Letters From the Trenches: A Soldier of the Great War (26 page)
Read Letters From the Trenches: A Soldier of the Great War Online
Authors: Bill Lamin
Tags: #World War I, #Autobiography, #Personal Memoirs
23. D.H.Q., C.Mess., I.E.F., Italy
March 12
Dear Jack
Just a line to let you know that I am alright and still working. our mess is the only one left we keep getting fresh officers but I still keep my place as cook. I expect
the division will break up in a week or two. I dont know were I shall get to. I shall try hard for officers servant when we break up
but I expect I shall be with the army occupation for
a while. but I dont mind so much as long that I am employed I have had my share of guards etc. I have received your tobacco alright and was very pleased with it. I am lucky to be here till now
as all the cooks from the other three messes have finished I thought they would take me place, but I keep as clean as possible I think that as a lot to do with it not the cooking but its a big
job as you always messing with the fire. We have had the General for dinner but I got on alright. mind you I dont cook any poultry or game. Write Every week and let me know how you are both
getting on
With Best Love to you Both
Harry
In April, after Harry has got to grips with his cooking duties – quite successfully, it seems – the Officers’ Mess is broken up and he moves to a new location
further to the west, and a new job guarding an ammunition dump. The different jobs he’s been doing have caused him to be separated from the rest of his battalion, a significant parting of
ways, given that he has spent nearly two years, through some hard and often dangerous times, with these men. At least his finances seem to be sound, his back pay accumulating the equivalent in
today’s money of around £450.
In his letters that April, Harry talks about Fiume (which he spells ‘Fuime’), to which the rest of the battalion has been sent. With the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this
former Austrian port on the north-eastern Adriatic coast (now Rijeka in Croatia) was claimed by Italy, along with the nearby ports of Trieste and Pola (Pula); in 1919 an expedition of Italian
volunteers under the poet and adventurer Gabriele d’Annunzio seized Fiume, which they held until 1921. Italy maintained its claims on the city and the surrounding territories but, at this
stage of the international deliberations (the Paris Peace Conference was still in session), seemed to be losing out. Allied troops were therefore sent to the port to keep the peace and encourage
stability.
April 5/1919
Dear Kate
Just a line to let you know that I am alright and in the best of health.
I had a letter from Ethel she told me you have had your letters returned no wonder they
could not find me as I have been all over the shop lately. D.H.Q as broke up and gone to England so have finished working I was the only cook left so I did very well but such a lot of work I
had ten officers and more to cook for at the finish to much at it from 6.30 AM to 10.30 PM they must have thought it was a restaurant but I pulled through we had the General with us to finish
up with had a big dinner last night seven courses and I got congratulated on it so I was satisfied. I have not drawn a money since January 28 and I got 10/6
[£0.525]
bonus from Feb
1st so that is about £9.00 to my credit and I have never had so much money while I have been in the army you see the officers gave us so much a week so I am set up now for a bit, I liked
the job but I did not feel so well always being shut up I dont know how I shall get on when I get back to the factory again. I hope I shall be seeing you before long, how is Connie getting on.
