Letter to Rev. R.M. Laporte Payne 1919 undated

12B F Lines
Bulford Camp
Salisbury Plain.
Friday eve

My dear Mr Payne,

Very many thanks for your letter. If only I had known you had been ill I should not have troubled you with my affairs – I do hope you will quite recover. I expect it very nearly broke your heart to leave Christ Church & all the people you knew & loved there. It was the most beloved church of my life, & wherever I go I shall never never forget that church. I’m glad I knew no other vicar there but you. You have been the means of saving me from myself through your most kind letters & encouragement. I’m sure again & again I should have yielded to temptation if it had not been for your letters & when I’m tempted I read them & then pray to God to “Lead me not into Temptation, but to deliver me from evil”, but Mr. Payne, I’m by no means good as yet. But Oh I simply will not go back to the old bitter-sweet life of sin. I simply dare not. “Remember Lot’s wife.” I do pray earnestly to Jesus to make me a good woman but as yet I cannot hear him answer me and sometimes – in fact most times – it seems perfectly hopeless to keep on praying because it seems that He did not hear what I said to Him. I suppose it is that I haven’t the absolute faith in him that you & Minnie Green have. But I do try & make myself believe. If only I could hear Him speak to me I could easily say as Thomas did “Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief”. Minnie is a real help to me. She is the only lady friend I can call friend.

“Thou shalt have none other God me” I keep saying that over & over again for I’m very much tempted to disobey that commandment. He is an earthly god to me with the face of an Apollo & I just worship him but as you said in your letter “it must be absolutely put away.” And that Mr. Payne is my hardest fight.

Oh if only you knew what agony of mind I’m in perhaps you could understand. It seems to me so very very hard to love the unknown, invisible more than the well known & visible, but oh I must fight it, I must! If only God would send me some power with which to do it with? Please keep praying for me dear friend, God will hear you.

Minnie lent me a copy of the “Memorials of Francis Ridlay Havegal”. She was a very good woman, & learnt to love her Saviour better than anyone else, but I do not think she ever really loved man, she did not have “another god before Him”. I am praying most earnestly for faith. It’s absolute faith in Him that I want & must have. I know that now. Whereas beforehand I didn’t know what it was I wanted so in some very vague way God is working in my heart, but I’m seeing as it were through a dense foggy mist everything before is vastly blurred. It is exceedingly hard to tell you what I feel in writing, I should dearly love to have a serious talk with you, but as yet that’s perfectly out of the question.

Mother has been ill again. To day she had a fit, & I only just caught her before she smashed six dinner plates with her face. She fell forward on the table with the pile of plates in her hand. My children are bonnie. Little Joan is with my father’s people my Aunt’s at Bognor. She is staying with them until Roy comes for me, because it’s to much for me to do with both of them & mother to look after. She is perfectly happy with Thora my sister who is also at Bognor. She was quite a baby at Finchley but now she is 9 years old, & every one thinks that Joan is her sister. Besides there is no room in these beastly army huts here & no place for such a dainty little maid as Joan is. But oh how I long for her dear lamb.

John is always with me, he doesn’t notice yet being under 2 & he is a terror a perfect “boy”. Well I must close now, good night dear friend & thank you

Yours very
Sincerely
Irene Harris

Saturday morning

I have just had a letter from Miss Payne. Such a sweet encouraging letter. She asks me whether I should like to confide everything to her, but oh Mr. Payne I’m afraid of what she will think of me. Will you please tell her I simply cannot. It was a hard struggle to confess to you.

Reply to letter re medal ribbons 23 July 1919

From:- Officer i/c Infantry Records,
London.

To:- Messrs Dennes, Lamb & Drysdale,
32, Alexandra Street,
Southend-on-Sea,
Essex.

Ref. No. 678 Sgt T.W. Dowsett late H.A.C.

With reference to yours of 21st inst., I regret to inform you that no authority has been issued to the effect that the 1914 Star Medal Riband may be worn by the Next-of-Kin of a deceased soldier.

Signature unreadable. Capt.
for COLONEL.
i/c Infantry Records,
LONDON.
4 London Wall Buildings, E.C.2.
A.L.

