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.

On Y.M.C.A. notepaper.

Reply to Y.M.C.A. Tent Woolsington Park Camp, Nr Newcastle Northumberland.

May 22^nd 1915

Dear Rev Walters,

            I have great pleasure in accepting the invitation mentioned in Mr Bakers’ letter viz that you would be very pleased to have a letter from me.  First of all, I must say that the mens’ service was to me a positive delight, & the memories of those services are still delightful.

The work of the Y.M.C.A. is indeed a glorious work, & involves great responsibilities.  It is remarkable how the soldiers appreciate any little kindness shown to them.  Many of them have now left for home for their holidays and how delighted they seemed to be.  The one thought of home appeals to them.

It is Whitsuntide and I pray that this festival may bring great delight to you.  May it be a festival of the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon you & your parishioners.  For I consider that the need of the age is; “To be filled with the Holy Ghost.  And dear Vicar, my sincere prayer is That the command of God may find a complete fulfilment both in your soul, & the souls of those to whom you minister.

And now, in conclusion, I retain a happy memory of the last mens’ service which it was my privilege to attend and the one thought that cheers me, is, that you are praying for me, & that the sympathy of the members of the mens’ service is extended to me.

I do pray for you, remembering the promise, that whatsoever ye shall ask in my name I will do it.  and what do I ask God for?  Just this.

“The Lord of Peace himself give you peace by all means.  The Lord bless thee; keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee; & the Lord lift his countenance upon thee, & give thee peace.

I am Rev Sir,

Your very respectful

J.W. Brotherhood

There is no envelope with this letter.

 2559 D Coy

5^th Batt Leic Regt

B.E.F.

France.

Sun May 16/15.

Dear Sir,

            I am writing this letter to you hoping to find you are all in the best of health as it leaves me the same at the present time of writing to you.  I am writing this letter to you before I have had an answer to my last one but as you have kindly sent me a Magazine I know you will not be long before you are sending me a letter so I thought I would write to you while I had the chance as we are due in the trenches again tonight and we are away Blacked out days it makes it along while before you get a letter through if you wait till you come out.  Well thank you very much for the Magazine that you have been so good as to send me as I have something to tell you that will interest you as it deals with a subject in your Magazine.  Well on Friday night we fell in at five o’clock and had to go out trench digging and we went to our destination in motor busses so you see we can still go bin the bus even out here and we were riding for nearly two hours and during our journey we passed the place were Blacked out is as stated in your paper but as we went at night we could not see much of the place but we had a little marching to do next morning to reach the Busses as it was not safe for them to remain where we got off as we were not far from the firing line so on the road back we could see the place I mean as it was then daylight but as it was on our right it was not a very good view as we had no time to stop looking about us as we had a long way to go but it will give you some idea where we are without letting anything out as I do not think the Censor will object to it but I think it is Blacked out as there are shelling every day and often at night we can see it on fire or rather some parts of it.  Well we got back to our huts about 5.30 on Saturday morning and after we had our breakfast we all lay down and though it was on hard boards we all slept till 2 o’clock so you can see how we all felt but we can go to sleep anywhere now.  Well I had to do a quick shift then as I was due at a meeting which our Brigade Chaplain as been holding and he his going to have a confirmation out here and I am very pleased to tell I am going to me confirmed and I know that will please you as well and we are going to be confirmed today at half past two by the Bishop but I could not tell you which Bishop it is but will tell you more about it in my next letter.  Well since I wrote my last letter to you I have been in the trenches again and had have come out safe and sound thanks to the Lord who watches over us and we were relieved a day earlier than usal and we were only in three days but they were the most exciting times of the lot we went in on the Sat night and then on Sunday afternoon we seen a sight that was good for sore eyes as the saying is.  There was a German airship flying just over our lines and taking observations of our trenches then all at once out of the clouds it seemed to come a British aeroplane and soon as the German airman seen him he made off but he was not half fast enough as the Englishman mounted over him and then the next we seen was the German making a head first dive to the ground so we are all over there in the air and it did not seem hardly a minute from us seeing that the Englishman had fetched him to the ground and then we gave him a cheer for it but we had to go through it later as they started to shell us with their big guns and some of the chaps in the fourth were wounded and one or two killed as they nearly landed in there trench but none came near enough to ours to do any damage and then on Monday night and early on Tuesday morning we were attacked by a party of German Bomb throwers and things were a bit exciting for a while but we drove them back and then all was quite again.  We were then relieved on Tuesday night and got back to our huts for a good sleep.  Well I think I shall have to close as I have told you about all there is to be told this time and it time to get ready for our service as we always have a short service before we go in the trenches and it is very nice for us as we have the Band to play the Music for us.  Well I shall now have to close my letter as I have nothing else to say give my Best Wishes to All the Friends at Whitwick hoping this letter finds them all in the Best of Health.

I remain

Your friend

W. Cooke.

Sunday May 16

P.S.  The Preacher at our service this morning was the Bishop of Pretoria South Africa.

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

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE I.M  17 MY 15

PASSED BY CENSOR 405 triangular cachet in red.

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.