Author Archives: Ted Berryman

Feb 4^th 1916

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for two letters from you, both of which have been to Bombay & back. I got no letters from Delaford by the last mail except one from Ben, saying you had got my account of that show from Nell. I can’t think what happens to all my letters, I got 21 in a bunch yesterday from India, England, & all over the shop; but perhaps they will be a trifle more settled in future.

I also got that letter case with the horse shoe in it; I was firmly convinced that that had gone with all my other treasures, but I’m most fearfully glad I left it behind now. Also all the letters enclosed in the case arrived safely; many thanks.

Nothing much doing here now; it is gorgeous weather and we are fairly busy all day. There does’nt seem much doubt that we are moving further East fairly soon now, but what our ultimate destination is I cannot say, as no one seems to know for certain. Your letters are dated 28^th & 29^th December, so are somewhat belated; I have got the pink papers regularly & they are a great boon in the mess. Also the weekly times.

I do hope old Topher manages to wangle a few days’ leave soon, he certainly deserves it. I expect I shall get one or two more letters this week yet, as I think there is a bi-weekly mail to Egypt; we generally get 2 mails here. I told Nell to tell you to send letters to me to the Garhwal Rifles, c/o India Office London, it saves change of address if we move, and they get here just as soon as if you send them direct. You may have to post a little earlier, but they would tell you that at the India Office. I’m very fit & well. Love to all yr loving son

Ted

The Pink papers reported on sports

Jan 31. 1916.

Dear Mother

(Just upset some soda all over this!)  I hear the English mail goes out on Wednesday so I am writing tonight to catch it. Also an English mail comes in tomorrow, so I shall have some more letters to answer I expect and hope. I’ve been busy all day today writing to all sorts of people who have written to me; I am trying to answer them all as soon as I get them otherwise I find one gets so behindhand.

I have had only 3 letters from Nell since I left, but letters seem all over the place in this country. So I wired to her last Sunday to send all letters to

THE GARHWAL RIFLES
C/O INDIA OFFICE
WHITEHALL
LONDON

as they get out here just as soon as if they are sent to any I.E.F and it does’nt matter where the rgt: goes they reach me just the same, so it saves changing the address. Still I should just write & ask the India office when they should reach there so as to catch the weekly mail. I asked Nell to send on the address to you so I expect you have already started sending them there.

Awful fun last week: Dick came over on Friday to stay the night, bringing June with him. She was in great form, and was a great favourite in the mess. I think Dick enjoyed the visit though of course there is absolutely nothing to do here, but I’m glad he had a chance to meet some of my pals in the regiment. He missed the boat back to Suez on Saturday so had to stay another night here, for which I was very glad. Just after he had gone a letter came for him from you, addressed from Cox Alexandria; they always mix us two up, so I expect we shall do a good deal of getting each other’s letters.

Gorgeous weather here nowadays, ripping and warm all day and still very cold at nights. Don’t worry about sending me anything; I should like a cigarette case, but it does’nt matter just at present; thanks awfully for offering to send one, but I’m so sick with myself for being such an ass for losing the other one; I ought to have had it on me really.

I got a Godalming paper today with some trash about me in it; I was glad some publicity was given to the fact that you have five sons serving, but I do draw the line at photographs!

There is great talk of our going back to the country I started out for- (a roundabout way of putting it, but there are censors about) And I think we shall fairly soon; but not back to L., probably to some outlandish place; I don’t think we’ve done with real live soldiering yet awhile.

Yes is’nt that a ripping little picture of Nell. I got one last week and I like it most awfully. Will you please get 3 copies of me from Adrian H. and send 1 to Mrs Stack (150 Sutherland Avenue Maida Vale) one to Bunchie & I forget who the other’s for, but will try & let you know soon! Glad Aunt Edward approved.

Jack Lodwick poor fellow was next me on deck, wearing a life belt, directly after the torpedo struck. We were trying to shore our lifeboat over to port & ours was a starboard lifeboat of course it was useless, & I never saw him again. But I know he was seen throwing chairs & tables overboard, to help people in the water, & doubtless several people owe their lives to him accordingly. What happened to him I don’t know, as she went down so soon afterwards, & I know no one who saw him in the water. In any case he was the coolest and bravest of men & died as game as anyone, & I’m sure none of those drowned suffered very much. I think he must have been taken down with the ship. Poor old Lodwick, a great friend of mine whose loss I shall ever deplore, and one of the very best that ever lived, both as a soldier & a gentleman.   Best love to all yr loving son

Ted

Jan 24./16

Dear Mother

I hear there is an English mail going out tomorrow at 9 o’clock so I am just scribbling a line to tell you I’m all right & going strong. I went over to Suez & saw Dick on Saturday, & stayed the night with him & came back yesterday. He was awfully fit & well & I was awfully glad to see him. June was in great form & was very fit. Dick I hope is coming over to see me tomorrow & stay the night & goes back the next day.

