11th October 1916 – Montonvillers north of Amiens
“I don’t know how I can ever be able to describe to you all that we have gone through the last few days. But at last we have turned the corner and are now right out & are miles back, resting. We are quite comfortable & hear that there is a leave allotment! I am going to try & get a wire off to-day to say that D.V. I shall be with you in about 10 days time”.
Arthur to Dollie
Wed., 3pm
… I don’t know how I can ever be able to describe to you all that we have gone through the last few days. But at last we have turned the corner and are now right out & are miles back, resting. We are quite comfortable & hear that there is a leave allotment! I am going to try & get a wire off to-day to say that D.V. I shall be with you in about 10 days time. It may be later but I shall try not to come before so that you will have some warning.
There have been no mails from us the last 3 days up in the line – for we have been fighting & I haven’t been able to get off a postcard. I do hope you won’t be awfully worried, dear…
[an entire page removed by the censor]….& got back somehow to – WOOD (Trones Wood). Here we found a new CO – a young fellow called Maitland of the 2nd Essex – only a Captain, though he has now put up the badges of Lieut. Col. I think he’s a good chap; Hull the Divisional GOC has no use for the TF – but we all feel it a bit, for however good he may be, he is only an outsider, after all.
On the 9th we marched a bit further back & on the 10th that is yesterday we marched another 7 or 8 miles. Thence we were conveyed by the French in buses back here. We got in after dark & had to do our own billeting. It’s only a tiny place but the people are very kind & there is a chateau of sorts. Here we have been able to put up our 17 or 18 officers. The new CO and I share a room – the others are 4 or 5 to a room.
However that is all by the way. Meanwhile I am so excited at the prospect to [be] getting home that I can scarcely write… I’m writing to Edgar to tell him to get rooms at Hindhead – unless you would prefer to go elsewhere say to Fowey … Also to see that all is alright at the Priory. My darling I am so mad with excitement & longing. I do hope that nothing will crop up on the way.
We saw the Corps Commander yesterday – that is the Battalion Comdrs – he told us that we had a leave allotment so all should be all right. God bless you, my dear…
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