David to May 30th 1917 My servant came along and woke me up at 6.30 this morning and then brought in coffee and excellent coffee too, made of course by the people I am billeted with. I have had this two mornings now. Isn't it good of them. They seem to be doing [...]
David to May May 30th 1917 My Dearest, I have just got your letter (27th), a lovely long one too and written from home on Sunday. You are a darling. I like your daydream while you were polishing the hall, but I guess I didn’t give you the day off – a partner [...]
David to May May 31st 1917 I have just had a new corporal sent to my platoon. There was some bother between him, the sergeant and the platoon commander of No.6 platoon so he has been passed on to me. He has been given a Russian Order for doing something or other. It [...]
David to May June 1st 1917 When we went bathing the other day we had towels but strange to relate they don't provide bathing machines along that canal, and in the middle of our bathe two ladies came walking along the tow path and we had to get the men into the water [...]
David to May June 2nd 1917 We were up at 5 o'clock this morning and did bayonet fighting. There is to be a competition in this and I am hoping that one of my sections will win it. One of them is rather good but the others are not, but perhaps they will [...]
David to Ginger June 3rd 1917 [Ginger is David’s sister, Mrs Ethel Linn, who lives in New Jersey in the USA] Dear Ginger, Now to thank you for all sorts of good things. First of all another Buzzard cake, which I got some days ago and which disappeared very quickly indeed. Buzzard cakes [...]
David to May June 3rd 1917 I got up this morning with the idea of going to church, but while I was dressing an orderly came along to say that the church parade was off, (you never can tell what you are doing from one minute to the next, its a little way [...]
David to May June 4th 1917 Just got your letter. Please tell Mrs Muggridge that my present surroundings are not so very awful, in fact they are quite good. This is a fair sized place and hasn't been knocked about by shells. Please thank her also for the cuttings. Don't ever trouble to [...]
David to May June 5th 1917 We started a route march this morning at 7 o'clock, marched away several miles and then halted and gave our platoons some practice in giving firing orders. It was awfully hot and dusty, but I managed to get into a field where there was some shade and [...]
David to May June 6th 1917 We had to be up pretty early again this morning as we were on parade at 6.15. We marched about 8 miles and finally halted by a canal with a sort of wood on the banks. It was not exactly a wood but there were a number [...]