Postcardpostmark Hounslow

PostcardPostmark Hounslow

Date illegible.

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WithPatron

H.M. FORCES ON ACTIVE SERVICE Military camp Dept.

H.R.H. Duke of Connaught

Patron

YMCA National Council

H.M. THE KING

Dear Father & Mother,

I arrived here safely about 12.30.

I think I left my toothbrush (a yellow handled one). Please send it on at once as it is a new one & I don't want to buy another one.

Heard nothing yet about Mr Helm's letter.

Alvin

Still making preparations for the draft. Taken away our working suits and given us two suits of khaki drill.

***************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 27 May 16

Mr & Mrs A.E.Whiteley,

Glen Lea,

Sowerby Bridge,

Yorkshire.

***************

LetterWed night 24 May 1916

Church Army Recreation Hut

Dear Father & Mother,

I have at last got into my uniform.

In the first place we have no horses, shall not have them in fact until we get out there.

I am very pleased I have managed to get into this regiment. They are a splendid set of fellows - nothing like what we should have got at Clipstone.

So far of course I haven't much news. I have got my uniform & kit, which includes two suits, three shirts, two pairs of pants, three pairs of socks, two pairs of boots, two towels and endless brushes.

Of course I feel very strange in uniform, but like everyone else I shall get used to it.

It seems weeks since I left dear old Sowerby Bridge. Hounslow is a very pretty district indeed. We have the flying corps stationed alongside us and the aeroplanes are flying over us all the time we are drilling.

We rise at ¼ to 6 every morning and knock off usually at 4 o'clock. We get plenty of good food though of course as can only be expected it is in a rough and ready way. There has always been more than I have wanted.

My address for the present will be

Private Alvin Whiteley

25th Batt. Royal fusiliers (Frontiersmen)

Hut No. 30

Hounslow Heath.

Sorry I shall have to close now. Will send you more news next time.

Yours affectionately

Alvin.

***************

Letter

Church Army Recreation HutFriday Night 26/5 1916

Dear Father & Mother,

Just another line to say I am going along all right.

My clothes will very likely be coming home tomorrow, so you should receive them about Tuesday or Wednesday. I have put nothing in to wash as I shall get all washed here. The underpants are extremely coarse and will make me sore if I am not careful. Will you please send me as early as you can:

2 pairs woollen pants

2 pairs of my thin socks (the best I have).

We are getting plenty of food, but of course have to buy our suppers out. We have a canteen where we can buy anything in the tinned line and then we have the Church Army Hut for coffee, tea, buns etc. In addition there are any amount of places specially for soldiers, near the barracks, where we can get some splendid cheap suppers. If you send anything in the food line when you send the odd things I require, please send me something of a dry nature (not jammy or syrupy) which I can cut into and then put away till I want it again.

Four of us in our hut are eating together and buying jam, marmalade & little things like that just to finish off our teas; we can get these things quite cheaply, so don't trouble to send anything of the sort as it would only add to the expense of postage.

I want the socks to wear under my rough army socks as they say it helps to keep the feet from becoming sore; then too they will be more comfortable to wear to my ordinary boots when I go out in the evenings.

I am liking the life here all right and am panning down to it very well. The great thing that helps is that all are very decent chaps and extremely sociable. Of course, so far we have done nothing but right turn, left turn, about turn, form fours, quick march, step out there in front! We might be a pals battalion, nearly all the chaps being from Bradford, Leeds & district.

They allow us plenty of leaves here, which would come in splendidly for fellows living in the south, but they are not of much use to us chaps living up North. At present they allow two week-end leaves per month, that is, we can finish at dinnertime Saturday, but we must be back in time for the first parade on Monday morning. This of course would mean that I should not get home until late Saturday evening and should have to be setting off back during Sunday evening. Of course it would cost me about a sovereign to get home for just this short time. I shall have to try to work a longer leave somehow, but I am afraid it will be difficult just now.

Lieutenant Haggas is coming down from Bfd. Again next week so perhaps that will help things a little in this respect.

Please get those things away on Monday certain, so that I shall get them early next week.

I shall be glad to have a line from you soon.

My address is still the same:

Pte. A Whiteley

25th Batt. Royal Fusiliers (Frontiersmen)

Hut No. 30

Hounslow Heath.

I am likely to stay at this hut now for a while.

Yours affectionately

Alvin.

**************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 9 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

**************

Dear Father & Mother,Friday June 9th 1916

Thanks for you letter enclosing time tables.

