28th April 1916

Chaubattia

Ranikhet

India

My dear Mum & Dad,

Very many thanks for your letters received on Monday & I am also glad to say that I received yours of the previous week with this Mail, a large number being saved from the Sussex & stamped “Damaged by imersion in salt water” though mine didn’t appear to have got very wet.

I am glad that you were able to go to London together though as you say I expect London is a fearfully dismal place at present. Another Mail (London dates, 7th April) is delivered in Ranikhet this evening & I expect we shall get ours here late tonight but as I have had two from you since writing I thought it best to get on with the work.

The Draft is still isolated & still have cases of measles, so I haven’t had a chat to any of them yet.

I hear that the Bedfords have a very bad name in Delhi, but considering we are now in Bareilly Brigade I don’t think we shall be recalled to relieve them especially as we now belong to the Field Army. I was afraid that a Battalion like the Bedfords would suffer heavily from visiting women in the Choorai Bazaar, Delhi Suddar & such filthy places like that, & from the bit I know of India I feel jolly sorry for the few decent fellows who, through no fault of their own, belong to such a rotten crew. Their Officers (at any rate whilst I was with them) were afraid to enforce discipline. I have seen a man of our Battalion do pack-drill for being on guard with a broken eylet hole in one of his boots & yet the Bedfords can “commit a nuisance” in the Wash-houses & on the Verandahs, & strike their NCO’s & then simply get “Admonished” on their Crime Sheets.

Do you ever read Tit-Bits now, I receive a copy from the Aunts every week, and this week’s contains 3 items, intended to be jokes referring to wounded soldiers. All the wounded men I have met from Mesopotamia, France & a few from the Dardanelles seem to reckon that stopping a bullet or piece of shrapnel is no joking matter & I am surprised at the Government allowing such publications to continue aren’t you? “Ally Sloper” got smashed for a much less offence during the South African War.

I am glad that both cats are well & that Herbert has taken to getting in your bed on cold nights like Cottie used to. “B” Company have a pet goat which followed them from Kathgodam & refused to be dragged away by its native owner so No. 5 Platoon bought it when they halted. They collected round & gave Rs 4 for it which of course is about 3 times the value of a goat out here. She is awfully friendly & although a big goat & full grown always springs on to the table when she comes into the Corporals Mess.

We haven’t a monkey in the Battalion at all now & only one parrot, most of them having gone to England with time-expired men, but we have a lot of dogs – anything from a Pariah to a fox-terrier.

I expect you will be seeing Archie Baker & Co. I rather think that before many weeks General Compulsion will be introduced & made to refer to a man who has his Discharge papers & thereby cancel the Army Order which stated that such men were exempted from further service.

Dick & I went to Ranikhet on Monday (Bank Holiday) & had bacon (English too), eggs, cabbage, chips, bread & butter (mukkin roti) & tea at the Roman Catholic Institute. It was one of the finest meals I have had since the Autumn of 1914. We have a R.C. Institute here but the President of Regtl Institutes closed it as it of course damaged the Coffee Shop Trade but I think they will be bound to allow it to open again. We only have 3 RC’s in the whole Battalion but all the various Institutes in India are just as free to a Jew or Recobite as to a man of the religion which they nominally are intended for.

Even the poor old “Bacon Wallah” has to pay Rs 80 (£5-6-8) a month to the Coffee Shop Contractor – Moula Bux – for permission to hawk bacon round the Bungalows from 6 am to 9 am each morning.

I don’t suppose anything has yet been done with Lavington Manor. It does seem a pity doesn’t it.

I hope Baby Apps is in the best of health, I had a long letter from Tommy this week. I wrote a note to the Baby as soon as I heard of his arrival & sent him a Regimental Xmas & New Year’s card but I have never heard that he received it.

Please give my love to Henry Pinniger & his family when you see them & also kind regards to Mr & Mrs Puckridge & family.

Is old G.F. still such an old fossil as ever – worse I expect?

I hope that all Lavington friends are well including “Johnnie” & Harry Lush also your neighbour, William Saunders, Mrs Saunders & the two kids.

What a “go” with Emily & the bottle of whisky. I can quite understand that but for her own chatter the matter would never have been heard of by anyone else.

Is Mr Trotter still at the “Volunteers Arms”? I hope that his trade hasn’t suffered much during the War for he was always such a good chap for keeping the place clean & tidy.

