August 1917

July 1917 

Aug 5th 1917 

Dear Mother & Dad

I am writing this in Cairo. We arrived here Friday morning, we left the battalion midday Thursday so you see it took nearly 24 hours to get from the firing line to civilization. I am staying at the “Anzac Hostel”. It is a very nice place & extra cheap. There is a lovely shower bath. I’ve had as many as three in one day. The food is great. It is grand to be waited on & have as much as you like. We have had a good tour round. Yesterday we went to the pyramids in the morning & the Zoo in the afternoon & in the evening we went to on of the Gardens & heard the band. We have got three more days here & there are plenty more places for us to visit. I am going to find George Oliver & a few more pals who are in the hospitals etc this afternoon. Dear Mother & Dad I will let you have a fuller account of my holiday later on. We had our photo’s taken this morning. I hope they come out all right. I am feeling grand. I hope you are both fairly well. You have got several P Cards of Cairo but I am sending you a few more. The mail came up the day we left the batt. We shall get our letters when we get back. Well dear Mother I think this is all for now as I have several more letters to write. Best love & May God bless you.

I remain 

Your Everloving Son 

Lionel

Usual address

Aug 11th 17

Dear Mother & Dad

I am pleased to say I arrived back quite safe from Cairo yesterday. It was an awful journey across the desert. There were 30 of us in an open truck. We could get no rest as we were too crowded. Well dear Mother & Dad I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday. Wish I could have spent it in Blighty. It is two years today since I landed on Gallipoli. We are moving a little way back tonight so I can’t write you a very long letter now but will try when we get settled down again. I hope you will like the photos. The clothes aren’t a very good fit but you can’t expect too much for of chaps from the firing line. There were two of your letters waiting for me when I came back dated 10th & 17th July. I also had two from Auntie & one from Daisy. Thank you very much for Fred’s photo, I think it is very nice indeed. Is Fred in a Fusiliers Regiment? As he is wearing a Fusilier badge I see. Dear Mother & Dad I am quite well & I hope this will fond you both the same. I must must close now but I will write you a nice long letter as soon as we are settled down again. I will also answer your letters. Best love & May God bless you. 

I remain 

Your Everloving Son 

Lionel

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I am sending two of my photos with this letter. I will send another one or two later. The others are the chaps I went on leave with. The corporal & the other chap are brothers (Cpl got a staff job in Cairo lucky chap) LFK

Usual address

Aug 14th 17

Dear Mother & Dad 

I received another letter from you yesterday also the nice parcel. I thank you very much for it also Ms Tucker for the cake it was very nice indeed. The pencils & writing paper have come in very handy & the sweets were great. I had a letter from Fred & on from Bert & Alice. Fred’s letter was almost the same as yours you sent for me to read. Poor Fred seems to have had enough of it doesn’t he? What a shame he gets insulated so often. Bert did not have very much news. I am please to say I am still in the “pink” & so is Edgar & Harry. I have seen them both today. Well dear Mother you didn’t like the aircraft knocking about. I hope you won’t be troubled with them again. Edgar liked Fred’s photo very much. It’s a “bonza” he said. I am sending a few more snap shots. Please take care of them. You are right about the two Fronts. I thank God that I am out here for your sake as well as mine. At present we are someway behind the line, plenty to do but it is better than the Front line. Dear Mother & Dad I shall be ever so please to have a photo of you both & Fred. I hope Auntie will be able to let me have their photos. How nice for to go to Portsmouth & Salisbury. Oh for the time I shall be able to pay them a visit. So Daisy & her old sweetheart have been visiting you. It livens things up for you a bit I suppose. Daisy writes a very lively letter doesn’t she. I have got plenty of reading material at present. Three mails on top of each other gives me a good supply. I have had plenty of letter writing to do this last two or three days. Dear Mother & Dad I am making another start. I have just back from a bathe. It was bonza. The weather is still pretty hot here & the water is quite warm. Well I think this is all for now so I will close. Thank you & Mrs Tucker once again for the parcel. Best love & May God bless you. 

I remain 

Your Everloving Son

Lionel 

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Aug 19th 1917

Dear Mother & Dad

Just a short note to say I am still in the ‘pink’ also Edgar & Harry. The weather is grand here. I had a lovely swim this morning. I hope the weather will be nice for your holiday. I am glad you have made up your minds to go away. Wish I were going with you. I am afraid this must do for now. I will write more during the week. Best love  & May God bless you.

I remain

Your Everloving Son

Lionel

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Aug 22nd 17 

Dear Mother & Dad

I am please to say I am still in the “pink”. I hope this will find you both quite well. We have not had mail up since I wrote last. We are a bit nearer to the sea now. I had a “bonza” swim this morning. Edgar is quite alright. Well dear Mother & Dad things are as per usual here. I haven’t very much to say. I wish I had for it is awful trying to write a letter if you haven’t any news. I hope Fred has had leave by now. I must close now & try & write a better letter next time I write. Best love to you both & May God bless you.

I remain 

Your Everloving Son

Lionel

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

Palestine

Aug 27th 17

Dear Mother & Dad

I began writing to you yesterday afternoon but as I had not received a letter from you, you can bet it was a pretty poor one. Well I am please to say I received you nice long letter of the 31st quite early this morning. I was having another little “kip” after “stand to” when I was awakened by someone shouting “King L.F. here’s a mail for you” & two letters & a paper were thrown at me. I received a letter from Auntie & a letter card from Renie with some views of Southsea. I was pleased to see them. Weren’t they all please to see you both at “Pompey”. I am sorry poor Auntie’s arm is so bad. What a lot of travelling you must have done! I daresay I shall hear more about it when I receive my next letter from you. I am please to say Edgar & myself are still in the “pink”. We are up the line again now. We have had a good spell out of the trenches haven’t we? It is fairly quiet here & I have got a “bonza” dug-out. Edgar had a letter from Mabel Phillips & poor Ernie has been reported missing by the war office. Poor Mabel won’t give up hope now. I am so glad you liked the ‘snapshots’. (I am chopping wood not digging.) well dear Mother I am changing the subject to “girls”. You wish to know what has become of Nellie’s other chap. Well, as far as I know Nellie only had the pleasure of his company for a short time. She found she had made a mistake so continue to write to your humble. I only write now as a friend, just the same as I do R.S. Of course I do not know what is happening while I am away but I can assure you my letters are merely [??] of friendship. I hardly know what to say in regards to Mrs Ambrose. She has certainly done me a great honour & I wish I had the opportunity to thank her personally & that I could accept her kind invitation. Dear Mother I have only one young ladies photo & that us Nellie’s so my collection is not very extensive. You may send me Miss D. Ambrose’s photo if you think fit. There will be plenty of time when the war is over for me to find a companion. Dear Mother & Dad I shall be please to read Fred’s letter. I am glad he is out of isolation & I hope the weather will keep fine for his leave. I do like that photo of Fred. I am sending you another one of mine as I can spare it. I hope Dad’s arms are better by now. I am glad Daisy comes & cheers you up a bit. Dais writes very cheerful letters doesn’t she? I am writing this in my dug-out. I have only one mate with me this time & we are very comfy. I do not know where Edgar is residing at present. I shall have a stroll round& find him out. I have not received the books from you yet so I am rather hard up for reading material. I am sending you the names of a few books I should like you to send as I do not care so much for Charles Garincies books. It’s a case of if you’ve read one you have read the lot. Well Dear Mother & Dad I think I must draw my letter to a close. Please give my kind regards to Mrs Tucker, Mrs Ambrose & Mrs Middleton. Best love to you both & May God bless you.

I remain your Everloving Son

Lionel

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 

September 1917