Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 13 December, 1915 Letters 1916-1923 William Alexander Montgomery

This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in 2017. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.

 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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The Montgomery family lived in Malone Park, one of the wealthiest suburbs of Belfast city. This letter is part of a large collection that their son, William, a Captain with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, wrote to his parents, Harford Hugh and Sara Montgomery, throughout the war. His first letter is dated 3 December 1914. Captain Montgomery was a decorated soldier. He was awarded both the Victoria and the 15 Star medals and was promoted to the rank of Major. His father owned a fire assessor business.

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland William Montgomery Papers, D27941/1/4 https://letters1916.ie/item/2732 English William Alexander Montgomery 1915-12-13 In the Field Harford Hugh Montgomery Monacherra, Malone Road, Belfasr, Northern Ireland Male World War I (1914-1918) World War I (1914-1918)

The data in these XML files was generated based on a data dump from the Magellan database (https://github.com/Maynooth-Center-for-Digital-Humanities/Magellan). Each database record has been converted to a JSON file (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/json). The element section of the JSON file contains the TEI-encoded contents of the letters. The TEI XML has been cleaned and made well-formed using a Python script (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/src).

 In the Field 13.12.15 My Dear Father I have yours of 29th questionable reading with enclosures for which I thank you. The second revolver holster was for Maynard Sinclair who will probably pay me for it sometime when we have a square up. I wont bother about Acetylene Lamps just at present thanks. Carbide is the difficulty & we are now being issuedwith paraffin for lamps. We have got quite good cheap oil lamps, which we carry about with us. I havent spent your £1 yet as we got quite a lot of candles both from Belfast & from Govt. issue. The fuel question is also adjusting itself. I got your very welcome parcel yesterday, containing 3 paper holders with at which my Coy. Sergt. Major & Coy. Q. Master Sergt were delighted. They will come in most useful. I am I am writing this with the fountain pen which is a much appreciated Godsend. The handkerchiefs were also most useful. I hunted the whole parcel for a note from you but came to the conclusion that that you must have forgotten to put it in. I am in splendid health & spirits. In fact I think I have put on a little weight. We also appreciate the galore copies of Punch which arrive quite safely. I hope you read the "At the Front" articles. They are undoubtedly written by someone who has been through it. They are quite true as regards atmosphere and detail. We scream over them. It is the first thing we turn to. Courtney Shillington had a lucky escape. Men & Officers have been lost since he was, going to the same place on patrol duty. Gaffihin's Coy lost 3 men there last time we were uo & the 8th lost Stanley Hunter there & all the patrol except one Corporal, who crawled back wounded. The Germans put the notice about Courtney Shillington's safety (nicely framed) in a place "tween lines" known as the "Near Willows" at the very certain risk of their lives. The notice was found attached to a willow tree not more than 20 yards from our WIRE. Plucky of them wasnt it? This is the first fine day we have had for weeks. You dont quite realise what that means to us. It means that by working men until they collapse, are tinkered up again, & worked more that we may get a little ahead of the mud & water in the trenches & make g dugouts a little more weatherproof & then when you ahve done quite well at it, you get shelled the whole contraption smashed up & start again. I have had more trouble with drink. I had another sergeant broken by Field General Court Martial and a Rifleman sentenced to a lengthy spell of Field Punishment No !. This is not a pleasant punishment. Part of it is tying up by the hands above the head as high as they will go (without injury to health) for an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening, feet tied as well. While men are in the trenches punishment is suspended but begins again as soon as we come out again. I have to see the men tied up. I have 12 at present all for moderately trivial offences. They dont look pretty on a cold morning after they have had about 3/4 hour. Incorrigibles can be helped towards better ways by placing their feet on a brick, tie up hands as high as they will go & then remove he brick for ten minutes or so. One of mine was quite cured this way. I can see a German Aeroplane being shelled from where I am sitting writing this. They are hard to hit. I havent seen one brought down yet. I have seen them staggered but they always got back safely. Over the drink troubles I have taken the drastic step of not paying the Company. I warned them first of course. Then they two cases occurred & when next pay day came neither William nor the money was there. I understand they were stunned with horror. They are now blacklisting all the doubtful boys with a view to taking care of them when within a mile of drink. They have sent several deputations to me with all sorts of pathetic tales of children at home being disappointed at not receiving Xmas presents etc. etc. etc. But a Coy. Cmdr. in the field would not keep his job long if he weakened on tales like that. They have done some good work lately & so next time we come out, I shall parade the Coy. & rewarn them & pay them. It is requested that none of all this 'be communicated to either press or public'. By the way I wonder could you find me two Aluminium cases for my razors. They are so rusty now that they are getting positively dangerous to use Horace is in great form He is father. I must close now as we move again this afternoon. Your affect son W. Montgomery Harford H Montgomery Monacherra Malone Park Belfast. JM Sinclair William Alexander Montgomery Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 26 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 13 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 19 November, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 30 October, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 29 September, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 16 November, 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 13 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 18 November, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 29 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 23 December, 1915 In the Field Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 26 October, 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 28 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 12 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 16 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 3 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 2 December 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his mother, Sara Montgomery, 13 October, 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 17 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 12 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 22 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 31 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 1 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 11 January 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 January 1916Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 18 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 13 December, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 18 November, 1915Letter from William Montgomery to his parents, Harford and Sara Montgomery, 29 December, 1915 Monacherra, Malone Road, Belfasr, Northern Ireland Letter from William Montgomery to his father, Harford Hugh Montgomery, 13 December, 1915