Category Archives: Ted Berryman

EARDISLEY RECTORY,
HEREFORD.

My dear Mrs Berryman,

I was very sorry to see your Ted’s name in the Casualty list yesterday but very thankful it was not in the first part of the list. The only time lately when there has been freedom from acute anxiety has been when our nearest relations have come home wounded.

One alas returned wounded for a blissful month with his young wife & was killed in the landing of troops in the Dardanelles. I do hope Ted is not badly wounded. Is he in Hospital or have you got him with you.

I expect you are most desperately taken up with your works for sick & wounded as well as with your other manifold interests. Are Richard & Paul doing their bit somewhere.

My brother Archie has been a prisoner at CelleHanover since August & had a rotten time for months. Things are rather better now. The elder brother Col. has an ammunition column somewhere in France.

Yours very sincerely

S.M Campbell.

May 20

102, CHURCH STREET,
KENSINGTON, W.

My dear Gertrude

I see in today’s paper that Ted has been wounded. I do hope you have been able to get definite news of him & that it is not serious & you are not in great anxiety about him, in that case it is almost a relief to feel that they are out of the firing line. I know my aunt felt that.

She has got her boy at home now for two months’ leave after his second wound. Joan & I are going down there tomorrow for a fortnight, I do hope the weather will be kind. Devonshire can be delightful at this time, Webbery, Bideford is the address. I am very busy & must not write more this morning

Yours ever

Molly O’Brien

Awfully sorry to see Ted’s name in list of wounded. I do hope it is only slight & thus a blessing in disguise & that he will get a good long leave– Let me know.

JF

Presumably a postcard

Sandyknowe,
Compton,
GUILDFORD.

May.20^th 1915.

Dear Mrs Berryman.

Just a few lines of sympathy to you all, but I do hope your son is not seriously wounded.

Your anxiety must be dreadful, but we can only help one another with our prayers.

Kindest love, your sincere friend

Eva.C. Houghton.

10. Neville Terrace
Onslow Gardens
London S.W

20.5.15.

Dear Mrs Berryman

I was so very sorry to see poor old Ted’s name among the wounded this morning. I do hope it is not serious & that you will be able to have him home soon to be nursed.

Poor you must be in continual anxiety with so many sons serving- & I do hope you get good news of the others – I should so appreciate a post card from one of you, to let me know how Ted is going on.

We have Reggie at home now, also wounded – it is such a blessing to feel they are safely in England & receiving the best attention. The dear old boy is very cheerful, but in a good deal of pain as his sciatic nerve has been injured in some way.

I am thankful to say my husband has not been in it very much lately & is quite well, but I expect their turn will come soon.

I hope you have been keeping well & that the girls are all well too. It is a most horrible time to live through & the only thing is to keep as well & as cheerful as one can, by being busy.

I am staying up here for a few days- but go to Mother soon & hope to live with her until the end of the war.

With very much sympathy & I do so hope your news of Ted is as satisfactory as possible.

Yours v. sincerely

Kathleen Broadbent

Lucky, wounded, cheerful, Reggie.

And a note from Chris who transcribed these letters for posting online: “Idle curiosity led me to Google the address, now 10 Neville St, South Ken SW7, later occupied by Harold Nicolson, husband of Vita Sackville-West”. Nicolson described it as “A Victorian house of unexampled hideousness which they christened Devil Terrace” I have to say, it doesn’t look hideous to me.

Thorner Cottage,
Pirbright,
Surrey.

May 20

Dear Mrs Berryman

I see the name of Capt Berryman in the list of wounded, I fear it must be one of your sons? If this is so I trust he is not severely wounded & that you are able to get news of him? Do you know in what hospital he is being nursed? What an anxious time it is for everybody!

The only way to keep up at all is I think to keep as busy as possible. I hope your other sons are all right so far? There seems a little lull in Flanders just now, but I believe the fighting recently has been appalling, one wonders if there can be anyone left. Perhaps you can find time just to send me a post card.

I remain

Y. very sincerely

Beatrice L. Shelton

33, TREGUNTER ROAD,
SOUTH KENSINGTON,
S.W.

May 20^th

My dear Gertrude

I am very sorry to see in to-day’s paper that Ted has been wounded. I hope it is not a very bad wound, but at the same time if he gets to England for a bit you will be glad. Do let me know how he is.

I met a friend of your’s the other day, Mrs Ommaney. I forgot she was living at Guildford. We have known or rather Mother has all her life, for she knows Mrs Ommaney’s mother so well.

I have just been in bed with a rheumatic attack & feel as limp as a rag. We have got a flat in Portman Mansions & move in June.

Much love & hoping to hear Ted is going on well.

