had some fine snaps of this but I am afraid the best ones are now gone. However, I will send some of those I can get. There is one in this lot in which you will know most of the boys – they are in bathing their feet in the Frenchan Pond, eight miles from camp, while stopped for dinner on an eighteen mile trip. That was in July last.
Well, I will draw this to a close now and wish you and yours the best of luck in your work in the coming year, and ask you to give my respects to the lady, and remember me to Professor Brodrick. Just give him my congratulations.
Yours truly,
(signed) Archie
P.S. – The M.G.C. Rugby Team took the final game for the championship of the division. Score: 11-5
University of Manitoba, Archives and Special Collections, Managra, v. XI, No. 5 (Mar. 1918), 59-60.
1919
Archie Thompson, has secured a farm at Kelwood, from the Soldier’s Settlement Board. We understand that he is fattening a bunch of cattle this winter and – “hatching.”
University of Manitoba, Archives and Special Collections, Managra, v. XIII, No. 1 (Nov. 1919), 42.