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Letters Home From The First World War August 1917
Arthur is not happy with his quarters, talk of wedding presents, worries about the war lasting another year or two perhaps ...
S.S.A.3
France
4th Aug, 1917
My Dear Mother
…
This place under the circumstances is not pleasant. Rain poured through the ceiling in our room up there. During heavy rain the other aft.noon, had to put on mackintosh, however lighter rain luckily does not have same effect. I don’t envy section if it has to remain here this winter. Already in this weather it tickles up ones rheumatic parts.
… I think we are quite exceptions to the rule in writing amongst relations & friends as we do, & you especially write a lot, one can hardly take us as a standard to go by. The majority of people you will find go on principal of no news is good news… Letters often take 7 days tho’ usually 6. Parcels are awful, they take weeks. Tea has not arrived yet, my reserve is getting low, but a ½ lb parcel of tobacco arrived this mrng. However I ordered it a long time ago & was just at end of mine …
I don’t like the idea of suggesting silver or clocks to any of my relatives for wedding presents, it is rather much these hard times & many have had rather a tax in wedding present line. I shall expect nothing, but if any of them are kind enough to give me anything I shall greatly greatly appreciate the kind gift. This wedding present business is a real tax on many now a days with ¼ of ones income being taken at one go! ...
I fear our existence will be nomadic for a time, so no use our getting much together at present till we have a house. Packing up & putting away things every move is a beastly nuisance. Till this war is over one can settle nothing & I fear the outlook at present is very gloomy, Russia perfectly hopeless. It has lasted 3 yrs. today & there seems no great reason why it should not last another year or two tho’ of course one hopes & supposes it won’t, but just why it shouldn’t nobody can tell one! …
One of our fellows has just gone to Blois for 10 days leave with his son who is in a Canadian regt. they met in Paris …
Best of love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
Will you please send me I. Times with annual report of D.W.D. it generally appears in August.
France
4th Aug, 1917
My Dear Mother
…
This place under the circumstances is not pleasant. Rain poured through the ceiling in our room up there. During heavy rain the other aft.noon, had to put on mackintosh, however lighter rain luckily does not have same effect. I don’t envy section if it has to remain here this winter. Already in this weather it tickles up ones rheumatic parts.
… I think we are quite exceptions to the rule in writing amongst relations & friends as we do, & you especially write a lot, one can hardly take us as a standard to go by. The majority of people you will find go on principal of no news is good news… Letters often take 7 days tho’ usually 6. Parcels are awful, they take weeks. Tea has not arrived yet, my reserve is getting low, but a ½ lb parcel of tobacco arrived this mrng. However I ordered it a long time ago & was just at end of mine …
I don’t like the idea of suggesting silver or clocks to any of my relatives for wedding presents, it is rather much these hard times & many have had rather a tax in wedding present line. I shall expect nothing, but if any of them are kind enough to give me anything I shall greatly greatly appreciate the kind gift. This wedding present business is a real tax on many now a days with ¼ of ones income being taken at one go! ...
I fear our existence will be nomadic for a time, so no use our getting much together at present till we have a house. Packing up & putting away things every move is a beastly nuisance. Till this war is over one can settle nothing & I fear the outlook at present is very gloomy, Russia perfectly hopeless. It has lasted 3 yrs. today & there seems no great reason why it should not last another year or two tho’ of course one hopes & supposes it won’t, but just why it shouldn’t nobody can tell one! …
One of our fellows has just gone to Blois for 10 days leave with his son who is in a Canadian regt. they met in Paris …
Best of love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
Will you please send me I. Times with annual report of D.W.D. it generally appears in August.
Arthur's intended is flat hunting in London, section soon to be moved, soon to be on leave ...
Aug 7th, 1917
My Dear Mother,
Yrs of 2nd & enclosures came this morning. You have many visitors these times, how very nice having Bertha & Ruth together & you will have made ????? acquaintance. I suppose Mrs. O’?? will be back for boys holidays …
Mrs S has taken a flat corner of Harley & Wigmore St., a handy part for Laura, as it is close to her work; where they were last winter, tho’ a charming flat, was rather far for the girls to go to their work every day. Alison says her mother saw a very nice flat looking on to Manchester Sq & A thought it might suit us, so was going to look. We had thought of Cadogan Gardens or that part, but I really don’t mind , N side of Park is higher [?] & very handy to Oxford St. One must have a flat with gas cooker, as coal this winter may be a bother to get at times. If only one can get 2 good maids, half ones comfort.
