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Letters Home From The First World War April 1918Arthur is returning to France, setbacks for the Allies, more problems in Ireland ...Junior Constitutional Club
Piccadilly London W1 Friday Night 12th April, 1918 My Dear Mother I do not go till Tuesday 2 other men going out, tho’ not to my section, I know one of them, was 6 mos. with us. Mail boat is running again, so we leave here 4 p.m. & get Havre next morng. & Paris Wed, night. My section is up near Montdidier, between there & Compiegne I gather, so I hope to find them somewhere. I saw Buckmaster yesterday, just back yest. morng, not sure that he goes out again, hope he does. Our division was rushed up towards the Somme & went night & day & had a pretty lively time I gather. |
News not at all good. Something has got to happen within next 3 or 4 months. I fear as usual we were far to confident & never expected possibility of this set back, they may get to Channel now, no special reason. Looks like trouble in Ireland over Conscription, they should have had it 2 yrs. or more ago when England had it. They don’t seem pleased with Home Rule Bill either, but they’d never be satisfied with anything … George Lascelles talks about coming out to us, I sincerely hope he doesn’t, absolutely unsuited for that work after being all his life in army. Everyone rather gloomy & depressed, out there I believe much less so … Best of love Yr affect. son Arthur |
Arthur sad at saying goodbye to his wife, talk of conscription in Ireland ...
Junior Constitutional Club
Piccadilly
London
W1
Monday Night 15th April, 1918
My Dear Mother
…
I went to S.Dale [Sunningdale] by the 9-40 yesterday morng., a cold nasty day. A [Alison] & I went for a long walk in aft. noon round Ascot way. She walked in to station with me this morng. to catch the 11:13 train. I simply hate leaving her, she is such a perfect, darling little girl & we have been so happy together all this winter. It makes one long more than ever for this war to end. Some think it must this year, but one has thought that for last 3 years!
One of our fellows, Webster, had lunch with me here today, he is back from the Section & does not return; he left them yesterday week at a small village, Cuvilly, north east of Clermont, n. of Compiegne, between there & Montdidier. I will take very little kit up there with me, as one may move at any moment, will leave a bag in Paris …
I believe they will call up all up to 45 first, & may never call up rest; very little use & will cost country a frightful lot in Sep. [Separation] allowances & so many who will get done up & laid up in hospital at Govt. expense.
Irish question looks a little more hopeful, but impossible say what will happen …
I hope next time I go to France it will be for pleasure! I hope to be back in Oct. Lord Cavan seems to be a great success from what you say.
Best of love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
Piccadilly
London
W1
Monday Night 15th April, 1918
My Dear Mother
…
I went to S.Dale [Sunningdale] by the 9-40 yesterday morng., a cold nasty day. A [Alison] & I went for a long walk in aft. noon round Ascot way. She walked in to station with me this morng. to catch the 11:13 train. I simply hate leaving her, she is such a perfect, darling little girl & we have been so happy together all this winter. It makes one long more than ever for this war to end. Some think it must this year, but one has thought that for last 3 years!
One of our fellows, Webster, had lunch with me here today, he is back from the Section & does not return; he left them yesterday week at a small village, Cuvilly, north east of Clermont, n. of Compiegne, between there & Montdidier. I will take very little kit up there with me, as one may move at any moment, will leave a bag in Paris …
I believe they will call up all up to 45 first, & may never call up rest; very little use & will cost country a frightful lot in Sep. [Separation] allowances & so many who will get done up & laid up in hospital at Govt. expense.
Irish question looks a little more hopeful, but impossible say what will happen …
I hope next time I go to France it will be for pleasure! I hope to be back in Oct. Lord Cavan seems to be a great success from what you say.
Best of love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
Embarks "tonight", talks of Irish conscription ...
J.C. Club
Tuesday 16th April, 1918
My Dear Mother
…
Crossing over tonight. Cold, wet & miserable here, worse than any time almost in the winter.
Yes, our Govt. have been hopeless all through. Should not be surprised if conscription really never is enforced in Ireland, tho’ of course it should have been long ago. It is manifestly unfair to call up men many probably Grandfathers when all the youth of Ireland for whom they are to fight go scot free, & even making money out of the war, it is absolutely disgraceful, still I admit it should be done in some other way. Home rule is certain now of course…
I see Pat Bellingham is evidently the General they took prisoner.
Best of love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
You may not hear from me for some time, I hear letters are very irregular & uncertain from where we now are.
Tuesday 16th April, 1918
My Dear Mother
…
Crossing over tonight. Cold, wet & miserable here, worse than any time almost in the winter.