Trusting this will find you in the same excellent state of health as I am in – I like this climate immensely although I was always “fit as a fiddle” in Delhi.

Believe me to be

Ever your loving

Jack

xxxxxxxx

Rajah xxx

Herbert xxx

April 19th 1916

Chaubattia

Ranikhet

India

My dear Aunts,

I haven’t been able to write you for several weeks on account of moving from Delhi  & therefore having but little spare time but we are now pretty well settled in & I must thank you so very much for your nice letters & enclosures. I didn’t hear from you, Floss, or Lavington by this Mail as nearly all letters were lost on the “Sussex” the only one I received being one from Fitz Lye.

What a fool Wilf Lush was not to join earlier & get into a Battalion where he had plenty of pals which he could easily have done a few months ago without chancing coming to India which I guess would kill him for in France although there are plenty of bullets about the grub is very good.

We have a fine Station this time & I don’t much reckon on ever seeing Delhi again, Theres no knowing where we shall have next Winter.

What is the English opinion of the War now? I notice that most of the papers have given up saying that “the end is in sight” & all that sort of thing & I guess they realise that it is going to take another year or so to beat the Huns unless anything very extraordinary should happen to help us out.

You asked if Dick received the socks but (unless one of my letters went wrong) no doubt you have heard some time ago that he was most pleased with them & thanks you very much for them.

There are snow-peaks up to 25000 ft high facing this Bungalow, the nearest of them is about 70 miles away but it doesn’t look more than 20.

I hope you have both been in the best of health during the exceptionally cold Winter that you have had at Home.

This place is lovely after being roasted during February & March & so cold that we gather wood in the Forest for a fire every evening.

There are plenty of tigers, bears, panthers & cheetas here, and a fine man-eating tiger which killed 25 natives was recently shot over at Naina Tal.

We had a pretty stiff march up here from Kathgodam & took 5 days over it the road being very steep & the transport bullocks very poor quality. The Rest Camps were pretty decent & a Mountain stream at 3 of them, where we could wash, the names were – Kathgodam, Jellikote, Bowali, Ratighat, and Namgarh.

Best of love to you both

Ever your affectionate

Jack  

18th April 1916

Chaubattia

Ranikhet

India

My dear Mum & Dad,

I am sorry to say that I am unable to answer your letter this week as it apparently went down on the “Sussex”. My papers arrived alright & also a letter from Fitz but yours, Floss’ & any other letters I may have had were lost, so the only thing to do is to look forward to next week’s Mail. I am afraid that some books which Floss sent me are also lost.

Ernie Hopkins & Fred Drury sailed for England on a Hospital ship about a week ago, & the time-ex men only had 2 days up here & are now on their way to Bombay & sail on the “Royal George”, they include Joe Raine, George Burgess, Archie Baker & Best Oram.

I haven’t seen any of our Draft yet as they are isolated for 20 days. There are several from Lavington district amongst them including Matten, Hoare, Clelford & Sainsbury.

We moved last Saturday from the Bungalows we were in last week & have jolly nice quarters now. I have 4 men besides myself in this room, we have a good fire-place & go out wood picking every evening, this Range being very thickly wooded. The climate here is very much like an English Spring, & not too cold though of course the first few days, (after being roasted alive at Delhi during the last 2 months) seemed a bit chilly. The day we struck Kingsway Camp & loaded the tents for Ferozpore was the hottest I have ever known & you couldn’t stick many minutes in the Railway vans especially when the load was getting up towards the roof. This is an awfully pretty place & capital Bungalows. I haven’t been to Ranikhet yet, it is about 4 miles from here & a good deal lower than Chaubattia.

The mile stone here says “Chaubattia O” which is the first blank milestone I have ever seen, but I suppose that, after climbing from Kathgodam they think it just as well to let you know you are here.

I hope that Rajah & Herbert are well, I shall be awfully glad to see them both.

Verdun Battle has now been on for 55 days, I think the duration of the War largely depends upon Verdun don’t you?

Shouldn’t I just like to know that peace would be proclaimed next Autumn or Winter, I suppose there is still some chance of that taking place isn’t there.

I didn’t stop on “duty” long for when we got here I was asked to go into the Orderly Room & eventually decided to take the job though there is no chance of making a bit like in a Depôt Orderly Room where I was at Kailana.

