Look After My Bicycle

Date: September 29th, 1914

Address: 55 Stoke Road, Aylesbury, Bucks.

From: Tom

To: George



Dear George

We received your letter last week. I guess you had a lively time of it with that epileptic patient. It will give you a chance to get some experience in First Aid Treatment, which comes in useful at any time. You seem to have fallen into a good nest at Shields, stick to it like glue until you can get promotion and something better. We have champion diggings here, but we are going away to camp later on in the week, at a place about 4 miles from here. In my last letter I stated that we were in the 9th D.L.I.; that statement was wrong. At the parade on Saturday afternoon we were finally arranged. We four are now in the No 4 Section, No 3 Platoon, No 1 Company, 14th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. We have not got our regimental numbers, but the above particulars will be sufficient to find us at any time if you know where the regiment is stationed; but do not address letters like the above if you know where we are billetted as we are now. We have no uniforms yet, just arm badges. We are having fine weather here. We had a Church Parade on Sunday morning and were at chapel again in the evening. We are going to a soldiers' concert tonight in the Wellington Schoolroom. You can have the use of my bicycle while I am away from home, provided you keep it in running order. It would be advisable to send as much money home as possible out of your wages as we can't send much and there is a lot of them at home. Write immediately before we leave Aylesbury. Will let you know when we leave and new address.

Yours Faithfully

Tom

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Note: Tom refers to an epileptic patient. I remember my grandfather, George, telling me of the time he worked as an orderly in a mental home.