Transcription
8th Queens
B. E. F.
12. 7. 1916.
My dear Mother,
Many thanks for your letter to-day, also for a cake which arrived all right in a box, but had managed to break up a bit on the way, more from internal combustion I fancy than outside pressure. Anyhow it is a v. good cake, but as it got broken up, some of it gets wasted. I fancy the baker out to put a little more starch or glue in it to hold it together. Please thank Mrs. Russell for a bottle of Creme de Menthe which has also arrived & has gladdened our hearts at dinner to-night. I have also received several papers from you all.
[page]
We have again moved a little distance but sufficiently far to be in new country to me, though we are out of the line at the moment & living in a cottage in a wood – really very pleasant though subject to shell fire as we are in the neighbourhood of seve several batteries, which have been strafing all day & have made a most infernal din. we have got some deep tunnels to resort to in the event of a strafe & I shall gracefully descend thereto in a few minutes with the Battalion to beguile the midnight hours with sweet music produced by the Canteen Corporal & the new gramophone (which is a great success) what time some other people set to work & strafe the Bosch. While in the tunnel he can shell away for all
[page]
he is worth, but wont affect us, unless he takes the roof off our cottage, when I shall lose most of my things, as I sleep in the attic. However he cant see the cottage, so I hope he will let it alone. I went round the back area of the bit of the line we are to hold this morning. Our headquarters are at what’s left of a farm very cramped with a most indelicate address – after the style of Dead Pig Farm only I mustn’t say what it really is as the Censor will be cross. so we are going to build some new headquarters which will probably be ready about the time we leave the district
[page]
I see the Bosch is complaining of the British emanations of gas, which are beyond the bounds of International Law. so evidently they have some affect on him & I gather that he is going to get a little more to-night.
Love to all
Jack
Commentary
