BEF
21 May 1917
My dear Father
My unanswered letters are such a great pile that I scarcely know how to begin to tackle them. I have had too busy a time for the last fortnight to write more than once or twice to anybody. We have been on the move, and suffering from inspections, and preparing for further ones, and conducting Battalion competitions, and all the usual paraphernalia of a rest. Peace hath her activities – much greater than those of normal War, as a rule.
Yesterday we finished with the Battalion Sports. That removes a considerable weight from me. A Transport Serjeant always gets roped in for the doing the bulk of the business of conducting such affairs. There is only one more pestered wight – the Pioneer Serjeant, the man who not only has to make bricks without straw but has to clear away the rubble afterwards.
There is an enclosure to go with this; some of Boo’s extracts. They finish like a serial story, just before the crisis. I hope to see his succeeding letter or letters before long. The letter from Wilfred BC I will send on to Arthur today, I hope. It strikes me that the Mediterranean must be a disgustingly uncomfortable spot now. Perhaps Wilfred is fairly highly strung in temperament and is more troubled by anticipation of trouble than other men: but if that “odds on” chance of trouble feeling that worried him on embarking is the normal thing in those waters, I hope they will not move this Division to the Eastern theatre. The loss of the Cameronian with 140 lives is reported in a recent paper that I have just seen. I am glad the casualties were no heavier. From Wilfred’s letter one might surmise that more lives had been lost.
May and Judy both have particular claims on me for letters. Tell them both that I will do my best before long. Conditions are very pleasant here and I expect to have more spare time for a few days; though a Brigade horse show looms about a week ahead. It is a very enjoyable change in the life to have a little of this sort of thing. Doubtless we shall have to leave it sooner than we wish.
Love to all from
George