Can you send me a dozen rolls of films for a “Vest Pocket Kodak, autograph pattern”, as I have bought one off a chap here but can’t get any films for love or money in Egypt. Bunchie has my other camera still, but I fancy Dick has that or has asked her to send it to him.

It’s been raining hard today & is really quite cold here.

Please send me:

a packet of china tea, (we get such muck here) some chocolates (Nobby Clarke suggested these!) & a cake is never unwelcome. In fact I have’nt seen one since I left home! Also a tube or 2 of Swan Fountain Pen ink tabloids

The English mail is late again this week, not due in till Wednesday. What a difference from France! Where we got letters every day, and everything is far different here in every way, & it’s not an improvement either. But we mus’nt grumble or we’ll never finish off the show.

Best love to all

yr loving son

Ted

Vest Pocket Kodak

http://redbellows.co.uk/CameraCollection/Kodak/AutographicVPK_gen.htm

Swan Fountain Pens

http://www.mabietoddpenlists.co.uk/page14.html

Jan 19/16.

Dear Mother

I got two letters from you this evening, one dated Jan 3 & one Jan 6^th. I’m most frightfully sorry I was the cause of so much anxiety, it must have been awful for you. How often have I worked it out & worked it out, & finally come to the conclusion that no news could have reached you till Sunday, & that my cable must have reached you before, as it was sent off about 4 p.m. on the Saturday. Then yesterday we got the “observer” of Jan 2, with a very scanty lot of news about it, (but what there was was very pessimistic & alarming) but that on the whole bucked me up, because I deduced from that that as there was so little news in the Sunday paper – there must have been less or none at all in Saturdays, so my cable must have got home in time. Then your letters came today & the first I have had since I left home – & settled the whole show. I am sorry about it all, I wish I could have wired earlier in the day but I’m afraid it was impossible.

How nice & kind everyone seems to have been, & I hear dear little Babs came and sat with you all Saturday. Do thank her from me most awfully & say how frightfully I appreciate her ripping thoughtfulness; it was just sweet of her, & just what she would do: she’s a real dear.

Poor Nell; but I’ve had no letters from her yet. I suppose everything will go wrong for a bit & I shall get them all eventually. I am writing this after dinner in our mess, which is a Bedouin Sheikh’s house. Rather curious you should say Dick was coming out, as only today I got a wire from him saying he was at Suez, so I shall try & get over for the weekend or else get him out here. I have written to him today.

I can’t get over your letters, it’s made me feel quite rotten in a way- it’s brought it all back so vividly & made me feel so fearfully sorry for you all at home. Don’t listen to anything I say though about making me feel it all again, I was more delighted at getting your letters than over anything for years. You must have got my account of it all from old Nell now; I do wish I could get a letter from her, but perhaps I shall in a day or two.

Really people seem to have been awfully sweet in wiring & writing. They are most awfully good to us I must say. Yes I know you would thank God in Church about me, & thank you for doing so. I’m afraid churches are at a premium out here, though of course one does’nt need one on such occasions really.

I heard from Ben & Mrs Stack too this mail, but I expect there are heaps of letters knocking about somewhere.

I’m most awful fit & well now, & have suffered no ill effects.

How splendid old Nell seems to have been; is’nt she a little dear, so gorgeously self possessed & calm; I am proud of her.

Goodnight mother, lots & lots of love & apologies for all the anxiety

Best love to all

from your loving son

Ted

Jan 16/16.

Dear Mother

Just a scribble to say I have arrived safely with regiment at last. We had to ride out on Camels & horses & reached camp about 6 last night. Everyone very nice, & pleased to see us again, & various congratulations on our escape.

We are in a sort of grove of palm trees, an old Bedouin settlement, with a few old mud huts belonging to Sheikhs, one of which we are using as a mess. Close by is the reputed spot where Moses struck the rock; at any rate there is a constant supply of water there, which strange to say bubbles up in the highest part of the ground. Otherwise there is a sandy waste on all sides, & two miles behind us lies the Gulf of Suez, a brilliant blue streak, up & down which we see the tramp & liners going. A P. & O. outward bound passed by today, so I expect she had landed some mails at Port Said, so I may get some letters from home tomorrow; I’m longing to hear, as I have’nt had any letters since I left!

