Tag Archives: Boulogne

18 April 1916

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Peirs_Le_1916-04-18_03 Peirs_Le_1916-04-18_04

Transcription

8th Queens
B. E. F.
18.4.1916.

My dear Mother,

Many thanks for your and Odd’s letters received to-day. also for the seeds, which I will plant & let you know how they do. The gaiters have also come also your cheque. It occurs to me that you might just as well keep a little money for me, as you are always getting things & I think I might be allowed to pay all postage on other parcels as well, as it is obviously pretty heavy. When the cheque which I enclose is exhausted I will send another, so will you please take out of it cost of seeds & other things I owe for & insist that I pay for postage as suggested.

I now want some regimental badges. not officers but the yellow cap badges the men wear. We can’t get them issued out at the moment, but it is quite easy to get them privately & I should like 2 dozen They cost about 4 d each.

Peter Bye has returned, so I shall be returning to my normal position of looker on at once. Everyone was recalled from leave last week. no one could understand why & it now appears to have had something to do with Easter traffic & was really a big mistake. It seems very hard on those who got home & had their leave cut off, harder than on a number of men we sent on leave & who got stopped at Boulogne & sent back, as I imagine they will be sent next time instead, & get their full 8 days.

Our attached officer has arrived. He is not a bad fellow & tries to make himself pleasant, but he reminds one irresistibly of my orderly room clerk when he speaks. He only arrived at about 9.30 pm & the C. O. & I were just going round so we took him up at once. It was very curious watching him, as I was in the same position myself 6 months ago & he was very perturbed when we explained to him that [illegible] it was a very quiet night. It was, as things go. but I can imagine that one would think it a most infernal din if one wasn’t more or less used to it. He is very unimaginative & we showed him a place where we have a man at night holding a string, the other end being held by a listening post, 2 men, about 30 yards out in front. he pulled the string & when it was pulled from the other end, he was much impressed & wants to know if we had any men out in front. I believe he thought the string led over to the Bosch lines, so that we could communicate with them.

Another book arrived last night from G. for which I am grateful though I have not had the chance to read much this week.

Still windy cold & wet. I think the weather was better last January.

Love to all

Jack.

P. T. O.

While Wardill is at it, he might make the pram’s acetylene lights to go.

The Reservoir for carbide is I think in my room if not on the footboard. the pipes on the car are clogged I fancy

Jack.

 


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