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8 December 1918 – Ted to Gertrude

08 Dec

Dec 8/18

 

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for 3 letters from you which I got 3 days ago- They were dated Sept 30, Oct 1st & 9th. You seemed perturbed about the way you had been addressing my letters, about putting the rgt’s name in. I don’t think that matters much though, but it’s better to leave it out. By now of course you will have started addressing me correct, as I hope my letters of last August with the correct address in have arrived safely. The only fly in the ointment now is “Brigade Major ERPB” which still appears, but I have no doubt that will go next mail I get. The main thing is that the letters are arriving safely so nothing else much matters.

We are having cold raw November days now with a good deal of rain. A good opportunity to wear my trench coat, which is the envy of all beholders. We were going to have that big parade I told you of, but rain put that off and it’s taking place next week some time.

No news as to our movements or chances of leave or anything. Even Rumour is silent once more, after being particularly active and unreliable a few days ago. I got a lot of Nell yesterday; she still goes the whole hog, Brigade-Major, the rgt, c/o Cox, Bombay and 34th Bde! so the poor post people must get a bit bewildered at times. However hers always arrive eventually, so it does’nt really matter.

One of your letters had a ripping little calendar in it; thanks awfully, and another a little card with a calendar on it, both most useful and acceptable. Thanks too for sending a few good things to eat as you say you have done: I’m sure we shall thoroughly enjoy them. How hard things seem to get: Nell said the same about some things she tried to get me in Cheltenham.

What awful nuisances these railway strikes at home are- I see the railways have all been nationalised now & yet they are still striking. I suppose there will be no competition on lines now with the government taking them all over, so train services will be a bit different & probably not as convenient-

The war news at the time you wrote was indeed wonderful, especially the triumph in Palestine- But no one in their wildest dreams seem to have dared to put the end of the war bare 6 weeks after that! You all talked of “this ought to make the war end next year” (& so did we!) & all the time Germany was cracking & toppling over with incredible rapidity. How awfully interesting your next lot of letters will be, & the next after that containing the incredible series of events beginning with Turkey’s capitulation on Oct 30th, & ending 11 days later with that of Germany. I’m longing for those mails to come along-

I see all home letters are stamped with “Feed the Guns” & encouraging  to buy war bonds, & really we seem to be raising an extraordinary amount every week. The world’s casualties in the war make dismal reading don’t they- And yet a nation that can make the sacrifices we have in the cause of right has something to be proud of – and so have the allies too. What wonders the French did, & how marvellously they hung on till the end-

I see the world at large seems to demand the trial of the Kaiser & the Crown prince, & of all the generals who sanctioned atrocities & brutal treatment of prisoners. And quite right too I think, if they escape the vengeance of their own countrymen, who seem to be in a chaotic state just at present. It looks as if there would be a revolution in Germany soon, as no order seems to have been established yet, & there’s no stable government to make peace with-

And what terrible things are going on in Russia, far far worse it seems than the French revolution at its height. Truly the world is all at sixes & sevens for the present, but at least we can look forward to permanent & lasting good coming out of it all- Such upheavals are always followed by long periods of world peace & world prosperity- Tennyson was wonderfully right was’nt he, “the old order changeth, yieldeth place to new”. It’s just got to be, & things will adjust themselves in time. But for the present generation it is far from a peaceful existence.

I got the Academy pictures alright: nothing very striking I thought, the one picture everyone commented on – that Tube scene during a raid – is not in the book! There are one or two splendid portraits I think, especially those by John Lavery: of course one does’nt know if they are like the originals, but they look so awful natural.

Yes Jack Fielding was home about the middle of October, I suppose he just got out in time to be in at the death on Nov 11th.

Please don’t worry about the address, it’s perfectly alright & as I say, as long as I get the letters it does’nt much matter.

Ugh, it is cold & raw today, & there’s more rain about I’m thinking. I wonder what’s happened to Jim, I have’nt heard of or from him since he left last week. Letters take a huge long time to arrive anyhow so I expect I’ll hear in a day or two-

Best love to all

Yr loving son

Ted

I sent you a little packet of pictures of Mesopotamia yesterday. They are’nt bad, best by artificial light I think. I like the mosque ones best, & the ones of Hit & Feluya.


Walter Bayes’ The Underworld (Tube painting)

 
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