Dear Emmie I am sorry to say that my leave is stopped again as we are moving into some more barracks on Tuesday next. I am getting the sick of this messing about, as I was looking forward to coming home this weekend. I will have to make up for lost time when I come home. Best Love Will
Dear Emmie I received your most welcome letter this afternoon, and I hope there was no air raid as people expected yesterday. I am glad to hear everything is alright at the shop but I have not had a letter from anybody at home just to say that they are safe; how would I go on if I hadn’t you to write to me? About next Saturday! You know in the Army there is a lot of doubt, and “wait and see” sort of business so I do not know for certain that I have leave yet, but will let you know as soon as possible. All the other boys on leave have started for London by the 6.30 train therefore arriving before 8.00 which I dare say would had given you a surprise, but now I think they are catching one about 10 o’clock. By your letter I should think sugar is very hard to obtain; we don’t get much of it here. When I come home I will bring some army cake if I have any just to show you what it is like. This afternoon I am doing nothing as I have to parade a 6 o’clock for band practice. I think the band is playing at Officers’ mess on Thursday so we will have a feed. I have not had enough for either break-fast or dinner today so I hope we get something substantial for tea. I often wonder if you are wondering if I am wondering if you are wondering if I am wondering what you are wondering. I wonder if it is about me. (Got me !?) The weather today is fine and I hope it keeps the same if I come up this week. If I know for certain and have time I think I will ask Mr & Mrs Flowers to come to my place Sunday evening. With Most Affectionate Love Will xx
Dear Will In answer to yours, while I am writing this, there is great consternation going on outside, someone has come along with the rumour, “they are over the coast”, people are so terrified now at every sound, poor things there minds cannot settle on anything but air raids. I said everything was alright at the shop didn’t I, the machines & the young ladies are all safe. Your dad had a piece of the bomb that fell & he took it to the Police Station & they told him he was under a penalty of £150 if he had not handed it over to the police. The guns are going now, I expect it is practice. I think I should like to know what time you will be home on Saturday Will, so tell me. I know you are coming so I shall not be surprised. It would be nice if we could go to see Mrs Flower, but as you say there would not be very much time, we should have to go for the day & it would have to be Sunday, but please yourself I’m game, if you would like to go. I spent my Sat. eve. Not like you, but waiting in a sugar queue in Story St next to some filthy dirty women. I felt as if I could fly from them, & after waiting over an hr. and spending 2/6 I got ½ lb of sugar. I do not know very much about B.G’s affair but personally I think he was influenced. Well, it is time I prepared to go to work once more. I do not know if anything is going to happen, I have just heard, they are sending the people home from the City. I don’t suppose it is true, but I will let you know always as soon as I possibly can, after anything has happened, that we are all safe in York Rd & Tiber St. I will now close With best and truest Love from Emmie x
Dear Emmie I thank you very much for three letters, especially the last one; I got it Sunday morning or rather after dinner when the Sunday post was given out. I was wondering how you got on as the paper said “north London” but somehow I felt that you would be alright. I am glad to hear you are getting on so well at tennis; I should think you must have ached after beating a champion player. (I suppose that’s what you meant he was) I would have written you on Friday last had I had time only we did not get into barracks until after the last collection. I got on fairly well with the firing but I am glad it is over for a bit because I do not like the march. About B.G’s engagement! don’t you think it was his own fault, I would not let anyone guide me to do such a thing if I was in his position. I am sorry to hear about Mr Pennington “going under” it seems as if we are loosing most of our best men. We do not exactly go from 7.30 to 4pm without food because we are searved with day rations, a piece of cake, which, if we do not eat it after breakfast to stay our hunger we have it about noon. Another thing about this cake is that when finding it was too bad for human consumption we gave it to some gypsy children and they would not eat it. Will you please tell Mr Warder that as I am likely to be home next week I will not be writing to him. If I do come home next Saturday would you like me to tell you what time I arrive in London, or would you like to have a little supprise. Mrs Flowers has also asked me down for a day when I am up and I could take you; but I do not think there would be time do you? Would you let me know exactly what happened at Dean St. I hope none of the machines are damaged. I went to the pictures last night with two other boys and in the middle of one the main picture they stopped and gave out the notice that 4 enemy machines were brought down. I will now conclude trusting by God that you will always be safe from air raids. With Love From Your Sweetheart Will xxx
