1 To Riddel Halls, 1915 My dear Ruth Many thanks for your letter
which reached me tonight — I owe
you many I know — yes, your
paper arrives very regularly and
nothing to pay in spite of the
halfpenny stamp — I am always
glad to get it and know what
goes on at home — many thanks
for sending it. I was terribly sorry to hear
about poor Jim Finlay — It is
a sad change for Wolfhill — Poor Lavit will feel it terribly
I am afraid. I think one
feels home casualties even more
when out here even though when
here you are up against them every
day. Our brigade however
so far has been fairly lucky. The weather out here is
2 indescribable — Since the first
week it has rained in torrents
and everything is under water — The trenches are simply too
awful for words. Talk about
Ireland and rain, this beats it
hollow! Tell Aunt Margaret if
she has not already heard it,
that she may expect Sam back
for a course of rest duty in
England at any time — the
correspondence curiously enough
passed though me, his name
with some others — I am sure
he has well earned a turn of
duty at home. Of course I
have no idea where he will be
sent to on return. Our General is home on leave
and Day the Bde. Major will
go for his return after that I
3
may stand a chance but I
am by no means sure of it. Day says he thinks he
may be a connection of the Day's
in Belfast but apparently does
not know them well. Glad to hear you are getting
settled down in the Riddel Hall
and that the work is not too
strenuous — how does the
lady cook do? A lady cook
strikes me as being a somewhat
dangerous experiment to try. Rather curious the case of
Lieut Shillington who was taken
prisioner and at first thought to
be wounded. The Germans
stuck up a notice about him
in 'no mans land' stating he
was safe and unwounded and
asking us to inform his wife
and 2 children! Our men
4 went out and brought in
the bound at night. — There
is evidently still some shreds
of chivalry in the Hun! We have got an officer with
the Bde. Office to learn staff
work now and I am getting
gradually more time to get
out of the office and work my
way by degrees round the
different battalions in the Bde
and talk to them — It is a
great help as I get to know their
difficulties better and get can
take steps accordingly to help
them and they also to help me. A staff Captain's work some —
what resembles that if the manager
of a big hotel — every guest,
represented by battalion officer
out here, has their own particular 5 pet fad and it is difficult
to have to try and please all! You have to listen to each in
turn, talk sympathetically
to all and finally when you
return to your office with endless
excellent suggestions which are
all impossible to carry out. It
is all rather trying and somewhat
thoughtless. Do what you can
and let the rest slide is the only
way out of it. You will be a smaller party
than usual on Xmas day this
year. They have just been
working out our spell of duty
and we will be in the trenches
on Xmas day but will probably
be relieved on Xmas night — rather
a curious division as it happens. Posts have been most irregular
lately and I don't know
6 how long it takes my letters
to reach Ireland — let them
know at Dunowen that I
am well and flourishing. Your loving Terry