Author Archives: Richard Berryman

Karachi   May 25.

Dear Mother.   Many thanks for 2 letters one about April 27, & one May 3. I can’t think why you had never got the watch, those people should have arrived by the time you wrote. I wonder if Jim has got to the front yet, anyhow it’s nice to know he’s a useful officer & can’t be spared.

So you have at last got the garden opposite. Are you going to keep the bees. Has Susan’s nose turned pink then, it was quite black. What a shame it is Topher getting no leave yet, I do hope he gets some soon. Was’nt that Irish business rotten, & now I hear (as a matter of fact from Ramsay, tell the girls he’s been invalided from the Gulf but quite fit) that we ought to have been in Kut if it had not been for some foolish mistake. But you never know.

I am so sorry the dove is dead, I shall miss it when I get home again. I never sent the photograph as it was so rotten.

I played cricket for the military the other day & quite distinguished myself, 12 not out & caught a catch, a good one. A Capt Tate who knows James well made 94 for us. We declared on 220, & all but got the Civilians out for 125, the last man was in & the last over was being bowled, when the very last ball we all appealed confidently for l.b.w. If only the umpire had said out, we’d have won.

I enclose some snaps for my book.

Best love to all. Send me my photographs of Nan, Cicely, Bunchie & Sybil.

Yr loving son

Richard.

[written on envelope]

Many thanks for Bystander but the papers I like best are those weekly D. Sketches & Mirrors all bound in one. I do love the Serials so.

Karachi.

19^th May.

Dear Mother.

The mails seem just as groggy here as at home. I’ve not had your last mail letters yet. The mail does’nt get in till Monday 22, & those are the letters that left England April 28^th.

Nothing doing very exciting. We’ve had some of the people who were wounded & shut up in Kut. Very thin & delapidated poor things.

It gets hotter nowadays & if it were’nt for the breeze it would be as bad as Assam.

I wonder if poor Topher ever got any leave after all. I shall hope to hear how the Easter party went off in your next letter.

Best love to all. Too hot to write anymore.

Your loving son     Richard.

I am playing cricket tomorrow Military v Civil, I’m playing for the military of course.

Accounts of the Siege of Kut

• http://en.paperblog.com/book-review-the-siege-1969-russell-braddon-953422/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kut
• http://www.winkleighheroes.co.uk/level3/kutdeathmarch.htm

Disturbing photographs of starving prisoners from the Siege of Kut

• http://levantineheritage.com/prisoners.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kut#/media/File:Indian_army_soldier_after_siege_of_Kut.jpg

C/o Cox & Co

Karachi.

May 12.

My dear Mother

Many thanks for your letter. (April 19). I expect to hear next mail the gold watch has arrived. I expect that wretched book is in my despatch box which is locked & I have the key!

It is bad luck on Topher his leave was stopped. I hope the girls and all got home for that wkend.

I got the Cordwalles Chronicle alright. Most interesting & I also got a letter from Paul. Thank him when you write.

Jane also wrote saying she had seen Evelyn.

We are getting wounded in now & expect some from Kut soon.

Best love to all, sorry it’s so short a letter but I’ve left it so late

Yr loving son

Richard.

Siege of Kut al Amara

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

C/o Cox & Co

Karachi.

May 5.

Dear Mother.

The mails seem all upset, as there’s been none in since I wrote you last. We expect one next week sometime then, I suppose we’ll get 2 at once or something silly. Nothing doing much here.

Tell Jim I’ve met Seymour, his Bognor friend of many years ago. He’s in the 2/9 Gurkas. How or why I don’t know. He’s pretty ugly is’nt he & wears glasses. I dunno’ what he’s doing down here either. Has Ben ever sent me Ted’s camera. I asked ages ago for it & have put off buying one as I expect it every mail.

The Boots have come.

Well Best love to all. Nothing exciting doing.

Yr loving son

Richard.

I’m getting so good at tennis.

C/o Cox & Co

Karachi.

April 28.

My dear Mother.

I’ve had 3 letters from you one after the other, mails all funny I suppose. The first one came from Alex, you had written on Feb 17^th. The others, one just before you got my Bombay letter, & one just after which you sent direct to Karachi.

You might tell the Aquascutum people that my coat has arrived. Goodness knows where the boots are. If they left on March 8 for Alex they should be rolling up here soonish I should fancy. I never ran across Mr Harrison, we were’nt in Alex long enough. So Jim sold his mo-bike, I had’nt realised that.

You know I have the pills by now, but thank goodness June keeps very fit (tap wood) & awfully popular both with men & ladies. Everyone begs me to leave her with them if I go. Popular at all?

I am so glad Jim has his 2nd star, I must drop him a line. I think I’ll see if I cannot get my third now. I ought to easily.

I wonder if you’ve had Topher home lately, I hope so, & I hope he had plenty of money to have a good time. Wonder what Paul’s task is. Yes, you had told me Ruth was thinking of going to Guy’s.

Your weather does sound awful. Fancy us, never rains at all here, & you can arrange tennis & any old thing ages ahead knowing it will be all right.

