This was almost certainly taken at the training camp at Rugeley. Note that Harry's belt is upside down! That wouldn't have happened after training!

Harry's first letter on this Blog. Written to his elder sister Catherine.


37/74
M Coy
15 Hut
10th Training Reserves
Rugeley
Staffs
February 7th 1917



Dear Kate



I was very pleased to receive your letter. The weather here is very cold and we don’t get much fire. We have been vaccinated this week well last Monday but we have to do all drills just the same. Ethel says Annie’s cold is much better. I can’t get a shut of mine but I am lucky to keep as well as I do. We have four blankets a piece and a bag of straw about 6in. from the floor on three planks to lie on. There are 29 in our hut and there only suppose to have twenty. I think it will be another five or six weeks before I get a pass I am ready for one anytime. Ethel says Connie and Willie are alright he will soon be a year old now and have two letters from Jack he seems to be getting on all right. We don’t get too much to eat, bread and jam dripping we have to do the cleaning in turns but the cooking is done at the cookhouse. I have not got any fatter yet I don’t suppose I shall do


Will write soon



With Love


from Harry

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this.

Anonymous said...

its amazing 2 be able to expirience the things these amazing people did. we will never understand exactly but they help us 2 appreciate all of them. My Pops a vietnam veteran and i have much respect for him. and all of the people who fought for our country..you are all amazing, and yes, thakyou for shring this!, x

Unknown said...
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Iluma said...

I´m reading the blog from Spain. It´s very interesting. Thank you very much.

Martin Lewis said...

Hello!
My name is Martin and I am deeply interested in WW1 and the personal experiences of the Soldiers as my Great Grandfather fought in WW1 with the the Durham Light Infantry, Northumberland Fusiliers and eventually with the Royal Defence Corps (due to developing Trenche Foot so they sent him home to England to serve with the RDC).

And as my Families Family Historian I am interested in his personal experiences and as he his not with us anymore (RIP) and he didn't like to talk about his experiences that often (for obvious reasons) I am not able to hear of his experiences. So, I rely on Official Records and reading the Personal experiences of other Soldiers to get at the very least a general idea of what it was like for him during such a difficult time.

I just can't believe that I have only just discovered this Blog after it has been around for so long. I've read the first year of this Blog and intend to continue reading it until I've caught up and then look forward to any new Posts that are published.

Thank you for creating this Blog.

Martin.