Monthly Archives: December 2016

This is a rare example of a letter from Dollie to Arthur – preserved , we think , because it includes news of a new niece , Marie Agius, born this morning.  Most of the Dollie to Arthur letters have … Continued

9th December 1916 Arthur and Company are now safely out of the line and back in more comfortable billets, with gas lighting and a store! Even the wet and miserable weather cannot dampen Arthur’s spirits, because on taking advice from … Continued

8th December 1916 Arthur is still in trenches on the front line and the weather is wet and miserable. The Cadets have now left his charge and by happy coincidence one of them was a brother of one of his … Continued

7th December 1916 Arthur now admits to Dollie that they are back in the trenches and most of his spare time is taken up with instructing a group of Cadets. Dollie’s brother Edouard has been busy bodying about her finances, … Continued

6th December 1916 “I’m afraid this can not be a very long letter. I’ve been awfully busy to-day and at the last minute they sprang four Cadet Officers on me – who have taken all my time…& am praying that … Continued

5th December 1916 The weather has deteriorated and is: “… very angry & cold, with a bleak NE wind, and occasional rain or sleet”. But some Christmas spirit has been generated by the arrival of much welcome seasonal literature from … Continued

4th December 1916 Dollie has had the idea of Arthur applying for Christmas leave in Paris and he will ask fellow officer Davis how to apply. More importantly Arthur may qualify for a whole month’s leave soon. Dollie is tasked … Continued

3rd December 1916 A cold frosty day but at least they have had no rain recently and the ground is frozen hard. To ease the boredom Arthur has been borrowing books from Rochford – a fellow officer – revisiting literature … Continued

2nd December 1916 Dollie has sent Arthur an enormous parcel and they have already made great inroads into the food. A fellow officer, Davis, has a wife living in Paris and he reports: “Coal & gas are very hard to … Continued

1st December 1916 Arthur and Company have been out of the front line for a few days now and he is starting to enjoy the finer things in life: “After the show we went into Estaires again to the Hotel … Continued