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Author Archives: Richard Berryman

24 August 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

24 Aug

August 24th.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. Even in yours (July 31) you did not say much about the war, and of course no one out here really knows what people at home think or do nowadays.

We don’t know what regiments have gone on that Expeditionary force & of course there must be tons of people we know.

We get absolutely no news here nowadays, every bit of news is always about Germany’s losses and we cannot imagine that they are always getting beaten. Ben will be coming down to me shortly. She will tell you she is just staying up there a bit longer. Ted does seem glad to have had her with him, & so nice he says for someone of the family to see him off. I suppose he is frightfully pleased at going & Paul too at the idea of getting some fighting, so, far from being sorry they are both enveigled (sic) I am rather pleased.

Those people have at last sent that cup then, I am glad you think it a nice one. I hope Ben’s fur will not cost too much to make up.

You seem to have had a nice motor drive in the Holdens’ car. Fancy pickling 425 walnuts, whatever can you do with them all, I think you had better give them to Kitchener for the troops! I love ’em with cold beef or mutton but you never get such luxuries out here except in the cold weather, you see meat goes bad so soon.

I suppose I shall have to go & meet Ben somewhere, but whether we shall go to Shillong as arranged I don’t know. “Nous verrons”.

People here imagine there may be all sorts of excitements amongst the natives & so on, but it’s only the light headed fools & I don’t suppose there is a quieter place in the face of the earth at the present moment.

Must stop. Best love to all

Your loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 24 August, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, India Expeditionary Force, Lahoal, Shillong, Ted Berryman, The Holdens

 

18 August 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

18 Aug

Lahoal

August 18th.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. It seems so funny that although you write on July 24th yet you say nothing about any war. It must have come as suddenly to you as to us of course.

I suppose everyone you know is fussed, and of course you are too. Paul in the Mediterranean and now you will hear Ted is off under sealed orders? Ben of course will be all right as I shall get her down here about the middle of next month, only I am afraid she will be a bit dull in the meantime. I wish I was at home as we get such scrappy news here & nothing seems confirmed. On the other hand you are much nearer. How terrible all the slaughter must be, and how dreadful the north sea being all full of mines, goodness knows when it will be safe to go on board ship again. I cannot understand why those people have not sent the bowl, they knew all about it & said they would send it.

I wonder, Holmwood looking tiny to you. Of course I know it would be to me. I am glad the place looked nice. I wonder if Mrs Goodyear ever let go of your hand. What must Violet Maturin be like & where’s Sybil. I can’t imagine the Lloyds either.

I suppose by now you are back from Selsey. I hope the change did you good, only this war must have worried you all a bit. Things go on very much the same here. Extra recruits are joining the volunteer force, why I am not sure as the Germans can never get here. That little lantern sounds very tricky, Jane tells me of it in her letter too. That’s a nice photograph of her. What huge notes! Yes I can see them quite plainly without my eyeglass. I still religiously practice, but I don’t get on very fast.

Well I must stop. Don’t worry about us, I am sure this is the quietest spot on the earth at the present time.

Best love to all. Yr loving son

Richard.

 
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Posted by on 18 August, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, Holmwood, Jane Berryman, Lahoal, Mrs Goodyear, Paul Berryman, Ted Berryman, The Lloyds, The Volunteer Force, Violet Maturin

 

11 August 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

11 Aug

Lahoal.
August 11th.

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. The song arrived safely & many thanks too. I forget if I told you I had had a fever. Funny it was’nt malaria what one generally gets, but a different kind, not so bad really. I have been really very lucky not having had malaria yet, everyone seems to get it. Am writing in the train so it’s a bit shaky when we are moving. I suppose you are at Selsey now, unless the war has interfered with everyone’s arrangements. We get a lot of good news, but we never hear any of the English or French losses. I hope it is soon over, and if the Germans are getting beaten as they seem to be I should think they will soon give in.

Fancy pickling 400 walnuts, you will use a fair amount of vinegar I should fancy. That was’nt Leonard Pullman after all then. I thought you’d remember the Parsy boy, Ben said you were rather friends with Mrs Parsy. One of the sisters is being married out here. I wonder how Holmwood looked, have you arranged to leave the estate to the eldest son. Remember how we used to argue about it. It’s been raining here now for about 16 days on end to make up for a drought we had in July, & June. Wish I had some gooseberries!

Wonder how Paul is getting on in the Mediterranean, he surely must be in a scrap somewhere, he will be pleased I expect. I wish I was at home, it must be so exciting & we who are abroad will never realize what it was all like. I have’nt heard from Topher for a long time, he said he was going to write & tell me where to send some shirts to. No one I suppose talks anything else but war. The last we heard was that 19 German ships had been sunk or captured in the North Sea. Fancy hearing all the firing, it must be very awe inspiring. I am afraid Ted may not get his leave now, but nous verrons.

Well I must stop
Best love to all yr loving son

Richard

 
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Posted by on 11 August, '14 in Benedicta Berryman, H M S Gloucester, Holmwood, Lahoal, Leonard Pullman, Mrs Parsy, Paul Berryman, Selsey, Ted Berryman, Topher Berryman

 

4 August 1914 – Richard to Gertrude

04 Aug
RCPB 1st letter 4

Richard’s first letter of the war

LAHOAL. P.O.
Assam.

August 4th

My dear Mother.

Very many thanks for your letter. Really this wretched war is frightfully upsetting, & we being so far away know so little. Yesterday we did hear Germany were fighting Russia, goodness knows how long it will be now before England is let in. P’raps we’ll hear more news today. I wish I was at home. Everything of course will be upset. No tea is being shipped & it’s all accumulating here. How’s Ben going to get home? No one will have any money! But p’raps it will all be over quickly & settled up, anyhow I hope so.

Well best love to all.

I had a touch of fever last week, but am quite fit now.

Your loving son

Richard

At the start of the war Richard, the eldest son, was a doctor working for a tea company in Assam in the far north eastern corner of India.

There is more information about each of the brothers on their pages; see the menu at the top of the site (if you are reading on a Mac or PC) or at the side of the site (if you are using a mobile device).

 
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Posted by on 4 August, '14 in Assam, Benedicta Berryman, Lahoal

 
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