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            <title type="main">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 1 February 1916</title>
            <title type="sub">Letters 1916-1923</title>
            <author>James Davidson</author>
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            <publisher>Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities</publisher>
            <pubPlace>Vienna, AT</pubPlace>
            <date>2026</date>
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               <p>Letter from James Davidson (1877-1916) to his mother, Clara Mary. In this short and rushed letter, James sends his fondest love and wishes to his mother and family as his company makes arrangements to move back to action in the trenches. Unlike the conditions and fighting he has already experienced in previous locations, he notes that the trenches his company will now be posted to are located at a very bad part of the front line.This letter is part of a large correspondence from Captain James Davidson to his parents. Davidson, who was Managing Director of the Sirocco Engineering Works in Belfast, served with 13 Royal Irish Rifles and the Machine Gun Corps. His letters describe his experiences while training in England and serving in France. He was killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.</p>
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                1/2/16   My dearest Mother â    We <lb/> start for the trenches to- <lb/>morrow so I am sure <lb/> you will excuse a <lb/> very wee line as you <lb/> can understand what <lb/> a lot I have to attend <lb/> to.   It was bad enough <lb/> trying to get my Coy <lb/> organised &amp; into running <lb/> order but now on the <lb/> top of it all this comes <lb/> the order to move &amp; with <lb/> it of course all the extra <lb/> preparations. I simply  
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              <lb/>don't know what way <lb/> to turn but everyone <lb/> is working hard &amp; <lb/> so things are gradually <lb/> getting straightened <lb/> out.   You need <lb/> not be anxious if <lb/> you don't hear from  
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              <lb/>me for a week or more <lb/> as there will be little time <lb/> for writing until we have <lb/> actually taken over &amp; <lb/> as it were settled down.  Please thank K. for her <lb/> letter â was so glad <lb/> to hear that she is able <lb/> to be out of doors a little. <lb/> What bad luck about <lb/> poor wee Binkie, I fear <lb/> there is not much chance <lb/> of him recovering from <lb/> such a bad accident.   The parcels all arrive <lb/> safely &amp; regularly &amp; I <lb/> have no alterations to  
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              <lb/>suggest meantime in <lb/> the contents.   
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              <lb/>On Active Service <lb/>RCd 7<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> Feb 16   Mrs S. C. Davidson  Seaport  Bangor  Co Down  Ireland  <lb/> J Davidson   
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            <noteGrp><note target="item__0665.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 26 October, 1916</note><note target="item__0669.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 28 November 1915</note><note target="item__0670.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 12 November 1915</note><note target="item__0671.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 16 November 1915</note><note target="item__0675.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 3 November 1915</note><note target="item__0676.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 2 December 1915</note><note target="item__0678.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 13 October, 1916</note><note target="item__0680.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 17 December 1915</note><note target="item__0681.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 12 December 1915</note><note target="item__0682.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 22 December 1915</note><note target="item__0685.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 31 December 1915</note><note target="item__0686.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 1 February 1916</note><note target="item__0687.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 11 January 1916</note><note target="item__0691.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 January 1916</note><note target="item__2726.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 18 December, 1915</note><note target="item__2732.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 13 December, 1915</note><note target="item__2736.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 18 November, 1915</note><note target="item__2742.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and  Sara Montgomery, 29 December, 1915</note></noteGrp></place>
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