The weather here is very fine
My address at present is
9th Y
+
L Regt., G.H.Q Demob, Concentration Camp,
I.E.F Italy
I might get one with a bit of luck but I can quite understand the letters going back as I have been all over the shop lately I am in a little place call Tavernelle in the province of
Vicenza near the province of Verona you will see it on the map. I hope you get this letter and I hope I shall be seeing you all before long
With Best Love
Harry
In his letter to Jack of the same date, he expands a little on his disaffection with the Army and the slowness of his progress towards demobilization:
April 5th/1919
Dear Jack
Just a line to let you know that I am alright and in good health I am not at Fuime but a small place called Tavernelle in the province of Vicenza it is next province to
Verona. All the lads from our batt as gone to Fuime. I finished cooking two or three days ago when the D.HQ
broke up. Ours was the only mess left and we had BGD general Beaman
[Brigadier-General A. B. Beauman, commanding 69 Brigade]
with us the last few days so we had some big dinners all the officers thought me and the waiter was on the D.H.Q cadre and was going
with them to England they were surprised we had to stop had they known we should have gone with them but it does not matter we should have been soldiers in England when I come home I want to
get demobed. There is to much work cooking for officers 6.30 AM till 10.30 PM to much if I can get out I shall. We had ten officers and more sometimes to look after not bad I had a big dinner
last night and got congratulated on it by all the officers and one or two had their wives with them so I was satisfied although I had a lot of work. Remember me to Agnes. If there are any more
leave trains to Rome or Naples I shall try my best to get on one as I shall never get the chance again. I hope I do not have to go to Fuime I dont want any more guards or sloping arms
[a
rifle drill]
as I am fed up with that I would rather be up the mountains again. when do you think peace will be signed, cooking as been a good thing for me as I have not drawn any money
since January 29 and I get the 10/6 bonus from Feb 1st so that is over £9.00 to my credit. My address at present is
32507 PT Lamin
9th Y
+
L C of G.H.Q, Concentration Camp, I.E.F, Italy
You can send a letter here I might get it with a bit of luck and I might not as I dont think we shall be here long
With Best Love to you both
Harry
Of a letter to Kate three days later, only the first page survives. It carries momentous news, however, told with Harry’s typical matter-of-factness:
April 8th 1919
Dear Kate
Just a line to let you know I am alright I am still in Italy at a small village called Rivalto it is very nearly in France it is alright I have finished cooking for a bit
it is nice to get out D.H.Q broke up and all officers went to England so I was let behind my Batt had gone to
Fuime in Austria what was left of them. I am now attached to the Royal
Munster Fusiliers it is an Irish Regt they wear the shamrock behind the cap badge. I have not changed my badge. I still . . .
[the rest of the letter is missing]
After nearly two years with the 9th York and Lancasters, Harry transfers to a different regiment, the Royal Munster Fusiliers.
The Royal Munster Fusiliers (RMF) was disbanded, with a number of other Irish regiments, in 1922, after the establishment of the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland)
as a country independent of the United Kingdom. The 1st (Garrison) Battalion, RMF, to which Harry has been attached, served in Italy from January 1918 to April 1920, based at Arquata Scriva, about
twenty miles (32km) south-east of Alessandria, in Piedmont. Harry’s next letter, to Jack nearly three weeks later, makes no reference to his change of regiment, other than the initials
‘RMF’ in his address.
32507 9th Y
+
L
attached R.M.F., A.P.O
[Army Post Office]
,
L. 1 Box R, Italy
April 26/19
Dear Jack
Just a line to let you know that I am alright and in good health I have not had any letters for about six weeks now. but I have been moving about a lot I hope I am
settled down now till they send me home for good send me a paper or two regular if you can. I have seen no news for a long time. The weather here as been very nice lately. we are in a little
country place about like Strelly
[Strelley, a small Nottinghamshire village just east of Ilkeston]
guarding ammunition etc. there is only about forty of us all together but there is a
lot of Italians guarding it too. I hope Agnes is keeping well and all at home. I hope to get a letter from you soon. I expect Willie is getting quite a man now he is turned three expect I am
for army of occupation as I have got my 10/6 bonus. How is things going on in England and what do you think about the Fuime job and America.
Write soon With Best Love to you both
Harry
British troops were still in Fiume – where d’Annunzio was effectively establishing himself as a dictator – largely to keep the peace between the Italians and
the local population. The reference to America may come from the stance of US President Woodrow Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference, who was markedly determined not to see the German people
punished too harshly by the peace terms, in contrast to the attitude of, in particular, the French. Wilson was also determined to establish a ‘League of Nations’, as a means of ensuring
that such a war could never again take place. Harry appears to have sent only one letter – or only one that survives – in May, and he does not seem to have been able to write to Jack
again that month.
