Letters sent home by LCpl Pogue to his family members. LCpl Pogue was killed in action on 20 December 1943.

Top letter –  A: – Air mail to Mr. John Pogue, 293 Arlington Ave., Toronto. Dated October 14, 1943; 2 pages. Pogue was temporarily in a holding unit awaiting rejoining the battalion. He writes about the “bull-xxx” in newspapers about the “gun-studded shores” when they landed in Sicily on 9 July. “It was a pushover as far as we were concerned. There wasn’t a shot fired where we landed.”

Middle Letter – B: – Salvation Army envelope addressed to Mrs. Francis Pogue, 243 Arlington Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dated September 10, 1943 from Africa where Pogue was in a “rest camp” recovering from dysentery and malaria caught in Sicily at the Simeto River area. Pogue says: “The food isn’t bad but if anyone even sets bully beef stew or canned fish in front of me when i get home, lord help them.”

Bottom Letter – C: – Plain small envelope addressed to Miss Jacqueline Pogue, 243 Arlington Ave, Toronto, Canada. Dated April 27, 1942. Pogue talks about “Xmas” as “a pretty swell time. We had turkey, roast pork and all kinds of vegetables. They also had a dance on Xmas night and I took my girl. ” Pogue also mentions “travelling within the last 6 months and have been to London, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Portsmouth.” and later “We had a slight bombing and Jerry machine-gunned at the town before the RAF brought him down. You see we are right on the south coast and about 25 miles of water separates us from France.”