Quite nice & warm here by day, not a bit too hot, but it’s most awfully cold at nights; however please don’t go sending out any warm clothes as it will probably be 130 in the shade by the time it arrives! I have quite enough warm things to carry on-

Must end up now. I have taken up the job of adjutant again so shall be pretty busy. All the officers here are in great form & the men too, & I think the whole regiment is in splendid condition. Best love to all. I’m awful fit & well.      Your loving son

Ted

Photograph from among Ted’s WW1 Photos

Suez

Jan 14/16

of course don’t put any names of places
on the envelope, only rgt: bde & division
as usual

Dear Mother

Just a scribble before going to bed. Dolly Lyell & I arrived here today from Alexandria. We have practically completed our kit & join the regiment at AYUN MUSA tomorrow, in the Sinai peninsular, across the canal, about 8 miles out. It is the biblical spot where Moses struck the rock, & to this day there is always a good well there and a plentiful supply of water. All well here; I’m simply longing to hear from you; have had no letters yet of course; could’nt possibly reach me under the circumstances. It’s quite pleasant I believe out there just now, & even cold at nights, but it will doubtless warm up later on. Tired after a long journey, left Alex : at 9 this morning & only reached here at 8! Love to all from

Yr loving son

Ted

Ted knew that is mother, a committed Christian and the widow of a clergyman, would be thrilled to know he was in the lands of the Bible

Ayun Musa 

Alexandria

Jan 13/1916

Dear Mother

Just a short note to say I am very fit and well. Dolly Lyell & I have practically completed our kit now, & we leave here tomorrow for Suez & join the regiment, which is about 8 miles from there, on Saturday. How weird it is having every blessed thing brand new from one’s skin outwards! And I do hate new things so, and had got awful fond of a lot of the old things I had before. It’s an expensive job too, especially here, where the price of everything is ruinous. I think a Tommy’s cooker might be useful out here, if the methylated would stand the heat; you might ask. It’s quite pleasant now & very cold at nights I hear along the Canal, but I expect it will warm up pretty soon.

What a change to go from France with its mud & rain to the Sinai Desert where it’s all sand & rock I suppose. But I shall be able to give you a better description when I get there, though I’m afraid I shan’t be able to tell you much as the censor will probably cross it all out!

I have left my address at both hotels where I’ve been staying, the G.P.O, the Army post offices (British & Indian), the P & O, & Cox’s! So I ought to get anything that’s sent here some time! Mind you put I.E.F. “E”, as there is a “G” as well somewhere here, but we are in E.

I have a lovely room here looking out over the sea, gorgeous view. It has been fairly fine this time, but today is a bit more overcast, & looks like a sandstorm. I have made pals with Cox’s man here, & had lunch with him yesterday; always a good thing to keep on the right side of your bankers. I’m longing to get letters from home, it’s 3 weeks now since I left, but I ought to get some in a day or so now, though I expect some went on to Bombay. Send along a weekly Times & L.O. & John Bull occasionally. Lots of love to all from your loving son

Ted

Tommy’s cooker

http://www.tommyspackfillers.com/gallery/medpopup.php?imageNo=1176

Savoy Hotel
Suez

Jan 9/16

Dear Mother

We arrived here today after a long & tiring journey only to find that Dolly Lyell & I are to rejoin the regiment here (as I thought all along) & are not going on to India in the ‘Janus’ after all. The regt: is not actually here but is about 8 miles out, & as soon as we have completed our kit we are going to join them. That will be the end of this week, so we shall be with them when you get this. We are going back to Alexandria tomorrow, as we have some stuff in the making there; awful nuisance all this trekking about but it can’t be helped. Awful hotel this, disgusting, but there’s nowhere else to go in Suez.

Very tired tonight, up till 2 last night writing & packing, up at 6.30 today, & a long hot journey, & it’s now 11.30 pm & we are being called at 5.15 tomorrow to catch the 7 to Alexandria! So must go to bed.

Address

The Garhwal Rifles
20 Indian Inf: Bde
10^th Indian Div
I.E.F “E”
Egypt

used to be I.E.F “A” in France, but this is “E” here. Love to all, am very fit & well & awful bucked at getting back to the rgt: at last

yr loving son

Ted

It’s quite hard to track Ted’s movements in Egypt in the first two weeks of 1916; he does seem to have gone backwards and forwards between Alexandria and Suez several times. 

