Written on Sunday, March 3rd 1918.
March 3rd/1918
32507/9 Batt York & Lancs RegtMarch 3rd/1918
C. Company
12 Platoon L G S
I.E.F
Dear Kate
I am pleased you are getting on alright. I am in good health at present. I am glad they are keeping well at Ilkeston, it is Willie's Birthday this month. I hope the war will be over before it comes round again. It must be bad for you in England being so short of food it will be a good job when it is over. We are not so bad off for food out hear and cannot grumble, not in war time. I have had a letter from Jack he says that he and his wife are keeping well and that he will not be required for the army so he is alright, I am very pleased. Write as often as you can and let me know when you pay Jack a visit. The scenery here is alright we are quite close to the mountains and they look well. It takes five hours to get to the top of some and they are not the largest it would be alright out hear in peace time We can get plenty of fruit out here oranges and apples etc. but we dont get paid often enough. I think I must be a nice bit in credit.
I am pleased you are getting on alright. I am in good health at present. I am glad they are keeping well at Ilkeston, it is Willie's Birthday this month. I hope the war will be over before it comes round again. It must be bad for you in England being so short of food it will be a good job when it is over. We are not so bad off for food out hear and cannot grumble, not in war time. I have had a letter from Jack he says that he and his wife are keeping well and that he will not be required for the army so he is alright, I am very pleased. Write as often as you can and let me know when you pay Jack a visit. The scenery here is alright we are quite close to the mountains and they look well. It takes five hours to get to the top of some and they are not the largest it would be alright out hear in peace time We can get plenty of fruit out here oranges and apples etc. but we dont get paid often enough. I think I must be a nice bit in credit.
With best love
Harry
Harry
(PS) Put I.E.F on letters not B.E.F.
We have a lovely post card to Connie where Harry refers to himself as "Dad". I have taken a small liberty in posting it here as it would, almost certainly, have been posted to Ethel. Somehow, it has found its way to the bundle of letters to Kate and Jack. I found it in the envelope addressed to Kate with this letter, so I've posted it with it!
We have a lovely post card to Connie where Harry refers to himself as "Dad". I have taken a small liberty in posting it here as it would, almost certainly, have been posted to Ethel. Somehow, it has found its way to the bundle of letters to Kate and Jack. I found it in the envelope addressed to Kate with this letter, so I've posted it with it!
The envelope is quite interesting. Harry has signed to say, on his honour, that the letter gives away no military secrets! BL
5 comments:
Lovely! Kate must have been glad she'd left her daughter in the hands of such a warm and caring father.
Harry sounds to be in good spirits, very upbeat in this letter.
-Gustav's great-granddaughter
I looked up Kate's address on Google Earth, and it appears her house may still exist! It certainly appears to be of the correct era.
If you're able to have a look, perhaps you can confirm?
hanover square looks like its been re-developed.
It would be fun to see if there is an early map of the area
Interestingly Hanover Square Surounds Denison hall, A wealthy Wool businessmans house built by John Denison in 1786 and is now a hotel, but was in the family until post WW2.
Soldiers were entitled to a very limited supply of these envelopes, whose contents were not censored by their own officers, and which were generally used for personal matters that the soldiers mightn't want known about.
My guess is that Harry used this because he was signing the card for Connie as "dad", and didn't want anyone who knew him personally asking questions about this "daughter".
Connie's name would not show up in army personnel records, so he presumably was concerned that Kate's secret might be discovered if someone spotted the discrepancy.
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