Pte W Cooke 2559

15 Platoon D Com

5^th Batt Leic Regt

B.E.F.

France.

Wed 5/5/15

Dear Sir,

            I am writing these few lines to give you in answer to your most welcome letter to me which I received this morning having come out of the trenches last night for our rest.  I hope this finds you all in the best of health as it leaves me the same at the time of writing this and thank you very much for your kindness in sending me the book as there is some very interesting news in it besides the names and photos of several of my old mates.  You are quite welcome to the use of my letters if you think they are interesting and I will try and make them all the same if you think they are good enough to be read.  Well we are having lovely weather here and it is getting that hot I shall soon have to leave some of my things off and the fields are so green going up to the trenches and as we have not been in the firing line we have not had anything to do during the day and anyone would not think that the war was on in this part as you never hear a shot during the day from a rifle then all at once you hear our big guns boom out three shells together and then it brings it all back to your mind and then all is quiet again till darkness comes and then we have to start and unload the carts that brings the rations up as they cannot come in the day time for fear of being seen and giving the position away and then we should soon be shelled out.  Well I have showed one of the Boys from Whitwick his photo already and that is Fred Ducker and he was very pleased to with it but you have made a mistake Fred is in the 5^th Leicesters and St. John is in the 7^th Leicesters but I expect you have found the mistake out by now.  Well I have not got much to tell you this time but we have been very lucky as we have only lost one man killed and one or two wounded and they were not serious so you see we are still in luck and we must thank God for it as it is him who rules such things and we must put our trust in him.  The night they buried that poor chap I was on guard and I seen them conduct the service and the Brigade Chaplain was there to read the Service and as it was at night it was very impressive and the chap’s Brother was there to see him buried as he was in the same Company and if it is any condolence to them at home we are able to write and tell them that they are buried as well as possible and they put a cross up on there grave with there name and rank on and on some of the graves there mates have placed globes and wreaths in remembrance of them and some of the graves are very nicely done up and when they come up to the trenches they bring flowers and place on so it shows that they think of those who are gone.  Well I think I have told you about all this time so just remember me to all the old friends at Whitwick and I shall be very pleased to have my name put down on your list of members and I am looking forward to the Magazine coming.  Well I think I shall have to close now as I have told you about all the news that I am allowed to send and I will try and put more in next time I write which I am hoping will not belong so will now close with my Best Wishes to you and your Family and Friends at Whitwick.

I am

Yours truly

W. Cooke

5^th Leics Regt.

P.S. We have a service on the day we go in the trenches by the Chaplain and he is going to have a confirmation held in and I shall be confirmed out here if I can.

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

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE I.M  5 MY 15.

PASSED BY CENSOR 405 triangular cachet in red.

15-5-15.

Dear Sir,

            Just a line to let you know I am still in the land of the living.  I was pleased with your Easter Card & also your report.  The Photos is very good & the Church too, why it brought back olden times.  I see you have got a great many at the Sunday Afternoon Service now for men but I think a great many of them are fit for a service of other kind as well, they ought to come & help us a little.  We have a very hard task on & it’s nothing but right they should help us.  They will think it very funny if conscription comes into our land which we don’t want, & then what would they think.  I believe we are doing very well, so far my battery has been in action now for six months & only been out for three days so you see we have had it a bit stiff.  I think if I remember right we have had sixty two or so casualties one kind or another since we came out.  I am in a perfect state of health myself only at times my side pains where I had my two operations.  I do wish it would keep right as I want to go all thro it now I have started.  Oh no I have not seen Major Burkett but I have been in close touch with them may do later on, give my best respects to all, trusting you are in better health than you have been also all at home as I keep on smiling hoping to hear soon

Yours Sincerely

Charlie.

In envelope addressed to Rev. T. Walters, Vicarage, Leicester Road, Whitwick, Nr Leicester.  England.

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE T 8.  15 MY 15.

PASSED BY CENSOR 458 in triangular cachet in red.

On Y.M.C.A. headed notepaper.

May 2^nd 1916

Reply to A Company 3^rd Bat Leicester Regt

Stationed at Patrington

Nr Hull.

My Dear Mr Walters,

            You will think I do not write often but I have very little time to spare, I expect you will see some of our chaps over this week end, some have a leave as they are going out.  Turner Newbury is one of them.  I do not know what you think about the progress of the war, but we are being got ready quick enough I have learned how to use rifle and bayonet and to throw bombs already so I shall not be long as they seem to be wanting men badly at the front.  We have been confined to camp for a week now so there is something serious somewhere.  We have been fetched out 5 times since Monday last at 3 AM in full marching order, but our company is always first this morning we dressed and out in 10 minutes that was smart enough.  I could not get to church on Sunday night it is the first time I have missed since I came here.  I often wonder how you are all getting on at our church.  It is a pity we are shut up like this as it is the cause of a lot of drunkness in the camp, but still I have not joined that crowd yet and do not intend to do.  We have nothing to do on Sunday afternoon so you see I missed our Men’s service.  I expect the band of hope is closed now.  I shall be pleased when the war is over and I can get back home, this is the first time I have been away from home and I know to it.  I hope you are still in good health as well as your wife and family.  I am in the best of health myself I am pleased to say and still smiling.  I have no news to tell so I must close and please do not say anything what I have wrote about our camp as it is against orders, but if we did not say something about our camp or we should not have anything to say.

I am

Yours Faithfully

J.W. Weston

Pte J.W. Weston 25739

A Compy 3^rd Batt

Leicestershire Regt

Patrington

Nr Hull

There is no envelope with this letter.

Headquarters,

Northern Command,

York.

2^nd May, 1916.

My dear General,

I hate bothering you in the midst of all your cares and worries, but may I ask one more favour?  Could you get the Officer who runs the Rapid Wiring Training and Competitions at the 3^rd Army School to send us full details of what his training consists of, how he does it, and what he expects of his Officers and N.C.O’s at the conclusion of a Course?  We will then get a move on up here, but may I plead for full details.  I cannot tell you how grateful I should be to get this information.

The C. in C. has just become a temporary Lieut. Colonel General.

A step in the right direction, as they say.

Best of Luck

Yours, ever

G.J. Scovell

The postcard is a photograph of two men in a rowing boat.

Dear Harry                                                                                                     2.5.16.

This is how we spent Sunday morning after church.  They say we leave England for France on Thursday.  No work today but plenty of rain.

            Yours,

                        Alan.

Addressed to H. R King, Esq., Munmore, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin.

Postmark Aldershot.  Bottom dated 2MAY 16.