Stamp of
INFANTRY RECORD OFFICE
NO Staw 1966
DATE 23-7-19
LONDON

Letter to Miss Dillon 17 July 1919

On embossed Government Notepaper
Intelligence Corps
G.H.Q.
Constantinople,
Army of the Black Sea
17th July 1919

My dearest Lillie,
I wish I were in London for the Peace Celebrations! What fun you will have! “What would I not give to be with you in the old town to-night!”
Write and tell me all about it. It will be on Anna’s birthday, won’t it? What a memorable birthday it will be for her. I have not found it possible to send the wedding presents yet. If they do not arrive in time she must not mind. I will be able to present them in person in November if not before.
I have been playing tennis the last two evenings, and I find I can play quite well. When my service comes off, people find it very difficult to return. This Camp is only a few minutes walk from the tennis courts. The subscription is 5/- a fortnight.
The youth I travelled out with from London has turned up at a camp quite close, after a period in Russia. He is going to get me a horse and we can go for rides together.
You may have noticed him. He sat beside me in the train at Charing Cross.
I had a letter from Chapman yesterday, dated 5th June, from Cape Town. He was missing London very much.
Saturday is being observed as an official holiday here to celebrate peace.
I am taking advantage of it to go to the aerodrome at San Stefano to try and get a pal I met on the journey out to take me to Bucharest.
It is rather problematical if it can be done, as there is very little flying at present. The train journey takes nearly two days, whereas it is only a couple of hours by air.
I want to see the General at the mission at Bucharest, as I feel sure I could settle it then.
Have you seen the Wilocksons recently? I wonder if you have left Grove Park now? I hope you are satisfied with your new place and that it is near London.
I met a Transilvanian the other day and it was the first chance I had of airing my Roumanian. I get Roumanian papers here. They get through quicker than any other papers in a civilised language, but there is not much news in them. We get some wonderful nights here. To-night there is a wonderful halo round Venus.
Will write again soon.
Best love to you & Anna
from Willie

someone has just started playing “Keep the Home Fires burning” and they are singing it again & again. It brings back memories of the worst part of the war and it gives me the creeps.

With cover Please Forward O.A.S. to Miss de C. Dillon, M.T. RASC., No 1 Reserve Depot, Grove Park, Lee. London S.E. 12.

Postmarked ARMY POST OFFICE Y dated 18 JY 19 and stamped PASSED BY CENSOR 490. Signed W. Dillon Lieut.

Letter to Miss Dillon 2 July 1919

On embossed Government Notepaper
G.S. “I”
G.H.Q.
Constantinople,
2nd July 1919

My dearest Lillie,
I am sending out another S.O.S to Bucharest to-day, and I must tell you about it. The Military Mission in Bucharest asked for me immediately after I came here & G.H.Q. said they would send me if the Military Mission to the Allied Armies who have their head quarters here and off shoots in Roumania did not require me. The latter obviously do not require me or they would have employed me in the meantime.
Now a month has gone by, so I keep on hoping every day for Bucharest. My motto is that of Ruhleben: – Dum Spiro Spero – while I breathe I hope.
The same applies to the I.C.S. [Indian Civil Service] and I am sure they will both come off eventually.
This is a horrible place, and I have not enough work to do.
The people are disgusting. I hate the way they barge into me in the filthy slums of streets & never apologise. Men walk about with grand pianos on their backs and stick the legs in one’s eyes! I never saw anything like the loads they carry on their backs. It is a feature of the place. Another feature is the vast multitude of bugs & flys and every second person has small-pox or leprosy.
I will write a more cheerful letter in a day or two, but must relieve my mind to-night as I know you will sympathise with me in my efforts to get to Roumania.
Best love to you & Anna
from Willie

By the way do not send any papers, as we get Punch here & the daily papers occasionally a couple of weeks late. 5.7.19

With cover O.A.S. to Miss de C. Dillon, M.T. RASC., No 1 Reserve Depot, Grove Park, Lee. London S.E. 12.

Postmarked ARMY POST OFFICE Y dated 7 JY 19 and stamped PASSED BY CENSOR 490. Signed W. Dillon Lieut.