Fancy having all that lovely weather in Ireland when it has been so wet here & England. They must have saved hay well. Here some crops knocked about & hay damaged I fear, tho’ oat crops look well & they want a month of good weather now. We are off “en repos” on Thursday morng. & are to be replaced by No.2 Section, report has it we are to return here after 15 or 20 days “en repos” at & round about a village on the Marne. I sincerely hope they move us elsewhere; don’t care for this part at all & we have been here in Champagne since end Jan. I think they all want a move. I wish we could get south again, however I have not very much longer & certainly would be sorry to be in this sector in Winter. I see another Australian mail sunk, no wonder one gets so few letters from those parts these days, they are having a splendid season there …
Buckmaster has gone off this morning to spy out our village on the Marne, he is a very good C.O. of course he has been Capt. of so many polo teams, always a great help to this sort of thing.
I forget if I told you Alison has been taken for my daughter already, rather awkward! Our French Lieutenant was in my hut for tea a few aft. Noons ago & saw the snapshot of A (same as one I sent you) in a little frame on my table & asked me if it was my daughter! I must tell A. Buckmaster told me yesterday that there is a Fitzgerald coming out to this section about 20th inst. Says he knows Buck. & therefore asked to be sent to us, I wonder what Fitzgerald it is? Two new men came a fortnight ago & another comes in 3 or 4 days so they will be well off for winter & not like last yr. When we were pretty short. Of course some of us are leaving during Sept & Oct. It is 2 ½ years tomorrow since I left London with the convoy, so I shan’t have done so badly even if I don’t come out to it again, shall leave done well over 2 ½ years & this would be my fourth winter, as the Feb. March & April of 1915 were very wintry months in the Vosges, in fact almost the hardest times we had as we were often out all night in snow & driving miles & miles …
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
My Dear Mother,
Yrs of 2nd & enclosures came this morning. You have many visitors these times, how very nice having Bertha & Ruth together & you will have made ????? acquaintance. I suppose Mrs. O’?? will be back for boys holidays …
Mrs S has taken a flat corner of Harley & Wigmore St., a handy part for Laura, as it is close to her work; where they were last winter, tho’ a charming flat, was rather far for the girls to go to their work every day. Alison says her mother saw a very nice flat looking on to Manchester Sq & A thought it might suit us, so was going to look. We had thought of Cadogan Gardens or that part, but I really don’t mind , N side of Park is higher [?] & very handy to Oxford St. One must have a flat with gas cooker, as coal this winter may be a bother to get at times. If only one can get 2 good maids, half ones comfort.
Fancy having all that lovely weather in Ireland when it has been so wet here & England. They must have saved hay well. Here some crops knocked about & hay damaged I fear, tho’ oat crops look well & they want a month of good weather now. We are off “en repos” on Thursday morng. & are to be replaced by No.2 Section, report has it we are to return here after 15 or 20 days “en repos” at & round about a village on the Marne. I sincerely hope they move us elsewhere; don’t care for this part at all & we have been here in Champagne since end Jan. I think they all want a move. I wish we could get south again, however I have not very much longer & certainly would be sorry to be in this sector in Winter. I see another Australian mail sunk, no wonder one gets so few letters from those parts these days, they are having a splendid season there …
Buckmaster has gone off this morning to spy out our village on the Marne, he is a very good C.O. of course he has been Capt. of so many polo teams, always a great help to this sort of thing.
I forget if I told you Alison has been taken for my daughter already, rather awkward! Our French Lieutenant was in my hut for tea a few aft. Noons ago & saw the snapshot of A (same as one I sent you) in a little frame on my table & asked me if it was my daughter! I must tell A. Buckmaster told me yesterday that there is a Fitzgerald coming out to this section about 20th inst. Says he knows Buck. & therefore asked to be sent to us, I wonder what Fitzgerald it is? Two new men came a fortnight ago & another comes in 3 or 4 days so they will be well off for winter & not like last yr. When we were pretty short. Of course some of us are leaving during Sept & Oct. It is 2 ½ years tomorrow since I left London with the convoy, so I shan’t have done so badly even if I don’t come out to it again, shall leave done well over 2 ½ years & this would be my fourth winter, as the Feb. March & April of 1915 were very wintry months in the Vosges, in fact almost the hardest times we had as we were often out all night in snow & driving miles & miles …
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
Arthur talks of not returning after his next leave ...