How interesting that Cordwalles Chronicle must be. Send ’em 10/- for me. Did you ever send the head those old ones of yours to look at. Nice of ’em to mention our visit.

I do remember Read in B.A. How funny his marrying Joy Dolphin. I expect I’ll be hearing from Winnie soon. She owes me a letter.

The Bystander & L. Mail turn up alright & many thanks. Did you see in the London M, “Things we want to know”. Why does the sub on leave like spending his holiday at Bournemouth? I know! Ted says your mail to him was evidently lost in the Sussex, but mine were alright. Crowds of people had none. Luckily I sent your letter to me to Ted, so he got some news. We correspond quite frequently nowadays.

Many thanks for your Easter card, not so very late.

How funny old Kellie being so annoyed with me. Most amusing. I hope you told them that you all used to laugh just as much at me.

I dine out a good deal nowadays, as I suppose I am getting to know people. I hate it really as you never see anyone new. Last night we played rather an amusing game of cards, “Manners”. I expect the girls know it. When you ask for a card you say Please & if you get it you have to say “Thank you darling”. Of course you always forget & back you have to give it. Awful tommy rot really.

We are only just going to get patients in now. As a matter of fact the hospitals are only just ready, it’s been a business getting everything ship-shape.

Must write to Ben.

Best love to all

Your loving son

Richard.

Cordwalles School

http://www.stpirans.co.uk/stpirans/school-history/4

Probable derivation of “Manners”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_%28card_game%29

c/o Cox & Co

Karachi.

April 19.

Dear Mother.

Many thanks for your letter. Of course I knew you’d get no mail from me when you wrote as it was the mail I missed when sur la mer. Even then I doubted if I’d get yours as the Sussex sinking seems to have upset a good many letters, & very few people got home mail. Anyhow yours arrived & John Bull & the Tasmanian letter. What a house party you seem to have had the weekend before you wrote, but what a pity they all missed Bud & Bunchie. So funny he should be so like Ted. I remember Jane used to talk about Beres & Madge.

How nice for Topher Gen Stopford speaking to him during that inspection. There’s no one else to send a photograph to yet. Did I say Mrs Laws, Ben’s friend in Assam. She wants one. I don’t want them out here.

I am writing today from our new bungalow. Just moved in. I am sick of the hotel I was in & four of us have taken a bungalow. Two Majors, one a great friend of Ted’s, a Capt & myself. They all belong to No 1 I.G.H. so I have deserted my lot, however as I have this mo-bike I can get to the hospital alright; though a bit further away than the hotel was. We are not mealing here today, but shall start tomorrow. It’s so nicely furnished & near the sea, so we get all the breeze.

A good idea has just struck me. You remember Mrs Sparrow at St Hilda. Well Mrs Williams the boss is very ill, dead I expect, & has chucked it. Now I suggest you get Mrs Sparrow as a servant. She won’t want much, & I’m sure the work you’ve got for her to do is less than she had there, & she’d be a great help & a nice old thing too. She’d love to come where Susan is as she’s so fond of her & you & she would hit it off quite well! Ben I have told about it. If Mrs S is not at St Hilda, Mrs Kelly of 5 Wharncliffe Mansions, Bath, would know where she’s gone. Mind you get her now if poss, as she’ll work like blaizes & be no trouble.

I wrote to Ted today, he and I correspond occasionally, but he seems hard worked with his office.

June is very well & is here with me now, quite at home in the new house.

Best love to all

your loving son

Richard.

Richard’s high-handed insouciance about Mrs Sparrow and Mrs Williams in these rapidly written letters is breathtaking. 

General Stopford was the friend that Gertrude wrote to when she was asking for help with Jim’s commission – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Stopford

Madge was another family friend. Here Paul and Ted are flirting with her in 1910.

Paul Madge and Ted in 1910

C/o Cox & Co

Karachi.

April 14^th.

Dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter (March 15). I see you have no letter when you wrote & I daresay you got none the next time. I am wondering if you will be answering my letter from Bombay this mail or not. I’m afraid I’ll have to wait till next mail. I’m so glad you’ve been to see Jane & Chubbie & that Chubbie’s brother is pleased with his dog.

I got all the papers thanks very much, also that Tatler copy of funny pictures, I am quite popular from lending it round. Still very hot here & will get more so. I am moving into a bungalow soon I think with 3 others. At present I am in a hotel near the hospital. The bungalow is furthest away, but as I have this mo-bike it won’t matter so much.

We had the races on Monday & yesterday. It’s difficult to get a mount here as too many “pro” jockeys come up, & I am not well enough known. However I’ve had a couple, & rode a winner yesterday. It was’nt my fault I got a bad start, the starter shouted, & frightened my horse, who was very restive, & he turned clean round before I could stop him. Luckily I got him away at once & caught the others up very soon. I did’nt hurt myself when I fell off the first day, my fault for not seeing the saddle was properly put on. It was near the finish, but I could not have won or got even second anyhow, so it did’nt matter much. I’m sure Ben would have loved to have been there! I heard from Ted in Lansdowne, he’s very hard worked. Thank Ben for her letter if I don’t have time to write.

