Posted on by leftoverlondoner

28th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Colchester
Dear Emmie

Received your letter this afternoon and I am answering it before I go on parade this evening. We are on for an hour 5.30 to 6.30 storming trenches in the dark. We fired some rifle grenades or rifle bombs this morning and I have still the ringing in my ears. I am rather surprised at Mr C. getting “spliced” (excuse my slang) I hope he is made happy with his new bride. We were told that we are being fastly trained so that sounds suspicious. I know that I will be in England for Christmas and I am almost sure to have at least two leaves before I start doing my bit in another land. Nothing more has been said concerning the band. I have been in C.Coy. for about two months now; we changed over at Albuhera. All, or most instructors now have been wounded and are unfit for duties abroad so I do not stand much chance at being one. If I am to keep in the company I will try for promotion or that is the way I look at it now. It is ten times harder to get a stripe now that it was or is in a new Batt: “Regina Angelorum” means “Queen of Angels” I cannot understand Nil desperandum unless it means no desperation. I have only another five minutes for to be on parade so I will close

With Fondest Love

From Your Will.xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

26th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Colchester
Dearest Sweetheart

Thanks for nice letter; it cheered me up wonderfully as I have been down in the dumps again. I am not sorry to say that 2nd class in firing is not good and it is not bad. I didn’t want to be too good a shot. I heard of the joy bells ringing in London but I don’t uphold with it. I suppose it is really to keep the spirit of the people up. I am glad to hear the service went well. I went to “St Mary’s at the wall” Colchester; it was the best church service I have ever been to. They have a fine choir and a F.F.C.O. organist. I hope you enjoy yourself if you go to Leicester; I wish I could come with you; you don’t know how much I want you. Trust me for liking to get up every week, I am not lucky enough even to dream of it. I love the dear old army like the devil loves holy water. I would love to have your arm round my neck as long as you like but not to exhibit in a shop window. I think the psalms are the hardest part of the service to play but it all becomes easy with practice. I have had rather an eventful weekend; I did play the organ on Sunday morning and it went fairly well. On Saturday afternoon our company officer came over to the band room and said that he wanted us to sleep with the company. This we had to do but we have all refused to play in the band any more. We have always had trouble with this officer but I believe he is leaving us and it’s good luck too. There are thirteen of us in C. Company but I am not superstitious. Of course we did the trick as neatly as possible so we were not put in the Guard room for refusing point blank to go on parade. I think we will still keep in the band; at least I am keeping the same address. I am in the band room writing this letter it seems like heaven after the company room. When I said I was going to church Sunday evening it nearly took their breath away.

I am on a special bombing course this week; we are doing a ten days course in five days and we will have a lot of writing to do this week. I couldn’t write anything this evening as we haven’t any books yet. This course is very interesting, all to do with explosives and the officer handles bombs as if he is a conjuror with balls. Well, my dear I have written a little longer letter and I hope I get time to write again this week; at all events I will write you a short line no matter how much bombing I have to write about. The weather is very cold here today. The puddles in the road are frozen over and it is snowing now. I think we are being given another blanket this week to sleep on at least I hope so. It was only Saturday that the sun was shining bright and giving out a lot of heat for November.

Des: fell out with the cold this morning and got light duty all day and I dare say he will go sick tomorrow. Well my regina angelorum I will close now.

With affect: Love

From Will xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

23rd November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Colchester
Dear Emmie

Thanks for letter it seems ages since I wrote you last. So sorry you feel so bad but you know there is one who is always thinking of you. I suppose you have heard that H.Day has another girl, I would like to see her as I have seen most of the others. I dare say you know what he said to my cousin Grace. If you did not write to me for a fortnight I would think that something very serious had happened. C.G. said he got a reasonable excuse but of course did not tell me what it was, so it is all right now. As I think that most of the old proverbs are wrong I side with you in ans. to that question. The weather has been very hot here today, just like mid-summer. We have been firing for the last time and I have got a second class. We have had the weather very much against us.

