Tuesday – 19th September 1916
Arthur has been in the thick of it, but is now in reserve lines; the CO has been evacuated sick and Dollie’s brother Edouard is in charge of the Battalion – with Arthur as second in command. Thankfully the weather has cleared a bit – but the mud is still rotten: “I wish we could only get back to billets for a bit & get a real clean up. But all that is in the air”.
Arthur to Dollie
Tues
We are still more or less up & writing a difficulty. Last night the Battalion moved back into reserve lines – how long we are here for no-one yet knows. Casualties I’m afraid dear, went up again this last time. On Sunday morning early the Battalion moved from Support into the line, where they were until last night. When they moved up the CO kept Edouard – it was his first time in – and sent me back to the 1st line to sleep. Anyway Pearce has been wounded again, Lloyd & Brady are away with shell shock, & last night on his way out, the old man fell sick & has been evacuated. It really wasn’t fit for him to be up – the weather has been perfectly beastly & everything is mud. However Edouard is now CO & I’m second-in -command.
As a matter of fact, the weather has cleared a bit to-day & things are brighter, though the mud is still rotten. I wish we could only get back to billets for a bit & get a real clean up. But all that is in the air.
Your dear thoughts are a source of endless comfort to me, dear: times are a bit stiff just now. If you could only realise how much you help me … I am very fit & well D.G. God is good.