A.A. Laporte Payne letter to Muriel 29 April 1917
B.E.F.
April 29th 1917
My darling,
Just a hurried line to wish you every good wish for your birthday and many happy returns. I am afraid you won’t get this letter on the great day but I shall be thinking of you all the time. I wish I could be with you to give you a birthday kiss or kisses. You are 23 now – getting quite aged! I wish I were 23 again (don’t I sound old?)
Thank you so much for the enclosed letter which I am returning. I hope you received safely the other letters I sent back a day or so ago. I was awfully glad to get your letter of the 24th on my return.
Three days ago I went off in charge of a billeting party of 6 officers and 20 men with 26 horses. We travelled all one day – found lovely billets for the brigade and the next day waited for the batteries to turn up which we expected would be about 4 p.m. We waited until six p.m. when an orderly came to say the move was off and we were to return at once. I had to see the mayor, cancel billets, get food for the horses & men, for we had relied on the brigade coming up. That was no easy thing at that time of day. We were ready to move off about 8.30. I phoned through from a town we were passing through to get permission to stay the night & so save the horses & men – the horses were very tired – it was refused and we had to push on. We did about 30 miles and arrived at 2 a.m. this morning – I got 4 hours sleep & was up at 6 a.m. to get ready to move elsewhere. It is now 9 o’clock, and we are just off –but I simply had to stop behind to write a line to you, darling, and send you my love and all good wishes for May 1.
I hope you are well and Mrs. Cross & that Mr. Cross is enjoying his holiday.
All my love darling & kisses (Extra special ones this time if possible)
Always your own
Archie.
Just off