War Diary of AA Laporte Payne June 1919

EXTRACTED FROM.

Brigade Diary, Personal Diary, Operation Orders, Note Books, Memoranda
Correspondence
—————–

Sunday June 1 1919
D/76th R.F.A.
British Army of the Rhine.

I arrived back from leave yesterday at Cologne, and now I am living in the schloss. We move on Tuesday to another place, and then on the 14th go to practice camp on the other side of the Rhine.

I had a pleasant journey, but not so rapid as the forward one. I did not leave by the early morning train after all, as the R.T.O. told me they were running a special train and boat in the afternoon for staff and senior officers, who were returning en masse in case the Boche do not sign the Peace Treaty. I was glad of the extra few hours to do some shopping.

My ankle is much better and wearing a boot has not done it any harm.

Last week I escaped several General’s inspections. Leave has apparently been curtailed in case of trouble in Germany, so I was fortunate.

Everything here is as usual. There is a great change in the country side though. The trees and crops are much more advanced than in England.

I had pleasant company on my way. Another major was with me and a French Cavalry Major travelled up in the train with us. He seemed to be an excellent fellow, and was most interesting man.

June 9th 1919.
BRIGADE SPORTS.
76th Army Brigade R.F.A.

Whit Monday
Programme. 11, a.m. to 7 p.m.

Flat Races, Tug-of-war, Long jump, 440 yds, 120 yds hurdles.
High Jump, Relay race.
Officers’ jump
V.C. Race, Alarm Race, N.C.O.’s jumping, Lloyd Lindsay Race,
Led Horse jumping, Wrestling on horseback, Band Race.

(I acted as judge of mounted events.)

June 12 1919
We have moved and I have been away on business for one or two days. Our time is spent in a round of parades, inspections, training and sports.

Our sports which we have just held were a great success. Our battery was second on points. It was a lovely day. We had a band and large tents in which lunch tea and supper were served.

Yesterday we were inspected by the G.O.C. Division and the C.R.A. The former is an excellent fellow and was most agreeable. He seemed satisfied, and all he wanted me to do was to whitewash the kitchen. I turned the whole population of the village under the Burgomaster to clean up the streets of the place in the early morning, so I am not exactly popular.

Robertson inspects us this week end. The battery was photographed the other day, but the prints are not very good.

Dinner parties are the order of the evening now. The Colonel is in bed with a bad leg caused by a fall at jumping.

The Left half of the Battery beat the Right at cricket this afternoon.

First World War ends with signing of Treaty of Versailles.

Letter to Miss Dillon 23 June 1919

G.S. “I”
G.H.Q.
Constantinople,
Army of Black Sea,
23rd June 1919

My dearest Lillie,
On Saturday I went for a trip up the Bosphorus right as far as the Black Sea and landed at Karak on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus where there is an old Genoese fortress on a hill. I walked up the hill and had a great view across the Black Sea which by the way is almost a paler sky-blue than the Adriatic.
On Sunday afternoon I went to the Bazaars with my young pal who came to lunch with me, and then we went up the Golden Horn.
If I am still here next Saturday I will go to Prinkipo for the weekend. That is the island where the Bolsheviks were invited to meet and confer. It is a beautiful place I believe.
I have only had one letter from you and one from Anna yet, and I have written so often. Why don’t you write? I wish I were in London to-night when you are celebrating Peace. There is not much in the way of festivity here. I am hoping every day to get a move on. There is nothing in Constantinople except St Sophia and the Bazaars, but the Bosphorus of course is wonderful. I had a letter from Miss Wilson from S. Africa yesterday. Do you remember her at Lexham Gardens?
Best love to you & Anna
from Willie

With cover O.A.S. to Miss de C. Dillon, M.T. RASC., No 1 Reserve Depot, Grove Park, Lee. London S.E. 12.

Postmarked ARMY POST OFFICE Y dated 24 JU 19 and stamped PASSED BY CENSOR 490. Signed W. Dillon Lieut.