Monday Aug 13th, 1917
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 6th & enclosures from to hand, also one from Trixie same mail…
I am so glad you are having Bertha to stay on, how gay you all are. Here weather not yet better, lovely yesterday, heavy rain this morng. But clearing. Hard on harvest, they want a month of fine weather. Curious at being so fine in Ireland during all that wet weather in England, it seems to have been bad …
We all came here on Thursday, a nice small village on the Marne, about 50k from where we were. Our cars are under fine avenue of lime trees leading to the Château …
Two of us managed to get quite a good bedroom in an old farm house at end of village here, rooms scarce & hard to get as officers have most or all of best rooms. I don’t know how long we shall be here, I suppose another 10 days. A nice clean little church here ...
I fear little or no chance of our moving south, however, I suppose I only have another 6 or 7 wks. at most & am not likely to return; after 2 ½ yrs. one gets very tired of this work & I confess I’d sooner get something at home now that I shall have a Mrs. The best & most interesting work of this sort was in our first 18 months & under best conditions too. Three volunteers go home today, 2 may return & a new one comes soon. They will be alright for the winter. I hope you post me on reports & things of that sort, been expecting one for some days …
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 6th & enclosures from to hand, also one from Trixie same mail…
I am so glad you are having Bertha to stay on, how gay you all are. Here weather not yet better, lovely yesterday, heavy rain this morng. But clearing. Hard on harvest, they want a month of fine weather. Curious at being so fine in Ireland during all that wet weather in England, it seems to have been bad …
We all came here on Thursday, a nice small village on the Marne, about 50k from where we were. Our cars are under fine avenue of lime trees leading to the Château …
Two of us managed to get quite a good bedroom in an old farm house at end of village here, rooms scarce & hard to get as officers have most or all of best rooms. I don’t know how long we shall be here, I suppose another 10 days. A nice clean little church here ...
I fear little or no chance of our moving south, however, I suppose I only have another 6 or 7 wks. at most & am not likely to return; after 2 ½ yrs. one gets very tired of this work & I confess I’d sooner get something at home now that I shall have a Mrs. The best & most interesting work of this sort was in our first 18 months & under best conditions too. Three volunteers go home today, 2 may return & a new one comes soon. They will be alright for the winter. I hope you post me on reports & things of that sort, been expecting one for some days …
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
Sad news, a big casualty list, Pope trying to arrange peace, nice quarters in a farm house ...
Aug 16th, 1917
My Dear Mother,
Yrs of 9th & enclosures & also 11th & ditto to hand, latter this morning. I am very sorry to hear about Maurice Cane, very sad for that nice little wife of his; there is a boy is there not? I hear there is going to be a small ???, so perhaps a son. I see big casualty list lately. Weather awful over here, I fear a lot of crops spoilt & potatoes beginning to go, ‘tho they have splendid crops of them. A lot of corn cut, but out in fields & a good deal of oats laid. It seems to have been bad all over France. I do hope it has cleared with you. At last this morning glass rising a bit, but still cloudy, cool & showery looking. We want a month very fine now.
What a nice letter from Mrs Smith; she & Alison went to a hospital on 8th to have their tonsils out & Laura writes me both going on well. Alison it appears, was rather tired & run down after her trip to Ireland & went to see their Dr. & he said that was her trouble, she had tonsillitis last winter, it was very prevalent in London; I trust she will be stronger now; Mrs S has had it twice before, so thought it best to have hers out too. My first letter from Australia was from Cissie O’ Loghlen [?], probably it will be the only one, it came via America, the boat that just would have had letters for A & I after they heard our news out there, was torpedoed & all mails lost. Alison liked Ta so much ...
I see in today’s paper the Pope is trying to arrange a peace, but I don’t suppose there is the smallest chance as Germany would never agree to Allies terms & from Lloyd Georges speech, we have no intention whatever of peace at present or near future. If harvest is bad in Germany they may be a bit short there next May & June.
