Tag Archives: wedding

19 July 1917

 

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Transcription

19. 7. 17.
My dear Mother,

I have several letters to thank you all for, a couple of cakes. I am very glad to hear the Barrow’s show was a success & shall be interested to read Sam’s speech when the Herald materialises. I haven’t written for a few days, as I have been rather busy & the last two days we have been on the move. We have been marching & had quite a respectable journey so far though inclined to be a little wet. We start at or before dawn & get in before the heat of the day, which

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is quite a satisfactory plan, though it breaks up the night’s rest. I imagine we shall have a few more days & then shall probably be sent into the line somewhere.

When I get a chance I will send back the wedding photographs. I cannot congratulate French on his efforts as it was all I could do to recognise most of the relations & I only got at G. by a process of elimination. The C. O. is back again but is rather ill & will I think get an extended leave as soon as possible to get fit. The strain of this ere war is too much for him & he has consequently knocked up.

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We had a very good time when back in rest & kept the men busy with various competitions & games, concerts & cinemas – the latter in a church Army Tent which set itself down in our village, as being a central locality. Cinemas in a tent however are not a success, as they had to be held more or less by daylight & the light comes through the canvas. I gather that the higher luminaries are quite unperturbed by the Bosch show on the coast the other day. He was very wily & waited for a windy day & then bombarded the flank of the position

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so as to raise a dust storm, which blew down over our people & prevented their rifles & machine guns from working properly. I don’t suppose he will be allowed to stay there for long. I don’t know that there is any news. We are again reminded that there is a war on as we are just in sound of gunfire. Lately we have only realised it at nights as we could see the flashes on the sky & curiously enough, the flares presumably Bosch, as they are better than ours, sent up from the trenches

Love to all

Jack.

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