Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1360/1/57
  • Title
    Letter (4 sheets) from Wilfred Hammond. BEF France May 11-12th 1917 My Dear Mother, In writing to you I first want to know how badly you injured yourself by your fall and whether you have been to see the Doc; If not, why not? I know you must have damaged yourself pretty badly. Your talk about the Welsh returning makes me smile for if you mean the troops that went to France you will be unlucky. We ourselves were also coming back to equip for the east. So you see I have heard it before. I note your remarks about Fred’s cash and shall be pleased to receive same. Please send out in 10/- or £1 notes. The first as soon as you like. What on earth do you mean by the remark that red is building a house. Can’t you imagine him? I often wonder how the new war conditions will affect Fred. He’s alright if unfit but in any case he would enjoy it. [donor’s note: Fred was Wilf’s brother who had emigrated to the U.S. That country had just declared war on Germany and Wilf was wondering if Fred would be coming over with the U.S. Expeditionary Force. His mention of Fred being unfit reminds me that Fred, considerable athlete that he was, suffered from Asthma throughout his eighty year life]. You talk about leave as if it were something to indent for, but you people don’t realise the value attached to a leave. We would all give “quids” for a few days but one must wait one’s turn to come. I personally don’t think there will be any more leave for the fighting soldiers until the finish now. Thanks for the “Quo Vadis” “fags”. They were quite correct and very nice. Encore! As we say when the glasses get empty. You ask about parcels all the while but this is all I can tell you. I hardly need the bacon, thanks and eggs and peas are also “no bonne”. I would like some small cakes instead of cut cake, please. We get damn good rations, really and the best thing to send is anything that doesn’t figure in our grub. We get bread, cheese, jam, sardines, butter, bacon, pickles and stew. Yus, stew! With the accent on the sto-oo. Well, the best of wishes, From Wilf
  • Date free text
    11-12 May 1917
  • Production date
    From: 1917 To: 1917
  • Level of description
    item
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