A very interesting archive of over 80 letters written by Fir...

Hammer

£290

A very interesting archive of over 80 letters written by First World War soldiers to the Reverend Herbert Tamplin, Vicar of Blakenall Heath, Walsall, all members were connected to the church.

The letters include the following soldiers:
Pte W Williams 43753 5 Platoon D Company, 1st Battalion R W Fusiliers, writing from India after the war about losing his friend at the Somme April - May 1918 and trying to contact the mother of Drummer Ted Gypless.

Pte A J Appleby 1169 A Company No. 3 Platoon 1/5 South Staffs. Pte G J Yandley 20009 Pioneer Section 4th Grenadier Guards (Bell Ringer). A Jusker 119369 Royal Field Artillery, Giles Bloomer 3811 2nd Life Guards, Pte J Dawson 9451 3rd Battalion South Staffs Regiment C Company, Company Sargeant Victor Hough B Company 5(R) South Staffs Regiment, Harold Arrowsmith, Fred Wootton, S Taylor 19121 'K' Company 3rd Battalion Devon Regiment, Pte Tom Summer 19095 B Company, Pte S Smith 7996 C Company 4th Troop Reservist Cavalry Regiment, Jesse Hourse 6th Cheshire Regiment (chaplain), Harold 200514 South Staffs Regiment, Giles 3811 2 Section 7th Cavalry Brigade, Pte William Shorthouse 42962 C Company 4th Reserve Dorset Regiment, Pte J Renhard 9444, South Staffs 176 Infantry Brigade, the latter 2 both in Ireland in 1917/1918 during the uprising, Pte F Cockayne 201752 A Company 1st Platoon 2/5 South Staffs Regiment, S Taylor 19121 K Company 3rd Devons, Pte S Watson 39621 2/6 South Staffs Reg, Pte F Taylor, Henry Dutton, J Kidson, Pte B Dodd 8028 A Company, South Staffs Reg and Harold Bratte.

Events mentioned in the letters include the following:

Lord Kitchener's death, grenade training, trying to climb the ranks, a soldier trying to gain discharge to help his mother after becoming widowed, a man getting a Victoria Cross, dog fights, Zepplin Raids in the West Midlands, trench life and deaths, meeting of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury by the Chaplain, sensoring, being in Turkey and fighting against them, a Captain stating a Pte Mason was lost in a mission and much more.

Overall, a fantastic and very interesting archive with a comprehensive focus on the 1st World War, and life on the front line, and training with first hand experiences of the war.