Researching The Royal Canadian Regiment

Extracts from a letter by Mr. L.J. Murphy (SN 1636)

Pro Patria No. 16, May 1973

You fellows do bring back some very sad and wonderful memories, forgotten or repressed, about our young comrades and about a period in our lives when everything was just a great big ball; fist-fights, boots, parade square, L/Cpls, 2nd Looie's, Discipline, CB, Buddies, beer, babes, hitch-hiking, Detention, AWOL, Sex, McGuire, Judy (Regtl) , Red & Blue shoulder patches, Kure, Ciro's, Seoul, 355, 187, Death to Bill Dawson by being tapped on the chest by Officer and sent to "Baker" , Shock for me by being sent to "Able" 2 Platoon, O.P. , 88 set, Direct hit, confusion, Old Shag, Shorey, Lt George Collins, in reserve, rum for boots, pup-tents, drunk, snow, big red (cut hair) punched Leggit, Leggit punched Sgt Purcell, sober, Aussie lost his Owen Gun I got it, the Hook, OP, Heresum, gas can, Bunker-fire, Heresum burned, Me, buttered his face, lost everything, Chinese shelled, said goodbye to MLR, could type soft touch, Company clerk, 3 RCR, Number ten, watched, "Charles", Mullin, DeCoste, good guys, death, 187, let me go home, No, fight, L/Cpl punched, Griffin McManues, Gary, Ed, rifles, top of hill, searchlights, R.P.'s, Div Provo, fight, guardhouse, pack-drill, home.

Just memories when we were all very young. Sorry I couldn't have been a better soldier fellows, but then we all could have been better if we had not been quite so young…

… Life goes on, live it up Royals for you are still the greatest and I am very proud to have served with you. Wonder how much that Owen Gun cost the Aussie? I would like to pay the R.A.R. for it. Conscience!

Yours truly, Lewis Murphy

Pro Patria

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