January 1918
There are no letters from Fred for January, but his military service record reveals that on 31st January he was posted to the 4th Battalion East Surrey Regiment.
February 1918
By mid-February, Fred had been discharged from the Eastern Command Depot, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, where he had been convalescing since September1917. He was transferred to the Brigade School of Signalling, Felixstowe, Suffolk. Fred was still not fit enough to return to active service, as the Medical Board had marked him B2.
Fred’s thoughts are very much on his forthcoming marriage to Dorothy (“Dora”), writing to his sister, Dot, about bridesmaids, wedding presents, and whether his step-father will give his bride away.
March 1918
There are no letters from Fred for March, but on 30th March he was married to Dorothy Eliza Adkiss (née Hayes), known as “Dora”, a widow, at St Andrew’s Church, Hatfield Peverel.
April 1918
Fred is still at the Brigade School of Signalling, Felixstowe, but wishing he "was out of this kind of life so I could get home for good.”
May–June 1918
There are no letters from Fred for May–June.
July 1918
The final letters from Fred date from July 1918, still addressed from the Brigade School of Signalling, Felixstowe. In one, he uses the contemporary military slang “no bon” – “bon" being a French loan word meaning “good”. In this case, Fred was saying the Army food was “no good”.
Fred’s military service record shows that on 27th July 1918 he attended a Signal Course at Army Signal School, Dunstable, Kent, and qualified as as instructor.
Fred's final letter, which is incomplete, refers to striking munitions workers (on strike in July 1918). He’s forthright, saying they deserved to be hanged, or sent to the front.
August – December 1918
There are no letters from Fred for August–December. Fred’s military service record reveals that on 12th December 1918 he was posted to the 3rd Battalion East Surrey Regiment.
March 1919
Corporal Frederick Horsnell MM was demobilised on 20th March 1919, as recorded in his military service record.
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