Dear Emmie I am writing this at 9p.m. sitting on the window-sill to get as much light as possible. I was about to write this, this morning and we had to fall in over an hour before the originally stated time. I am glad to hear the Bazaar went off well; the takings were very good considering the times. Dear Emmie, there is never a day passes that I do not miss you; but I do my work mechanically so as the time goes quickly and it will not seem so long till we meet again. I know I always think of you as my “Ideal” but I do not seem to be able to express my feelings for you in writing but I will have a good go when I am with you; it is more my nature. I would like to know who the “we” were who “walked along the river-side to Hammersmith”. Please will you let me have Mr Warder’s address again. These last two days I have been working harder than I have ever worked before. I think the marching with full pack knocks me up rather but I suppose I will get used to that soon. We went from 7.30am breakfast to 4pm dinner. We will get to bed about 10ish tonight and we have to get up at 4am tomorrow. I know you must be lonely now Mabel and Maud are away but cheer up, you know how much I love you. Please excuse scribble as I am in rather an uncomfortable posture. With Heaps of pure Love I am Your Ever Loving Will xxxx
Dear Emmie I received your letter this evening and thank you very much for the photo. You asked me what “I really think to it”. It is rather a large smile but I like it very much all the same. As I looked at it before I read the letter I said to one of the boys that I thought you had been having a “lark” with the camera man. As I write this no doubt you are enjoying yourself at the bazaar. I hope it is going well. You will be able to tell me in answer to this. Does it mean that W.L. will have to join up now he is out of work. I am asking you because I have not had time to write to him this week. Next week we go through our firing course and rise at 4a.m. so I do not know if I will be able to write to you as we are not allowed out of barracks. Of course I will write you a letter as usual if possible but if you do not receive one from me by Wednesday, please write again. This morning I had fifteen rounds on the short range and came third best shot in the band. I hope to beat that next week if possible. I have only been to the pictures once since I went with Mum on Whit Monday and I only saw two-and-a-half for my 4d then. I hope the next fortnight goes like this last week has gone, for it has flown by. The “orchestra” is made up of two or three of the band, some violinists and flute-ists and is conducted by the Drum-Major: (better understood by you perhaps as Bandmaster.) I have no more to say now but will have when I see you so I now conclude hoping you are all well at home With Best Love Will x
How did the Bazaar go off last Sat. It was last Sat wasn’t it? Dear Emmie I received your letter about .30 this afternoon and it is now 4.15. It was rather hard luck that you did not get that refund. I don’t suppose you will forget the next one [ ]. I did not misunderstand that paragraph, but I felt rather “down in the dumps” at the time of writing. I am longing to see you. I quite understand why you will not be able to come down on Sunday I am sorry to hear that your Mother is unwell; you must look after her. About next Sunday; under the circumstances you will not be able to get away and the weather down here is rather bad. I do not think it would be worth coming down next Sunday week as I am expecting to be home the week after that. I am sorry I could not make it July 28 but all the band has to go at once. I am (not) supprised to hear such conduct of W.L. I suppose it means him “joining up” now. It will not do for him to even look cross at a lance corporal in the Army (unless he is going to be an officer.) I did not know that Will Mayne was home for his 4 days leave, he is lucky. These last two days I and all the others who passed their examination at school had to go again. We had an exam on Wednesday and I passed (It was simple as ABC) and we are going to have one again on Saturday I think. I rather doubt passing this one as I think “book keeping” is one item. I think I am getting on a little better with the cornet. I am now in an orchestra and am going to practice tonight. I have not been out of barracks since Sunday. We are doing “Musketry” in the day and Band Practice in the evening in our own time. I do not mind it, but some of the boys do not like it. Please tell W.L that I will write him as soon as I get time. I have not had much this week and am likely to get less next. I now close With Best Love Will xxx P.S. I liked that piece of poetry very much. P.S.S I think I would receive a letter as you say. Try it!
