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Letters Home World War 1 May 1918Arthur worries about Ireland, likes his bully beef box chair, concerned about air raids ...May 16th, 1918
My Dear Mother, Yrs. of 8th & enclosures … I can’t make out what is to happen in Ireland, just home rule, then conscription, then presumably rows. What a dreadful pity the clergy have all taken part against it. It all looks in such a hopeless mess. However war does not seem to trouble people over there, races as usual! I see people are to have passports or permits to go over to Ireland now. Yesterday & today lovely & warm. Just came down from 24 hrs. at post, our cellar is getting much dryer than it was & less smelly. Four new volunteers are to arrive this evg. I believe, we have very little room in our eating place & nothing to sit on. My “chair” is a bully beef box. Here I sit on my bed, that or floor, so I’ve written A. to send me out one of those Rorkee Indian chairs, they take to bits & fold up in a box so handy to take about, they are very comfortable. So Mary has a job in munitions again, I suppose under Mabel. Glad Alison wrote you. They seem quiet & happy down at Sunningdale & she goes & works 2 or 3 days a week at places like Mrs L Brooke’s in Tilney St. |
So Ernest is flying again. I’m sure he enjoyed his week with you. A nuisance will not be able to get leave. It was cold, wet & miserable till last 2 days. Lilac & Laburnum just coming out, & trees out last 2 days, but were very backward.Of course this fine weather has its drawbacks for us, as it means bombing at night. I suppose this is calm before the storm, will start again soon no doubt... Curious to see Home Rule bill. Will they turn the bank out. I don’t see a Home Rule Parliament passing a Conscription bill … I see a National Review has arrived, I like it rather, Maxse says what he thinks & it often seems very sound. What is this pledge to resist conscription, are they to kick & bite & yell when they come to take them, if they do, or just refuse to go & stay at home or what. I wonder if we shall get moved from here before long, I hope so, tho’ of course one might face far worse!! There is always that. Best love Yr affect. Son Arthur A’s photos have not arrived yet. Thanks for 2 Irish Times. |
Arrests in Ireland, bad air raid with many killed, enjoys sleeping underground at the front ...
May 24th, 1918
My Dear Mother,
Yrs. Of 17th came today & various enclosures, also an I.Times. Yr enclosure from John came 3 days ago. This will not go till tomorrow. No, you must not put 2½d on my letters, 1d for all troops and services out here, only to private people, civilians that it is 2½d . I do not put 25 centimes on my letters, we never have to put anything, but the p.o. people I think put stamps on, I suppose some good reason, but we do not pay for them, Govt. do that, at least it of course costs them nothing ...
I see a lot of people have been arrested in Ireland, about time, if they shut away all the agitators, the rest would be contented probably. They have not much to complain of, plenty to eat & drink, high prices for agricultural products & meat, no conscription & far from the war; the country to live in everyone says! One wonders what end will be, do they really mean to introduce Home Rule, I don’t fancy they have remotest intention of having conscription! I suppose E O’Brien had a lot to do with the fete got up for Red X in Dublin ...
Been very fine & hot here till yesterday afternoon when a change came up & it got quite cool, almost cold, & this last night again was clear moonlight, today is cloudy, a little rain & I hope it remains so tonight & let us have a nights rest which we all surly want as when fine the aeroplanes are over most of night & drop bombs and get fired at, such a din & even to hear them flying over, you never know what moment they may bomb you, it is most unpleasant. Last few nights nearly every one has fields and woods & slept out, been very mild. About 4 nights ago we heard a fearful explosion about 60 yds off, blew open our door & window, large stones fell everywhere, great noise of collapsing houses & thick smoke & dust; 3 houses, fairly large stone ones were absolutely demolished & lot killed, of course houses collapsed & shut in those in cellars , I believe some still missing, probably blown to bits, it was a torpedo. Night before last 2 of us went off to the fields, a high part & camped under an apple tree. Could not sleep much, aeroplanes going over all the time & throwing bombs on various villages & places round which I watched, but bits of shell & spent bullets fired at aeroplanes fall around, & it is not a very pleasant feeling when you see shells bursting right over your head, bits must come down somewhere.