The lb. of tea arrived safely a few days ago. I have room to myself in farm house, the two others have found other quarters, so I’m lucky. Yest. morng. 15th, I went at 6-30 to Ch. & they give Holy Communion between 6-30 & 7-30 a.m. but no Mass till 11, as Cur.’ [Curate] has to say Mass at another chapel 2 miles or so away at another small village. I saw the family from Chateau there too & a good many others. I paid Cur.’ [Curate] a visit; he never seems to have met any English before! Quite nice sort of man. A new church here & quite clean & nice …
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
My Dear Mother,
Yrs of 9th & enclosures & also 11th & ditto to hand, latter this morning. I am very sorry to hear about Maurice Cane, very sad for that nice little wife of his; there is a boy is there not? I hear there is going to be a small ???, so perhaps a son. I see big casualty list lately. Weather awful over here, I fear a lot of crops spoilt & potatoes beginning to go, ‘tho they have splendid crops of them. A lot of corn cut, but out in fields & a good deal of oats laid. It seems to have been bad all over France. I do hope it has cleared with you. At last this morning glass rising a bit, but still cloudy, cool & showery looking. We want a month very fine now.
What a nice letter from Mrs Smith; she & Alison went to a hospital on 8th to have their tonsils out & Laura writes me both going on well. Alison it appears, was rather tired & run down after her trip to Ireland & went to see their Dr. & he said that was her trouble, she had tonsillitis last winter, it was very prevalent in London; I trust she will be stronger now; Mrs S has had it twice before, so thought it best to have hers out too. My first letter from Australia was from Cissie O’ Loghlen [?], probably it will be the only one, it came via America, the boat that just would have had letters for A & I after they heard our news out there, was torpedoed & all mails lost. Alison liked Ta so much ...
I see in today’s paper the Pope is trying to arrange a peace, but I don’t suppose there is the smallest chance as Germany would never agree to Allies terms & from Lloyd Georges speech, we have no intention whatever of peace at present or near future. If harvest is bad in Germany they may be a bit short there next May & June.
The lb. of tea arrived safely a few days ago. I have room to myself in farm house, the two others have found other quarters, so I’m lucky. Yest. morng. 15th, I went at 6-30 to Ch. & they give Holy Communion between 6-30 & 7-30 a.m. but no Mass till 11, as Cur.’ [Curate] has to say Mass at another chapel 2 miles or so away at another small village. I saw the family from Chateau there too & a good many others. I paid Cur.’ [Curate] a visit; he never seems to have met any English before! Quite nice sort of man. A new church here & quite clean & nice …
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
Nephew to join Royal Flying Corps, good news from Italy ...
22nd Aug, 1917
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 14th & enclosure from ???? & 16th with a letter sent on both to hand. I will write ????? to address you give. He seems very keen on Flying Corps, so I suppose it may be all for the best, personally I should prefer the ground to the air. When in France they are of course much more comfortably fixed in F.C. than in trenches, comfortable quarters etc …
Good news from Italian Front & Verdun; I fancy Italian Front is a hopeless country to get on in & in another month there will be snow & nothing more to do till spring! No wonder war lasts years …
Our Cur. [Curate] spoke on Sunday about Popes Peace proposals; explained as well as he could, tho’ personally as a Frenchman he knew they were impossible; I fancy Austrian Emp. & his wife are very keen on peace & they persuaded the Pope to try. I fancy we are here till 1st Sep. or near it & then I fear back to where we came from, but not for long.
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 14th & enclosure from ???? & 16th with a letter sent on both to hand. I will write ????? to address you give. He seems very keen on Flying Corps, so I suppose it may be all for the best, personally I should prefer the ground to the air. When in France they are of course much more comfortably fixed in F.C. than in trenches, comfortable quarters etc …
Good news from Italian Front & Verdun; I fancy Italian Front is a hopeless country to get on in & in another month there will be snow & nothing more to do till spring! No wonder war lasts years …
Our Cur. [Curate] spoke on Sunday about Popes Peace proposals; explained as well as he could, tho’ personally as a Frenchman he knew they were impossible; I fancy Austrian Emp. & his wife are very keen on peace & they persuaded the Pope to try. I fancy we are here till 1st Sep. or near it & then I fear back to where we came from, but not for long.
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
Arthur hears of progress by French and Italians, possible settlement in Ireland ...
