6 March 1918 France
[Envelope]
Postmark: FIELD POT OFFICE 8 MR 18
PASSED BY CENSOR No 4590
Mrs C. W. Satchell
"Macclesfield"
Livingstone St
Burwood
Sydney
Australia
[Page 1]
6th March 1918
My darling mother
I just think this will be a little late for your birthday, I should be ashamed of myself for not writing earlier, but what with one thing and another dear it has slipped my memory. Rest assured though that you will not be forgotten on 24th April.
I have just written to Ron for his birthday and spun him an awful yarn about Santa Claus, I wonder whether he will believe it. I'm late for his too.
You will think this paper is a bit "hot" for France
[Page 2]
but one of the boys gave me this, it is the first I have seen of its kind in our battalion, looks real don't you think?
I think I've told you long ago that Arthur Cooke is back with the battalion and taken over the Sigs, I now have a platoon. I've also told you or Sis I think that I won the competition for the best drilled platoon in the battalion and so now I'll be one of the "hup hoff and hat 'em". They are a good lot of lads, very young some of them and I have every confidence that they will always stand by a chap.
Yesterday I called to see some old French folk whom I met when I first came to France, luckily now on the same front, they live quite close to the line. There is the old lady and her daughter, not a bad girl as French
[Page 3]
farm girls go, the girl last time I met her in December or November told me all about her fiancee (speaks English pretty well) a Tommy Sergeant. As soon as they saw me yesterday "Oh! Monsieur Billy". Shook hands and under a terrible storm of French from the old girl bidding me to enter the house, did so and spent quite a decent hour in the old french kitchen, with a fire that would gladden any fellow's heart. They brought a bottle of their best wine to light, so you can imagine me sitting by the fire drinking "vin blanc" and listening to first French then English, half of the former which I didn't
[Page 4]
understand naturally.
The girl's fiancee had been killed about a month before and she told me all about it. With tears running down her face ended up by saying Oh Monsieur Billy I was so happy, now ...
Poor girl I didn't know what to say to her so smoked violently. I couldn't help smiling at the old girl though. She kept going and I kept saying oui only hope that she didn't expect any different answer. It is a jolly good thing that white wine is weak stuff, otherwise I would have been singing to them, I'm sure they poured more than half the bottle into me.
Well mother dear this is just a note to let you know you are by no means forgotten.
I am as fit as a fiddle and hoping for leave shortly. Tons of love 4 XX's from your loving son Billy
Postmark: FIELD POT OFFICE 8 MR 18
PASSED BY CENSOR No 4590
Mrs C. W. Satchell
"Macclesfield"
Livingstone St
Burwood
Sydney
Australia
[Page 1]
6th March 1918
My darling mother
I just think this will be a little late for your birthday, I should be ashamed of myself for not writing earlier, but what with one thing and another dear it has slipped my memory. Rest assured though that you will not be forgotten on 24th April.
I have just written to Ron for his birthday and spun him an awful yarn about Santa Claus, I wonder whether he will believe it. I'm late for his too.
You will think this paper is a bit "hot" for France
[Page 2]
but one of the boys gave me this, it is the first I have seen of its kind in our battalion, looks real don't you think?
I think I've told you long ago that Arthur Cooke is back with the battalion and taken over the Sigs, I now have a platoon. I've also told you or Sis I think that I won the competition for the best drilled platoon in the battalion and so now I'll be one of the "hup hoff and hat 'em". They are a good lot of lads, very young some of them and I have every confidence that they will always stand by a chap.
Yesterday I called to see some old French folk whom I met when I first came to France, luckily now on the same front, they live quite close to the line. There is the old lady and her daughter, not a bad girl as French
[Page 3]
farm girls go, the girl last time I met her in December or November told me all about her fiancee (speaks English pretty well) a Tommy Sergeant. As soon as they saw me yesterday "Oh! Monsieur Billy". Shook hands and under a terrible storm of French from the old girl bidding me to enter the house, did so and spent quite a decent hour in the old french kitchen, with a fire that would gladden any fellow's heart. They brought a bottle of their best wine to light, so you can imagine me sitting by the fire drinking "vin blanc" and listening to first French then English, half of the former which I didn't
[Page 4]
understand naturally.
The girl's fiancee had been killed about a month before and she told me all about it. With tears running down her face ended up by saying Oh Monsieur Billy I was so happy, now ...
Poor girl I didn't know what to say to her so smoked violently. I couldn't help smiling at the old girl though. She kept going and I kept saying oui only hope that she didn't expect any different answer. It is a jolly good thing that white wine is weak stuff, otherwise I would have been singing to them, I'm sure they poured more than half the bottle into me.
Well mother dear this is just a note to let you know you are by no means forgotten.
I am as fit as a fiddle and hoping for leave shortly. Tons of love 4 XX's from your loving son Billy