Pte E Tugby 16485

D Coy 1^st Batt Leic Regt

British Exp Force

France.

28-5-15

Dear Sir,

            Just a few lines hoping to find you quite well as it leaves me at present.  I should have liked to have wrote before only I didn’t know how to start, as I am not much of a writer.  At present we are resting in our billets at the back of the firing line, we came out of the trenches on Tuesday night with very few losses, on Monday we had rather heavy shelling, when there is a lull in the firing it seems hard to realise there is a war on, the trees are all in bloom & they look lovely & just at the back of our trenches at about half-past three in the morning the cuckoo starts to sing, & the larks , & then it is harder to realise there is a war, & then somewhere against you there is a noise as if the earth had opened, & when one of there high explosives burst against you the heat from them is terrific, it seems to scorch your very skin.  In the matter of food there is nothing to grumble about, of course we don’t have it so nice as we should at home it can’t be expected, but we get plenty, won’t it be a blessing when all this strife is over.  I think the highest praise that can be given should be given to our airmen they are absolutely fearless.  I think they earn the v.c. every it time they go up, they go right over the enemy’s lines & you can see the shells bursting around them but it does not turn them from their purpose they keep up till they have got the information they want & as soon as they get back & give the range to our gunners the shells come screaming over & it is surprising what a screeching noise they make, we can hear them a mile before they get to us, we have all been provided with respirators & goggles to guard against their poisonous gasses, we have been lucky as regards that as they have not been used against our Regt yet, it is to be hoped they won’t, as they must be the most terrible experiences in this war.  Well Sir I am sorry if I am wasting your time, but I must say a word about the Sunday Services, as there is five Sundays in this month, I expect you will have a mixed service, when I was in civil life I used to think they was grand, but now that I am far away, I think of those pleasant Sunday afternoons with loving memories, & as circumstances will not permit me to be with you in person on these afternoons, I am with you in mind.  Dear Sir if it is not to much to ask, will you please remember me to my fellow members of the Service, & a few weeks before Christmas if I remember right, you gave it out that, you was having some small prayer books published & Sir they are wanted out here doubly more than at home, & if you could send me one I should be very pleased with it, & take care of it, I had a letter from one of our sister members of the Service & she said she had, had, a report of the Service & she said it was very interesting, & she said I expect someone will send you one, but I never got one & if you have one left, I should be very pleased with it, as when we are in our billets we have little more to do, than think of home & loved ones & read & the time seems to drag so.  I must close now with the very best respects.  From Yours Truly

Pte E. Tugby 16485

In envelope addressed to The Rev. T.W. Walters Vicar, The Vicarage, Leicester Rd, Whitwick, Leicestershire.  England.

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE. Location unreadable ** MY 15.  Also LEICESTER 31 MY 15 12.30 PM & COALVILLE LEICESTER 31 MY 15 5.&* PM

PASSED BY CENSOR 402 in triangular cachet in red.