Jan 7./16

Savoy Hotel

Alexandria

Dear Mother

I hear there is a mail going out tomorrow so I will just drop you a line to send by it, though in these days of submarines there seems to be a pretty good chance that it will never reach you. However, I’ll risk it. We are still here as you see and have got no orders yet. All the ordinary passengers are going on to India on the 9^th in the Medina, but they are evidently not sending us on in her. In any case Dolly Lyell & I will in all probability rejoin the regiment which is at present at Ismailia on the Canal.

I had a letter from the Colonel, written on the 26^th, saying he had applied for us both to return to the regiment but the authorities had said no, we must return to India; then another letter dated 27^th says orders had come from the commander in chief in India for us to disembark on arrival at Port Said & rejoin the regiment. But then you see we never reached Port Said, so everything is hanging fire just for the moment; but I presume it is practically certain we shall be ordered to join the rgt: sooner or later. I wired home my address to Nell, & asked her to send it on to you, so I hope you’ve got it by now: it is

THE GARHWAL RIFLES
INDIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
EGYPT

I am giving that address to Cox, Bombay, Cox here, & the P & O & hotel so where ever any letters may have been sent I shall eventually get them forwarded on. I hear there is a wire for me at Cox’s place here, but he doesn’t open again till 3 o’clock so I can’t get it just yet.

I have been very busy each day buying kit. I was wearing that old khaki of mine at the time, you know the greenish one with badges of rank on the sleeve. Of course ½ an hour in the Mediterranean did’nt do it any good! but I have had it dry cleaned & pressed here & really it’s as good as new, without exaggeration, & I am wearing it now. But I have also had to get a complete new outfit as well; fortunately one can get practically everything here, but I want you to send me one or two things which I have written on a separate list. My watch was of course ruined, simply coated with rust inside; I have sent it to Nell as a curio! Also her little coloured photograph which was partially spoilt but on the whole very little damaged, & I fancy it can be touched up & made quite all right again. The frame is quite all right! Nell & the Fieldings sent me a cable when they heard I was all right, I was so glad as then I knew you had either got my cable or she had heard somehow that all was well as far as I was concerned.

People are awful nice to us here, & of course we are rather star turns in a way. Quite a comfy hotel, & the P & O are paying our expenses here. Alexandria is so much bigger & better than I imagined. Good streets & quite good shops, European a lot of them. I always imagined it was a dirty little hole like Port Said, but there is no comparison really – of course now it is crowded with troops, being the base for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, & there are heaps of camps all around it. Any amount of Australian & New Zealanders here, all from the Dardanelles. I have made friends with several people here & we are all getting on splendidly. The poor old Persia figured very largely in the Reuter wires for 3 or 4 days, & I suppose the home papers were equally full of it. I wonder if you have got the account I sent Nell yet, I told her to send it on to you.

As far as I know, none of us men survivors are a penny the worse for our somewhat trying experience & we are rapidly recovering physically & mentally. Sometimes I have awful day-dreams about it & the whole thing comes back with a rush while one is driving or walking along, but otherwise I think my nerves are slowly but surely regaining their normal state of calm. Some of the ladies were pretty bad naturally & had to go to hospital, but the majority are going on in the Medina tomorrow. Mrs Penn Gaskell, the only lady 1^st class passenger saved, is staying here & looks very white & ill poor child but seems wonderfully cheer all the same.

Last night we dined the officers of the Mallow, our rescuers; awful nice chaps. The Skipper, one Roberts, lives at Chobham & knows Guildford well, & confesses to have been in love with Betty Neville once! So if any of the girls meet Betty they might tell her that a former flame of hers rescued us & we owe him much more than we can ever possibly repay.

It has been miserably wet here ever since we landed on New Year’s day; I have bought a gorgeous Burberry thing from the Govt: clothing store here, called the “Aquatite” only £1-16, & precisely the same as a Burberry for 3 guineas; but of course Government let us have these things at wholesale prices; awful smartly cut & all, band at the back & everything. There are heaps of motor lorries & motor bikes here, & the whole place buzzes with activity. I will send you some picture post cards of it.

They do us very well in the hotel, & it is simply crammed with officers & their wives.

