Item 24 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 22 March 1917

Letter to Ruth Mallory written from France on 'March 22 1917'

It was quiet with no sound of war where there used to be shelled daily. Wanders what she makes of the German’s retreat. The newspapers were making out that they were pushing the enemy back with desperate haste but that wasn’t the case and they were following in a most leisurely manner. Didn’t now if the Infantry were in touch with the enemy now. They weren’t two days ago. Most of the bridges had been blown up. Describes how some bridges had booby traps. He proceeded with caution over the recovered land.

Péronne made him angry as hardly a roof was left there and all the best houses were badly damaged. On entering the town the first thing he noticed a house on fire in the most medieval part and it must have once been a lovely place. It still had a charm and was rather like Rye.

When he, Lithgow and Glen had been out on their reconnaissance they had walked 20 miles and he had seen frightful sights which disgusted him like fruit trees all cut down. It drove away any feeling about the enemy other that the desire to destroy them.

The countryside behind the German lines was a pleasant surprise and they seemed to have made less of a mess with their dumps and camps.