“A” Form
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS
To G.S.O. 1
Senders Number Day of Month In reply to Number AAA
G.1 30/
About 2 squadrons of Cavalry seen advancing towards Southern corner of wood in I.3.b. from the direction of MOREUILL & have now disappeared from view into the wood.
From: G.O.C. 20
Place:
Time: 9.5
G.A. Grieg Capt.
Signature of Addressee
30 March 1918.
“A” Form
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS
Copy
To G.O.C. 20. Div.
Senders Number Day of Month In reply to Number AAA
30
WELL DONE the 20th. Such a counter attack after all your hard work is splendid please congratulate your troops.
From: GEN WATTS
Place: 19 Corps
Time
Signature of Addressee
30 March 1918.
Dick-Cunyngham letter to wife dated 30 Mar 1915
Our Wedding Day
My own darling one,
Must scribble a line somehow. Your 2 dear letters today. I have kept the nice long one in my pocket all day. Read it last night & took it to bed with me meaning to read it again but I fell asleep. Read it again this morning – my only peaceful time to myself – viz – usual *** after breakfast!! & another dear one this morning.
Duly cake delicious arrived yesterday – had some for tea. Am feeling wonderfully fit in spite of practically no sleep or rest – we start out 1 a.m. General went to bed 7 p.m. – I did not get back till 8 p.m. & got up at 12.15 a.m. it’s now 9.15 p.m.! So think I must try for a little sleep – but how could I pass this day without a line to my darling one – the dear memories of our happy times at Abagain & all the happy days we spent there. Darling one – about the message by all means take it up but find out first how long it really take to be proficient. Yes I think you are right there must be a great shortage of masseuse – you are sweet my darling one, always thinking of what you can do for others – wish I could think same like – Dear Freddie’s remarks are I fear fairly true! I have often wondered myself how Geoff & I have remained here – the old man – my nickname for him is “Systematic Joe” – has been terrible the last few days – I have worked like a slave – & he never seems satisfied – but I have refused “to kick against the pricks” – it has been hard at times – & every night I pray that I may be able to carry on and do my work as he expects – but it is very hard. I fear he doesn’t realise things a bit – if I did all he expects I should want at least 48 hours for every 24 – my darling why should I complain on this happy day – we are having glorious weather here – the country peep from my window is very nice and the lake & moat nice blue water – I’m getting rather attached to Mont K.
All your news of Regt is most interesting, glad Johnnie Stansfeld is not bad – well my darling – sleep or work – which I wonder. Have enough work to keep me up till 12 – feel very inclined to do some more & then doss in a chair till 12.30 a.m. & then walk round trenches.
All my love precious one Yr *** Jimmie
With envelope addressed to Mrs J. Dick Cunyngham, Heslington, Croft Road. Crowborough, England. Signed Dick Cunyngham. Passed by Censor No 1354 cachet. Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 14. 30 MR 15.
Report of Drifters off Mudros 14 Malta 1919
Lieut. R.H. Palmer. R.N.V.R.
D “Northesk” II No 2022
Malta.
March 14 1919
Captain K
H.M.S. “Pyramus”
Sir,
I have the honour to forward for your favourable consideration a request that I may [be] presented with a certificate of conduct during the time that I have had the honour to serve under your command – Nov 4 1918 to March 13 1919 –
May I also take the opportunity of expressing my thanks for your various kindnesses to me and to say that it has been my duty to obey commands it has been the greatest pleasure to me to render any little assistance to the service within my capabilities.
I have the honour to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Reginald H. Palmer.
Lieut. R.N.V.R.
George Ryan’s letter home dated 25 Mar 1915
Barrackpore
Bengal.
India.
25 Mar 1915
Dear Edie,
Your letter of 24th Feb received. I hope you use all your fingers on the type-writer. It’s very nicely done & set out but never type your name at the end. Always sign a letter, else it might come from anybody for all the receiver knows. (Ahem.) Hope you passed your shorthand exam. No, I didn’t know I’d got any certs to come, I’d forgotten all about sitting for those exams. Please let me know what certs they are & for what speed.
Should like to have seen & heard you playing your duet with Mr. Beake, I suppose he saw you home safely afterwards.
Sorry to hear you have to work an hour longer; I suppose you miss your early evening class.
Remember me to Alf Tyrrell
Yr loving brother
George XX
George Ryan’s letter home dated 25 Mar 1915
Barrackpore
Bengal.
India.
25 Mar 1915
Dear May,
Your letter of 25th Feb to hand but what was the matter when you wrote it. You miss out a word in the very first line, you miss a whole line at the bottom of the page, & sundry other slips etc. Are you in love or were you in a hurry to get out. Judging by your writing I should say you were in a terrific hurry. You also commence by saying you’ve got nothing to tell me & then fill up 2 pages. But you are not the only one that does that; Ma did it the other week. It’s not a very cheerful thing to read at the beginning of a letter.
