Letters Thomas Charles Richmond Baker 1916-1917 - Part 3

enjoying it all the more.

We have been having  

jolly decent weather,

still rather cool but

quite bearable & not 

very muddy, but I 

suppose we will have 

to get more rain before

decent weather does

set in.

At this posse,

Fritz left behind underneath

a bashed in house, several

cases of small tins of

condensed or solidified

alcohol which is used

for cooking in the trenches

as it gives no smoke. I

find them very handy

on duty to make a

cup of cocoa. Quite nice

of him wasn't it? We

are using one of his dug 

outs down in the 

bowels of the earth.

Rest of no interest.

France

June 16^th 1917.

Dearest Ma & Jeff,

I am writing

you a joint letter to talk

about that lathe. I think that

one of Dr Corbin's would do nicely.

I happen to know it & so, if he

wants to sell it as Jeff says

he does, I think it would be a 

good bargain by the time the

war is over. I know for a 

fact that nothing of that description

will be procurable afterwards

except at very high prices. Hop

in & get it. I'm sure it will be

in A.1. condition as I know how

carefully he used to treat it.

Whilst out yesterday I 

came across an aeroplane, one

of ours, which had been brought

2.

down, so I thought it a great pity

that the starting magneto should go 

to waste. It is in my possesion

now & I will send it home if

possible. It is a little beauty.

You can't advance or retard the

spark as it is fixed. Perhaps it

could be adjusted so that you could.

I thought of converting 

it into a lighting set, but on second

thoughts it would not be worth

it as it would give scarcely any 

current. It would be a pity to

use if as anything else than a

'maggy'. Perhaps, Jeff, when you

come to make an engine you could

attach it; if it gets home alright.    
Did I tell you about

the welcome back that I got. I

bundled all my worldly possessions 

into a large sack & sent them out

3.

to the gun-pits per cook's cart.

When I got there I was surprised, 

nay, horribly shocked, to find that

a thundering great shell had

landed in the officer's Kitchen, where

the bag happened to be placed, &

blown everything to blazes. I didn't

get a thing & have exactly what

I am wearing at present & that is

all. However, I will get another

outfit soon. The worst of it all

was that in the bag was all
my mail, accumulated whilst on

leave, 8 parcels & 21 letters.  Luckily

I had read the 21 letters & now

wont have to answer some of them.

As far as casualties are

concerned we have suffered very

heavily in this last position. Poor 

old Goody was badly wounded, in 

the elbow & knee. I suppose he

is in "Blighty" now.

4

My fellow linesman &

I have rather a decent little

dugout, with a table a 

couple of beds, & we always have 

a vase of roses. The other 

day, whilst following a line,

we suddenly found ourselves

in a strawberry patch, which 

was in the garden of a monastry

which is now demolished by

shell fire. As they were ripe

we proceeded to pick 'em & gathered

a hatfull, about two pounds at

least. With the aid of a tin

of condensed milk they were

put away, & didn't they go well.

By the way, I received a 

parcel from Auntie the other 

day dated 3/4/17. The socks &

fruit salts were just it, as 

all my other socks went up in

the great offensive about 3 weeks 

ago. 

5.

The 'spooks' or specialists

now have a mascot. A

dear little dog. He, or she I

should say, always goes out 

with us on the lines, or to

the front line o.p's & everywhere.

Such a lovable little fellow.

Now I suppose I must

close up. Next time you

write Ma would you tell 

me y my bank a/c. & don't

forget to help yourself, when

you want to. I think you 

had better get an electric iron, 

Beastly handy things to have 

about you, don't 'cher knoah.

With much love &

many x x o o to ye all, 

I am etc. 

Rich. x x x x x x 

4.

others I was exposed to snipers. I

just did my best, that's all.

We had a violent thunder

storm last night & the duced of 

a downpour. The summer up to 

date has been rather damp.

I wish people wouldn't

advertise so much. You don't know

what a blankly idiot a chap feels.

If Auntie wont stop I don't think

I will write much more. I suppose

it was her. I have to carefully 

scrutinize a paper before I lend it

now. As there is nothing more

to say except my correct address which

you are all asking for, I will close

Ma dear with much love & many xxs

to you & all, 

Rich x x x x x

16^th Bty.

6^th (Army) A. F. A Bge.

AIF etc.

France.

8^th July 1917.

Dearest Ma,

Before I get on with the

business don't let me forget all

the birthdays next month. As

usual you will carry on. I'm

sure I dont know what to get

'em.  

I have the duced of a 

lot of letters to write and have 

had too much to do to write

just lately. See, it is this way :

We have been out having a 

spell for the last 10 or 12 days &

have been having a good time too.

I was representing the Bty. on 

the Bde. Sports committee & had 

any amount to do. We held the

sports on the 3rd & 4th & had a 

good programme including a 

band. There were both horse 

& foot events & the competition keen.

2

we scraped up out of 1000 men 

odd about 1,500 francs, which is getting 

on for £70 so that wasn't too

bumpy. On the 5^th we held a 

concert in the evening & the

Colonel distributed the prizes.

I gave a French Kid 10 ₣

for a mandolin. It was in

rather a rotten condition, but I

set to work & fixed it up & am

getting on nicely. I suppose I

will smash it the first time

we move as I haven't a case.

Will have to make one.

Yesterday I received 2

parcels from the stores & one 

from home dated 1/5/17. They

were beauties. The one from 

 you had the photograph of the 

fete at Moors. That is Lyl next

to Miss Rounsevell isn't it? Who 

is the girl by the scales. I seem to

know her dial.

I see by your letter of 

May 1st that 'Dad Purton' has been

3.

to see you. He is such a 

character & we were good pals.

He was in the reinforcements

with us, till, Egypt & earned

the name of 'Dad' on the way 

over. 

Old uncle X is a character.

I had a letter from him too.

You all seem to want 

to know all about that M.M. I

scarcely know what it was for

myself. You see it was like 

this. We had to do some registering

for a stunt. That is had to observe

the shots & get the exact range for

a bombardment. My part of the 

job was to keep the telephone communication

intact if possible, from The the front line

to the supports. This portion of the

trench was under a continual barrage

& as fast as I would mend the line 

it was broken again. In places it

was up to my waist in mud & in