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Author Archives: Richard Berryman

9 November 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

09 Nov

Lahoal
Nov 9th.

My dear Mother. I don’t think I got a letter from you last week. I heard from Jane and one from Ben from Malta, which had been opened under martial law! I wrote to the girls last night & told them I expected to be coming home. But this morning I got a telegram from Simla saying “Your services may be required military duty abroad very shortly please wire definitely if you will be ready proceed.” I have wired them I’ll be free at the end of this week as my old man is on his way up. Goodness knows what abroad may mean, Egypt or Africa I expect, so there’s no need for you to panic. The worst of it is I shall probably not be allowed to tell you. I fancy I am lucky, as crowds of men are frightfully keen on joining the service in one capacity or another & no one had heard anything yesterday. It’s so lucky it’s come now, as I am just free, but I am sorry not to be coming home.

I wonder if Ben is home by now. She should be & I expect she is glad if she is. Craigie Manders sails on the Kaiser-I-Hind on the 28th, I would have come with him I think if I had’nt been called elsewhere.

I will cable you tomorrow not to write anymore here, it’s better if I can cable you a definite address later.

Awful nuisance trying to sell ponies & everything all of a sudden. I’m afraid they will have to go at a loss. You see there will be no racing this season, so no one is keen to buy a race ‘oss.

I see Dr Baker is commanding the Indian Ambulance Corps. How fat he looks in the photographs, of course if I had been home, he’d have given me a job in that. The casualty lists are dreadful nowadays, I was telling Ben she must know quite a lot of people having been so mixed up in things.

I hope by tomorrow morning’s mail I shall here if she is home or not.

Paul must be more or less in it now, only no one seems to understand exactly what Turkey is doing. I fancy I would rather have been a sailor than a soldier.

I am sorry for you, a poor anxious mother, but I suppose there are crowds of others, & you ought to be very proud if you get 4 sons all more or less fighting for their country.

Best love to everyone

yr loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 9 November, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Craigie Manders, Dr Baker, Jane Berryman, Jim Berryman, Lahoal, Malta, Paul Berryman, Simla, Turkey

 

3 November 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

03 Nov

Nov 3rd 1914.

Dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. Please thank Jane for hers. I am wondering if Ben has arrived; today the mail comes in but I don’t think you will have had time to write. Yes everyone seems quite pleased with the Indian troops, I suppose Ted is there by now. Yesterday we heard Turkey were at war, everyone will join in sooner or later I suppose, it’s dreadful.

I am glad to hear George was not badly wounded. The Pringles’ son is dead I see, he’s an only son.

Bob & Ethel I suppose are fairly close to Guildford. Do you know some people Jacks in Guildford, the son is up here somewhere, I met him the other day. I do remember the Charringtons at Winchfield.

I was staying with Craigie Manders last week end. He is off home shortly & hopes to go to the front, but will return to tea when it’s all over. I hope the Turkey business does not upset shipping or mails will take a long time going round by the Cape.

Don’t know yet what I am going to do, will let you know as soon as I decide.

Best love to all

Your loving son

Richard.

 
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Posted by on 3 November, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Bob and Ethel, George, Guildford, India Expeditionary Force, Jacks, Jane Berryman, Lahoal, Ted Berryman, The Charringtons, The Pringles, Turkey, Winchfield

 

26 October 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

26 Oct

Oct 26th

My dear Mother.

Many thanks for your letter. Poor George, I am sorry. I hope he’s not badly wounded. And all those others, how dreadful their being killed and hurt. Is Charlie Anderson out there.

I wonder if Ben is home by now. I wish I’d told her to cable me. She ought to be with you by now. I hope she gets out of having to pay for her messing. No I suppose you haven’t much to say about the war, but what I really wanted to know was about our friends out there, & now you have told me. so I am quite satisfied.

Jim wrote to me & I have written to him. He seems very happy. Craigie has been down this way lately & we’ve had long talks over everything.

The Germans are cruel. It’s awful. Jim’s address certainly is a bit long. Fancy having all those men like the Drews have. Do they allow you any money for keeping them? Jim must have been pleased with his meat pies. Rather, I know yours & hope to be able to eat ’em again some day.

I dunno’ what I am going to do yet when this man comes out. So far I don’t even know when he arrives. I shall be sorry to leave here, & yet I feel I ought to come & help, no one dependant on me or anything. Most suitable.

I sang one of Jane’s songs at a War fund concert the other night. Quite good the song is. Old Craigie was singing too.

Well I must stop. Am looking forward to your letter tomorrow.

Your loving son

Richard.

