Transcription

8th Queens
B. E. F.
24. 5. 1916.

My dear Father,

Very many thanks for your letters & for a box of very good cigars, though I have not yet smoked one as I am just finishing the last box. Please thank Cecily for 2 letters & a paper & Mother for an Autocar. I am glad the pram is recovering. I hope Wardill will see the brakes are relined, as they need it. We had another fine day to-day, cooler than yesterday after a thunderstorm last night. It was very quiet to-day though we heard that the guns had blown up some gas cylinders away on the flank, so they turned on some guns on to the line in our part & they managed to start another couple, showing that the Hun still has ideas on the use of gas. Apparently owing to the wind some of the gas blew over to the Bosch lines & I trust they enjoyed it. We thought the Huns had started another device to-night, as while the C. O. and I were up the line we noticed clouds of smoke coming over the parapet. We traced it to a point about 15 yards from our parapet but couldn’t see any reason for it, as it was coming out of the Earth apparently. Naturally we suspected poison gasses or something else equally deadly especially as there was no smell. However after dark they went over to look & find that it was all caused by an old smoke bomb which has probably been out there a long time & got started by a shell splinter, so our fears of underground pipes from the Hun lines to our own & other terrifying ideas are nullified. A bevy of Staff lights came round this morning from the Division & exhibited their usual & absolute ignorance of how a trench should be run. However the Divisional G. O. C. has a good word to say about my report on the gas show, which is all to the good, though how the good man ever got through it I don’t know, as it was extremely voluminous & probably only one of thirty others sent to him.

Love to all

Jack.