Dear Emmie I received your letter this morning, also one from Mum and WL. If my time was to come during your holidays I would not take it until later, but there are 99 chances to 100 that I will be home before, if not on 21 July. What do you think my main reason is for wanting to get home? It is to be with you as long as I possibly can. You say “fancy those boys crying” at just an officer leaving us; this is not an isolated case, I have heard of the same thing happening in other companys beside our own. I know it must be very lonely for you by yourself at home but I do not like the way you write about me not caring for you. I should think you know whether I do or not. If you have nothing more particular on I would very much like you to come down on Sunday in case it is a long time before I get leave. I think the weather is changing for good but if it was bad I would not expect you. It would be a waste of time standing about all the time. By the way; did you get that fare returned from last time. “Musketry” is learning all the parts and actions of a rifle. For instance: when a bullet is fired the wind may blow it out of its course so you have allow for that. I have not been night marching yet, but our company has been twice; they are also going again tonight but I will dodge it some how. I am sorry for Ethel Hill but I cannot say that I remember her young man. I hope the Bazaar is a success next Saturday. I wish I was holding a stall like last year. The “Cook House” has just sounded so I will have to finish now. With Best Love Will xxx
Dear Emmie You say the 7th July would be nice for me to get leave, I think so too but now I am more likely to get it on the 14th or 21st. I hope they do not make it too late. Next Tuesday we start 4 hours a day musketry which is fairly easy only we have to cram into our brains in one week that which the others have had six weeks to learn. The next week I think we have firing every day and when we have passed that we get our leave. Two boys out of the band have been picked by their company and went last Saturday; I do not know how they go on when all the band goes. This morning the brass band played the whole battalion up to the fields for Church Parade; it was not bad for the first time. I told you we were going to India & Ireland and Scotland and Wimbledon, but it has not occurred yet. I am writing this just after dinner (?) cold meat salad and bread; and custard and rhubarb after. The custard was just like watered milk but I had pleanty today because I served it out, and you know if number one does not come first in the Army he does not come at all. One thing that touches everyone in our company is that we have lost our commander (Capt Everit). He was absolutely the best officer in the Batt. We had a fairwell concert on Friday last and as he spoke he nearly broke down & when he said good-by on Saturday some of the boys cried. I was not there Sat. but I shook hands with him on Fri. night. He has been wounded and gassed and was passed by a medical board as fit and is destined to join his old Batt. and be off to France within a week. He said to me before he went, he did not mind going but he did not like to see some of the officers who have not been out at all, stay at home. This all came upon us so sudden, we did not know until Friday morning and 17 Platoon bought him a present and kept it secret until the evening and it was given him with and extra stress on the 17. This act rather cut the rest of the company so a collection of about £2.10 was made when we were all in bed Fri. night and on Sat. we presented him with a Soldiers travelling toilet case and some cigars and cigarettes. We all wished him the “best of luck” and a safe return and he said he would be glad to meet us all in France. I think I would rather meet him in England. “Apres la Gare”. I think I will go to the parish Church again tonight it was much better than the Military Church I went to last week. I dare say you will have a start to see a half-sheet in this letter so I will have to close now hoping you are well at home. Have you heard anything of Maud yet. I now conclude. With Best Love Will xxx P.S. Have you had any more Air raid scares lately. P.S.S. Thanks for Mag. I received it this morning after Church Parade.
Dear Emmie I am not becoming patriotic but economic; It is not a waste to write on paper but I thought I was going to leave a blank page. It has not been hot at all here for two days; we have had a lot of rain. Dear Emmie I thank you for the stamps I found them as you said. I did not think of them until I had stuck the envelope down. I am sorry to hear Mr Zunfus is wounded; I hope it is not serious. I hope you will not have 4 days work on hand when I come home. I hope to get my four days from 7 July; how would you like that? It will be on a Saturday so you will not be absent from work so long as if it was the week. I would like you to make half the programme out as to how I am to spend the time. (If I get it) This date is not official. What do you think of the rebellion in Austria; I hope it helps to bring the end of this conflict nearer. I am glad I am not getting my time to see the Bazzar because I want you all to myself while I have the chance. One of the boys in my room said that he would not mind waiting for a month for his leave because if he had it first he would not feel satisfied at seeing all the others go home. As it happens he is one of the first but of course he does not mind. Kings X road is rather near I hope they get no nearer (zepps). How is your Father going on for potatoes. Has Leslie got a new job? I know I will hear from you first that is why I ask you. I now close With Best Love Will xxxx P.S. I did not notice it but I meant to write this on a piece of 100 T.R.B. paper. I will next time as you seem to like it.
Dear Emmie, Dear Will 