Correspondence between Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood and Lady Janetta Birdwood, 1916 and 1918 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Part of Quest:
Correspondence between Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood and Lady Janetta Birdwood, 1916-1918
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000051
Difficulty:

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first. Aun got the hance. them oer i the valise. to Let. on to Roren. no more hevs about Chim Astray expect my latter went Sore to tek Will 1 Hase say Iam not to Buckley now really. it tell her seen for thi time have this wag that day morg. & with Was ore alon & then onl. War in Lorrd on atall. 9 to had meant. white . f gour hale tuill the wser. S. tle
Auys. soe wither I apert We An. to gent a line 2 0 7 wire. to oue Lail 1 are salt wipe. in Go wittle I huild. him in her gun her b. G. 3 Wil SONATAD MSOaDS 1157 3376 3rd Ser [15] .
13r ANTAC Copps. R.E.F FRANcE. 2 9omohad 2 920 1918 our darbingest. No letter atall from won since I left 20 I wail ae all over the place though exfect the had one ir two from home. I know yon with have with from the Robenson's Baw so beging to hear that for get back all safely from Bythr I Gstiom to Thurll got there till win. Were all I hepe yesterdey tel Chn to wute to lon last night about the came over guith ardenly & Kongs visit. He ines fectedly wid day nothelay & afterlome hund ee. wth Jenl. Peiwer came to tea with us. wey most awfully nice & natural as he alwany ee thouuhes & semed to engong his litle 1s fill of. He bola. Corpert th.
Staned all right. Thin who pleaced to see Col. Iigian was astoruted to find him here lct seen him as a Lad bog in Sunle win. the King was here for about 344 an hou & returs tenlent Androw harce one cantall of his Tthe Annoucmns bisit as he with be bad afas tefere not get this Ct. is. male in the ad thing that he should cave oer I think trops in a crises like selp byfts. Te Cef ld hot. hetwall this & though Cheeny. is ho more 9 help heing araions. good hews. & at present no Levs is havs impostible to presse what the 11 us contain. I Aseet. may hot. ulive
Cut. nothing deffinits We hec 86on to be hav my Secrstay. storpial as let. I futnight's leave when I Cf Word. 9 Capt to tealy & we havent. Co rust 1st off when he him back I. Its rather on hear able to fe apers, hall Tept all mis. a Mrisance as Mitralian exgluries get hing up e many. Ihee we may hea. return - howenene. till his day a so. him in a of Watant 5t Wird con trany chavce go to with Lady Robinson before him left sla Ms 1stahey Iat hpe. wir it
e. les in cor I was not to haw to Murt feeling might he Iaid &t. am 2 all oftor all her man tondrosses to ne & -arything me thest. wouldint had her Toking ight in hever th. Ssuppose Smite & Australia smal Lth of white to in about th eft at Thuulh think I by the an brought over & was reding & Exae. but it. A uite sure of& mot. Lirl b timk. Mmmmsalte bi te. hite. was.
on 1 ley May hat Behad Wise. Jis 2 ill. e in the L but more probal. by room. hint have laken it fh is hot there them & wom t.i 4 Robinsous & 6f ere down to the one. t withaut parl. lo Geer look for . R I had At Thurkh wite & ad por Gult T.S dont ret we know let. about it & no hame in i. t 4 see it. Wank to I Whow Father. It endorse. to may afrin rewarks about th 4 1 evourl. Dalion amuse him. 00
Ahwraith wh wiith from Mtd icely & me. see with in witl. Sday the o to eatly wirt. mr Lienthent & all 1n 1t ft ope love to son. in ver lovy ved. a 10 44 31 RDDs [5 3375 3rd Sartes[ m
1 HEADAUAATERS FFTH ARMY. B.E.P. PRANCE. Niv My oun darlingest. fictory at last. Afterall these long & a moment doubted it years! I have hever for at it. Efle afturss it seemed so very far f it potiet almest imposible to lealise. seemes. him Lnd bth made. 9 really has cow. the same telegram as I sent uon from s ex Iine 1903 about the S. Afsen on Pretura dais I had see the Strugle cind War. Sor ty th Gidany &sif weelig te thangh ba hod to come. So the 5 lown rather Join Air. S Really thedfe batte Some ion all over, with 5s rovdence. tak t
wthy was he all rejult that I hops our co. t Wento to Cave Ie Cae& propents to live in. the posibilities that it dapr. Lomener to have ables on makin. efle us with laloun by ta ot with have to stureyn & over t. et enton. Dwo Sdem. Ptert 1t there with of comme et day. for came tim done & i. deee murah to quite think that by the end th 1 he & over in London at Als. Went 5 aft I oment bard Mytoin 5on wort iin Ct. Hossed about o to NOt