Never mind about the Hooson's there are enough homes in the cart without bringing more in. It isn't Hooson's that I blame, but our confounded weak-kneed Government, which through its blooming rotten laws allows its tribunals to make fish of one and flesh of another. Don't worry for a minute, because I am taking every care of myself and am proud that I am doing my duty (not for king & country, but my parents, sister & sweetheart and our homes, present & future. That is all that I am out to fight for, so there).

Please don't get me any more socks until I ask you as I have all I require at present and it is not advisable to have a lot of luggage about as shelves here are only sufficient for the army Kit, without anything else. I you have not already sent them away, please keep them by you until I ask you for them.

That moggy you sent is grand. I have had some nice suppers with a piece of this and a nice juicy apple.

I have now absolutely recovered from the inoculation and have been at drill all day today. I am so well indeed, that today our Swedish Drill instructor fetched me out in front of our squad to show them how some of the exercises should be done.

How do you like the enclosed photograph? Can you recognise me?

Nothing further tonight - in haste.

Yours affectionately

Alvin.

**************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 15 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

**************

LetterThursday June 15th 1916

Dear Father & Mother,

I have put in for a pass for this weekend, but am not yet certain whether I shall get it. I shall do my best to get off tomorrow (Friday) night, so please leave a key underneath the ash tub tomorrow night when you go to bed.

Don't wait up; for me because even if I get off (which is very uncertain) it will very likely be in the small hours when I turn up.

If I am not in bed when you get up on Saturday morning, don't expect me before late Saturday evening, because if I don't get my pass until Saturday morning, I shan't be able to leave here until after dinner, so in that case it will be towards midnight before I arrive at Glen Lea.

I hope you will be able to understand the above, though it is very confused on account of being uncertain about when I shall get my pass.

Well, I haven't any more news, but what will keep until the weekend.

Best love to all.

Alvin

***************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 6 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

***************

Letter Tuesday 6 June 1916

Heading Church Army Recreation Hut - montage depicting soldier striding along ridge, rifle at shoulder arms, flat peaked cap, pouched bandolier, jodphurs, puttees; background Union Flag, down in the valley field guns conducting a barrage.

Dear Father Mother & Margaret,

Thanks for your letter enclosing the Money Order for 30/- shillings, which I cashed last night. I have also received the Courier. The parcel has not yet come to hand (6.30) but the postman (a soldier told off for the job) has just gone up into Hounslow for the mail and it may be among them. So as to avoid any chance of a parcel going astray it would always be as well to send a postcard or a letter separately at the same time as you post the parcel.

It wasn't necessary to send any more socks as I can always wash a pair out any time as we have clubbed up in our hut for a ring gas jet and kettle.

Hurrah! The parcel has just now come in and looks very tasty indeed. I shall have a good supper tonight anyway. The Yorkshire looks all right anyway. You ask me what I want most. Well, there is nothing that I am really short of; what you send just comes in nicely to eat after we have had the camp tea - you see they don't provide us much in the sweet stuff line, nor do they give us any supper, but we do very well in this respect, as several of the chapels here have soldiers' rooms where we can write, play games and have refreshments in the evening. They absolutely give the stuff away. For instance yesterday evening I had a right blow out for 3d. I had two cups of coffee

(½ d per cup) six full size loaf slices of brown & white bread and two buns - not bad eh!

I find you did not include any socks in the parcel as you said in your Saturday's letter.

You ask me how we get on this wet weather. Well, Sunday was rather wet in the evening and it has been rather showery since. Of course after church parade on Sunday morning we have no more parades so if we get wet then it is our own look out. When on parade, if it rains, they look well after us and rush us straight into the huts and usually give us lectures on one thing or another. I tell you straight they are taking every care of us and I am thankful I have been sent here, especially after hearing the stories of men who have had to go just where they were sent.

I am feeling better and better every day. I am absolutely in the pink of condition. Today I have had my second dose of inoculation and so far haven't felt any ill effects. The four of us who chum together have all been done today, but so far I haven't felt any ill effects, but I mustn't crow too soon. Anyway I shall try not to be poorly. I kept my spirits up last time and was quite all right and shall be all right today.

We are a splendid lot of chaps down here, as chummy a lot as ever I could wish to be with and we are having a real good time - all as jolly as can be and every man jack of us looking A1.

Cheer-oh!

Yours affectionately

Alvin

Thompson & the Tidswells will be soon amongst it eh? Don't you think young Hooson will be clearing off on his own soon?

