Pièce 40 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 30 June 1916

Letter to Ruth Mallory written from France

Full Transcript

Dearest Ruth,

I’m sitting in a café at a village on a main road which acts as our advanced base whither I have been sent on an errand to the Field Cashier. I can get this posted here, and have a few moments.

This also is part a foraging expedition and the driver luckily knew of a farmhouse where many things are sold – quite a number of farms hereabouts have become provision shops but the usual difficulty is that they have no provisions. Today we have been very lucky and I have somewhat prepared for goodness knows what future. I too am afraid that correspondence is going to be difficult but I think I may get letters from you at intervals of 3 or 4 days on the average. You see our lorries have to bring us provisions and ammunition at frequent intervals and the ordinary way is for the ration lorry to bring the mails. Of course I can’t guess what may happen. I don’t suppose we shall be in Berlin in a fortnight but its clear that life will be a very different affair for us if the Army continues digging in shallowed trenches and so on!

I think it would perhaps be a good plan to write to me every other day for the present. Will you try and tell me as much as you can about the people about you who seem to be very numerous just now. I am glad you should have the feeling towards baby that makes you want to have her to yourself all the time – but you won’t let her come too much in the way of other sides of life will you my dear? We’ve talked of that – still I think from your last letter that you seem to be almost too absorbed in Clare at the moment. Your letters vary very much (I expect mine do too) – sometimes more thoughtful than others so that I sometimes feel that your mind has control and sometimes the feelings have it all their own way. I do hope you haven’t many despairing moments.
I expect you keep pretty cheerful and interested too, that’s the main thing.

This must end. I have to fly.
All my love, your George.