Best love to all

yr loving son

Richard.

Tell Topher I think I’m quite a good hurdle racer. I’ve not done much before.

Richard Berryman – (probably pre-war)

April 6^th

Karachi.

Dear Mother.  Many thanks for your letter (March 5.)  No one seems to have had a letter from me the mail you wrote, I think I was at sea. The snow at home has been awful from all accounts. I am glad France does Jim no harm, he only takes drafts over does’nt he. Ben has’nt written to me lately either.

The Zep raids were awful were’nt they, but I suppose everyone was awfully pleased they shot that one down in the Thames. What a good thing. How funny Susan should love the snow so.

I wonder if that was me in that picture Ruth sent. May have been. Topher seems to have had a rotten time, I do hope he found his pack. I had a John Bull from you, many thanks. Was that the one you thought would make me laugh.

That cutting about those forceps was most interesting. Why Jim in gaiters & spurs. Where’s his horse?

I am riding again now. The races come off next week & I have a mount or two. L’or I was stiff after my first ride, but it all went off in a day. You see we get lots of tennis, so I’m in fairish training. However I doubt if I shall last out the long hurdles race, over a mile, & I believe the horse I am to ride has a good chance.

I told you I bought a motor bike the other day. I gave about £12 for it. It would just go, a “Cathorpe”, & I’ve been fairly tinkering & cleaning it up since. Had the valves ground in & fixed up, & the tank repainted & now it looks so smart & goes so well I ought to get twice as much for it! There’s a big demand for them here.

Evelyn tells me you sent her a postcard saying I had gone to Bombay. Many thanks

I’ve heard nothing yet so far about my application for a move.

Best love to all, I must stop as the mosquitoes are biting me.

Your loving son

Richard.

Please send a big photograph to

Mrs H.C. Laws
Dum Duma P.O
Upper Assam
India.

I had a photograph taken there.

You shall see my moustache

Details of downed Zeppelin

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa/document/8920

Biography of pilot who helped down it

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3b46/brandon-alfred-de-bathe

Photo of wreckage

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70607220@N04/6781168393/

Painting: St. George and the Dragon, 1917, IWM

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/17723

Calthorpe motorcycles

http://www.calthorpe.org/Englisch/modelle_index_ENG.htm

March 30.

Karachi

My dear Mother. Many thanks for your letter (March 2^nd). That cable saying I had gone to Bombay arrived frightfully late. I sent it off on Feb 20^th! Fancy Monks turning up, he’s a nice man, & a great friend of mine in Assam, & of course you remember how I went to Northampton to see his sister Evelyn! Jane had written to me & told me he had been in to see them, & had been awfully kind to them. They seem quite comfortable in their shop. Dreda wrote to me too, & it was forwarded in from Alex.

There is tons of fighting now is’nt there, but we don’t get much news. I hope Topher has some leave & is having a good time at home. You do seem to have had tons of snow at home. I wonder if Rosamond will like the farm as much as London, has she tried it before. Many thanks for paying Curry & Paxtons’ bill, I suppose I shall get the eyeglasses sometime.

I am glad all the puppies have good homes now. June is very well, and quite happy, & very popular with everyone. I think you ought to show Susan at a show, I see there are some coming off in England, she might get a prize. I have’nt got the pills yet, or the boots. You never told me before Chubbie’s brother had a puppy, if you did ever get the letter, but I’m sure I’ve got all yours so far. You seem to have had a muddle over Aquascutum! Did you look up the advertisement in the end!

It gets hotter here every day, but we have now turned some big barracks into a hospital & are waiting patients. I have written to the authorities & told them this is not at all what I want, & I am now exactly in a similar position to what I was in before the war, only drawing less pay! Would they kindly transfer me to a sphere of a more active nature. We get lots of tennis in the evenings, but I can’t say I find the place very interesting. I suppose if I go anywhere it will be the Gulf but so far my attempts at a change have come to nil. I am thinking of buying a motor bike! At present I have hired an old push bike.

Last night some of us went to a most rotten entertainment, a one-man show at the club. Such rot & I was so bored & I could’nt come away, as we had some ladies with us. All the time is wrong here. We keep a sort of “standard time” & we get up at 7 & it’s really 6, & dine at 9 & it’s really 8. The writing paper has’nt arrived yet.

You’ll soon be writing direct here I expect, but it’s not worth while cabling as if the letters go to Bombay they come straight no here. Did you tell Evelyn I had gone to Bombay, she says she had a line about the other cable.

Best love to all

yr loving son

Richard

March 23

Karachi.

Dear Mother.

No mail this week, but I daresay a letter will come Saturday. We are getting settled down here more or less, but it’s warming up. I had a long letter from Jane, she seems to be enjoying her new job & is happy. I have sent that gold watch home by a man who is sailing shortly, can’t think why I ever brought it out. Hope it arrives safe.

No more now.

Yr loving son

Richard.

Tell Ben I have a dog-boy, & I have called him Dudley! He quite likes it

A dog-boy was a servant engaged to look after a dog, in this case June.