Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- c. 16 May 1916 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 item, paper
Context area
Name of creator
Archival history
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Letter to Ruth Mallory written from the Officers' Mess, Red Slum, France
Still hadn’t received a letter from her. Wants to know what she is doing and thinking. What had she decided about letting Violet go to munitions? Thinks she wouldn’t decide anything about that before her next period.
If the Germans were going to be so short of food next year it would be pointless for him to fight through another winter. The French had been expecting and hoping the war would end that summer or autumn.
Things had been fairly lively the last two days. Yesterday was wet so they had done no shooting but there was plenty going on and they took care to keep out of the way of the whizbangs. That morning he was awoken early by a tremendous dim – neighbouring anti-aircraft batteries pounding away. It was a bright morning and there was plenty of aircraft about so they took care to slink around out of sight in the shadows. They were shooting both morning and afternoon that day. The system was first one and then the other is on duty for a week. Next week he would take command of the guns.
The men had planted a variety of vegetables in the garden and there was plenty of space for flowers and they would do quite well for fruit.
He had to write a letter to Arthur Benson as he had seen that his sister had recently died and another letter to Mother.
Asks her to send the proofs of the photos.