We have a Church here & hope to have a parson by next Sunday. There are no houses here other than the Barracks but a good many civilians come to Ranikhet in the Summer.

Joe Stanley (of Calne) has a job in the Office of the Signal Headquarters at Basra. I didn’t put in for it because at this time of year it is about 135º in the Shade there & I would want more than Rs 4. A week extra pay for being roasted.

I was awfully sorry to hear of Mrs Horton’s death, – please give my best love to Grannie when you see or write her.

It is rotten to have a week without hearing from you or Floss, & so little to talk about when not having a letter to answer.

Fitz tells me that he got 2 months extension so I suppose he joins up about the middle of May & he says he would have joined a year ago only couldn’t get away from the business.

Ben Hunt of our Company got another bullet through him in Mesopotamia last week, he had one in the Autumn.

Dick has taken on for another 12 months (from March 31st). He would have gone Home with Arch Baker & Co. only, when my time was up he was in favour of taking-on and I was not & I signed on because he wanted to & we had arranged to both do the same whichever it was.

The Drum Major & Sgt Bryant went Home last week, Opie has taken the Drum Major’s place, so it now lies between Dick & L. Cpl Clarke for promotion.

All NCO’s & men over 40 (if recommended by the Medical Officer) went Home last week. Sending them Home means a lot of expense but of course the Government haven’t the power to transfer a man from the Field Army to a Garrison Battalion out here, though it seems funny that Garrison Battalions bring out men nearly 60 years old & we are sending Home men of 40. I should reckon that a man too old for Active Service is certainly to old for the climate of India wouldn’t you?

Best love & kisses

Ever your loving

Jack

xxx

xxx

12th April

At Jungle Barracks

12th April 1916

Chaubattia

Ranikhet

India

My dear Mum & Dad,

Many thanks for your letter and P.O. enclosed which was waiting here for me when we arrived here yesterday.

We were all jolly glad to get into Camp though the march from Katgodam wasn’t bad after leaving Jellicote though of course it is a very steep climb.

We came up here as follows:-

Tuesday               Delhi to Bareilly & then to Kathgodam   (train)

Wednesday          Kathgodam to Jellicote                           (Route March)

Thursday             Rest Day                                               (        do      )

Friday                  Jellicote to Bowali                                  (        do      )

Saturday              Bowali to Ratighat                                  (        do      )

Sunday                Ratighat to Namgarh                             (        do      )

Monday              Namgarh to Chaubattia                          (        do      )

 

This is a very pretty Station & snow visible stretching from about 70 to 250 miles distant.

All our baggage isn’t yet in, so please excuse rather a rough sample of a letter this week.

I understand that major Randell sails from Bombay on Friday the 14th inst.

Our Draft is on its way here from Bombay but they have a good deal of fever & measles so have to be isolated for 20 days on reaching here. I guess they will have to bivouac a good many nights between here & Kathgodam as it is a very stiff march for anyone used to the job but I don’t expect they are carrying a very heavy kit. The sick will of course drive up in tongas or Bullock carts.

Yesterday we took the short cut from Namgarh & marched single file:  for 6 miles it was as steep as Ramscliff & I should think we rose about 2500 to 3000 feet.

Floss was very pleased to have a letter from you (O. C.) & no doubt has written to you before now.

I am glad to hear that Charles James William is well & shall be awfully pleased when I can see him, though I am afraid that wont be yet a bit, there have been yarns of the War being near the end for over a year but without being at all pessimistic I think anyone must own that the end is still a very long way off & is likely to be as long as Germany can get all supplies she wants through neutral Countries. I much hope that the coming Summer & Autumn will be an improvement on last Summer’s operations for, as you always said, the Dardanelles job would have been best left alone.

I was reading in “Pearsons” different peoples ideas as to when the War would end, & they ranged from next November to October 1919. I don’t think it can last for another 3½ years but think Kitchener wasn’t far wrong when he said it would be a Three years War don’t you?

I am glad that Rajah & Herbert are both well, please give my love and kisses to them.

I hope old Rough is behaving well & still calls on you.

Very best love to you both also to the Appse’s & the Aunts.

