Letter from Sir Wilfrid Spender (1876 - 1960) to his wife, Lillian (1880-1968). Spender was a member of the British Army until 1913 when controversy surrounding his signature of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant resulted in his resignation. Spender was called up for military service in 1914 and from 1915 served in the 36th (Ulster) Division. Throughout the war, Spender wrote a collection of letters to his wife Lady Lillian Spender. The letters date mainly from 1915 to 1918, when Sir Wilfrid was serving in France. The letters concern politics, the Irish question, personal life, and Wilfrid's experience of the Great War. Sir Ian Hamilton was the British commander of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign. During the Easter Rising, Hamilton was originally intended to serve as military governor of Ireland. However, his handling of the Gallipoli campaign, and the large number of Irish losses incurred during the campaign, convinced British command to dispatch Sir John Maxwell in his stead.