Green envelope FPO 28 9Jy 15  to E. Hammond 9 Countess St Stockport.

62210 RE Sigs

28^th Bde

9^th Scot Div

9. 7. 15

Dear Will

I received your letter and parcel OK yday.  I am fixed up now for a few days as they sent me some tobacco from home the same time.  I also had a parcel & letter from 212 Vic Rd.  so if we have a quick move or get shelled out of here I shall want Peter Wright of prude ass fame.  Our Divn is now in working order.  We form part of the 1^st Army Corps.  I am at Brigade HQ at present abt 2 or 3 miles from first line of trenches.  There is plenty of noise at times.  We have had a few shells near in fact a fellow standing near me picked a piece of hot shell up.  Some of the lads are in the trenches & have to keep their heads well down.  So you see I am pretty near to it now of course mums the word at home.  Mar sent me one of her cakes I never liked cake much at home but one appreciates it here.  Some of the boys brought in some broad beans today so had what one might call a bean feast.  I had a letter from Geo a day or to ago.  I hope he gets his Com.  There is nothing much to report as we are strictly forbidden to saying much.  It is rather a change to be lulled to sleep by the noise of the guns and hear them whistling through the

air.  I heard of Gladys success at tennis also her offer for Crewe but I think anr yr at school would be best at present seeing that the house is so quiet now a days.  What say you?  I am not having a bad time at all here and I hope to see a bit of excitement before long.  Well old sport remember me to all enquiring friends.  Will drop you a line soon.  Your old Golf Teacher.  you don’t need to shout 4

Burgy here 11 11

Note on Signals form:

This is a note from the fellow I mentioned in my letter Eh

On reverse:

Dear Mrs Hammond

I have just had a taste of your cake from Fred.  I must say your cake making does you great credit.  It was OK

Yours etc S Reading

P.S. I am getting more like Fred every day.  Will send you 5 Francs but not this week of our Lord.

By one whos’ had some.

Your cake plenty nice.

62210 RE Sigs

9^th Divn

HQ 28^th Bde

8.7.15

Dear Mar & Pa

Just a line to let you know I am still OK.  I recd your letter yday and today recd your lovely parcel all complete.  I had a quarter of it for tea today and gave a pal of mine some & he said he wished Mar a long life to make such cakes.  It’s quite a change from what we usually get.  Sometimes we have a little bread & butter other times jam and if the bread is scarce we resort to biscuits which require plenty of digesting.  We have moved again and are pretty busy this time.  We have just had an aeroplane over.  Glad to hear Gladys helped to uphold the honour of the S H S also glad to hear of her fortunate offers.  Hope she does the right thing.  I think she would be as well at home at present.  Pa was talking about War Loan.  I quite agree to the suggestion if it can be done unless Geo wants some of it.  Has he heard anything definite yet?  I had a letter from Will at the same time as you also some gaspers.  I am well fixed up now for a few days.  Glad to hear Turk is learning to write in this country you see a couple of dogs in a shaft with a couple of men riding behind.  They also have them on a tread mill.  The dog is as diagram.  The poor beggar keeps walking but he is always in the same place as the wheel goes round.  I saw one dog do about 16 hours at it the other day.  Well I think this is all at present.

Love to all  Fred

62210 RE

4 Section Sigs

HQ 28^th Bde

9^th Div

4 7 15

I received your cake I don’t think Gladys

Dear Mar & Pa

I received Gladys little parcel which just came at the right time.  I am still alive and kicking.  We have moved again twice since last I sent a letter but I don’t suppose we shall shift again as I don’t think you will hear from me for about 10 days at least by letter.

I could do with a good washerwoman and a darner at times but manage to knock along alright.  We had 3 taubes over us yday and can see the star lights which they fire up at night which look very pretty.  We can also hear the machine guns & rifles too sometimes.  The flies out here are a perfect nuisance great swarms all over the place.  I am in the best of health only for fly and nat bites.

I had a letter from Geo & Will the other day.  I see they have made Geo into a Glorified Copper.  When are we going to have these shells Lloyd Geo speaks so much about and an army of aeroplanes eh.  They seem to be taking a census I see.  I am quite comfortable here.  Remember me to any enquiring friend.  What about taking up a war loan.  If Geo gets his Com you can do as you think fit with my overplus.  I suppose I shall be finding Gladys with her hair up and a big dog in the passage.  Glad to hear you are all well.  When are you going on holidays this year?  Will it be Blackpool?  I suppose you will be having Uncle Will up there before long.  Going for a swim in the canal after tea so Bye Bye  Fred

When the Ministry of Munitions was formed on 2^nd July 1915, David Lloyd George was appointed Minister. The Munitions of War Act were passed in July 1915 in a desperate attempt to tackle the problem of labour shortages on the home front. Government control over labour was required to overcome the soldier-civilian balancing act. With some 2.5 million men having volunteered for military service, skilled jobs were being performed by unskilled labour. Included in the civilian labour force were women who were answering the call to participate. The unions were unhappy with this situation but Lloyd George found a way to appease the unions. Productivity of arms, shells and equipment increased.

16^th July 1915 saw the British National Registration Act in force whereby men of eligible age were conscripted to work in the factories that were under military jurisdiction. This ensured the boost to the production of munitions. Women were encouraged to undertake the work formerly done by men releasing the men to continue to join the military. Conscription was introduced into the British military forces in May 1916

The second battle of Isonzo began on 18^th July 1915 with the Italian forces attacking Austro-Hungarian defences. The River Isonzo was the front line and the Italian objective was Trieste, which is 20 miles (34km) into enemy territory. The battle lasted until 30^th August 1915 but the end result was stalemate and with horrendous loss of life on both sides. There were to be a further two battles for Isonzo before 1915 was over.

On the 30^th July 1915 saw the first tactical use of flamethrowers. At the battle of Hooge, just outside Ypres in Belgium, the Germans used the flamethrower consisting of a backpack containing a pressurised reservoir of nitrogen and coal tar/benzene mixture. Connection from the reservoir to the ignition nozzle was by a flexible hose. When the trigger, complete with the igniting device was operated the pressurised liquid was released through the nozzle projecting flaming liquid approximately 47 mts. (50 yds). The flamethrower was designed to destroy enemy strongholds or enemy troops.

In July 1915, Pope Benedict XV condemned both the sinking of the “Lusitania” and the German blockade of Britain as unchristian. In time of war, French Catholics were outraged at the neutral stance of the Roman Church. The Catholics were denied the patriotic commitment of all French citizens to defend themselves.