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            <title type="main">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 21 June 1916</title>
            <title type="sub">Letters 1916-1923</title>
            <author>James Davidson</author>
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            <p>This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in <date>2017</date>. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.</p>
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            <publisher>Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities</publisher>
            <pubPlace>Vienna, AT</pubPlace>
            <date>2026</date>
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               <p>This is an open access work licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0).</p>
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               <p>Letter from James Davidson (1877-1916) to his mother, Clara Mary (b.1852). James writes that the offensive has yet to start but doubts that it can be held off for much longer. He notes that the postal service has been disrupted by the bad weather conditions. The Somme bombardment would start three days later on 24 June.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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              <date>1916-06-21</date>
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                21/6/16    Just a <seg type="unclear">tiny </seg>line dearest <lb/>Mother â nothing has <lb/>happened as yet &amp; I am <lb/>very well but we are <lb/>all going 16 <seg type="unclear">hours</seg><lb/>&amp; I think the great day <lb/>cannot be far away <lb/>now so dont be <lb/>at all surprised or <lb/>worried if you hear <lb/>no more news for a <lb/>week or even more. <lb/>I daresay the postal <lb/>arrangements are <lb/>a bit upset at present. <lb/>Weather has at last <lb/>shown some signs <lb/>of improving â today <lb/>it was reasonably  
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              warm â I do so hope <lb/>it will continue. <lb/>Have just received your <lb/>letter of 15<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> â thanks <lb/>so much. Am glad <lb/>to hear that you are <lb/>all well. One of <lb/>my Corpls. has just returned <lb/>from leave &amp; was so <lb/>delighted with his visit <lb/>to the Works. I expect <lb/>he gave Father all our <lb/>news. Goodnight <lb/>Mother dear. My fondest <lb/>love to all <seg type="closer"> Your loving son  Jim </seg> 
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               Back of envelope with date 26/June/16   
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               On Active Service  Written 21<hi rend="superscript">st</hi>. <seg type="unclear">Rcd</seg> 26<hi rend="superscript">th</hi><lb/>James   Mrs. S. C. Davidson  Seacourt  Bangor  Co. Down.  Ireland   21-6-16 <lb/>Jm Davidson   
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            <noteGrp><note target="item__0674.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 3 November 1915</note><note target="item__0715.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary. Davidson, 16 February 1916</note><note target="item__1045.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 30 June 1916</note><note target="item__1046.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from Samuel Davidson to Frederick Ponsonby, 11 July 1916</note><note target="item__1048.xml" type="mentions">Letter from K.E. Fitzgerald to Clara Davidson, 5 July 1916</note><note target="item__1049.xml" type="mentions">Postcard from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 25 June 1916</note><note target="item__1053.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 28 June 1916</note><note target="item__1055.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from the War Office to Samuel Cleland Davidson, 7 July 1916</note><note target="item__1057.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 8 April 1916</note><note target="item__1060.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 12 April 1916</note><note target="item__1061.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 18 June 1916</note><note target="item__1062.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 16 April 1916</note><note target="item__1063.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 21 June 1916</note><note target="item__2788.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 29 February 1916</note><note target="item__2798.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his father Samuel Cleland Davidson, 16 February 1916</note><note target="item__3760.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 5 June 1916</note><note target="item__3763.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 6 June 1916</note><note target="item__3765.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 10 April 1916</note><note target="item__3766.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 9 April 1916</note><note target="item__3769.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 15 June 1916</note></noteGrp></place>
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            <noteGrp><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__0672.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 December 1915</note><note target="item__0673.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Captain James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 6 December 1915</note><note target="item__0674.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 3 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__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__0684.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 21 November 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__0689.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Captain James Davidson to his mother Clara Mary Davidson, 7 December 1915</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__0692.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, S.C. Davidson, 27 December 1915</note><note target="item__0693.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 27 January 1916</note><note target="item__0705.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 28 May 1916</note><note target="item__0712.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from Samuel Cleland Davidson to Captain SJ Davidson, 6 March 1916</note><note target="item__0713.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his sister, Kathleen, 7 March 1916</note><note target="item__0714.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 13 March 1916</note><note target="item__0715.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary. Davidson, 16 February 1916</note><note target="item__0716.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 February 1916</note><note target="item__1045.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 30 June 1916</note><note target="item__1049.xml" type="mentions">Postcard from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 25 June 1916</note><note target="item__1053.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 28 June 1916</note><note target="item__1057.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 8 April 1916</note><note target="item__1059.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Samuel Davidson, 9 June 1916</note><note target="item__1060.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 12 April 1916</note><note target="item__1061.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 18 June 1916</note><note target="item__1062.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 16 April 1916</note><note target="item__1063.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 21 June 1916</note><note target="item__2787.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 27 February 1916</note><note target="item__2788.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 29 February 1916</note><note target="item__2802.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 21 May 1916</note><note target="item__3760.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 5 June 1916</note><note target="item__3763.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 6 June 1916</note><note target="item__3765.xml" type="mentions">Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 10 April 1916</note><note target="item__3766.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 9 April 1916</note><note target="item__3769.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 15 June 1916</note><note target="item__3775.xml" type="mentions">Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 23 April 1916</note></noteGrp></person>
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