****************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 21 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

****************

LetterTuesday 20/6/16

Dear Father, Mother & Margaret,

I have arrived here again all right and am once more settled down.

I arrived at St. Pancras at 4.30 this morning and went to the YMCA hut for my breakfast. By the time the train arrived at London it was packed with soldiers who were going back to France. It was the same at the YMCA, in fact all round the stations were practically nothing but soldiers either coming from or going back to France. It made me feel thankful that I was not going with them but going to Hounslow instead.

I haven't done any drilling today. After breakfast four of us (Alvin included) were set on to get in some coal. A truck arrived today and a cart has being going back & forwards between the station and the camp. We had to wait nearly an hour after each load so you can guess we have had a soft job on. In fact the four of us in the whole day have only shovelled in 9 tons, or 2¼ tons each.

I have got the brooches for Mother & Margaret and enclose them. I hope you will like them. They are just like our cap badges, only in coloured enamel.

Well, I haven't anything more this time, so will now close.

Yours affectionately

Alvin

****************

EnvelopePostmark 23 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

****************

LetterThursday 22 June 1916

Dear Father & Mother,

I haven't very much news for you this time.

When I was passed at Halifax I asked them what to do about my insurance card and they said it would have to be given up in the ordinary way when it expired. Now I am told that I ought to have given it to my collector as soon as I enlisted and that I may have to stamp it myself from then up to the present. Anyway, will you take it at once for me and ask him exactly what to do? You can tell him that I enlisted on May 22nd and you will find that my card is fully stamped up to that date. If he tells you that I shall have to stamp it myself up to that date please put the stamps on and take it out of what you have in hand of mine. Perhaps he will give you a form for me to fill up - I don't know. If you can get nothing definite from him, please call as soon as you can at the Refuge Office in Halifax (it is in Alexander Scott's building on Commercial Street, I believe) and see what they have to say. Of course you must take my book to have it properly filled up.

Am still keeping very well & hope you are all well.

Yours affectionately,

Alvin

*****************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 25 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

*****************

Letter Sunday 25 June 1916

Dear Father & Mother (not forgetting me Margaret)

Thanks for Mother's letter which I received yesterday.

I'll bet you two ladies have been swanking with your new brooches haven't you?

Don't worry about my having had to come here and leave Hooson's. they are all right so long as they can manage to keep out. There are lucky ones and unlucky ones.

I'm sorry to hear that Jack has to go back again. When a fellow has been out there so long and his time has expired he ought to be allowed to finish.

As regards Jayes I think I have come off a lot better than he has. In fact I have come off jolly lucky all round, I reckon.

Yesterday three of us went to Richmond and had a really good outing. After tea we took the penny motor bus to Twickenham and went to Eel Pie Island (a little island which stands in the middle of the Thames); we then went all down the riverside back to Richmond, had supper there and so back to Hounslow. It was simply glorious as you would see from the card I sent Margaret yesterday.

I am writing this after dinner, which has been very nice: about 1lb beef, cabbage, 2 decent potatoes, large chunks of bread, stewed figs. I have had a real good blowout.

Where I shall go this afternoon I don't know - we are all sat round lazily smoking, reading & writing and wondering what to do.

Well, I have nothing else this time so will dry up.

Yours affectionately

Alvin

Am still keep A1.

*******************

EnvelopePostmark Hounslow 27 June 16

Glen Lea etc.

*******************

LetterTuesday 27 June 1916

Dear All,

Thanks for the parcel of grub, which has come to hand quite safely. It is all extra special and will come in nicely to finish teas and for occasional suppers.

The newspapers are beginning to brighten up now, especially this morning; what with Russia still keeping going and now the Italians and ourselves the Germans have properly got their hands full. I confidently believe that there will never be anything for the Frontiersmen to do even if we should get sent out. As you say I shall be all right if I don't have to leave here. I should be sorry if I had to go to another camp; we are at a champion spot here.

Three of us went to Richmond again on Sunday and had an early supper (smoked bacon, two eggs, jam, bread & butter for a shilling - you can get cheaper meals down here than at home so long as you know the way to go about it). Then we walked all down the Thameside (about five miles) as far as Kew and then got a tram back to Hounslow. Last night I went to the swimming baths & then to the pictures.

As regards the Income Tax paper, I have been thinking of coming home on Saturday until Sunday night, so will it bring it with me and fill it up there, that is if I come and I think I shall.

Have nothing further this time round so will now finish.

Hoping all are well,