Date: 25th May 1915
Address: 14th Battalion Durham LI, A Coy, Halton Camp East, Nr Tring, Herts
From: Pte. T.Gray 15601
To: Father, Lily, Brother
Dear Father , Lily and Brother
We got your letter allright and pleased to (hear) you are all feeling fit. We are in the same condition. I thank you all for the cakes and etcs. which you sent for my birthday but if the Kaiser is to get one of the bullets ..... sent we must have at our disposal an unlimited suppy of ammunition; the bullets didn't last very long when there was two or three popping them off. The cakes were allrightand we saw to it that not a crumb was wasted.
George Curry's regiment came into the North Camp here last week and I went up to see him on Saturday and inquire if he had heard anything from his brother Bob. He was away on pass (Aylesbury and London) and I did not see him.
From the accounts in the papers the 8th D.L.I. did very well but suffered heavily. The British withdrew their line 3 or 4 miles at Ypres where they were fighting, so that will account for him being missing, probably he has been taken prisoner. If this is so it will probably be some time before any definite news is heard of him.
Bob is not an officer's servant. He was only servant for a fortnight previous to going into billets. He was not needed at the billets and since then the lieutenant(?) has been away at different places going through courses of instruction. He is now a captain (?). I don't think Bob's services are required. I had a PC from George last week and I got a letter today. He had about got over his vaccination innoculation. He has been on the range again and did badly but we have a lot of men as bad as him. Bad shots will probably be put on home defence or discharged, or they might even transfer them into some branch of the army where shooting is not so essential as it is in the infantry. For instance they could work in the A.S.C. stores, packing and unpacking etc. or they might be trained as drivers for the artillery. I saw a week or two ago that a bill was going through Parliament to give the Army Authorities the power to transfer men from a branch of the army to another if they thought it necessary. As he is a groom and on the transport he will be doing useful work and I think he will be supplied with glasses and I don't think he will be discharged for his eyesight. The transport men will probably be fully employed in bringing up ammunition, water, jam, bread and bully-beef for the men in the firing line. At any rate when he does get glasses he will be one of the thousands who are wearing glasses in Kitchener's Army. We have men who are now N.C.O.s who wear glasses and a few of the officers wear glasses. I have noticed before that men and lads wearing spurs strut about like the poultry with spurs.
I knew the deputy you mention as having happened as accident; he is Hugh Davis (not Davies) and his parents live in No.13 South T(errace?). I saw that the miners had got a 15% advance but I did not expect that you would get anything without seeking for it. Good luck. Do you ever see old Freddy my marrow?
I was wondering if your Carnival would be anything like the one last year. I remember two or three brave men who thought they were becoming in a dashing military uniform. Certainly they were bold; and they have proved themselves - brave. Evidently the bright coloured PEACE uniform fits them better than the FIGHTING khaki. Brindley the motor cycle scorcher will get his appetite satisfied now when he has to scorch over all sorts of fields in the training to make him efficient for active service.
I heard of Jack Amos getting knocked about. Our hut hasn't been as bad as that. We are not angels though. We get some sport after lights out ragging one another, just like boys at a boarding school. If we had been civilians and saw soldiers carrying on as we do we would say Look at those fellows like a lot of kids. But, we have to get some sort of amusement. Teddy Clark has been working at Easington lately and lodging with Gilhespy's. I knew he was going to be married and then he was going to enlist. He has now done both things and is he is in the Durham Pals. I bet Gulley is like a pouter pigeon now and Nesbitt will be very important. They ought to have Iron Crosses.
I knew most of the men belonging Coalbank but did not see the familiar faces of the Stabler family and only one Wilson. I guess they will be keeping themselves well sheltered in the attic just as they did in the National Miners Strike.
I expect Frank will have started on the first step to be a barber. I don't know whether he will keep on but it is money for nowt being a barber provided you have plenty of chins and nuts.
We had hard lines in the Marching Order Race last week. Twelve men represented each company and it was a race for 5 miles with full uniform equipment; and rifle, and I think we are all in a very good condition when we managed a tough job like that. I could hardly run a couple of hundred yards before joining but we were like team go-as-you-please.
We had some sports yesterday organised by a gentleman with plenty cash at the Wesleyan Hut. We had all sorts of games and competitions and the entrance fee of nopence suited us champion. Bob was orderly man and missed the earlier part of the sports. I made up for him and entered everything on the go, and I can boast without contradiction that I was a good looser. We had tea on the grass for nopence each and everybody had sufficient cash to pay the bill. We had games after tea and then the distribution of the prizes. The prizes included such things as liver pills, soap, cigarettes and baccy and tin toys. I got 4 prizes but I was not a great deal richer except for some soap and baccy.
