Category Archives: Rosyth

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

Maundy Thursday

Dear Mother.  Ever so many thanks for your letter – I ought to have written yesterday but really I had’nt a moment before the mail went – so you will get this a bit late I expect.

I must see what I can do as regards those ribbons – I’ll write around & get one – How lovely if you get so many of us home for Easter – I hope Topher arrives in time –

I did’nt see that about Captain Lewis – how awfully sad – but they say nowadays it is’nt safe to fly over the Hun lines at anything less than 10,000 feet. I can’t believe that Gordon Campbell is a commander-! I must look him up in a Navy List & see.- I’ve seen nothing about him at all either – but it must be true I suppose. Oh no! Heaps of N.O’s have got the D.S.O. That reminds me I must write to old Voules again – & tell him an old Cordwalles boy – one Marshall Clarke got it the other day. So nice of him to send you a Chronicle-

Can’t get rid of that rash yet – Is’nt it a nuisance – though I believe it is going very gradually.

Did I tell you we have started to get up a play – just amongst the officers – I’ve got rather a good part- where I have to disguise myself half way through as the “Aunt” of the Heroine!

A slight improvement of the weather lately –

A very happy Easter to you Mother and to all of you at home-

My best love to you all-

Your ever loving son

Paul

Gordon Campbell VC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Campbell_%28Royal_Navy_officer%29

later Admiral Sir Marshal Llewelyn Clarke

http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersC2.html

http://www.admirals.org.uk/admirals/individual.php?RecNo=18

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw122641/Sir-Marshal-Llewelyn-Clarke

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

Wednesday. 12^th

Dear Mother-      Very many thanks for your letter – glad you got the ribbon safely – let me know if you want any other ribbons & I’ll see if I can get them – I’ll try anyhow.

Awfully nice having Ruth home for a bit now – more company for you and Dreda. Fancy bicycling to Ockham – shades of Camberley days!! I wonder how Ted likes the idea of going back to Lansdowne – huge reception I suppose – but very few of his friends there I should imagine.

Don’t know exactly that this rash of mine is getting any better – it seems to have stopped in a “not quite” safe state – so annoying.

I had a letter from Dick too – I sent one to you to send to him – because I did’nt know his address exactly.-

Awful these new taxes ! Very thoughtful of you & Dreda about the matches – there’ll be a great boom in those lighters now I should think.

Nothing much in the way of news.

Very best love to you all

from your ever loving son

Paul

Postscript to previous letter

8^th.

I’ve just been talking to the Chaplain & he seems to want a “fair linen cloth” for the Altar – So I said perhaps you could make one – Will you have time do you think? The size is 6ft long by 15 inches broad.

Best love from

Paul

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

7^th April

Dear Mother.

Thanks for your little note of enquiry – I am perfectly allright – and I am still one behind you – I’ve never seen one yet!

My Thursday’s letter went just after I got yours – so you will have seen by the date.

Will you send this on to Dick – I don’t exactly know how to address it-

Rosamund says she will do something for our Church.

Lovely day again to-day-

Very best love from

Your loving son

Paul

P.T.O.

Paul continued on the other side on the following day.

This letter shows how frustrating it is to have just one side of a correspondence – what hasn’t Paul seen? From the context, a zeppelin or an aeroplane seems the most likely. 

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

5^th April.

Dear Mother – Thanks very much for your letter – they seem to arrive the same time as usual in spite of the Zepps – the latter seem to have done a good deal of damage this time – good work getting that one through.

Have you ever sent those old Cordwalles Chronicles to Mr Voules – he would awfully like to see them I know – but I remember you saying something about having them bound first.

One or two days lately have been ripping but as yet they don’t seem to last very long.

Just seen a rough idea about the new Budget – fairly sticking it on are’nt they – but I suppose it must be done sometime.

That rash of mine has nearly all gone now – but it seems to remain in this sort of condition – and still itches a bit – it ought to go soon – I’ve had it for such ages it seems now.

I have’nt heard a word from Rosamund as yet about the Church things for which I asked her – whether she would do – I sent it via Delaford I think as I could’nt find the address at the moment. Glad to hear Topher will be home fairly soon – he deserves a good bit of leave – but I don’t suppose he will get more than the ordinary five days or so. Good for Jim getting his second star – I must write & congratulate him – I did’nt see his name in the Gazette.-

There’s not very much news this time – I am awfully fit – except this rotten rash annoys me-

Very best love to you all.

Your ever loving son

Paul

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

Paul’s description of Jim’s “Second Star” suggests he’s been made up to a full Lieutenant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_officer_rank_insignia

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

Sunday. 31^st.

Dear Mother-   Thanks very much for your letter – I missed the mail out on Wednesday – & have’nt been able to write till now. I am laughing in a way over that old Helmet you sent me – because I KNOW I thanked you for it – I made so sure last time I wrote – as you & Dreda both told me – and now again comes “did you get that helmet I sent you?”-

I have not heard from Rosamund yet as regards making anything for our Church- Awfully nice of you to give them – & the Chaplain is awfully pleased with the idea.

Lovely about Topher’s leave – & I do wish I could be home when he is – but of course it’s impossible – How very amusing about Mrs Mitchell & May A-G-.

Those spots about which I told you have nearly all gone – but they still itch a good deal. The doctor eventually decided it was something that had escaped digestion & was wandering about in my blood – or words to that effect – & ought to soon disappear with the aid of some medicine – I wish they would go. I feel sort of unclean with them on me.

