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Monthly Archives: March 2016

9 March 1916 – Ted to Gertrude

March 9th 1916.

S.S. Muttra

 

Dear Mother

At last this very monotonous voyage is coming to an end. We are two days out of Bombay now, we ought to get there on the night of the 11th, and shall probably disembark on the 12th I should think. I believe the mail leaves on that day too, so it will be a fluke if we catch that mail. Anyhow we are going to have a try.

This is a beastly dirty little tub; all the officers’ accommodation is aft, so we get all the smuts & dirt all blown back on to us, & I don’t think any of us have felt really clean since we started. She is only a very small boat, & the men are rather like the proverbial sardine, but seem quite happy & contented, doubtless the prospect of getting near their own country again has something to do with it.

We have had splendid weather all the way, cool breezes & no rough days thank goodness as the ship would have got into an awful state if we had had any bad weather. We have’nt called anywhere en route, so shall have been 14 days at sea when we get in; not very long I know, but seeing that that is the usual length of the voyage from Bombay to Marseilles (we only came from Suez of course) in an ordinary P. & O. you can imagine how slowly we have travelled.

We have’nt the foggiest idea what’s going to happen to us on landing. Some think we shall go back to Lansdowne for a bit, but I very much doubt that, but beyond this I have’nt the vaguest idea as to what they will do with us. I certainly hope we stop in Bombay a day or two as I want to buy a few things. Also Dick left Suez in a hospital ship just ahead of us, but whether he went to Karachi or Bombay I don’t know, still there’s a good chance of seeing him so for this reason too I hope we put in a day or two there.

For the present I should stick to the India Office address, as I think it’s safer all round. It saves changing addresses if by any chance we are moved out of India again, though I don’t think that’s likely.

Tomorrow 10th March is the anniversary of Neuve Chappelle. What a lot of water has flowed under London Bridge since then, & what lots of things have happened. Having been all this time at sea & having no wireless on this rotten old tub we have of course had no news of any sort all this time, since 28th Feb! So we are all agog to get the latest news on landing. We left during a rather critical period on the Western Front, the big German offensive on Verdun, & we are of course fearfully keen to know how things have been going. And any fortnight during the war is bound to have something big happening in it. Just before we left we heard the bare fact of the P & O Maloja being mined off Dover but that’s all, we could get no details.

All well on board, & I personally am fit as a fiddle, but I feel I should like a leetle more exercise. There’s hardly room to swing a cat on our deck so we don’t get much chance of keeping our weight down!

Must wind up now.

Best love to all

from your loving son

Ted.

 

I do hope old Topher’s all right.

The Eau de Cologne you sent in the parcel has been a perfect Godsend on board.

The Cake was much appreciated also the China tea.


 

SS Maloja, sunk 27th Feb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Maloja

 

 
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Posted by on 9 March, '16 in About

 

8 March 1916 – Paul to Gertrude

H.M.S. Malaya

c/o G.P.O.

Ash Wednesday

 

Dear Mother-

Thanks very much for your letter- I think the phases of censorship & one thing & another tend to make my letters take such a long time – one thing if I miss the only mail out in the day – it has to wait 24 hours before it leaves the ship – so that accounts for it probably.

I’ve just had a long letter from Ted – he seems to be happy enough – he says they are going to the place where he was originally bound – does that mean India-

We have had bitterly cold weather here too – violent snowstorms – I seem to have lost a good many of my woollen things – such as mittens & Balaclava helmets during my shifting ships. I’m sure I packed them in the Gloucester – but I can’t find them now – so if you hear of any benevolent person who has knitted a helmet or a mitten – you might ask if I can have them – Sickening having lost mine – because I had some awfully nice ones.

We’ve started measles – in the Wardroom too- I hope I escape them – as I did in the Gloucester.

So you’ve been to see the shop, it does sound a nice clean sort of place – & you seem to approve of it – which is a great thing to my mind because you were awfully unhappy about Jane going there to start with – I thought – but now you’ve seen it – it helps a lot does’nt it?

Poor old Topher – he seems to have had a rotten time lately – & I do so hope he will get a commission – he deserves one I’m sure. Is there any more chance of his getting his leave fairly soon?

They seem to have had some terrific fighting lately don’t they. I can’t imagine how the Huns can go on losing all those men – it seems incredible –

Well I must get to bed-

Ever so much love to you all-

Your ever loving son

Paul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaclava_%28clothing%29

 
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Posted by on 8 March, '16 in HMS Malaya, Rosyth

 

3 March 1916 – Richard to Gertrude

BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAV.N CO.L.T.D.

T.S.S. “NEURALIA”.

March 3.

 

Dear Mother.

I suppose you fancy I’m dotty. All those cables. But at least that F.A. stunt was washed out, so I had to come on here. So go on writing Cox Bombay. Only that waterproof has arrived. No boots or distemper pills. June is a dear, tell Ben frightfully fond of me & can beg perfectly now!

It’s so hot now, but I am being homesick & would prefer to be at home. Ted will be coming out soon. We are due in Bombay tomorrow, & we’ve heard no news since we left Egypt, so goodness knows what may have happened, for all we know peace may be declared.

I hope there’ll be some letters for me at Cox in spite of all the muddles.

Best love to all

yr loving son

Richard


SS Neuralia

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=4271

 

 
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Posted by on 3 March, '16 in About

 

1 March 1916 – Paul to Gertrude

H.M.S. Malaya,

c/o G.P.O.

 

March. 1st 1916

 

Dear Mother.    Many thanks for your letter – they seem to take much longer these days – don’t know why though-

I wonder if you have been up to see Jane’s shop yet? she told me in a letter 2 or 3 days ago that you were going up to see it- They seem to be quite allright there.

I must say I think you are quite right in a way about moving – it does involve much more trouble than one really imagines – & might not be worth it when all is done – but at the same time if everything did work out nicely it would be much better in a way for you – and the girls.

Another thing is that at present as all the girls are working you would have no one to help you do it – although you could manage it – but it would tire you out I’m sure, with all the worries and all- attached to a decided move.

We are getting rather nice weather up here – all our snow seems to be finished, to-day seems much colder though. So Dick is off to India again – I wonder how he likes the idea. So far away he seems to go-

Awfully little news – best love to you all – your ever

loving son

Paul

 
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Posted by on 1 March, '16 in HMS Malaya, Rosyth