Ever your loving

Jack

xxxx

xxxx

9th April

Marched to Banshaon

6th April 1916

14 Miles from Anywhere

Himalayas
India

My dear Mum & Dad

I thought you might like a few lines by this Mail & hope to have a chance of putting this on the Kalgodam Mail Tonga this afternoon.

We marched out of Kingsway on Tuesday at 5.30 & left Delhi at 7 pm & took train to Bareilly where we had to shift all transport on to the light Rly, & started our March from Kalgodam to Chaubattia at mid-day yesterday, full pack & temp something over 100º & came here (First Rest Camp) arriving at about 6 p.m. some 2500 feet above Kalgodam. Most of the Battalion were fairly fed up though not so bad as the Right-Half which is now up to the 2nd Rest Camp. The bullocks are fairly done up & some of the waggons aren’t in yet having been 22 hours on the Road now. Our khaki was black with sweat before we got many yards & I was jolly glad to get into the stream when we got here, though I got here quite as fresh as anyone in the Battalion & not a single blister. We don’t move on until tomorrow morning & hope to get up to the next Camp before the Sun is very high. I should think we ought to get into Chaubattia by about next Monday. We have some excellent beer here. I always find it better not to carry much water during the day but have some beer on arriving at our destination in the evening.

I have no doubt but that I shall be settled down in time to write you a decent letter next week from Chaubattia (this is I see the correct spelling of the place though every Town in India is spelt in so many different ways.

I am writing a few lines to Floss.

Best love & kisses to you both and the cats.

Ever your loving

Jack

Sunday 2nd April 1916

Kingsway Camp
Delhi India

Sunday 2nd April 1916

My dear Mum & Dad

I find that the Mail goes out late this week so that I have time to let you know my new address viz.

Chubuttia  [later amended to Chaubattia]

Ranikhet

India

I came up fom the Fort yesterday & am back to the Company again & am very glad to get away from the Bedfords and amongst my own pals again.

“A” & “B” Companies leave tonight & their tents were struck yesterday. We leave with “D” Coy on Tuesday evening & strike the remainder of the Camp tomorrow.

Will you please drop a line to Floss, or, better still, forward this letter to her.

Since writing to you I hear that Major Randell is leaving for England on Tuesday, having been superceded by his juniors in India he applied to the Govt to go Home & will I expect get the Command of the 3rd 4th Battalion. We have made a presentation to him & also one for Mrs Randell. He has been “sat on” when applying for decent jobs and India doesn’t suit him though I never thought any thing would persuade him to leave the 1st 4th out here. Capt G. E. Vicary has taken over command of “C” Coy.

All Territorial & Regular Soldiers in Divisional, Brigade & S. S. Offices are to be relieved as soon as possible by men from “Garrison” Battalions but men in Army Headquarters retain their jobs though no more will be sent to Hdqtrs.

Love to you both also to Floss when you write her or forward this.

Ever your loving

Jack

 

Your letters & Floss’ received today.

Many thanks

March 29th 1916

Fort Delhi, India.

My dear Mum & Dad,

Very many thanks for your letters received on Tuesday, I am glad to say that only parcels & newspapers were lost on the “Maloja” & the letters, after waiting at Marsailles for another boat reached us nearly a week late.

The fans are now working & they also have them in the tents at Kingsway. As you will see from the address I am still at the Fort & expect to join the Battalion about next Sunday preparatory to making a move. Delhi is now pretty hot & when there is no work to be done you can lay on your bed & sweat during the afternoon with no clothes on except a puttee round the waist, for whatever the weather is you have to keep something round the “guts”.

I am glad that the two cats are well & that Herbert is so good tempered. He is very different to poor old Cottie as regards his tail isn’t he?

We are expecting another Mail in at the end of this week & I much hope it will arrive safely and well up to time.

By next week I hope to be able to let you know what my new address will be, I expect it will be Chapatra, Ranikhet, but until I let you know definitely you had better use the old address.

That Verdun Battle seems very slow doesn’t it at present. What an awful slaughter it has been in that neighbourhood. These Bedfords reckon on the War ending this year but I am afraid there isnt much hope of that now is there?

Please thank Mr & Mrs Young and all other friends for their kind wishes.

Fancy old Wilf in the Army at last. I guess the grub will be a bit funny to him at first – that is, if he makes up his mind to eat the same as other people, but as far as I can make out there isnt much to complain about with English Army Rations, not like the tackle in India!