3)
the first chance you get she can 
then send them over in the valise. 
No more news about Chris going to Rouen.  
I expect my letter went astray.  
Will you please be sure to tell Mrs  
Buckley how really sorry I am not to  
have seen her this time & tell her it  
was only on the Tuesday mnig & this being that  
I was in London at all then only for about  
an hour! While I had meant to   
see her when we were down for a few 

 

days.  I expect  you will have written
a line to Genl. Howse.
All my love  to you my own darling
little wife. You really are the
best little woman in the world. 
Ever your very loving old,
Will 

DONATED RECORDS LIST 
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1st ANZAC CORPS
B.E.F., FRANCE
29 March 1918
1918
My own darlingest.
No letter at all from you since I left, so I
expect the mails are all over the place, though I
had one or two from home. I know you will
have written from the Robinson's & I am so longing to 
hear that you got back all safely from Blythe &
were all right there till you left to return to Thurlby
Iv I hope yesterday.
I told Chris to write to you last night about the
King's visit. He came over quite suddenly &
unexpectedly midday yesterday & after some lunch
with Genl. Plumer came to tea with us here. He
was most awfully nice & natural as he always
is & seemed to enjoy his little tea thoroughly.
He was full of conversation & I thought very

 

pleased to see Chris who behaved all right!
Col. Wigram was astonished to find him here
having last seen him as a small boy in Simla.
The King was here for about ¾ an hour & returns
to England tomorrow hence one can talk of his
visit as he will be back & the announcement
made in the papers before you get this. It is
I think a good thing that he should come over
to be seen by the troops in a crisis like 
this, & though cheery, he naturally could not
help being anxious. There is no more
news & at present no news is good news
for it is impossible to foresee what the
future may not contain. I expect 

 

2)
to be leaving here soon, but nothing definite
as yet. I stupidly gave my Secretary -
Capt. Ward - a fortnight's leave when I left
when he rushed off to Italy & we haven't so
far been able to get him back! It's rather
a nuisance as he keeps all my papers, & all
the many Australian enquiries get hung up
till his return - however I hope we may hear
of him in a day or so.
Did you by any chance go to see my portrait
with Lady Robinson before you left
town?  & I do hope you told Mrs Buckley

 

how sorry I was not to have seen her. I
am so afraid she might be feeling hurt,
& after all her many kindnesses to us all
I wouldn't have her hurt for anything. 
I suppose you never thought of asking her
for the small "Australia" badges I wrote
you about for Genl. White?
By the bye I think I left at Thurlby the
book I brought over & was reading - I am
not quite sure of the exact title, but it
was something like "Australian Commonwealth" 

 

3)
by "Bernard Wise". I may have left it in
my room, but more probably in the hall. If 
it is not there then I must have taken it
down to the Robinsons & left it there. Would
you look for it without fail little one  - & 
if not at Thurlby write & ask Lady R.
about it & let me know results? I don't
want to lose it, & it has no name in it. 
Give the enclosed to your Father - the
remarks about the pig keeping may
amuse him. I also enclose a

 

letter from old Mrs  McIIwraith, who
you will see writes so nicely & we
really must go there one day. 
Goodbye my own sweetheart & all my
love to you little one.
Ever your very lovig old,
Will.  
  
DONATED RECORDS LIST
3376
3rd Series (15)

 

1918
HEADQUARTERS,
FIFTH ARMY,
B.E.F., FRANCE.
11 Nov.
  
My own darlingest,
Victory at last!   After all these long 4
years!  I have never for a moment doubted it,
but at times it seemed so very far off, that it
seems almost impossible to realise that now it
really has come. I made Chris send you 
exactly the same telegram as I sent you from
Pretoria on 1st June 1902 about the S. African
War. For years I had seen this struggle arising,
with Germany daily increasing her strengths & ours
rather going down - it had to come, so the
sooner the better & I am so really thankful
to Providence that it is now all over, with

 

the result that I hope our country may be able
to live in peace & prosperity for years to come. We
have however to realize all the possibilities that
may be before us with labour troubles on working
men returning & over that, Govt will have to
go with the greatest caution &wisdom.
For the next few days there will of course 
be much to be done & indeed for some time
to come, but I quite think that by the end
of the month I'll be over in London on A.I.F.
work, though I haven't heard anything
definite from Mr Hughes about it.

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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