Alternate nights I am up at a post & of course sleep in underground, really prefer it to being here, but of course you just lie down as you are, & may be, & often are called out anytime through the night, as one looks to a night here as the rest, whereas it is not, so it is not over pleasant & fellows feel it after a bit when one does not get a reasonable amount of sleep. I hear 2 new volunteers arrive tomorrow, 2 came a week ago, so we are getting a few more. The gassed men will, I fancy, bar one, return later when alright. This place has been just a large dust pile, filthy hole, I suppose next thing will be a mud heap. Buckmaster is not returning so our C.O. is still a very nice man & I live in kitchens with him & another Argentine. We are getting 2 more cars from Paris as 2 of ours are “done in” ! No glass left in any corridors hardly so it is not nice in cold nights a dusty days.
Best love,
yr affct. Son
Arthur
My Dear Mother,
Yrs. Of 17th came today & various enclosures, also an I.Times. Yr enclosure from John came 3 days ago. This will not go till tomorrow. No, you must not put 2½d on my letters, 1d for all troops and services out here, only to private people, civilians that it is 2½d . I do not put 25 centimes on my letters, we never have to put anything, but the p.o. people I think put stamps on, I suppose some good reason, but we do not pay for them, Govt. do that, at least it of course costs them nothing ...
I see a lot of people have been arrested in Ireland, about time, if they shut away all the agitators, the rest would be contented probably. They have not much to complain of, plenty to eat & drink, high prices for agricultural products & meat, no conscription & far from the war; the country to live in everyone says! One wonders what end will be, do they really mean to introduce Home Rule, I don’t fancy they have remotest intention of having conscription! I suppose E O’Brien had a lot to do with the fete got up for Red X in Dublin ...
Been very fine & hot here till yesterday afternoon when a change came up & it got quite cool, almost cold, & this last night again was clear moonlight, today is cloudy, a little rain & I hope it remains so tonight & let us have a nights rest which we all surly want as when fine the aeroplanes are over most of night & drop bombs and get fired at, such a din & even to hear them flying over, you never know what moment they may bomb you, it is most unpleasant. Last few nights nearly every one has fields and woods & slept out, been very mild. About 4 nights ago we heard a fearful explosion about 60 yds off, blew open our door & window, large stones fell everywhere, great noise of collapsing houses & thick smoke & dust; 3 houses, fairly large stone ones were absolutely demolished & lot killed, of course houses collapsed & shut in those in cellars , I believe some still missing, probably blown to bits, it was a torpedo. Night before last 2 of us went off to the fields, a high part & camped under an apple tree. Could not sleep much, aeroplanes going over all the time & throwing bombs on various villages & places round which I watched, but bits of shell & spent bullets fired at aeroplanes fall around, & it is not a very pleasant feeling when you see shells bursting right over your head, bits must come down somewhere.
Alternate nights I am up at a post & of course sleep in underground, really prefer it to being here, but of course you just lie down as you are, & may be, & often are called out anytime through the night, as one looks to a night here as the rest, whereas it is not, so it is not over pleasant & fellows feel it after a bit when one does not get a reasonable amount of sleep. I hear 2 new volunteers arrive tomorrow, 2 came a week ago, so we are getting a few more. The gassed men will, I fancy, bar one, return later when alright. This place has been just a large dust pile, filthy hole, I suppose next thing will be a mud heap. Buckmaster is not returning so our C.O. is still a very nice man & I live in kitchens with him & another Argentine. We are getting 2 more cars from Paris as 2 of ours are “done in” ! No glass left in any corridors hardly so it is not nice in cold nights a dusty days.
Best love,
yr affct. Son
Arthur
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