1 Mater
Mr. Dean?
Edmund

Rex Please return finally to Lil June 19 No time to write anything except
a message of my love.
I hope you are all well now. Rex My dear folks. I am matching time for a few , having but
the port! I was out at the front on a very important
piece of work which will not be finished for some time,
but for which a heavy responsibility rests on one till tomorrow, as
if my arrangements go wrong before, a disaster of some magnitude
might ensue. However, one can only do one’s best & hope that
fortune may shine on it. I have been very much touched by a little piece of attention
by our RE. On a higher ridge than most, 500 yards behind the
front line an observation fort was being out up with a dug out under
neath & a thing like a steel rabbit hutch on top through which one
looks. I want to visit it one day, & mentioned that I was
going to be there in any big battles as a matter of instinct. A few days later I was there again & found it most beauti—
fully fitted up with bedstead of rabbit , shelves, table, etc
Altogether most snug ; when I mention that the general’s own
quarters 2 miles behind, which are also dug in, are not nearly
as nice you will see that I have not been a Staff officer
of the UVF for nothing! Another thing that touched me was a request by some
of the men that I should become their member in Belfast after
the war. I am not quite sure who I am to turn out,
tho’ there is one Unionist whom I would replace with
pleasure. These little things help & the final announcement that
the Home Rule settlement is postponed till the end of the war 2 has raised my spirits immensely & made me far fitter
for the heavy work ahead. The storm is rather heavy,
I have been up to 2AM (rum time luckily) 2 nights
running, so you can guess one is busy, & I have to do
more writing now as my own shorthand Staff Sergt
has had to go to the base about his teeth & will
probably not return. Before we left Belfast he was told his
teeth were so bad he would not be able to go back to
the front. He went to the Dentist & had 14 out that day,
& a set of false teeth made which I suppose did not fit well
in the time, so for a year he has been chewing with
no teeth & no wonder his digestion is bad! This feck—
less courage is typically Ulster. The new of the Russian Victories is good but
there is much to be done before the war is finished.
I hope the treacherous Greeks & the Romanians —
not much better — may now come in to share the spoils. We have had some heavy bombardments & I was in one
yesterday, some trenches 50 yards away getting it rather hotly
whilst some big went over our heads, luckily for us. Such a nice little note from Walter should get an
answer, but both he & Jimi will forgive me if my let
replies don’t start till I go to my dug — out when I hope to
have plenty of time, tho’ somewhat a noisy one I expect. I’m afraid Rex is likely to see further fighting in Ireland in
the next few weeks. It is probable a whole heap of men will be
sent to him as drafts from England as they must keep up a large
garrison now. I wish I could give you a true account of this Home Rule
intrigue of which a Cabinet minister gave Farnham a full story. There
were resignations of ministers & I think the Government would have fallen
but for the postponement. Best love my dear folks all. Wilfrid B Spender