Letterbook for Harold Edwin Salisbury Armitage, 1916-1918 - Part 10

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000398
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 9

doing then nt 4 as s utin he may have back as for as towe sorhow I think thing were intersting up these ford day or the for ofe fore was nearly put wit being land that the one again. Somehor will find us fighting ha of i tasks aga Eun stant was one Spivbtt toke chald fwes would have cost u cant piece of work have been N
Now mivem ed on te t mat h leter My all thet o thealn a after at 30 I wil noot I very very much love wrets from ws loving aon olls
Fand 224 a 40 b2 know he got a t the while fow then in would poobably menshoue 6 on Diroth prevent hem to bayg & a rather long time to from then t and of I be delayed on af of his s what was wring sattoe its t again no has salled If tuti let me know night any as son as anything you wr slowly felleng back, your boys an Frity
133 40 of a little quiker than wit 6 but I hope he was a sxtended near Sladstone butI 0 tl this tak we are t him Iso far t ta bettered his bent te have aramaned know his feeling the stras e f wicks was fornd the X ts over a year since it are whill yoing strong in various way nearly 14
13 2317 Coutit is magor now Tter Mone Kelore reager. Thul Gacob C Cot & OCW Faneety going anoy Herbert & Hemock are real Bath Wnder is stll to met the Long rallou genteman I received to 8 Warlor on Sunday to see his will mows gave. The only Freuch friends I her made an lovn after it Ishaps tungs would like to write to one them. lage 16 if she writes aple tels English mentin are is my sister If an sure she will get an annuno Hill Helitia Cavny Warley Baitlon Wonine France hawe is cincertain I can only say depantety that we are wouning now best of at with r lond ecess ood unates to you all for his Luck good health, Fall costs o govd founsloes from Tuncl lor Yo loving son Rolls letter to Havy same date 8 2003
his clp t0 ply from hem Hae my lease two do De there Havse, tthen the chona you can sot It ha o a closed tharel to be very lity to meet him
136 11.3:1 However I'm trusting to luck - I generally manage to get along somehow. so I don't anticipate the possiblity of not seems him. There's a vacancy for a Major in our Bath. &Seages, Monle, & myself is the order of semority Seager is somewhat of a dud just now, and is going to be superseded - Monle is Drmaster, & as such can only take an how appointment - that leaves me next. & I've been told unofficially by nurray Towler - (Ad now) that my papers are written ue I hope I am not promoted. Seager is a bit of a muggns in some respect - but he has guts anyhow. He is a friend of nine too; was superseded by houtit - prow 3 in Com) not long ago, so he would think we had him ser I would be better about it. The OC. has had to interview him about his Co, & Teager is poperly down to things just now I don't want to be promoted if it makes S sore - I would rather do without it, also it seems farcical to make a youngster like me have a position that among Regulars is only filled by a man of 35 or 40. the I hope I don't get it; as I'm prepared to accept the responsiblity if necessary. I don't want either the rank or the pay. I think the A II. is 5
132 overpaid already, especially the Capt. & Majors. I think it would be better if they knocked off some of our pay & gave extro to the N.C.OS. especially the CGl. who only fets the same as a private I'm not promoled yet - so Im happy & content. Frty seems to be giving a fair amount of torrible up about Bapaume, but in a few days he will get a solid bump, swell have to fall back towards Cambrai at a tremndons rate - altho we don't expect him to go much further back This reterement is one of the benefits we have reaped after wooning him all the writer, and is is a reward to our boys who are following Frity up. for the last half of his retivement March winds here are some winds - kinifey and strong. Ine only experienced one thats enough Occasionally snow fulls, but we have plenty of MrD- getting just the opposite extreme to the dry sand of egypt - just to make the happy mean. no more news just now - I'm as fit as a fiddle, sincerely hope you are all quite well too. Will write again ia day or so - wwill now close with very much love thet of all good wrihes to you for all soots of good luck, prospenty. & good health- Fmuch love in yourselves from Your loving son Rollo.
138 France 17317 Dear Father & Mother. You will have to excuse a very brief note today; we are exceedingly busy- never an hour to ourselves- getting ready for the Bpring. it musture of news today. We have got Bapannie, Acket le Petit, le Transloy, &now the Russian Revolution which we hope will better our position On the other hand we hear runors of a German puch in Belquum I hope we get a look in before things finish down here. for I am keen on having a look at histone Cambrar. Messpotamia news tor is splendid - the tait of the Britich hron is getting stiffer estiffer - Tis vising gradually to perpendcular. my name has gone in for my majority - but I hope it does not come thro yet. I feel to young sinexperienced. No move news - plenty of work Hope your borthday Dad is still going shrong Very best of all good writes tmuch love to all, especially yourselves, from Your loving son Rollo 0

130 
France 1.3.17 
  
Dear Father and Mother, 
Just our luck - we are  
missing all the interesting work in front. I told you 
in my previous letter we were going up - we have 
been & 'gone'. Whilst we were in we were to have had 
a 'hop over' - but sudden plans in the rear stopped 
it at the last moment. Then we were relieved, &now  
we are back in rear. The very next night Fritz 
evacuated three or four lines in front of our position, 
it was our bad luck to be going rearwards, whilst 
the relieving battn was pushing forward. 
Fritz has now gone further back - Le Baque 
& Ligny which were in front of position, are 
now in our hands. Fritz is said to have strong 
lines at &through Thilloy - so there’ll be something 
doing there next. If we get Fritz away from there 
he may have to fall back as far as Cambrai - but 
somehow I think he's gone back as far as he intends. 
Things were very interesting up there for a day 
or two - for open warfare was nearly put into being 
once again. Somehow I think that the Spring 
will find us fighting new open tactics again. 
Our stunt was a very stiff one, &probably 
would have cost us 75% to take &hold - & would 
have been a very brilliant piece of work. 
  