Glad to hear you are to be made a book keeper. I hope it will be at W.G. as you want it there.
We had a race-meeting here last Saturday. It seemed quite like London to see so many motors about; & they do fly along. Apparently there’s no speed limit out here. The R.F.A. (Royal Field Artillery) had one race at the meeting for a few of their horses. There’s another meeting next Saturday.
You need not be afraid of me getting fat. We get plenty of exercise & any “overweight” is soon sweated out of us. It is hot here now.
Yr loving brother
George XX
George Ryan’s letter home dated 25 Mar 1915
Barrackpore
Bengal.
India.
25 Mar 1915
Dear M & F,
Thanks for your note at the foot of Edie’s letter of Feb 26th. I had a letter from Bert at Rouen; I expect he’s in the thick of it now.
Well as you see we are still here. We shan’t leave this week now; we expect to go next Thursday. This place doesn’t seem to have agreed with me this last week, my inside has been a bit out of order. I’ve had a few doses of medicine & feel almost right again now. But I think the change of air will do me good.
We had a thunderstorm every evening this week. (Perhaps it was that that upset me.) One night the lightning was very vivid; every 4 or 5 seconds, it fairly lit up the whole place, & the rain comes down in sheets.
Further news in girls’ letters.
Hoping you are all well, Love to all,
Yr affec son
George
I suppose you are keeping all my letters?
George Ryan’s letter home dated 31 Mar 1915
Barrackpore
Bengal
India.
31 Mar 1915
Dear M & F,
Your letter of Mar 5th received. Thank you for the Easter Card. It’s the first mail we’ve received direct here & it’s arrived in record time, the letters only taking 22 days. You do not say whether you received the pound from the office; (on the 1st Mar). I suppose you did, but please let me know. You evidently mis-understood my letter that you were answering, it was my fault I expect: when I’ve mentioned about getting wet through I’ve meant with perspiration, not rain. We do not have to wear our tunics now, except on Church Parade. We wear our equipment over our shirts so it’s much cooler. It would look funny in England, soldiers marching about in shirt sleeves, but there’s nobody round here to see us. Of course we have to wear our tunics outside the barracks, when we are not on parade.
Well, as you see, we have not gone to Darjeeling yet & we’ve no idea yet when we are going. It might mean that we are all going to leave here soon, but there’s no telling. As you know was the case when we left Dinapore, we are not given a month’s notice to shift. We shall be here one day & a few hundreds of miles away the next. By the way it’s been rumoured this last week that we should be leaving shortly for somewhere on the Persian Gulf, but that’s all it is at present – a rumour.
We’ve had some more thunderstorms this week: they are a sight. Flashes of lightning every 3 or 4 seconds & they light up the whole place as if by a flash of a big arc lamp & it lasts for hours sometimes. I was on guard y’day & it looked as if we were in for it again in the evening; there was a little lightening but it all blew over & turned out a glorious night. It was lovely between 1 & 3 a.m. when I was on duty, full moon shining; all the same I thought of my nice soft bed at 8 B. Rd & so I did between 3 & 6 when I tried to get some sleep. I gave it up about 5 & tried to catch a few of the mosquitoes that had got into my net. You can’t sleep once one of those things get into your net.
You made my mouth water at mention of your marmalade. We have to pay 7d a tin for it here & 9d for jam. They are only small tins. They say they contain 1 lb but I reckon it’s a jolly short pound.
Hoping you are all well.
Love to all,
George
“A” Form
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS
To. LBA 21st Bde 61
VWA 90th Bde 36 Divisions 18th Corps
Senders Number Day of Month In reply to Number AAA
Watch your right flank carefully and if any danger of being cut off retire on HAM through 20th division AAA Do not get involved in their fighting in any way once you leave BATTLE ZONE it is for you to get back to HAM as quickly and intact as possible AAA Adsd LBA repd VWA to conform with LBA AAA Repd 61 36 divisions and 18th Corps
Copy to 20th Div.
From: 30th Division
Place:
Time: 3.15 p.m.
Signature of Addressee
22 March 1918
Dick-Cunyngham letter to wife dated 21 Mar 1915
My darling one,
Rather busy – one last walk round our trenches tonight – we go further north soon – to place you will see marked Mont K & we live in a Chateau very comfortable but within shell area, although it has not been touched – yet – Home circumstances changing especially after we have just got our trenches so good – Doubt if we shall find better ones up K way. If I don’t write tomorrow or next day you will know we are changing quarters. Have written to Godfrey now lot and hope it will find him – Am taking round a Gen & Colonel tonight. We shall be out from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. I expect. Moon is up now, so we shall see something.
All my love my darling one,
Your devoted Hubby
Jimmie
With envelope addressed to Mrs J. Dick Cunyngham, Heslington, Croft Road. Crowborough, England. Signed Dick Cunyngham. Passed by Censor No 1354 cachet. Postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 14 21 MR 15.
The Bay Museum & Research Facility 