March 31st 1916.
Dear Mother
Thanks most awfully for your letter this week. The mail was rather late this week, and ours later than most people’s. I suppose they are still not sure of our exact whereabouts in the post office, and we still get letters for fellows who have left a long time ago or been transferred to other regiments etc. I got a nice pile of letters this mail, but I’ve been so fearfully busy this week I really have’nt had much time to answer them; and I’m not quite sure if the mail goes out today or tomorrow; if today I’m afraid I’ll have to leave some for next week.
I am writing this in the early early morning before parade. It’s lovely up here, especially at this time, though we want some rain to freshen things up a bit. How awful the snow seems to have been at home this year, much worse than it’s ever been for years I hear. And Reuters wires yesterday mentioned that awful blizzard, very vaguely “in England”, all communications interrupted, villages isolated, & railways damaged. How awful it must have been. I’m not awfully anxious to hear more news about it, the wires are so sketchy, and I do hope it did’nt affect the south of England too much, and I’m anxiously awaiting more news today.
We had a great wedding here yesterday, my friend Mr Rogers in the regiment was married to a girl he met up here; he only met her a few weeks ago, so has’nt been long about it. I have’nt met her yet, except just after the wedding for ½ a second, but I believe she’s charming; anyhow I suppose old Roger thinks so, so nothing else matters very much.
I had a letter from Dick, he tells me he is at Karachi, & the hospital seems to be a permanency there, but I imagine he is trying to get out of it somehow for some more active work. Yes was’nt it rotten about that exchange, everyone was awfully sick about it round our way, as the man behaved in a rotten way.
I hope they have’nt been having too much of this awful weather in France, but I expect they got their share of it. How awful it must have been, & I do hope old Topher managed to get some leave sometime, it’s quite time he had a bit of a rest. I’ll finish this after parade & breakfast.
Just finished breakfast, the main portion of which was a really nice ham, left over from yesterday’s wedding. Mr Roger & his bride did’nt get any leave, so they just walked away after the wedding breakfast, she in her wedding dress, and walked down to his house; somewhat unsatisfactory somehow.
Leave has’nt been opened yet for the men; I can’t think why, and we are still mobilised. Praps they have another job for us shortly. Meanwhile the back work accumulated during our absence is appalling, & I am at it hard all day, including parades, from 7 till 5 or 6 in the evening, & I hardly ever get away for lunch. It’s all such drudgery, how I hate it all, but it’s simply got to be done. One feels, one knows it does’nt help to finish the war one bit, but what can one do? Sometimes I get absolutely fed up & feel that another hour or two’s work will make practically no difference, so yesterday for instance I chucked it at 4.30 & went & had a round of golf with Dolly Lyell; ripping that was. Must fly off to office now & start again. Enclosed is an account which may interest you. Lots of love & I do hope this awful blizzard is all over now & none of you are any the worse.
from your loving son
Ted.
Many thanks for cutting re I.A. promotions. I had seen it. But it does’nt affect me yet, I’ve only 11½ years’ service. In any case it’s a very very poor concession.
Image of Rogers’ wedding
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saffron_walden_snapper/3292650342/in/photostream/
Announcement in Times, 18/3
http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/33265129/
The bride’s mother
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_L._Barclay
Article on blizzard
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=WDT19160330.2.30