As we didn’t have much for dinner we had for tea:- stewed meat, potatoes and parsnips and suet puds with jam for after, two slices of bread one lump of cake and one mug of tea. I cannot be surprised at having indigestion although I saved half of that for supper. Don’t forget to ask me that question. I have heard of the good news of D.Haig and I think there is more to come. The concert met with every success and I think there is another coming off in about a fortnights time. Well my dear I will have to “pack up” now

With Love

From Will xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

21st November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Band Room No 5, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Googerat Barracks, Colchester
Dear Emmie

I am sorry to hear that you were not well on Monday, are you any better now, I hope so. The organ question is rather serious. Could you get Claude to put you right with the stops. It would be good practice for you to play the psalms on our harmonium at home. There is a psalter and tune book there. That would get you used to the gliding fingering of the organ. Where is the “Ideal Kineama!” and who did you go with? Our concert comes off tonight and I am just going to have a practice. We have a star comic coming, so I guess it will be a success. I have had the afternoon off for a band practice but have not done a stroke yet.

We have a kitten here and it keeps us all amused with its tricks. I suppose you will say “Little things” etc. I feel mighty hungry but have a long time to wait for tea. Our dinner consisted of 1 potato and 1 sausage. Our afters were promised for tea time but it is another thing if we get it.

Well, I don’t want to trouble you with the shortcomings of the army but I only hope you are better dear. With

Best Love

From Will xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

20th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Colchester
Dear Emmie

I have been disappointed all round this weekend and to crown it all it is Tuesday night and I have had no letter from the only one I look forward to. And yet another: I have just been down for some supper and find that there is none left. I had to go before the officer for being late of parade but it got washed out. We are playing out tomorrow night at a Baptist hall and I have a late pass. I dare say we will come off better there than we did at Officers’ club. We are playing Desmond’s pieces, he has written them out for the band. I will close now hoping to hear from you by the very first post tomorrow.

With Best Love From Will

C.G. after not hearing from his girl for a fortnight wrote the final letter; this is the second time. It seems to be made up again now. Does true Love run smothly?

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

18th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Band Room No 5, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Googerat Barracks, Colchester
Dearest Emmie

Yours to hand. When I opened your letter I thought it was some more “calling up” papers by the colour. You will have another partner besides Mr C at your office now, I do not think he is lucky if he has developed asthma while in the army. You know it cannot be shaken off like a cold. I am sorry to hear that your cousin’s baby has passed away it seems like unluck to counter the luck of her husband getting his ticket. I hope you get on well with the organ, is Claude helping you at all. We are having very foggy weather here and through it, we had to go firing again today. Who do you get to blow the organ for you on Saturdays. I would like to if you would have me. Directly I had stuck your letter down I remembered that I hadn’t mentioned the “captain”. I don’t think we have any like that here, they get it knocked out of them if they are foppish. I liked your letter very much but it was spoilt by the last sentence. What did you mean when you asked me if I liked you as much when I wrote the last two letters, or why did you ask it? I am going to church this evening if I feel like it. I am getting terribly lazy lately. What did you mean by sticking one stamp upsidedown does it mean anything. For further news see previous letter. Sorry I can’t think of more to write.

Best Love

Will xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

15th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Band Room No 5, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Googerat Brks, Colchester
Dear Emmie

Yours to hand. I am glad you received the goss alright. I summise it was unbroken. I think there was enough paper round it. If you by chance see Harold Day please remember me to him and give him my Luck. He is lucky in getting a fortnight. All our week end leaves are from Friday till tuesday now; that will be much better than Sat & Sun. We went to officers’ Club and as there was no piano there I did not play. We had a nice tea. One slice of bread cut in half to make two and a 1/2d bun and a mug of tea. Every one was so disgusted that I went back to barracks to save their teas. Of course I had another tea in barracks. Our Club is called “Les Amis” and we have a decent time with each other. I don’t quite catch the joke “when you have gone away”, I heard all about Lloyd George’s speach it does seem rather serious. We were served out with steel helmets this evening we will be soldiers soon. I wonder how George Todd likes the army; fancy him going so quickly. I will close now as I have another three letters to write very unusual.

