Z1360/1/15

Letter (single sheet) from Wilfred Hammond, marked: In the Field. Monday, July 31st/16. Cont’.d from last Dear People, I left the last letter unfinished in order to catch the post and I will now start where I left off. After the baths we had a fairly easy time and got paid the next day for the first time in a month. I drew twenty francs and am hoping it will last out. One does not know how long one will be out of the trenches and has no idea how to reserve the cash. We are at present living in a big barn attached to a farm house and have plenty of straw down, thus making an excellent bed. That letter that was so badly strafed by the Censor was the first on after going to the trenches and it was practically a summary of a day’s work and play up there. The Captain saw me about it and surprised me with how little one could send. I obtained a pass into one of the big towns that used to be mentioned a lot earlier in the war and found it rather interesting. The people in it cater well for Britishers. One shop had a rather pretty French girl wearing a R.A.M.C. badge. She did not seem to understand much English but when I mentioned to my pal that she was wearing the said badge she rumbled me good and quick. One estaminet we went into had a family consisting of Ma, Pa, and three youngsters, five to twelve years of age, and all drinking beer. We K.R.R.’s occasionally get accused of being Allemands on account of the likeness between our badge and the German Iron Cross. You people in England would be surprised to see the high-flown names given to turnings and sections in the trenches, and to dug-outs. Painted officially, too. One narrow gauge railway running up towards the trenches is referred to on its signboard as “To (censored) Avenue and (censored) Railway!” I have short underwear pants now, so these together with a steel helmet quite alter my appearance. These pants are delightfully fresh and healthy. I received a latter from you, Mother, yesterday dinner-time. You know, the one in which you cancel what you have said in three previous letters and now say you are sending no money until I ask for it. Fortunately it makes no difference at present but I might have made arrangements on it. Please don’t talk about these things. Did Eva receive that card I sent to her some two or three weeks ago? Finis. Love. Wilf

31 July 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

item

Hammond, Wilfred,
Hammond, Eva

France, letters, service personnel, overseas (WW1), King's Royal Rifle Corps, clothing, baths, Royal Army Medical Corps, light railways, money