Letter to Rev. R.M. Laporte Payne 17 June 1919

Tynycoral Hotel
Talyllyn
Corris R.S.Q.
Merionethshire
June 17. 1919

My dear W. Laporte Payne,

I was indeed very interested to see the letter & photo you kindly sent to me, which were forwarded to me here. The letters are very touching knowing all we know. I am so glad & thankful that the lad is doing so well & seems to have such a nice mind. It is the very best thing that could have happened to him to find a home in Canada & to meet with a suitable girl for his wife. It is somewhat singular that he does not allude to his father, but perhaps he hardly remembers him. What a mercy it is that he is delivered from his mother’s influence!

I cannot feel sufficiently grateful to you, dear friend, who have so kindly & wisely helped us in what might have been an awkward situation for our family & probably for the boy. I am copying his letters, as my brothers may like to see them, & shall return them to you with the photo:-
I hope we may meet again sometime.
I was overcome rather & fled to this little fishing town for a week or two for change & rest.

Hoping you are quite well with kindest regards

Yours very sincerely
T.A.E. Williamson.

Letter to Miss Dillon 13 June 1919

Intelligence Corps,
G.H.Q.,
Constantinople
13.6.19

My dearest Lillie,
Many thanks for your letter of the 21st May I have already written to Anna and also sent a cable. I think she ought to be awfully happy. Of course you must come to India with me. I hope to be there by Xmas and if you are not allowed to come with me you could follow after in a couple of months. I am sending you a letter by hand today with Captain Bates an awfully nice fellow whom I knew in York a couple of years ago and whom I met here yesterday. He is with the Dardenelles Commission on the Admiralty Yacht “Triade”, I dined with him on his ship on the Bosphorus last night just opposite the Sultan’s Palace and had a glorious evening. It was a perfect Eastern night and we stood on deck for hours drinking in the beautiful night and then I returned in a motor launch to my billet. He is dining with me to-night at the Club. He will call to see you if he has any time in London on his way back to York and I hope you will see a lot of him as he is such a nice fellow. I have had great luck to-day about Roumania and G.H.Q. will send me on if Roumania will send someone here to relieve me. I am tremendously bucked as I might be off in a few days.
I also met Coke Harvey here, a youth whom I asked to come to that dance at Grosvenor Hall and who could not turn up owing to the ‘flu.

Will write more later.
Best love to you & Anna
from Willie

with cover to Miss de C. Dillon, M.T. RASC, No 1 Reserve Depot Grove Park, Lee, London S.E. 12 postmarked ARMY POST OFFICE Y 16 JU 19. Passed by Censor 179 signed W. Dillon Lieut.

Letter to Miss Dillon 13 June 1919

Intelligence Corps,
G.H.Q.,
Constantinople
13.6.19

My dearest Lillie,
Many thanks for your letter of the 21st May I have already written to Anna and also sent a cable. I think she ought to be awfully happy. Of course you must come to India with me. I hope to be there by Xmas and if you are not allowed to come with me you could follow after in a couple of months. I am sending you a letter by hand today with Captain Bates an awfully nice fellow whom I knew in York a couple of years ago and whom I met here yesterday. He is with the Dardenelles Commission on the Admiralty Yacht “Triade”, I dined with him on his ship on the Bosphorus last night just opposite the Sultan’s Palace and had a glorious evening. It was a perfect Eastern night and we stood on deck for hours drinking in the beautiful night and then I returned in a motor launch to my billet. He is dining with me to-night at the Club. He will call to see you if he has any time in London on his way back to York and I hope you will see a lot of him as he is such a nice fellow. I have had great luck to-day about Roumania and G.H.Q. will send me on if Roumania will send someone here to relieve me. I am tremendously bucked as I might be off in a few days.
I also met Coke Harvey here, a youth whom I asked to come to that dance at Grosvenor Hall and who could not turn up owing to the ‘flu.

Will write more later.
Best love to you & Anna
from Willie

with cover to Miss de C. Dillon, M.T. RASC, No 1 Reserve Depot Grove Park, Lee, London S.E. 12 postmarked ARMY POST OFFICE Y 16 JU 19. Passed by Censor 179 signed W. Dillon Lieut.