Item 41 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 1 July 1916

Letter to Ruth Mallory written from France during the Battle of the Somme, 'Saturday'

Full Transcript
This mere note to precede a very long letter I am in the course of writing in reply to two beautiful letters from you. We are depressed on this bit of the front. Nevertheless a fair number of prisoners drift by. We have been very busy. I am rather tired but very well. Great love to you dearest from your loving George.

Dispatch rider just off. A few moments more. I am sitting on the roadside other officers gazing at prisoners 100 yards off through glasses. ‘A damned seedy looking lot those!’ says Glen. The air is full of jars. Not much doing this evening. We are disgusted at not being allowed to fire more rds [rounds]. I hope the show has gone well elsewhere. The din this morning was terrific. I’m feeling tremendously excited – but I fear we shan’t go forward as soon as we hoped. The weather is v. fine which ought to help matters. It is extraordinary how little shelling the enemy has done here. All the damage to our men on this bit of front done by machine guns. Here goes my love again. Congratulate Mildred and Robert from me.