Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Celia Duffin

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 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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Letter from Celia Duffin (1888-1979) to her mother Maria (1854-1954) informing her about her latest activities in London. Celia writes about the various visits she has made during the week and looking at Raemaekers ghastly war cartoons. When speaking of her patients, Celia mentions an Italian chef nicknamed 'Spaghetti', who somehow has made it into the British army. This letter is part of a rich correspondence between various members of the Duffin family, a large prosperous family living in Strandtown, Belfast. Several family members served in the war, including Major Terence Duffin, who served as a staff officer with 107 Brigade, and later with Royal Irish Rifles; Major Charles G Duffin MC, Royal Field Artillery; and their sisters Emma, Celia and Dorothy who served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADS) in Egypt and France, and with the YMCA. Celia Duffin along with her sister Ruth published a book of poems titled ''Escape Poem'' (illustrated by their sister Emma Duffin) and published by Maunsell #& Co. Ltd in 1929.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Duffin Papers, D2109/10/1/B/6/2 https://letters1916.ie/item/626 English Celia Duffin 1916-02 Maria Duffin Female World War I (1914-1918) Medicine Personal Relations

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 11 Feb 1916, Friday Dearest Mamma I have just finished counting my washing and will have time for a letter home before going back to hospital. Yesterday I went home to Ealing with Marjorie Monaghan and had tea and dinner there. We didn't do much except sit and talk over the fire. She hashada new hut now at the hospital to cook all the orderlies meals at. I think it is awfully clever of her. She and one other girl do all the cooking for 60 orderlies. The detachment quartermas— ter arranges all the meals and orders the supplies and she does the cooking and sewing, with nobody to help, except scrubbing women who do the washing up. Mrs Monaghan and the sister were there; the sister is very pretty and is busy working at one of those depots for supplying hospitals with bandages etc Mrs Caldecott is still invalided, I went to visit her the other day at a nursing home in Henrietta Street. She has strained herself and the doctor says will have to lie on her back for some time. She is very depressed at having to give up her nursing. I went up to town with the Lecky girl last Saturday and looked in at Raemaekers cartoons in old Bond St. They are awfully clever but most of them very ghastly, and all about the war. We had tea together at a nice little shop in Oxford St. and then I went back to Putney for dinner. Mrs Lecky is most kind and affectionate. The girl does visitng connected with Board Schools and is kept pretty busy. I hadn't met Mr Lecky before, he had great enquiries to make about his 'fat old cousin', as he calls Mrs Sinclair. He is evidently very well read and clever, and interested in monu— ments, old castles and things of that sort which I know nothing about. The other pro: has been removed to another ward, so which I am rather glad of as I didn't care much about her, and although it gives me more work, it is really more satisfactory working by yourself, as you know exactly what has to be done. We have a funny old Italian chef in the ward, we always call him spaghetti as no one ever remembers his real name. I can't think how he got into the English army, and he tells the most awful lies about all his doings. Then there is a very swanky sergeant—major who reigns supreme in the ward, and a funny little mousy boy who spends all day smoking cigarettes and playing with the gramophone, then there is an amusing old fellow who talks strong cockney that I can hardly understand him, and a nice boy whose father is on the war office staff. So you see we get a funny mixed crowd in a hospital ward. At the far end sleep two jolly boys who have both had operations for appendicitis and do nothing but giggle all day long. I am going to make myself a cup of your tea. I hope your cook will be a success this time and give you no bother. Best love from your loving Celia Maria Duffin Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 5 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Terrence Duffin to his mother, Maria Duffin, 31 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 December 2015Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, January 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Emma Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 5 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 27 March 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, 15 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 22 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his mother Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 1 November 1915 Celia Duffin Letter from Emma Duffin to her sister Celia Duffin, 29 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 22 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 16 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Auntie D, 3 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Celia Duffin, 15 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915letter from Anna Duffin to Celia Duffin, 3 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from A. Duffin to Celia Duffin, 2 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, Thursday November,1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 1915