Tag Archives: letter to mother

16 September 1916

Peirs_Le_1916-09-16_01

 

Transcription

8th Queens

B. E. F.

16. 9. 1916.

(rec’ 23 – 9 – 16)

My dear Mother,

Thanks for yours & for one from Cecily to-day.  I am glad you like the place.  I fear the prospects of leave are not so rosy to-day as I can’t help thinking we shall move out of this garden of Eden before my turn arrives & I don’t know where we shall be going to.  They are pushing ahead up on the Somme & I don’t know whether they will want us back or not & if so, when & of course the more they push – the more they are likely to want troops.  However we have had a very good time here & the rest has done the men a lot of good.  To-day we were playing a lot of football – six aside – which amuses them. To-morrow I shall give them a day off, though as a matter of fact they have done very little work at all here though the staff insists on their doing any amount & so they do – on paper, but we have the sense not to carry it out.

My migraines are much better & I now sympathize with others who have the complaint & there is still some of it about. I fancy we caught it off the Bosch, as it was quite unheard of till we began to live in his dug-outs.  I have just spent a happy hour in concocting a gentle reply to one of the Division who has shewn himself an ass & has delivered himself into my hands.  However I fear he is too thick-headed to realise the depth of my sarcasm.  I did it once before long long ago & they had to invoke the aid of the G. O. C. to get level, but this time I am much subtler.

Love to all

Jack.


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