Yes, our Govt. have been hopeless all through. Should not be surprised if conscription really never is enforced in Ireland, tho’ of course it should have been long ago. It is manifestly unfair to call up men many probably Grandfathers when all the youth of Ireland for whom they are to fight go scot free, & even making money out of the war, it is absolutely disgraceful, still I admit it should be done in some other way. Home rule is certain now of course…
I see Pat Bellingham is evidently the General they took prisoner.
Best of love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
You may not hear from me for some time, I hear letters are very irregular & uncertain from where we now are.
Arthur is back in France, very rough quarters, French refugees, wrecked villages, 3 or 4 volunteers gassed ...
A French family flees in April 1918 from Noeux-les-Mines. © IWM
S.S.A. No.3
April 22nd, 1918
My Dear Mother,
I got here Friday night about 9 p.m. Very lucky to have found one of our cars at Clermont, 25k from here, just luck, as they never go there. I was walking about, 4 hrs between trains & it was bitterly cold & a heavy fall of snow in aft. noon. Very rough quarters here, very different to old days, 2 of us in an old kitchen, many holes in roof of house, & earth floor of a rolling nature. It has been cold & 3 nights frost, quite white in morng. We live pretty roughly, it is all so different to the Vosges days & even since, quite warlike now. I was called at 2 a.m. yest. morng to go out, lovely moonlight luckily & got back 12-30 yest. ?????? ...
They are large villages about here, it is rich country all sown & I fancy prosperous; most of these poor people had to rush off, leaving their homes & everything, meals still on table in some instances, they thought they were never going to be troubled again. Of course none of these villages had been wrecked before. Our base here, a large village, is alright, not been touched so far & certain number of inhabitants left, they cleared out & then returned. A couple of nice chateaux close here, just outside, occupied of course by staff etc. One of our posts is the cellar of a fine chateau, the owner had just put in electric light & done it up, now it is a ruin, all smashed & furniture all looted or broken up, owner is somewhere about here on staff & he has a daughter at school at Brighton, awful for these people.
A bit milder today.
A good large church here, of course I was not here for Mass, yesterday, but back in time to go to Vespers. Benediction at 2-30. Yesterday we had 3 or 4 volunteers & 3 or 4 chauffeurs gassed, most of them have been yest. or are being today, evacuated, so we shall be very short, I hope no more go! I don’t know when they will be right! It makes one blind for time being, sort of tear gas, mustard gas they call it. We have new sort of masks & we had to put them on going through a village yest. morng., they are better than the old sort.
No letters yet. Will you tell Eason to send me the National Review for April & every month till Oct. 1st inclusive & out it down to my acct. I’d like an Irish Times now & again. Buckmaster is not returning & my friends Green & Webster have left, rather unfortunate. Glad when warm weather really sets in.
Best love
Yr affect. Son
Arthur
April 22nd, 1918
My Dear Mother,
I got here Friday night about 9 p.m. Very lucky to have found one of our cars at Clermont, 25k from here, just luck, as they never go there. I was walking about, 4 hrs between trains & it was bitterly cold & a heavy fall of snow in aft. noon. Very rough quarters here, very different to old days, 2 of us in an old kitchen, many holes in roof of house, & earth floor of a rolling nature. It has been cold & 3 nights frost, quite white in morng. We live pretty roughly, it is all so different to the Vosges days & even since, quite warlike now. I was called at 2 a.m. yest. morng to go out, lovely moonlight luckily & got back 12-30 yest. ?????? ...
They are large villages about here, it is rich country all sown & I fancy prosperous; most of these poor people had to rush off, leaving their homes & everything, meals still on table in some instances, they thought they were never going to be troubled again. Of course none of these villages had been wrecked before. Our base here, a large village, is alright, not been touched so far & certain number of inhabitants left, they cleared out & then returned. A couple of nice chateaux close here, just outside, occupied of course by staff etc. One of our posts is the cellar of a fine chateau, the owner had just put in electric light & done it up, now it is a ruin, all smashed & furniture all looted or broken up, owner is somewhere about here on staff & he has a daughter at school at Brighton, awful for these people.
A bit milder today.
A good large church here, of course I was not here for Mass, yesterday, but back in time to go to Vespers. Benediction at 2-30. Yesterday we had 3 or 4 volunteers & 3 or 4 chauffeurs gassed, most of them have been yest. or are being today, evacuated, so we shall be very short, I hope no more go! I don’t know when they will be right! It makes one blind for time being, sort of tear gas, mustard gas they call it. We have new sort of masks & we had to put them on going through a village yest. morng., they are better than the old sort.
No letters yet. Will you tell Eason to send me the National Review for April & every month till Oct. 1st inclusive & out it down to my acct. I’d like an Irish Times now & again. Buckmaster is not returning & my friends Green & Webster have left, rather unfortunate. Glad when warm weather really sets in.
Best love
Yr affect. Son
Arthur
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