Commentary

At some point, Peirs had several of his letters transcribed and typed, this being one of them. It is a rich letter as he describes in detail the terrible state of British trenches, joking that soon his men would have to hold up the walls themselves, but he also describes a review by King George V. There is a photo of the King at the front here.

Peirs had little time for reviews in general but especially one that seemed as time consuming and pointless as this one. To him this was no great honor but instead a distracting and ‘dismal business’. He thought the King would be better served sleeping a night or two in a dug out ‘then he would know something’ about what conditions were like at the front.

Peirs was certainly a patriotic man, but he was also an efficient officer, and he was more concerned for doing the business that needed being done rather than to be interrupted by a ceremony that he felt had little value, especially when the rest of his battalion was back in the trenches under fire.