RSS

25 February 1917 – Ted to Gertrude

25 Feb

Continued from the previous day

Feb 25.

A gorgeous morning and the muggy heat of last week has gone thank goodness. It’s lovely now, cool & clear, but I’m afraid the Indian spring is a short-lived one, though while it lasts it is perfect; and by the middle of March it will have begun to get unpleasant. All the little seedlings we planted last November are now in full flower, so our “carriage-drive” is looking really quite smart.

The dinner last night was quite a success; the Chief is a genial old bird, & quite human; he has an aggressive chin which means business I think. There is another mail in tomorrow, & it was only last night that I got the tail end of last mail, a shower of ‘Sketches’ & John Bulls, and also Fragments from France Part 3, which has kept the mess in roars of laughter as the saying is! Thanks awfully for them; but I’m not sure that Bairnsfather is’nt a wee bit put to it now to find a funny subject, & I think he’ll have to take care not to overdo it & fall flat in consequence. He really is good when he is good, & wonderfully true to life, & I think it would be a pity to spoil him.

I am so awfully glad to hear good news of Ben. She wrote me a long letter last mail & I’m afraid I’ve been very remiss in writing letters lately; but truth to tell this mobilisation has kept me fairly busy, & one has a certain amount of friends, old & new, after a rather trying 8 or 9 months in Lansdowne, & I’m sure it’s done me good. Dryden seems very hard worked at the Bank; I wish she could see her way to chucking it.

Lloyd George I see has been making another speech, the tone of which does not seem to be in keeping with the general air of optimism that is about now at home. P’raps he thought that it is not a good thing to get too optimistic & so exaggerated the position with a definite object. What about ploughing up all England & sowing spring wheat & barley? It seems to me an excellent thing to do; for heaven’s sake let’s go all out to win the war, & then resume the daily round again.

So glad Dick & Topher have joined up, but I cannot quite grasp what Topher’s position is in a native cavalry regiment. I suppose you say you have three sons in the Indian Army now!

I am being innoculated against cholera today, I hear it’s a good thing to have done to one; but they say there is no reaction, which is comforting, as you know what I’m like after innoculation don’t you! No further news of our move, but I suppose we shall be sailing about the middle of March. I think the best address is Capt B.

2/39 Garhwal Rifles
Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force
c/o India Office,

but meantime stick to Cox till I tell you different – as we have’nt gone yet!

Best love to all

Yr loving son

Ted

Fancy old Hall joining up! Yes, of course I know him well; he must be 150 at least!


The Bystander’s Fragments from France (compiled)

https://archive.org/stream/bystandersfragme00bair#page/n5/mode/2up

Lloyd George’s speech on restriction of imports

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1917/feb/23/restriction-of-imports

Report on it in Sydney Morning Herald

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/15732639

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 25 February, '17 in About

 

Write a reply.....

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.