Brothers In Arms: The Unique Collection of Letters and Photographs from Two Brothers at The front During the First World War by Farrington Karen

Author:Farrington, Karen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / World War I
ISBN: 9781473859708
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2015-04-29T16:00:00+00:00

MY DEAREST MUMMY & DADDY,

10 June 1915

No letter last night, but I expect something tonight — perhaps the bed! Today has been again uneventful and we go into the new trenches at 9.30 tonight. It is one mass of mud here now but will soon dry up with the sun. We shall be six days in the new trenches, and then probably straight back to billets. What was my surprise today but to see Monypenny suddenly open a ½ bottle of champagne! He had been given it down at Battalion Headquarters — a present from the CO!

Programme today has been 2am — flop into dug-out dog-tired and very sick at getting no letters by our midnight mail (?) — 2am — 3am ‘stand to arms’ — i.e. all respirators ready for instant use and rifles clean etc. whilst a mist slowly lifts from the dewy ground in front and the enemies’ trenches become gradually visible. Directly they are well in sight the men are allowed to lie down and sleep — all except the sentries. 9.30am. awoke in frowsy, damp booby and had some breakfast made by the redoubtable Crump. 10am had a look round the platoon: saw rifles were clean etc: 10am onwards slept — or rather tried to, flies awful! Later in the morning Monypenny showed us where we were going tonight and what we should have to do there, then nothing more till tonight — just drowse and curse at the wet and the flies and read ‘Michael Strogoff — also listen to the Germans shelling buildings on our right and left and wondering for how long he is going to leave us alone!

Well — must stop now. I do hope these letters are reaching you — and not all in one batch! I still want something — and that is a revolver holster to fit that Smith Wesson revolver we bought together!

Much love to you all — You will now have an idea of what I am up to during the day — at night we simply work at sandbags and barbed-wire etc. so as to protect ourselves by day.

A rotten letter!

Ever your own loving son,

OSCAR

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