Z1360/1/2

Letter (single sheet) from L/Cpl. W. Hammond No. 8064, 18th Kings Royal Rifle Corps, 41st I.B.D., Army Post Office, Section 17, British Expeditionary Force, France. Dear All, I hope the address won’t scare you but I am afraid the other was wrong. Although any letters you may have sent may reach me. We left the rest camp at about 6.30 pm and had a very nice crossing without being sick and got “somewhere in France” at about 8.30. We were marched into the street and stood there for some time. It was rather funny to see all the French women and girls flock round us trying to sell oranges and chocolate. It was one cry of “Or-an-gees”, “sug-airy” and when some chaps started buying them the fun began with the Frenchies’ English and the difficulties of change. We then went to a camp in the town of landing and stayed there for the night. We had one blanket each on the wooden floor but we were all so tired that we slept well (like bottoms) We paraded in the morning and had a “wireless medical inspection” which is an inspection where a medical officer walks, runs, or dashes in a car through the ranks, looking at the men as he passes. We then entrained for this camp and the trains move so rapidly in France that one of our fellows jumped out, spoke to a “Frenchwench” and ran and caught the train up. Of course, I can’t say anything definite about details but it is absolutely wonderful as far as size goes. We can see the sea in the distance. The ground consists of sand everywhere round here in the form of huge ridges or “dunes”. I’ve drilled in water, mud and snow but nothing comes up to this shifting variety of sand to work in with full pack and tremendous heat. We are of course in tents and the sand gets everywhere and has a particular fancy taste for all the working parts of a rifle.

24 May 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

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France, letters, service personnel, overseas (WW1), King's Royal Rifle Corps, post offices, oranges, chocolate, , trains, LANGUAGES