Letters from Ernest William Baker to his Family, 1914-1918 - Part 5

yourself a little something that 
you may want. I can't 
get anything here at all 
to send. Its only just a 
trifle: but it will show you 
you are not forgotten by your 
old brother. 
There is very little  
doing on our front as the  
weather is too bad & its 
almost impossible to move. 
Its simply a sea of mud 
in which the boys sink up to their 
hips. Its impossible to convey 
a proper idea what it is  
really like. I have much 
to be thankful for in my 
position, not having to go into 
it. But very very seldom & its 
been my luck up to the  
present to avoid it. But our 
poor poor boys are in an 
awful plight.

3 
They manage to joke about 
it all the same & you would 
think it was a bally game 
Well, dearie, I have  
little else to say. Will you 
please give Dad & Mum my 
fondest love & tell them I'll be 
writing as soon as I can; but on 
no account to worry if the 
mail is a little Irregular 
for the next two or three weeks 
Once again wishing 
you a very happy birthday 
God bless & guard you all 
Ever your own old brother 
Ernie

8/10/16 
France 
Dearest Mother 
I am sitting 
down in a little French 
Farm trying to find something 
to write about. 
First of all you 
will want know that I 
am well & I suppose that 
is the main thing with 
you. (Getting conceited, aren't I) 
We are having 
a rest for some little 
time & they poor boys need 
it badly. The wet, breaks 
them up worse than the 
shells & trench foot seem the 
order of the day.

2 
I have very comfy quarters 
here & share a room with 
Leuit Kent & am at this moment 
writing in the living room 
of the farm. with the daughter 
opposite me also writing & the loveliest 
cup of coffee along side which  
it is possible to imagine. 
I tell you, its not 
a bad sort of old war at 
all, when its like this. 
I've had a letter from 
Molly & she is O.K. so 
are the boys. 
I am still worrying 
them about leave; but cant 
get any further. 
I expect there will 
be an explosion when I 

3 
put in again next week 
There seems to be 
an impression here generally, 
that the Huns will be 
likely to collaps before the 
end of the year; but that 
appears improbable to me. 
Its too good to be true. 
Besides it is likely that 
such a wonderful military 
machine, as theirs undoubtedly 
is, would break down at 
the first really hard knock 
it has had? There is not 
the slightest doubt that they 
are staggered though. & if we 
keep hammering they must  
collapse utterly sooner or later 
I didn't mean to write 

4 
an article on the war 
when I started so 
I'll knock off. 
Give my dear love 
to Dad & Jennie. 
God bless & keep you 
all. 
Aurevoir Mother of mine 
Heaps of love 
Ever your own boy 
Ernie

11/11/16 
France 
Darling Mother 
Am snatching a 
few spare minutes to scratch 
a line or two. 
I am "O.K." 
but have very little time 
to myself owing to the bad 
state of the country. When I 
tell you it takes 15 hours to 
get rations up to the line & 
then only on pack horses you 
will be able to form some 
idea of the difficulties; I am 
thankful to say that up 
to the present we haven't 
failed the boys & you can bet 
your bottom dollar that we wont 
unless we all get wiped out 
& thats not likely to happen. 
Mails are very irregular 
just now princibly through the

2 
inclement weather. Haven't had 
any for some days. Last was 
from Jennie & yourself, both of which 
arrived together. Haven't seen anything 
of Mr Hooper since his return 
but from what I hear I believe 
he has fallen in love with you. 
Can give you no news  
as its very scarce. 
Please give my fondest love 
to Dad & Jennie & heaps for yourself 
Good night God bless 
& guard you all 
Ever your loving Son 
Ernie

France 
14/2/18 
Dear Jennie 
I received your letter 
yesterday. Glad to hear you 
missed any damage from the  
last raid. How is the  
"anemone japonica" getting along 
I expect we will go in for 
gardens in our new quarters 
but I am afraid we shall be 
rather late with the planting of 
many seeds. Our gardens here 
are most artistic 
I am sorry little 
Leslie was disappointed in me 
but I'll repair the fault at 
once.

I like you have a  
paucity of news. Its 
very difficult to report on 
anything here With regard 
our our orchestra we are  
not doing badly. I am  
of course very slow & am 
afraid I will never be  
any good as my fingers 
are too stiff & after a 
little while I get the  
cramp. Still I am  
able to amuse myself 
& in doing so, drive 
everybody else away Ah! ah! 
I had a letter from 
Aunty Francis Her writing 
is still very shaky

Well dear I must close 
now. will write again after the 
move.  Au-revoir Best of 
love. Yours to a [[cinder?]] 
Ernie