1 Mesoptamia Expd. Force. 29/9/16 I am very glad to hear that you are getting
on so well & that you are able to be about & go
to town again. I am also very glad to hear that
Baby is improving under the new treatment.
I must have been very dull for you being kept
in the house for so long. We find it just the other
way — very dull not having seen a house for so long.
So much so that the S & T man built a hut for
himself but it was not a success as the sandflies
got in in such numbers that he now sleeps outside.
There is nothing doing here at all & we live a
very peaceable existence except for odd arab thieves
who come along at night. At first they made rather
a good thing out of the camps but now the sepoys
are getting very much alive and we are being
troubled less and less. About a fortnight ago they
killed one & wounded a second at a camp near here
since when there have been no more thieves.
I wish we had stuff to make illuminating grenades
as we used to in Princes Coy in Pindi. I tried to
get some but failed. I had a long letter from Prince
some time ago. He said that simla had not accepted an the
new bomb he invented & on which I worked as they already 2 had fixed a type but they thanked him very much as also
did the G.O.C. Pindi Division. So all our work was no good.
He also said that he had sorted out my kit and left it for
Billy who was coming to Pindi soon & would take it away.
It was very good of him to take such a lot of trouble.
I have made no will so if anything happens to me & I get
killed — which seems very improbable — you will have to arrange
what is to be done with my property. I have got a case which
I left in the workshops in Dowlaishwarem, it contains clothes & picture
frames & some books all of very little value especially as I had
a letter from De Bras the workshop supdt who said that he thought
the white ants had got it! The rest of my kit deleted text. I sold all
the chairs & plates etc. before I left Dowlaishwarem. The kit is
officially in charge of the Executive Engineer Godavii Eastern Division
Dowlaishwarem. The rest of my kit, except what I have got out here
is with Billy & also consists of clothes books photographs etc.
All the money I possess is with the Cox & Co Rawalpindi who have got
a power of Attorney. They have also got my United Cities Service
Shares which I told them to sell if they could get a price
for them — I forget what price — E. Haser. the manager of Cox & Co
Rawalpindi is a friend of mine & would I am sure do anything for
you or find out anything. I have left two bills one for about Rs14-0-0
with King & Co Bombay for getting off my kit when I landed in 1914
they looked after it so well that one bag was cut open & about
Rs10-0-0 of stuff extracted so I don't intend to pay them. I tried
to make them pay me & they would not so I think it may 3 be left at that. The other is for about Rs 50-0-0 from Ranken
Tailor Rawalpindi it is for a cawapore Topee & a Blue Forage cap
for which the right price is about Rs 30-0-0 So I am going to
write to him about it. Except fot these I have left no bills in
India. I have not had bought anything from shops at home since I came
out but am now sending my watch to S.D. Neills to get mended
which will mean a bill with them. I am afraid I have saved no money during the time I was
in India & have sold shares to the value of about £45-0-0
but I hope to here as there is absolutely nothing to spend
money on & no way except mess bills & sending to India & home
for parcels also my combined civil furlough & military pay comes
to 19.7-0-0 odd &416-0-0 so I hope to save at least Rx400
a month. I think I told you that I saw Joe Sparrow out here.
He is very well & had dinner several times in out mess.
He seems to have got a very good job now though he
is only a 2nd Lt. and I think likes it. I hope mother is well & also Phil & Ander & that Baby
is continuing to improve. From your loving son
Jimmy