Item 65 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 18 August 1916

Letter to Ruth Mallory written from France during the Battle of the Somme, 'Aug 18 1916'

He had arrived at the rest camp with half the battery. Describes walking in the valleys, finding the stream and being very happy. Would be even more happy if she were with him.

Lithgow was to arrive that day and he the camp Commandant of R.G.A. [the Royal Garrison Artillery] and he was to be his orderly officer. Hoped it wouldn’t affect his freedom.

[Continues later] – had been to lunch with the A.S.C. people [ammunition column] and met two Carthusians [former pupils of Charterhouse School where Mallory had been a school master]. Had received letter from her, Graves, Mr Allen, and his mother. Explains he can’t write full accounts in his letters because of the censors. He had missed Robert’s name in the casualty lists. He was disappointed in his poems and wished he hadn’t published them as it would have been better for his reputation to wait.