Arthur 6
Driver A. Horsnell
ASC No 024042
9th Reserve Park
BEF France
[not dated; October 1915]
Dear Mother and Father,
Just a line in answer of your kind and loving letter which I was please to have, and glad to hear you are keeping alright as I am keeping alright up to the present.
Well I have been trying to get a birthday card to send you but I couldn't get one. I haven't anything I can give you just now for your birthday.
You can send the paper. I’ll get it alright. Others get theirs alright so I will.
I heard that Mrs Bennett was going to write to me. She’s a long time of doing so. I hope she do. I’ll write her one back and make her laugh. I haven't heard from Fred for a long time.
Dot said Uncle Will has gone back to the home again then she said he is coming home for good in February.
You say Annie has been down for a weekend. I just say father sat a bit close to her at the table.
Have you got all the potatoes up yet? If ever I get married I shall make the old woman do all the work, send her to plough [and] get the harvest in. If she says anything I shall say the women in France had to do it in wartime so you have to do it.
I think when this war is over I’ll be able to lay anywhere but I reckon I am a bit lucking [lucky?] I haven't got a cold yet.
When you write again will you send me some buttons – them what don't come off as you know I was not a very good hand at the needle.
I just say you are thinking about making Christmas puddings now. I just say the wine is getting good now. I was just thinking a glass wouldn't be amiss now.
It is raining.
I just say you will soon be talking of fruit picking again now. I just say Frankie is getting a lad now. I just say he will know what money is by the time I come home. He is very nearly a year old now.
It is very nearly a year now since I enlisted.
Now I haven't any more news to tell you just now. You can tell Grandmother that I am alright.
I got some tobacco for father when I come home. It is dear enough now. Will soon have to open your tobacco box and look in and close it and put back again. This is the last now.
So goodbye.
Love from your son,
Arthur
xxx
Arthur 7
Driver A. Horsnell
ASC No 024042
9th Reserve Park
BEF France
[not dated; October 1915]
Dear Mother and Father,
Just a line in answer of your kind letter which I was please to have and glad to hear you all keeping alright as I am alright up to present.
I am please you have heard from Fred as Dot said you hadn't heard from him lately and I haven't heard from him lately.
I got the socks alright. I was please with them. You no after been messing about in mud and water over the top of your shoes and get a good pair of socks to put on it's a comfort to anyone.
It's sad about Uncle Will being like that but I just say he makes his miserable life happy.
I just say the pork is very nearly fit to kill now.
I don't no whether you said sugar is 6d [six pence] a pound or 1/- [one shilling]. If it is 1/- [one shilling] I just say you have to count how many grains you put in instead of teaspoonfuls.
There's a good many of them can't think how I do without a smoke or a drink. They reckon that's all that comforts them but they wants more than to comfort me.
They can't make out how I save money out of 5 francs. That's only 3/7 [3 shillings 7 pence] in English money so you no I don't spend a lot.
Of course it's rather a funny thing to say about coming home, it's according where we go as we are shifted all over the shop but still I think we shall be a bit lucky this winter as they wanted us to make a club – football, rugby, boxing – so I expect they got some good place for us to go to this winter.
I am sending you that 1/2 [halfpenny] stamp which I said I would send it last time but I forgot all about it. You no I am a bit wooden headed sometimes but I never forget me meals.
I haven't any more news to tell you just now so goodbye.
Love from your son,
Arthur
xxx
Arthur 8
Driver A. Horsnell
ASC No 024042
9th Reserve Park
BEF France
[not dated; October 1915]
Dear Mother and Father,
Just a line in answer of your kind letter which I was very please to have and glad to hear you are keeping alright as I am alright up to the present.
I got both of your letters and one from Fred all at once so I had three. Fred is still alright. I don't suppose I will ever see him now. I am in the wrong place now.
Mercy wrote to me and ask me if I would give her my watch. You can send it to her or give it to her when she comes home. When I have finished my time I shall have to buy another one.
They have started a leaf [leave] in the Reserve Park 7 days, sending about 8 at the time so I touch a bit lucky I shall get one with the rest but I don't suppose it will be before next month so the wine will be getting alright by then.
We had it rather wet last week. When it do rain it doesn't half come down.
I just say Frankie is getting a bit saucy now.
I got a little bit of tobacco for Father when I come home. I can't send it. I get fags one week and tobacco the next.
The war looks like lasting out this winter. I don't no whether it will or not. I hope not as I don't want any of it this winter if it is as bad as it was last.
Father ask me if I missed the old sofa. Well I do as far as that goes, but I got so used to laying on the ground I don't take any notice of it now.
I shall want a good big scarf this winter but I shan't want [it] just yet – that will do when I come home. You can tell them all about there I am still alright, don't alter a lot.
I am pleased you got plenty of potatoes this year – that's one good thing. The old French women are getting the harvest in in France. They work a damn site harder than the men, cut the corn, plough the land, do anything. They make anybody laugh to see them sometimes.
I think this is all this time to tell you so goodbye.
Love from your son,
Arthur
xxx