March 24/15
Dear Jinny
Very many thanks for your ripping long letter. So glad you liked my letters & I’m glad I wrote when I did because I’m blowed if I remember now what happened then, it’s all a sort of dream. We are still in these same billets, but are now called Divisional reserve, as the other 2 brigades of the [censored?] Division are in the trenches, & we are in reserve to them. I don’t suppose we shall be wanted, unless they have a “Bismarck’s Birthday Biff” on April 1st, which is the rumour at present. Anyhow I expect we’ll be going up into the trenches some time during the next week.
I’ve been into Bethune today & had a dam good lunch; it’s a great place & fairly buzzes with officers, all having lunch there. I sent you some picture postcards, awful things, but I didn’t put any stamps on, as I was told if I put F M (ss they have a “rve to them. I don’t called Divisional reserve, as the other 2 brigades of the Francaise Militaire) on them they would go free; I wonder if they ever got home; do let me know if they did, & I hope you did’nt have to pay on ‘em.
I feel much better for the change to Bethune, even though it was only for a few hours. I drove one of our interpreters in our mess cart; you know what a good driver I am, & the road was full of traffic, but I managed very well really; anyhow no accidents occurred & we got safely back which is the main thing- I also had several short drinks which helped the world go round faster & the horse fairly raced home!
Lovely weather here too, & so warm & mild, hedges all budding & birds singing etc; I shall be sending home all my warm clothes & waistcoats soon; & if they send us to Egypt I shall want only a bathing suit I should think. No more cameras are allowed now & we all had to finish off our films & send the cameras home. I flew round taking anything I could find, & wound up by taking 3 ducks on a pond, so you can imagine how I was put to it to finish ‘em off!
Pardon such a dull letter. Guy Mainwaring was hit by an empty shell case, after it exploded, like the ones I brought home; of course it laid him slap out, but he is all right I hear, in hospital at home somewhere, but is so badly bruised that he can’t lie down, & has to sit up all the time! Mankelow was only slightly wounded, & never went to hospital, but is now home on 7 days’ leave.
I’m afraid I have no more news. I may be able to get home on leave for a day or two sometime within the next month, but it’s extremely doubtful and unlikely so don’t put any faith in it as there is really practically no chance of it coming off. Tell Ben Billy came to see me the other day, & was very pleasant; his affairs don’t seem to be going very well; he is A.D.C to General Willcocks, (cmdg: the Indian Army Corps) now, so is a bit of a nut.
Fit as a fiddle I am nowadays; write again some old time, & send us a Graphic or Tatler; Tatler always welcome, I like reading “Eve”
Tons of love
from
Ted