Dear Jack
Just a line to let you know that I have received your letter. We are in a out of the way place just now, if you have an old shirt or a towel will you send it on as soon as possible as it
is very hard to get changes up here there is about 40 of us guarding a dump it consists of all sorts
guns etc. Write as soon as you can and let me know all the news. I am please that you
and Agnes are keeping in good health. If you have got an old shirt send it on as soon as possible. my address is at present.
32507, 9th Y
+
L, attached R.M.F, A.P.O.,
L. 1 Box R, I.E.F., Italy
With Best love to you both Harry
I will write again in a day or two and tell you a bit more.
In June, however, he is able to write at greater length. As always with requests to Jack or Kate, Harry’s request for a shirt has been swiftly answered:
32507/9th Y
+
L, attached R.M.F,
A.P.O. Box R., L. 1 I.E.F, Italy
June 1st/1919
Dear Jack
I have received the shirt alright it is very nice. but I have not got the towel yet I am sure it is very good of you to be so much trouble. but my shirt is in half it has
been a job to get exchanges were we are but I think we shall get some before long. I am very pleased that you and Agnes are keeping in good health. and I hop you enjoy your holidays. the
weather hear is very hot. We are at a small country place about like Cossall
[a hamlet a mile east of Ilkeston]
it is very pleasant there is only about forty infantry men here
altogether. I think we are all being transfered to the Munsters that is not very nice as the Munsters have been here all the time we have been in Italy they were all old men and B1 or 2
[Army fitness grades, A1 being the highest]
you see they never went in the line but just did garrision duty about fifty miles behind the line but I dont care as long as I get home alright.
Write and tell me as soon as you see anything about demob in the papers as we can get to know nothing about it out here. I have had a letter telling me that Annie is getting married. I hope she
will be happy. I dont know what Ethel and Willie will do I am sure as it means giving the house up at Whitworth Rd. I am pleased to hear that you are thinking of getting a better job soon I
hope you get to a nice place it will be alright. Write as often as you can I am getting letters pretty regular now.
With Best Love to you both Harry
P.S It would be nice for Willie to pay you a visit if you were near Ilkeston I am sure he would enjoy himself.
June 22/19
Dear Jack
Just a line to let you know that I have received your letter and the towel you sent it is very good of you to sent it. Ethel and Annie wants me to try and get home on
leave for August, but its no use me asking from this end there is some men here now with 18 months in without leave although they are going on leave from Fuime with eight months if they write
for leave they want to send to the war office as it is no use at all sending here any way I hope to be home on leave by October as I think it will get down to twelve months when peace is signed
let me know as soon as that happens as we dont here much out here. I am still officers servant and cook but I dont know out long it will last. Do you think you could send Ethel 10/-
[10
shillings – £0.50]
a month and begin in the first week in July and then the first week in August till I get a leave and then I might draw some credits
[against his Army
pay]
. No doubt they will ask you to write for a special leave if you do write to the war office ask I should like to get home when things break up, any way let me know what you think best.
Write as often as you can and let me know all the news, do you think the Germans will sign peace, if they do we should be demobed in six months time. I shall be very pleased to get out of it
although I have not done any drilling now for about six months and I have always had eggs and bacon for breakfast while I have been a this country place and plenty of new potatoes and fruit I
was surprised at the Derby winner
[the unfancied Grand Parade, which came home at 33-1; the Derby was run at Newmarket from 1915 to 1918, but returned to Epsom in 1919]
. I will write a line to
Mrs Higgins when I have time and tell her that I did not receive her parcel which she sent at christmas. Are you going home for Annie wedding she told me in her last letter that she had wrote
and ask you, let me know if you do, Ethel tells me that they have given notice at Whitworth Rd. I dont think it will be very healthy for Willie at Mill street. I hope she gets another house.
Write as often as you can hoping you and Agnes are keeping in the best of health.
With Best Love
Harry
