26/7/15
My dear Mother
I think I should have written some days ago, but I have been very busy. I was glad to get your nice long letter written at Eastbourne. I don’t quite know your dates of movement now, but suppose you’ll be back home before long. I have had two letters from Mary at Port Talbot; she got there safely on Friday with her Mother, who has now returned to Dowlais, and will go to Newport for a holiday soon. I have no more news of my plans, but suppose I shall return to England by 13th August, and then must then see what can be done with the WO people. Unfortunately while in the service one can’t deal directly with them, everything has to go through about six hands before it reaches the head people. My only concern is that any work and capacity shown in this twelve months shan’t be entirely thrown away by cutting out for a period.
I was lucky last week, getting letters from both George and Cyril. I hope Cyril is able to write fairly often, and I wonder very much where he actually is. I expect the Channel at Folkestone was interesting to watch; it may have been rather cool judging by our experience here, but I expect you went up to the Leas a good deal.
In the intervals here gardening is the great resort, and the camps are beginning to look quite gay. We have another change in Colonels; were very sorry to lose the late one. His successor is a very keen cricketer, the various camps and hospitals run teams and play on matting wickets as in Australia – I suspect there’s never been much cricket played in France before. Really up here one hardly feels in France - and I’ve forgotten again any French I picked up earlier on.
With much love Mother dear.
From your son
Arthur