Yours afftly

Dumps Morse

What name gives rise to the nick-name “Dumps” one wonders?

Tudor House
Camberley

May 20^th.

My dear Mrs Berryman.

I am sorry to hear about Ted. xcept that as it is slight, he won’t be able to fight again yet awhile & that is a mercy. But must’nt it be depressing to have all your friends killed? I think I should feel like xchanging with something else, you wouldn’t feel so lonely.

Gen. Bond’s youngest son has died from his wounds – they heard a few days ago. He was wounded in the abdomen & they were told slightly, but that was a mistake for he died almost at once. He enlisted when the war began, & came from Canada, I think, on purpose. Amy hasn’t heard any more from Reg; when he wrote last, he thought they wd leave on March 12^th_, but when you think that he is walking from Central Africa to the nearest Rly St! it doesn’t sound a quiet job.

Eily Ward is on her journey home, her boat is not going to stop I fancy after Port Said. Poor Mrs Orr feels very anxious. I only trust she & the child will arrive all right, personally I sh^dprefer to keep off the sea.

You will be all at home shan’t you this weekend? How awfully nice for you. I thought it was so friendly & kind of Jim to come & see me. He looked so well in his uniform & his likeness to Mr Berryman struck me very much. It’s the way he looks at you I think. Col & Mrs Bowdler are home, came to Blkwater St [straight?] from Folkestone – & both got out at Little Farnboro thinking it was Blkwater & never found out their mistake until after the train had left!!

On Sat: Mrs Stotherd comes to lunch after decorating – it’s always rather a trial- altho’ she doesn’t sit among the tombs as much as she used. Love to you all. Yrs affect^ly

S S Scote

Pitney House.

May 19^th 1915.

My dear Gertrude

We have thought so much of you during these last few days & are so sorry to hear Ted is wounded, but glad only slightly. How glad you must be to have him at home & safe for a time. It will be nice if you can all be together for a day even, it was nice Ted arrived before the news of his being wounded reached you & you had no real anxiety, & I do trust his wounds will not be very painful & that he will be able to rest well, he must need it after the terribly trying time he has had.

What an awful war it is, really one feels as if one could not read all the accounts in the paper, they are too sad & dreadful. We have Agatha Vansittart with us & she has made out a list of 29 relations, all either in the firing line or just going out to France or somewhere. 3 airmen, amongst them one relation, a Vansittart has just been killed–

Poor little Hilda is here also, she is threatened with congestion of the brain & wears an ice cap nearly all day & night but is extremely lively & happy in spite of everything! Nurse rather scorns the whole treatment & says “let the child lead a normal life & develop her muscles”, so there is friction. She certainly does not seem ill, except for a high temperature.

I wish you could come & see us & we should so like to see Ted, could he spare us a few days before he returns? We should be so pleased if he could. How nice Paul has leave now also. We are glad Jim has a commission, I hear Guy Grossman won’t have one. Mrs Joscelyne’s eldest son has one in the 8^th Somersets, but her youngest son is a private & out in India with the West Kent Regiment. She has just left us.

France & Flanders, alas, are not the only places were there is warfare!! I fear, for it is beginning in Pitney! We are all getting very sad over the way all Church services, parish work &c are being neglected & are beginning to protest. It is too long a tale for a letter, you must come & hear! but both Bishop & Archdeacon are being appealed to.

I quite agree with you about the Lusitania, people are foolish to travel unless absolutely obliged at present. Awdry Tyndal has just reached home safely from India, but it was an exciting voyage.

We have 200 soldiers now camped on the high ground between Golf Links & High Ham. They are I believe rifle practising at the Paradise butts, & we hear 1000 are to come altogether! & our Yeomen are coming home in turn to see their families before going abroad. With love to you all.    Yours affec^ly

M.A. Dudman.

43, QUEENS GATE GARDENS,
S.W.

Dearest Gertrude

I hear you have Ted home wounded, but not seriously & will have all the family party together the first time for years. I am so glad- tho’ Ted is wounded that you should have them all together- I was going to write & ask Ben if she would like a few days here after Whitsuntide? but must wait till she has a more convenient moment tell her. I hope all is well with Mrs. Bennett.

I went to Salisbury this week end to get a glimpse of Julian who is at Tidworth. Harry was to have been in the fight on 9^th May & then the orders were countermanded- Julian is supposed to be going somewhere in 5 weeks’ time but I expect it will be longer. He is only 18 in July- I do not hope the Dardanelles- Well much love

Ever your affec^ate

B.K. Yeatman

This was from Benedicta Yeatman who was Ben’s godmother and namesake. She was also the aunt of Julian Yeatman, co-author of 1066 and All That.