 
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Posted by on 26 October, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Charlie Anderson, Craigie Manders, George, Jane Berryman, Jim Berryman, Lahoal, The Drews

 

18 October 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

18 Oct

Sunday Oct 18th 1914.

Lahoal

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. It seems so funny that you do not realize Ben is on her way home, but I daresay if I get a letter on Tuesday you will say something about it. We have during the last few days heard of the fall of Antwerp. I wonder what everyone thinks of that at home. We also hear of awful cruelty to Nurses, cutting their hands off & poking their eyes out. Funny Jim meeting Cyril Manders, I expect he will be quite happy in that Corps amongst decent men. May see Craigie this week, I must tell him. Your apples and pears sound lovely, we can get them from orchards in the hills out here, but they are not up to much. I am getting quite interested in my kitchen garden here. Now is the time we plant out our seeds and the vegetables grow very well, the soil in this garden is good. Of course the drawback is I do not reap the benefit of it as by the time the things are ready to eat I shall have gone. I can’t say definitely what I am going to do. I may possibly join the army! On the other hand I may go to Calcutta & join a man in practice there. I have not heard yet when this other man is coming out, I hope he writes next mail. I have two ponies down here now and am trying to sell them, but no one seems inclined to buy a racehorse nowadays!

Its quite cold in the mornings now and one is glad of a blanket at night, so nice, I think I will start a fire tonight.

Well I hope everyone is fit. Best love to all. Go on writing here, the letters will be forwarded.

Yr loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 18 October, '14 in Antwerp, Benedicta Berryman, Calcutta, Craigie Manders, Cyril Manders, Jim Berryman, Lahoal

 

11 October 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

11 Oct

Oct 11th.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. Things don’t seem to be improving much. We have just heard out here that Antwerp has fallen.

I was surprised to hear Jim has come home to volunteer. I hope to hear in your next letter what he intends doing. I somehow feel I ought to come back & help, & when this man turns up if I don’t get a decent job I shall come home & think. I suppose a doctor is sure to be wanted. It’s anxious time for everyone, the Gabbs must be on tenderhooks. I am wondering if Ben has left for England yet. She was waiting in Karachi when last she wrote, & I’ve not heard since.

We’ve practically done with the hot weather now thank goodness, and you could not want for better climate.

I was away in Shillong & I think the change did me good. I got back here to find a fair amount of cholera about, but thank goodness it’s better now, and not so many coolies are dying.

I had a long letter from Winnie Johnson. You remember she lives near Topher. She says his stammering is still bad, I always thought he had got rid of the habit.

I am going to sing one of the songs Jane sent at a concert next week for the war fund. Have you any money nowadays? I am afraid people are very hard up who depend on dividends eh?

Well I must stop.

Best love to all

your loving son Richard.

(on back of envelope)
Yes that must be Killby’s father.

And again we have the casual racism that shows how long ago it was. It is unclear whether or not the ‘coolies’ who were dying of cholera while Richard was at the races were Chinese.  Wikipedia says the word may have originated in India and that it was a generic term for asian agricultural workers, but then discusses indentured workers shipped from China to work elsewhere. Richard worked in Assam, a tea-growing region at the eastern edge of India near to south western China, so perhaps they were using Chinese labour.

Jim (James) and Topher (Christopher) were his brothers, neither of whom was involved in the War at this time.

 
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Posted by on 11 October, '14 in Antwerp, Benedicta Berryman, Jane Berryman, Jim Berryman, Karachi, Killby, Lahoal, Shillong, Sonnie Gabb, The Gabbs, Topher Berryman, Winnie Johnson

 

6 October 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

06 Oct

6/10/14

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letters. So sorry I never wrote last mail but I was away in Shillong & missed the day. I had quite a nice time there only things were very quiet of course on account of the war.

Ben wrote me that she is still stuck at Karachi but I expect by this time she has started. She will be glad when she is once at home as I fancy the journey will be fairly uncomfortable.

I must catch the post. I only arrived back yesterday. I hope Sonnie Gabb will be all right.

Best love to all

yr loving son Richard.

Please thank Jane for the songs & her letter.

 
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Posted by on 6 October, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Jane Berryman, Karachi, Lahoal, Shillong, Sonnie Gabb

 

21 September 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

21 Sep

Lahoal
21.9.14.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. The mails are taking a month now instead of 3 weeks, but we are getting them every week now as usual only a bit late.

I am glad Paul is all right, but I suppose you are fussed about Ted now.

The tie arrived all right from Dreda, I am awfully pleased with it.

So cold this morning, I fancy the hot weather must be over!

Ben hoped to sail on the 18th, I fancy she & Ted must have run up against each ether in Karachi. I have a line from her from Lahore. She found it a bit hot there.

