George Ryan’s letter home dated 10 Sep 1915

On headed notepaper with regimental crest 9th Middlesex Regt.
Dum-dum.
India.
10 Sept 1915

Dear M & F,

Thanks very much for your letter of Aug 19. I also received a note from Cousin Ellen in an envelope addressed by you.

I suppose Peg will have gone home by the time you receive this so next time you write there thank her for her letter, for me. I hope Horace is alright again now.

Well it seems pretty certain we are going to shift somewhere very shortly. This week’s rumour is that we are going across the other side of India somewhere near Bombay. We’ve given in our old Khaki serge & we are going to draw some new stuff to-morrow. Serge is never worn down on the plains so we might be going to a hill station. We shall not move for another month yet I don’t think as I overheard the Captain say he didn’t want to move for another 5 or 6 weeks as if we went before that it would mean leaving too many men behind in hospital.

Very few chaps stamp their letters home, they just write “On Active Service” so I’m going to start the same dodge. It’s only a penny a week, still I might as well have it as this awful Post Office out here. If you do have to pay anything of course let me know, but I don’t think you will.

Hope you are all well.
Yr loving son
George