George Ryan’s letter home dated 25 Mar 1915

Barrackpore

Bengal.

India.

25 Mar 1915

Dear Edie,

Your letter of 24^th Feb received.  I hope you use all your fingers on the type-writer.  It’s very nicely done & set out but never type your name at the end.  Always sign a letter, else it might come from anybody for all the receiver knows.  (Ahem.)  Hope you passed your shorthand exam.  No, I didn’t know I’d got any certs to come, I’d forgotten all about sitting for those exams.  Please let me know what certs they are & for what speed.

Should like to have seen & heard you playing your duet with Mr. Beake, I suppose he saw you home safely afterwards.

Sorry to hear you have to work an hour longer; I suppose you miss your early evening class.

Remember me to Alf Tyrrell

Yr loving brother

George XX

George Ryan’s letter home dated 25 Mar 1915

Barrackpore

Bengal.

India.

25 Mar 1915

Dear May,

Your letter of 25^th Feb to hand but what was the matter when you wrote it.  You miss out a word in the very first line, you miss a whole line at the bottom of the page, & sundry other slips etc.  Are you in love or were you in a hurry to get out.  Judging by your writing I should say you were in a terrific hurry.  You also commence by saying you’ve got nothing to tell me & then fill up 2 pages.  But you are not the only one that does that; Ma did it the other week.  It’s not a very cheerful thing to read at the beginning of a letter.

Glad to hear you are to be made a book keeper. I hope it will be at W.G. as you want it there.

We had a race-meeting here last Saturday. It seemed quite like London to see so many motors about; & they do fly along.  Apparently there’s no speed limit out here.  The R.F.A. (Royal Field Artillery) had one race at the meeting for a few of their horses.  There’s another meeting next Saturday.

You need not be afraid of me getting fat. We get plenty of exercise & any “overweight” is soon sweated out of us.  It is hot here now.

Y^r loving brother

George XX

George Ryan’s letter home dated 25 Mar 1915

Barrackpore

Bengal.

India.

25 Mar 1915

Dear M & F,

Thanks for your note at the foot of Edie’s letter of Feb 26^th.  I had a letter from Bert at Rouen; I expect he’s in the thick of it now.

Well as you see we are still here. We shan’t leave this week now; we expect to go next Thursday.  This place doesn’t seem to have agreed with me this last week, my inside has been a bit out of order.  I’ve had a few doses of medicine & feel almost right again now.  But I think the change of air will do me good.

We had a thunderstorm every evening this week. (Perhaps it was that that upset me.)  One night the lightning was very vivid; every 4 or 5 seconds, it fairly lit up the whole place, & the rain comes down in sheets.

Further news in girls’ letters.

Hoping you are all well, Love to all,

Yr affec son

George

I suppose you are keeping all my letters?