I know how much you have been wanting that bit of garden in front of Delaford – fancy after all this time there being an opportunity of getting it – Rather on the large side – the whole of it –

I should get old Kellie to take the other half-! I’m glad to hear they have at last found a house.

It’s not so cold to-day – but it still has been bitter-

With best love to you all-

Your ever loving son

Paul

Rosamund had trained to do embroidery for churches, hence Paul’s suggestion she should make something for the chapel on the Malaya

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

24^th March.

Dear Mother-

Thanks very much for your letter – it was a bit late this week – the postmark shows the 20^th tho’-. I’m glad to hear Ted has arrived safely at Bombay- Any news of Dick?

I had a Cordwalles Chronicle sent me the other day – awfully interesting it is – and a long article about old Boys- Our visit there the other day is mentioned – They are going to put up a Roll of Honour Board & a memorial in the Chapel – so I sent them 10/- as a small subscription.

Quite a crowd again for the week end – How nice of Bunchie & Budd Fox to come over – I wonder if I should recognise him if I saw him again.

I’ve got the most extraordinary rash over both my arms. It rather defeats the doctors – masses of spots there – all sort of hard – & it itches like anything – They say it is nothing infectious – or dangerous – all over my wrists too – beastly. Did’nt I thank you for the helmet – I feel sure I did – We have had lovely weather too lately – but to-day it has suddenly started snowing & hailing again.

I had a long letter from Joy Dolphin – she is married now – Mrs Reed – he’s in the R.F.C. & used to be out in B.A. at the Gardons’- Winnie Gardon – Dick’s friend – he apparently knows Dick quite well & has met me there – but I don’t remember him – I have told Joy to come over if she would like to see you – as they are at Farnborough-

Good for Topher old Stopford having a yarn with him. Is there any more chance of him getting a commission?

There is no more news – very best love to you all-

Your ever loving son

Paul

Cordwalles was the prep school the boys had attended between the ages of 7 and 14. It changed its name in the 1920s and is now known as St Pirans. 

Stopford was a friend of Gertrude’s and the general to whom she had written asking for a commission for Jim.

H.M.S. MALAYA.

c/o G.P.O.

March. 18^th 1916

Dear Mother –

I’m rather adrift writing to you this week – I am sorry – but it can’t be helped. Thanks very much for your letter. You always seem to have quite a few of the family down for weekends – which must be nice for you- So Dick & Ted have gone out to India – Sickening for them really & such miles away- Perhaps their eventual destination will be Mesopotamia!

Not much news our way either. We are beginning to train for a regatta which we hope to have in May sometime-

Rather amusing about Spec’s armlet- I never knew there was anything really wrong with him except his eyes!

We’ve just made quite a nice Church on board – very small of course – but an excellent thing to have. I must get Rosamund to make something for it.

Thank goodness all the snow seems to have disappeared – lovely to-day it was.

Best love to you all. Your ever loving son

Paul

H.M.S. Malaya

c/o G.P.O.

Ash Wednesday

Dear Mother-

Thanks very much for your letter- I think the phases of censorship & one thing & another tend to make my letters take such a long time – one thing if I miss the only mail out in the day – it has to wait 24 hours before it leaves the ship – so that accounts for it probably.

I’ve just had a long letter from Ted – he seems to be happy enough – he says they are going to the place where he was originally bound – does that mean India-

We have had bitterly cold weather here too – violent snowstorms – I seem to have lost a good many of my woollen things – such as mittens & Balaclava helmets during my shifting ships. I’m sure I packed them in the Gloucester – but I can’t find them now – so if you hear of any benevolent person who has knitted a helmet or a mitten – you might ask if I can have them – Sickening having lost mine – because I had some awfully nice ones.

We’ve started measles – in the Wardroom too- I hope I escape them – as I did in the Gloucester.

So you’ve been to see the shop, it does sound a nice clean sort of place – & you seem to approve of it – which is a great thing to my mind because you were awfully unhappy about Jane going there to start with – I thought – but now you’ve seen it – it helps a lot does’nt it?

Poor old Topher – he seems to have had a rotten time lately – & I do so hope he will get a commission – he deserves one I’m sure. Is there any more chance of his getting his leave fairly soon?

They seem to have had some terrific fighting lately don’t they. I can’t imagine how the Huns can go on losing all those men – it seems incredible –

Well I must get to bed-

Ever so much love to you all-

Your ever loving son

Paul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaclava_%28clothing%29

H.M.S. Malaya,

c/o G.P.O.

March. 1^st 1916

Dear Mother.    Many thanks for your letter – they seem to take much longer these days – don’t know why though-

I wonder if you have been up to see Jane’s shop yet? she told me in a letter 2 or 3 days ago that you were going up to see it- They seem to be quite allright there.

I must say I think you are quite right in a way about moving – it does involve much more trouble than one really imagines – & might not be worth it when all is done – but at the same time if everything did work out nicely it would be much better in a way for you – and the girls.

Another thing is that at present as all the girls are working you would have no one to help you do it – although you could manage it – but it would tire you out I’m sure, with all the worries and all- attached to a decided move.

We are getting rather nice weather up here – all our snow seems to be finished, to-day seems much colder though. So Dick is off to India again – I wonder how he likes the idea. So far away he seems to go-

Awfully little news – best love to you all – your ever

loving son

Paul