Can you imagine soldiers listening to Bill Cole? I guess I could talk to them very nearly as well as he could. Out here we haven’t much respect for a civilian between the ages of 18 and 45 but it appears that in England things are very different.

March 31st 1916

I suppose the weather on the West Front is still pretty bad for there seems very little news in the paper.

The Viceroy leaves for England this evening and we are finding the Guard of Honour. The new Viceroy arrives on April 5th.

I much hope my “Old Cat” will have a very happy Birthday on Monday, and that Herbert & Black Cat will kiss you as my Deputies.

I am hoping to leave on Tuesday for Ranikhet. I don’t know how about writing you next week as we shall be on the Line of March but hope to manage at least a post card & to let you know my new address.

Not being quite so hot today the Blighters at the Power Station have cut off the fans so the Bungalows are somewhat like your Kitchen oven at 12 noon on Sundays, but its all the same to me as I’ve got used to heat & cold but I shall be very glad to see an English wet day.

Best love & kisses to yourselves and the Appses also to Black Cat and Rajah.

Ever your loving

Jack

xxxxx

xxxx

xxx

x

March 23rd 1916

Fort Delhi, India

My dear Mum & Dad,

The Mail this week is very late, it being the one delayed on account of the sinking of the “Maloja” but I hope to receive them on Saturday night.

I expect you are surprised to see that I am still at the Fort. All the 4th Wilts have cleared out & gone to Kingsway preparatory to moving to Ranikhet in a fortnight, but I am attached to the 1st Garrison Btn Bedfordshire Regt who arrived yesterday. They are awfully tight packed here being 999 strong. They arrived at Bombay 1000 strong but one deserted & hasn’t been heard anything of since. They are all men either unfit for Active Service (but fit for the Indian climate or supposed to be) and men wounded in France. Over 50% of them are wounded men & ages up to 59!! There are heaps of them over 50 most of whom gave their names as 38 or 39. I am however pleased to know that half of them are going to Kailana for a Delhi Summer would kill a very large number of them. It seems rotten that these men should fight in France & then come to such a Station as Belgium whilst fellows 30 & 40 years younger get “starred” as being milkers, “Conscientious Wallahs” &c. Our Band played them in to the Fort at 5.30 yesterday morning & then played the Wilts Detachment back to Camp. It is the first day for a year & five months that our whole Battalion has camped together.

I hope to stay here quite 10 days & Sergt Sheppard is putting me in Orders for “Extra Duty pay” as I am instructing the Bedford Orderly Room Staff in Indian O. R. Work. Their Officers seem a decent lot, they haven’t seen service much like the NCO’s & men have the Regt being made out of 15 different County Battalions.

I much hope that you are both in the very best of health as I myself am, and I am glad to say that it is much cooler than it was last week there being a little breeze about.

Please give my love to the two puss-cats whom I trust are well.

I don’t know if my next week’s letter will be from here or Kingsway, I will write one but under the circumstances I daresay it will have to be a rather shorter one than usual.

I hope that the Apps family are quite well & I will try to write them this week to them because if I do not I am afraid I shan’t have a chance of doing so for the two following weeks. English silver has been going cheap the last two days & you can get a two shilling piece for one rupee four annas, I bought two of them.

The Bedfords aren’t allowed out of the Fort yet as they haven’t any clean drill clothes & are in an awful mess with sweat & coal-dust.

I think that we shall find Ranikhet a very nice Station & a bit of sport there too.

I am very glad to learn that the men in Flanders receive such good treatment as regards Ambulances & rations, for Force “D” (The Mesopotamian Force supplied from here) have had a most awful time in the Gulf & yet you hear so much more of the trench-fighting in France than of the savage Warfare in Mesopotamia.

Please give my love to all friends, six kisses to Rajah and five to Herbert.

The Viceroy’s Garden Party in the Fort Gardens was very pretty & all the fountains playing as they did when the Moghul Kings were in Possession. We went upon the Verandahs with field glasses. There were about 200 very “swank” ladies but not one of them to touch my “Old Cat” or Flossie.

Best love & kisses & hoping the Kaiser may shortly be “blowed up to the noted bull-elephants.”

Ever your loving

Jack

Would it be troubling you to thank the Aunts very much for socks & explain circumstances. Of course I’ll write if I find time.

Jack.