George sent me a PO for 1s this morning for my birthday gift to buy a cigar with, but I think I'll buy my first pipe. The liver pills which Jack got for a prize have made a reputation for themselves allready.
Italy is now at War, and fighting against our enemies. I am of the opinion that now that Italy has joined in the chorus , that Germany and Austria will shorten their battle front so that they will more effectively keep their enemies back. I think that under cover of the pressure on the Western front at the present time the German Army will shortly fall back on the 2nd Line of Defence on the Rhine. The Dardanelles is proving to be a tough job and I would not be surprised if some of the Balkan states joined in.
During the last month our lines have been getting a gruelling with the gas and shells. In today's paper there is a list of the new Government. The important positions of Prime Minister, War Minister, Munition Minister, Forces ..(?) are filled by good men but I do .....what Mr.Balfour will do at the.... For some time past it has .... slowly brought to the British public the true state of affairs in France and also the fact ..... Every Man Must Do His Share. I agree with those who say that the Government ought to put everybody and all things under State control for the duration of war in order to get a sufficient supply of men, guns, ammunition, equipment, etc. Many things could be done away with for a time to release men for war service. I refer to such things as reducing tramway services, the sinking of new collieries, the building of new picture halls, etc. The starting of new concerns and money-making by excursions, trips, motor companies could wait. I do not mean every man to be a soldier but all the young fellows who are able enough and who are not employed on war service. Some skilled workers could do more useful work at home such as sending two or three Horden Colliery fitters to Elswick; while at many War Service Factories young fellows are employed at labouring who could (be) soldiers and their places filled by men such as paperhangers, and other soft jobs. For instance the new railway for the Hazard could be stopped, and the places of young deputies and overmen filled by older men. Also it is not necessary that all barbers, butchers, porters, etc should be young eligible men (Horden).
I think the letter by Bishop Furze (something like that) published today and other articles recently published make it very clear that instead of the "business as usual" method and the "voluntary" war service it is absolutely necessary that the whole of the British Nation should be called upon to do only necessary work if we are to end the war successfully. Our enemies are all on this war service basis and I hope the present Government will take a firmer control of affairs in order that this may be done.
I see that Kitchener has come through his criticism decently. His job has proved too much for him, his work of gathering together and training new armies is a very big job; and the position of Munition Minister is one which will keep Lloyd George very busy organising and controlling the munition output.
The critics of Kitchener blamed him for sending the wrong shells but he couldn't send all high explosive shells when there wasn't machinery to make tham fast enough and if shrapnel isn't much use it's better than nothing. It stands to reason that if we have two classes of shells and only one sort is used the supply of that kind of shell will run out very quickly in this war. We must remember that Germany has been preparing 40 years while we have been preparing 9 months.
We have been getting some new recruits lately, 5 last week; all ex-soldiers and 4 of them ex-policemen from Sunderland. Other two raw recruits came last night, they only enlisted on Saturday but have a mate in here.
We are still doing the same sort of work, field days, and drilling. The weather has been fine these last few days and today we have been drilling with our tunics off and shirtsleeves up. We don't wear pants, vests or waistcoats now so we will be sending our cast-offs home. They are only in the way here. The next time you send hose send socks instead of stockings. Stocking legs are too warm, as we have out puttees over our trousers.
We haven't done any shooting on the big range but somebody has been shooting today. Two companies of our men were on a three days scheme last week ............(2 lines illegible).
I don't think I mentioned that we had Sir Thomas Barlow(?) (the King's physician) down here a fortnight ago giving us a lecture. From a part of the lecture and other articles I have seen the last three months I have changed my mind and if I get the chance I will be innoculated before going out. I am now satisfied that it has done good in France.
I was orderly yesterday and it is my washing day and that is the (reason?) of the letter being (late).
(Illegible line) a terrible one unfortunately half a battalion of trained men have been knocked out before they got to France. They seem to have been on their way to the front when there was ammunition on them. By the way the casualties at the front are very heavy at the present time.
So ended an other epistle. Love to all.
Your loving son and brother
Tom
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Notes:
This letter was written in pencil (as were most of the documents) on YMCA provided notepaper. There are burn marks through this document which make some parts illegible.
