BEF
25 Aug 1917
My dear Father
Alarums and excursions have been the order of the day since my return, so I have not been able to carry out my intention of writing directly I got back. We are not settled down to any extent now, but I expect we shall be in our present situation for a couple of days or perhaps more. At any rate there is opportunity for writing now and also for sending the letter off tomorrow morning.
I had a very happy time in London after I left Badsey; though the tail end of Saturday was less bright than the rest. The day I left you, Rosie and I did a theatre together. Daly’s it was, quite a merry unwarlike operetta. Friday I did some shopping and lunched with Jack and went to Edgware in the evening, getting back in time to see a little of Jack again. Saturday I spent in a long visit to the tailors where, by dint of some strenuous ‘rush’ work they managed to finish the new rig-out that I had ordered so that I could put it on and walk forth in it. An extravagance, no doubt; but it fits instead of one that flaps in the breeze. From the tailors I went on to Aldersgate Street where I picked Rosie up about midday (by kind permission) and we lunched together, spent the afternoon (a beautiful one) in buying some furs – another extravagance, about which I am quite unrepentant! – and then in Kensington Gardens until tea time. Tea, a walk, a bus ride, dinner and a quiet walk to Baker Street and goodbye quite early. I walked back to Victoria and put up for the night at the Church Army Hostel (late Buckingham Palace Hotel) where for 1/6d a leave man can obtain a good bed and breakfast; a very well ordered place and very needful in view of the early start of the leave trains. Sunday was a weary day. Going back is not enjoyable and dallying over it makes it even more unpleasant. Two hours wait at Victoria; seven hours in the Rest Shelter on the Admiralty Pier – a base store shed with wooden benches and a badly run canteen, an uncomfortable night in the rest Camp at Calais and a slow train journey next day. Luckily we found our Battalion in the place where we left it, so we joined that evening instead of having to spend another night in a Rest Camp, as we should have had to do if we had been going further up.
I have felt less pipped after this leave than I did after the two previous ones. Perhaps one grows used to coming out here after a few trials. One fact, however, I have decided: namely that even Devonport rations are preferable to Army rations. I would willingly give up half my rations here, for I never eat more than half which is considerably less than the home scale. Perhaps more practice will make me less dainty again, but for the present civilized feeding has undone me. I wonder whether the ass in the fable could have existed on his one straw a day if the quality had been bad enough!
It was a most enjoyable leave. Home was, as was inevitable, very different. But it is still a very dear old place. I should have very much liked to be able to spend longer there; I never more desired to be in two places at once than I did during that ten days.
I suppose you have just had your short holiday at Northleach and hope that you had a good time there. Weather has been pretty steady here; maybe you have had something of the same sort. If so the Cotswolds must have been at their best.
Love to all from
Your affectionate son
George
