The Letters of Arthur Martin-Leake November 1916

From Arthur's wartime photo album -Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies

 

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9/11/16

My dear Mammy

Many thanks for the parcel & never mind at all about the payment. It has not arrived yet but when it does come I shall gladly pay. The post is very irregular just now, probably owing to our change to another army. It will no doubt settle down soon.

The weather is awful & I see by the papers that you are having it much the same. Today for some reason it is beautifully fine & lets {sic} hope it may last for a bit.

All news seems to be good, esp[ecial]ly from the Rumanian side. If they are safe there it will be a great thing & a bad knock to the Bosh.

The storms have brought all the leaves off the trees & we are very wintery, now also the mud is at its best, so it is satisfactory to know that we are well into the worst. Our leaders should now buckle in & make all ready for next spring. It does not appear from the papers that they are doing this & the man question is still unsettled. Germany seems to be making a great effort to produce more men, but if we do the same, we have her stitched, because her soldiers are not fighting as they used to do in the earlier days.

Has there been any pheasant shooting yet? The weather & beater question must have put great difficulties in the way. I am in a new billet now & am glad to have escaped the manure heap under my window.

Best love & hoping you are all well.

Y[ou]r affect[ionate] son
A.M. Leake

{HALS Ref: 87070}