November 9th 1916
My dear Harry,
At last I am able to make an effort at replying to your letters of the 22nd and 29th ultimo. I don’t know what you will think of my harsh treatment of you but we have really been very busy lately. You read through the lines wonderfully well. They did have a very rough time while I was at the cage. Had I not been there I might not be here today. The whole of my team that went up were killed except one, who was wounded. I don’t know when the war will be over. Being a bit miserable I think it will last sometime. How I hope not. The prisoners looked awful wrecks mostly. We could talk to them & they seemed to be delighted to be prisoners. Now for replies to the 29th letter. My ankle is still swollen & when I am carrying heavy weights sometimes it gives & it is fearfully painful for a minute or two. Otherwise it is painless & I stay with the battalion. If one is in the trenches & has anything the matter he is sent to hospital. If in supports he goes sick & is excused duty, given light duty or medicine & duty, according to the doctor’s judgement. Bernard is right. The mud is terrible, but when on working parties &c in the trenches we get boots, gum boots, that cover the whole leg. They are waterproof but if you keep them on long your feet get wet by perspiring. Nothing further is heard of Dickson & from latest opinions I believe he is dead. He must have had a terrible death, poor fellow. Exposure or exhaustion. If he had been in hospital we would have heard by now. I have not told his father as he should get official news soon. I was glad to hear Mother was with you once again. I often wonder how she must be worrying. I had the parcel Mother sent from Worcester. Thank you for the book which I will read at the first opportunity. Thank Ethel for her two letters. She will pardon my delaying a reply until later, I know. Well, once again we have had a spell in the trench & a spell out in supports. There is plenty of work in them & when not actually in the trenches (that is when in supports & reserves) we have to supply a strong working party for digging & carrying. I hate working in the rain especially as they are six hour spasms. It is much more difficult also when everything is so wet. One good thing our section will do none of these fatigues in future as we have guns, carts & ammunition cleaning to occupy our time. Yesterday the battalion were going up the line again but I am on my way to a place near the sea to receive a course for instruction in the machine gun. We had a train journey till this evening & we are to report at bedtime when the R.T.O. (Rly Transport Officer) is going to find us some huge covered trucks to sleep in. I expect we will continue the journey tomorrow. The only thing I can do till reporting is to spend time in a Salvation Army Hut writing letters and eating & drinking. It is quite a cosy place & the food is very good & remarkably cheap. I expect your next letter will arrive at the battalion while I am away but I shall receive all letters &c safely on my return. We are not very elated to learn that the tent floors of the camp we ultimately get to float all over the shop. Of course I wouldn’t mind waking up & finding myself & “raft” on English shores. The pictures on the back of today’s Daily Mail are interesting. A couple of leave trains are evident & the people in them seem very jolly, which is not surprising.
Well I think I will close. This long letter will repay to some extent the many I owe. Give my love to Ethel.
Yours as ever,
Alan.
November 11th. Arrived & it isn’t at all muddy. Tell Ethel I think the Irish soldiers very funny.
No envelope with this letter.
