Letter from John S. Campbell to George Hackney, 20 September 1916

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from John S. Campbell to George Hackney, 20 September 1916

1 Avondale Villas, Cyprus Avenue ,Bloomfield, Belfast. Sept 20th 1916
Corpal. George Hackney Dear Sir Your very welcome letter to hand
for which I am indeed exceedingly
obliged. I am indeed anxious
about my Son Jack. I wrote him asking him to let me
know the nature of the kick.
I am only guessing it is in
the privates & I would like
to know, I also want to know
if money would be of any use
to him. I can't get any information
from him as you say his letters
are all censored. I understand
that when you Soldiers go into Hospital
your money stops. Now would you 2 tell me if I could send him
say a few shillings for his
pocket. Could or would it be
any use to him. Can he get
out to spend it or buy anything
he wants. Of course we send him cigarettes & parcel every
week to hospital. I am glad
he came through the 1st of July
free from wounds. How did
he stand the war. Is he
very nervous. You say he is
looking in the pink at present.
Is there any chance of him
getting home to Belfast as
he was not home since he left
for France. I would like to
see him & so would his
mother. How was he getting
along in the Army. I know
you will tell me all 3 If ever you are in Belfast
you might call at the
enclosed address. Thanking you very much
for your kind letter
& waiting your reply. I am Yours Sincerely John S Campbell 4 Blank back of envelope 5 Blank back of envelope

Letter from John S. Campbell to George Hackney (1889-1977). Campbell thanks George for sending him information about his son Jack in a previous letter. He has written thrice to Jack asking about the nature of his injury but received no reply, and thus assumes 'it is in the privates'. John asks if soldiers have any opportunity to spend money while in hospital, and if there is any point in sending Jack some. He writes several questions about how Jack is getting on and implores George to 'tell me all'. He invites George to visit if ever he returns to Belfast.This letter is from the papers of George Naphthali Hackney, a Lance Corporal from Clifton, Belfast. Before his time in the army, he worked as a book-keeper for a florist. He was the youngest in a Presbyterian family of six, with three older sisters. In 2014, his collection of photographs taken in the trenches were made available to the public in an Ulster Museum exhibition, and his life and photography became the subject of a BBC documentary, 'The Man who Shot the Great War'. In 1916 he was injured and spent some time in Wharncliffe War Hospital, Sheffield.

John S. Campbell
George Hackney
1916-09-20
World War I (1914-1918) Personal Relations

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How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__0733.html)