With Love From Will.

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

13th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Band Room No 5, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Googerat Barracks, Colchester
Dear Emmie

Thanks for letter received this evening. It has been very foggy here today; we went out this morning to fire at four hundred yards but as we could not see fifty in front of us we went for a route march instead. I will be playing in the orchestra at Officers’ Club tomorrow afternoon so I will have to get time off. It starts about 2 o’clock and I think we have tea there and play till about six. We sing “We’’ll all have a holiday in the summer time but it won’t be beside the sea”. You guess I wouldn’t mind if you were there especially in peace time. George Todd is rather unlucky in being moved so far away, would you please get me his address, I would like to write to see what he thinks of the Army. I will enclose a discription of the stops soft and loud on the organ I do hope you get on with it. Second thoughts I don’t think I will do that You may ask Claude if you like, if it is right for me to put it that way. Lord French did inspect us but it was not much. We just marched past him in collum of route, or in fours. I did not dream of you on Sunday night I wish I had done though. We have formed a little club of some of the band boys and we meet together on Monday nights for games etc. We also wish to keep up friendship after the war if that is possible. Well my dear I will have to “pack up” now as they want me to practice.

With best Love From Will xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

11th November 1917

Bandsman W Metcalfe 46534, Band Room No 5, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Googerat Brks, Colchester
Dear Emmie

After a hard days work for a Sunday I am trying to liven myself up by writing you. We went out firing this morning about 8 o’clock and after waiting for an hour and a half in the cold for markers, found they were not forthcoming so we had to find our own. After firing ten rounds we returned to barracks at 2.30 o’clock. I did not do bad considering we could hardly see the targets as the sun was shining in our eyes. You say that you have had a good time at G.T.S. well! I wouldn’t mind waiting outside an hour in the rain for you, as I sometimes used to, because it was well worth it. I suppose I ought to apolise for writing you such a letter as I did on Thursday especially as I had such a sweet one from you the very next day. On Friday I had to fill in a form of where I worked and what I did in Civy life. I believe it is something to do with demobilisation. Oh! when the war is over what will we do? I am very sorry to hear of Mabel Hill but perhaps it is for the best. George Todd is lucky to be at Hounslow, what is he in? How did you like the Lord Mayor’s show this year was it good? I don’t think I will go down town tonight I feel as if all I want to do is to go to sleep and dream of you dear. It seems quite a long time since I saw you last so I will be glad when this invincible six days leave comes. I have not found a suitable little box yet to send your goss in but I will not be long. Look out for it about Wednesday. If I have no xmas box to give you I will give you myself if I come home; will I do dear?

Much Love From Will xx

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Posted on by leftoverlondoner

10th November 1917

Bandsman WM 46534, 52 Royal Sussex Regt, Colchester
Dear Emmie

Thanks for nice letter: I have not got it to hand so please excuse me if I forget any questions you might have asked. I am in the Christian Science rooms writing this and I feel so lonely. The Captain told us today that the Colonel is seeing about our six days leave. Let’s hope that he succeeds in doing somthing good. I have just been told that we are going firing again tomorrow Sun: I don’t care for that much, but I am going to get out of it if I can by playing the organ at church in the morning. I have just lit my pipe which is against the rules of C.S. and the lady comes in about every five minutes to see if “your nibs are alright” or if there is enough coal on the fire. I should think she comes in to see if we are up to any mischief or not. I went to the pictures this afternoon and they were not bad but they would have been twenty times better if I had you with me. I havn’t really got used to being away from you yet as before I feel home sick but with and “e” on this time. We have been issued with hat badges and I have had a look in the shops for a decent broach but have not seen one yet. There is perhaps one possibility of me being home for Christmas but I wouldn’t build any hopes on it if I were you. As I am at a loss to know what to write about I will conclude now but will write again soon. Pleases don’t tell me I write too often

With Best Love From Will xx

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