Z1360/1/43

Letter (4 sheets) from Wilfred Hammond, marked: BEF France Jan 31st 1916 [sic, actually 1917] My Dear People, In answer to your various letters, I have at last taken up my pen. The weather out here at present takes the form of a very hard frost and “plenty much snow” (as the Belgians have it). For a matter of weeks there has been tremendous frosts and coldness but it is not too bad at all when one can take steps to melt it. This weather is much preferred to the previous weather, i.e. rain, sleet and mugginess. The hardest time is when we are in the front line when the boys have little opportunity of keeping up circulation. A new idea in this Division is the setting up of soup, tea or cocoa kitchens or “dugouts” is the trenches. This idea was recently carried out during the occupation of the line by another regiment of our brigade. This regiment stuck up a couple of neat boards with the following inscription: “The ‘Blank’shire Tea Rooms.” Cup of tea on demand! When we took over the line this didn’t look quite right to our people, seeing another regiment “collar” all the honour, so our Pioneers get to work with this result. A wooden figure representing a pantomime policeman, with one hand up and holding a notice board with the following inscription: “Our Code Word” (which I must not divulge) Tea Lounge Step right in! I think we won but we are waiting to see what the mob who followed us put up. The funniest part of all is the lounge entry. One goes up a side trench and sees a number of empty cocoa tins which are the cups and which one gets half full and takes down the trench to drink. All this goes to show how well organised and careful this army is getting. Just one more point. You may not know that every Brigade and Division now has its own concert party drawn from the fighting units and some very fine shows they turn out, as frequently one finds professionals in the ranks. In my opinion this shows that the man supply question is well in hand. I notice you have stopped parcels for a time as you didn’t want anyone else to benefit from it. Do you know Mother that if you had been out here and seen all these fellows fighting and the conditions, you would be prepared to take the tremendous risk for once, of a parcel going astray. At present I am “ducking” for the parcel as it is about now that it would have been here. Continued later, Much love, Wilf

31 January 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

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France, letters, service personnel, overseas (WW1), 18th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps, weather, frost, snow, Belgians, rain, soup, tea, cocoa, cafes, concerts, food