I have not heard when the doctor man is coming out, when he does arrive I don’t quite know what I am going to do. I rather fancy joining a man in Calcutta for a few months, but I doubt if I shall like it. I suppose something will turn up.

Yes you told me the bowl had arrived. I expect by this time you’ve heard Ted is going to Europe or somewhere, & I suppose you are having more fits, I can imagine how anxious everyone is about their relations & friends.

Where’s George? He must have gone, no one has said anything about him.

Must stop. Best love to all.

Yr loving son

Richard.

 
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Posted by on 21 September, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Calcutta, Dreda Berryman, George, Karachi, Lahoal, Lahore, Paul Berryman, Ted Berryman

 

15 September 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

15 Sep

Sept 15th.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. You had not got our mail then? Yours was late and I suppose there will not be one tomorrow, we shall have to wait a day or two.

According to the papers we seem to be doing a bit better nowadays, anyhow the Germans seem to be retreating. You, I suppose, when you wrote had no idea who had gone on that Expeditionary Force or you would have said so. Your letter was dated Aug 13 & they had gone by then. By the time you write again lots more will have gone I expect.

Ted must be getting somewhere near there by this time. Ben & I wire & write to each other fairly regularly, she may be off by this trooper on the 18th, but it will be a most fearful squash I should fancy, they will take crowds I suppose. She is quite safe anyhow where she is, but I am sorry I shall miss her. May possibly go to Shillong for a day or so, but the “Pugahs” we meant to go to will be a very tame after (affair?) now. Only two days racing. I hope my pony wins this time.

I am glad Paul is safe. You all seem to be hard at work nowadays dusting & cleaning. I wonder if you will do any cooking. Yes I should fancy Maud will find it rough.

Well I hope to hear from you this week sometime & I hope you are getting my letters. Many thanks for Pelicans etc. Any picture papers acceptable. Daily Sketch etc.

Best love to all

yr loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 15 September, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Lahoal, Maud, Paul Berryman, Shillong, Ted Berryman

 

7 September 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

07 Sep

Lahoal P.O.

Sept 7th 1914.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. I was glad to hear how things were going on at home. When you wrote I fancy things were worse than they are now. People are recovering a bit I expect and things are settling down. Dreadful though the whole thing is. We, as I told you hear nothing, we don’t even know the names of any killed or wounded, and although we get telegrams every day they don’t say much. The Germans at present seem to be doing too well. It’s all very fine our retiring, however well it may be done, it’s retiring all the same & it means the Germans are advancing.

Ben will tell you she has decided to go back if she can on a trooper. She’s wise. She may lose the P & O ticket, but the expenses in the end will be less & she will get back much quicker as a P & O is sure to stop in all sorts of odd parts.

We expect another mail in a couple of days. It generally arrives here on a Tuesday but if any does come it won’t get here till Thursday. It seems dreadful all these people rushing off to get married, I suppose they think of the pension.

Still very quiet here. All sorts of men in the regiment get odd orders, but it’s all very muddling.

Please thank Dreda & Jane for their letters. How funny Jane meeting Lena Cook that was, I had never seen Nora but I’m sorry she can’t dress, as she was said to be so pretty.

I wonder when the man whose work I am doing will get back! I shan’t mind if he does’nt come at all.

Best love to all

Yr loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 7 September, '14 in Bane, Benedicta Berryman, Dreda Berryman, Lahoal, Lena Cook

 

1 September – Richard to Gertrude

01 Sep

Lahoal.

Sept 1st.

My dear Mother

No mail from you last week. No one got any letters from England, however we expect it today, a week late. There should be today’s as well, but I suppose we shan’t get that. So far we’ve really heard nothing about what England is like, whether there is very much excitement or what. I saw in yesterday’s paper shots had been fired at a train at Crowhurst so I suppose there is a good deal of that sort of thing going on. Everyone must be very depressed as there must be so many killed & wounded amongst people one knows or knows of. Paul has been having some fun I see, his ship had a shot at a German battleship. Ted’s gone I suppose by now, but apparently no one knows where, Ben I think is wise, she says she is coming back on a trooper with other dependants, I dunno’ when she will sail even if she gets a ticket on it, but it’s the best way & much the cheapest in the end. I shall be sorry not to see her, but she will save a lot of money & trouble.

Very little going on here, people are not much excited as there is really nothing to be excited over, we get very little news & can’t believe half of it.

All I can say is I wish I was at home.

Excuse the writing in the first part but I am writing in the train, when we stop at the station it’s all right you see.

Well best love to all.

Your loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 1 September, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Crowhurst, Lahoal, Ted Berryman

 
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