South Road
Porthcawl
30/10/17
My dear Father
I have waited writing till hearing you were back at home again and this morning have received your letter. I'm very sorry to hear that Frank Butler has fallen; every day almost I see the name of someone I knew. Nearly all my House contemporaries at Bart's have been killed or wounded. I wonder whether the next generation will ever know or realise the sacrifices of this one; if only they are not in vain. I do not and cannot think they will be. This Italian defeat is a most serious affair and the next few weeks are full of fate, one can only wait and hope that the decisions taken (at least I hope by now they have been taken) have been the wisest.
I expect your trip to London and elsewhere did you good and you seem to have had moderately fine days. The ultimate facts about the Zepp raid should have rather a salutary effect on the press and publish who rush in to criticise with none of the essential facts before them.
I had a cheery letter from George recently. He seems to think he is not so very far from my area, but I fancy he is some distance. Do you happen to know the number of his division?
What is the sober feeling in agricultural circles about home production of food? I hope the wheat programme will be carried out; in the last resort it is a more economical way of supplying food than by growing cattle, and in any case I don't think the proposed ploughing would destroy all the pasture land.
Here in France practically all the roots are stored, the land ploughed and a lot of winter wheat already shooting up; the district is entirely farming, the villages have no young men, and there is no imported labour, and yet it's all done. I often see ploughing going on till darkness only stops it. I have seen no tractor ploughs here. I suppose they are coming into their own in many parts of England. Did you get all your apple and pear crops off satisfactorily? I suppose prices ranged high.
With love to all at home.
Your affectionate son
Arthur