I managed to save from the wreck myself, my watch (ruined) my ring, Nell’s picture (partly ruined) the clothes I stood up in, the leather cigarette case Nell gave me (ruined) & my pipe. Everything else gone! including my 21^st silver cigarette case, flask, & one or two sentimental odds & ends I had on board. I was wearing another coat on shore at Malta, & several things were still in that; & the other things were either lying about my cabin or else locked up. I lost my Rupert Brooke too, sickening; there was no time of course more than to just grab a lifebelt & bolt up on deck. Of course I did’nt lose as much as some chaps who were taking mufti & heaps of kit, I had very little really, but still, small though it was it’s all gone now.

Goodbye Mother & don’t worry; I’m as right as a trivet, whatever that is! Lots of love to all from your loving son

Ted.

I just heard from another fellow that Cox had a cable for me so I flew off & found yours there! Thanks awfully for it. It arrived here on 3^rd, at 3.25 p.m. & this is the 7^th, 4 p.m. Awful shame, they might have sent it up as everyone knows where we are.

Lyell & I got a wire from the rgt: today sending us their love & saying how bucked they were at our escape

Aquatite trench coat

http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RELAWM09672/

Jan 3/1916

Dear Mother

I hope you got my cablegram saying I had been saved from the poor old Persia – I sent it as soon as I possibly could, as I was sure the news would be sent home pretty soon & I do fervently hope you got the cable before you saw anything in the papers, but I’m half afraid you saw the bald announcement of the Persia’s loss in the papers first. I have written as comprehensive an account as possible, & am sending it to Nell & she will send it on to you. I expect lots of people will want to see it, poor though it is. Don’t let it go near any papers or reporters please; promise me that.

Well, now it’s all over. I can only thank God that I was saved. I went over the side into the water just before she sank, & was not picked up for about ½ an hour. But I’m as right as rain now, though feeling the mental & physical strain somewhat. It was a terrible thing; & I really think I’ve had enough of this war by land and sea. Of course I lost everything, except Nell’s little miniature, which is ruined, my clothes I stood up in, & the cigarette case Nell gave me, also ruined, & my pipe!

Unfortunately my cigarette case, the silver one I had on my 21^st birthday, was in the pocket of another coat I had been wearing in Malta, & my flask, money & other treasures all locked up in my attaché case. There was no time for anything, except to grab a lifebelt & dash on deck. She sank, as you have probably seen in the papers (the Reuters for the last 2 days here have been full of the “Persia” show & nothing else) in 5 minutes. 3 of the boats that got away were hacked clear by the first officer of the ship with a hatchet, the other one was launched in the ordinary way. Others were launched but either turned turtle or were overcrowded & sank. It is too awful to think about.

Poor Jack Lodwick is lost I’m afraid, & Col Swiney, & we are only 11 officer survivors out of 30 or 40! We were picked up by H.M.S. MALLOW, a mine sweeper which was out looking for mines & submarines. It was quite a chance, she picked up one of the 4 boats, & then came on to look for us. We landed here at Alexandria, & are now staying at this hotel at the P & O Co: expense of course. I have made a few necessary purchases, & we are all awaiting orders. I expect they will send us on to India soonish; I’m not keen on crossing the Mediterranean again just yet!

Don’t worry about me, I’m quite all right now. Dolly Lyell & I are sharing a room here. He is very well. He was rescued in another boat & when he saw me he said he felt so relieved he did’nt know what to do. I can’t tell you how overjoyed I was to see him. Of course none of us knew who was saved & who was’nt till some hours later.

I hope poor old Nell was’nt too worried. I cabled them too, & of course if they got my cable first, before the news, they must have wondered what on earth I was raving about.

It’s been raining here today, heavy thunder storms & lightning, very unusual I believe.

I suppose we shall get compensation for our loss of kit. It is an expensive job refitting entirely. Thank goodness I had’nt much on board, still one has collected several little treasures in the years gone by, & they are all gone! Also several things I had carried all through the campaign last winter in France & which I valued very highly in consequence. Never mind, I have got my life, & am more than content with having that. I will write again when I know what they are going to do with us. Tons of love to all from your loving son

Ted

Write here if you like but I don’t suppose we shall be here long but I’ll leave my address. Cox & Co Bombay will still find me. But praps better not write here till you hear from me again.

Site in French about the sinking of the Persia, with list of passengers

http://lormet2.pagesperso-orange.fr/TerDesMer/Pages/Navire1.htm

Memorial to Colonel Swiney, Christ Church, Cheltenham

http://www.remembering.org.uk/christ_church_indiv_comm.htm

John Lodwick’s son, born 2 months later

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