BMS/CWK/95/21b/6

Envelope containing two letters from James William Kaye to his parents. Sent from Reception Camp, 22nd Corps, B.E.F.

1 & 2 Dec 1918

From: 1918 To: 1918

First letter: Six of us left Verchin on Saturday and traveled by train to Anvin, then on to St. Pol, and stayed there two hours on a coal siding, where the men all made braziers to keep themselves warm. Eventually got to Arras about 8 pm. Reached Douai at about 11 pm. Had an hour or so there, and got tea and steak & kidney pudding in the officer's canteen. It is amusing reading all the German notices in the stations. Set off again after midnight, and arrived at Somain about 3.45 am. Here orders changed, and told to go to Raismes, as the Corps had moved. Arrived there about 7.00 am to discover that orders should not have been changed, and should have gone from Somain to Bouchain as originally planned. Back to Somain and waited three hours for a train to Bouchain. Ran to the hotel outside the station for lunch, and in the twenty minutes it took to eat, missed the train. Decided to walk to Bouchain, about 10 kilometres. Expected to get a lift, but no lorries going the right way. Describes damage from shelling along the route. 'The land is pretty tenantless, tho' the people are flocking back with their belongings.' Describes war damage in Bouchain. The reception camp is in a chateau about 2 miles from Bouchain; arrived there about 4.30pm. Second letter: Journey continues today; collect kit from Somain, then to Valenciennes and then Mons.

5 sheets

item

family correspondence, France, Anvin, St.Pol sur Ternoise, Arras, Douai, Somain, Mons