25th Aug, 1917
My Dear Mother,
Yrs of 19th to hand & enclosures, it came yest. Glad Alison wrote you re. tea party, but as you see she was in hospital just after. She is nearly right again, still a bit sore eating or speaking. Mrs made a very quick recovery …
Alison has an Italian girl staying, daughter of a General of very good family, but lost his money & the Signoura teaches Italian & A has ??? to stay & teach her and talk Italian …
I believe there is a nice girl Airedale who wants to nurse in Mrs S’s hospital. I know the name, who are they, very rich it seems, iron, cotton or something, you might look them up. Fine day weather here & all busy with harvest. We have nearly finished our cars, no sign of moving yet. Fancy Ernest going over to Vendome [?] to learn flying, he will pass through Blois & it is near M. la Brissons [?] place, a friend of the Abbe’s where I stayed over. I wonder if he is still alive. It will probably be a good place to learn. Fancy wanting to go in the Tanks, no accounting for tastes! A pity the Regt. was not sent to Egypt as there seemed to be a question of it. French & Italians both doing very well; if only latter could get to Trieste but it is an awful country to get through …
A very nice new Vol. [unteer] arrived 3 days ago, Fitzgerald, an R.C. has an island in mouth of river in Waterford & an old family place there; seems well off, been a lot in America & has interests there. He is sharing my room here, as I was alone & all others were doubled up & 3 in a room: we get on very well & have many mutual acquaintances. They will have plenty of men for the winter. My friend Webster, one of the originals who was ill & went home in Feb. comes out again end Sep. I shall just see him & be able to hand him back some of the things he left me. I hear the proposal is a Colonial Govt. for Ireland like Aust. or Canada; it might work, anything to settle it.
Best love
Arthur
My Dear Mother,
Yrs of 19th to hand & enclosures, it came yest. Glad Alison wrote you re. tea party, but as you see she was in hospital just after. She is nearly right again, still a bit sore eating or speaking. Mrs made a very quick recovery …
Alison has an Italian girl staying, daughter of a General of very good family, but lost his money & the Signoura teaches Italian & A has ??? to stay & teach her and talk Italian …
I believe there is a nice girl Airedale who wants to nurse in Mrs S’s hospital. I know the name, who are they, very rich it seems, iron, cotton or something, you might look them up. Fine day weather here & all busy with harvest. We have nearly finished our cars, no sign of moving yet. Fancy Ernest going over to Vendome [?] to learn flying, he will pass through Blois & it is near M. la Brissons [?] place, a friend of the Abbe’s where I stayed over. I wonder if he is still alive. It will probably be a good place to learn. Fancy wanting to go in the Tanks, no accounting for tastes! A pity the Regt. was not sent to Egypt as there seemed to be a question of it. French & Italians both doing very well; if only latter could get to Trieste but it is an awful country to get through …
A very nice new Vol. [unteer] arrived 3 days ago, Fitzgerald, an R.C. has an island in mouth of river in Waterford & an old family place there; seems well off, been a lot in America & has interests there. He is sharing my room here, as I was alone & all others were doubled up & 3 in a room: we get on very well & have many mutual acquaintances. They will have plenty of men for the winter. My friend Webster, one of the originals who was ill & went home in Feb. comes out again end Sep. I shall just see him & be able to hand him back some of the things he left me. I hear the proposal is a Colonial Govt. for Ireland like Aust. or Canada; it might work, anything to settle it.
Best love
Arthur
Arthur disappointed not to be going to Verdun ...
29th Aug, 1917
My Dear Mother
I got 2 letters (Aust) forwarded by you & enclosures yesterday & papers. Did you ever get report of D.W.D. in Irish Times, I see they have had their meeting, if you missed it I can get it from Dublin. I am so very sorry to hear of Dr O’Connors son, very sad poor people & he had done so awfully well …
We go back to same sector where we came from I report to say & leave here Sat 1st. I had hoped for a change & wanted so much to go to Verdun; we have practically seen most of the rest of the front. Italy doing well …
We luckily just about finished painting cars before bad weather started.
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
My Dear Mother
I got 2 letters (Aust) forwarded by you & enclosures yesterday & papers. Did you ever get report of D.W.D. in Irish Times, I see they have had their meeting, if you missed it I can get it from Dublin. I am so very sorry to hear of Dr O’Connors son, very sad poor people & he had done so awfully well …
We go back to same sector where we came from I report to say & leave here Sat 1st. I had hoped for a change & wanted so much to go to Verdun; we have practically seen most of the rest of the front. Italy doing well …
We luckily just about finished painting cars before bad weather started.
Best love
Yr. Affect. Son
Arthur
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