Halsey 16 April 1915

To listen to the audio clips, click play on the bar on the right.

My Dear Father

I only wrote to Mother on Wednesday, but I must answer yours and Mother’s letters of the 11th, which I have just got today, but why it took so long to come I can’t think. I am sorry Walter has been sent off in a way, as I know how very anxious you and Mother will be, and there are quite enough of us fighting already with Regie and Marney, added to which Walter was working hard for his Country. However, I have no doubt he was ready and anxious to go and I should think he would be excellent at the job he has got.

What a horrible accident to your laundry maid and it must have given you a fearful shock when she was brought back. The number 2 paper arrived all right thanks. I am glad to hear what the Braunds say about our visit not having been forgotten yet and I did not think it had been judging by the dozens of letters I get from all over the World still. We have been having a pretty strenuous time of it lately and last night was my first real night in without my clothes on for some days. How disgusting for Cecily about Rosemary having developed measles and I do hope Charlie won’t get them. I get very good letters from Coogy. Ruth was by way of being christened yesterday. Please thank her for Mrs Clinton Baker’s letter. He is Captain of the Hercules, but I don’t think has arrived home yet. I hope Harrogate will do both Mother and Gavin good. Tell Mother I will try and write to her there, but of course that depends on where we are and what we are doing.

Love to you all, your affectionate Son, Lionel Halsey

PS. Did Coog send Mother a letter from a Mrs Jordan telling me her brother Edgar Pettit had been killed. He was a Metropolitan Policeman in Portsmouth [dockyard], and was born at Hempstead and he went into the R B [Rifle Brigade} when war was declared. She has now sent me the enclosed – also a photograph of him. I should rather like to find if his people still live at [Hemel Hempstead] or Boxmoor. H was such a nice man and wrote to me from the trenches, about January I think it was, to congratulate me on our fight.

D/EHL F61/35