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131 
1 3 17.
  
Perhaps its just as well it didn't come off as the 
boys were very "weary" after two months hard 
work in the mud, slush &snow of the front areas. 
Now we're in the rear I'm battling for Special leave 
to get to England to meet George - but these new  
movements in front have put the acid on all leave  
absolutely - I might just as well apply to meet 
you in Australia. I've sent in to Corps H Quarters 
so I may have a chance after all. 
It's bad luck to finally miss it after refusing 
it for the last two months. 
We are very busy re-fitting &re-organising 
& don't expect to be here long. I will write again 
in a day or two. 
No mail has come from you for some time 
but one is rumoured to be near at hand so I will 
get my letters then. 
I will close now with very, very much love to 
you all, &best of all good wishes frrom 
Your loving son 
Rollo. 
  
24

 

132 
France 
2 3 17. 

Dear Father & Mother,- 
I recd your cable yesterday telling me that 
George had just left A, & was due to arrive in Eng. 
about the end of March. I am afraid my chance of 
meeting him is very remote, as by that time we 
will be in front again - and perhaps pushing out 
well beyond Bapaume &there'll be no chance of 
Spec. Leave. I've already sent in an application 
to H.Q. &if I get it now I'll be coming back before 
G. can be anywhere near England so my luck 
is out this time. 
Today I recd your letter of 8.1.17 - the only 
mail since 20.12.16 - &the first news from [[Wrimps]]  
& Mum since 13.12.16. I think some mail has 
gone astray - anyhow what is wrong with George. 
I know he got a knock on the jaw (which broke) 
while boxing - & then in a subsequent letter you mentioned the injury to his eye would probably 
prevent him sailing on the Omrah - (Jan 5th) & 
from then to end of Feb. is a rather long time to 
be delayed on a/c of his eye. What was wrong? 
As he has sailed I suppose its O.K. again but 
in future let me know right away as soon as 
anything goes wrong? 
Fritz is slowly falling back, &our boys are
22

 

133
helping him along a little quicker than he likes as 
we have about 7 miles of front to look after. 
If Fritz stands at Bapaume you will probably 
find our Divy helping him out of it. Bapaume 
would be a nice stunt - guess there'll be something 
down there during the next fortnight, & I dont 
think we'll be far away. 
45 days we worried him &then we were relieved. 
It was the 49th night that he cleared out, so 
you can imagine how annoying it was to be on 
our way back here while Fritz was [["sloping"]]. 
Our Div. worried him a lot in the [[Gondecourt]] 
area. 
I was glad to hear of your Xmas at Unley - 
hope I'll be with you at the next one. 
Lance Cpl Scott has managed to be sent back to A. 
Fritz tried to make a sieve of him - but I hope 
he is not incapacitated - as he was a splendid 
man - gave up a farm near Gladstone - but I 
think his people live in N. Unley. 
Don't worry about Fritz & his TANKS - we are 
not afraid of anything pertaining to him, &so far 
we have circumvented &even bettered his best 
tricks - &now he's feeling the stress extremely. 
It's over a year since the 50th was formed, &are 
nearly all are still going strong in various ways
  
20

 

2 3 17.        134
[[Loutit]] is Major now - Fowler, Moule, Wilton, 
Seager, Smith - (Jacob (Lt. Col & O.C H) &myself 
are all going strong - Herbert & Hancock are 
with the [[Trng.]] Battn. &[[Dinden]] is still a memory 
to us of a gallant gentleman. I intend to 
ride across to [[Warloi]] on Sunday to see his 
grave. The only French friends I have made 
are looking after it. 
Perhaps [[Wumps}} would like to write to one 
of them - (age 18) - if she writes simple &clear 
English &mentions she is my sister - I am 
sure she will get an amusing reply 
Mlle Melitia Carney 
Warloy Baillon 
Somme 
France 
News is uncertain - I can only say definitely 
that we are winning now 
I'll close with my very very best of all 
good wishes to you all for prosperity, success, 
good health, &all sorts of good luck - with 
much love to yourselves from 
Yr loving son 
Rollo. 
  
Letter to Harry same date 
  
18 

 

135 
France 
11 3 17 

Dear Father & Mother,- 
During the past few days 
I have recd two cables - both from [[Armitage]] &dealing with George's departure. The first one is from you I 
think saying G. leaves at end of Feb, &the other is 
from Perth - from G. himself I presume, saying he 
expects to be in Eng. in 8 weeks - tho as the 
censor cut out the date of sending - I am not 
able to gauge exactly the date of his arrival 
I got my Sp Leave to 
visit England - (commencing tomorrow) but I will 
not take it now, &am writing in asking them to 
hold it over for 4 weeks or so - &thus meet him. 
I hope this can be managed for I have sacrificed 
my ordinary leave - &it will take some shrewd 
calculations to manage so as to see him during the 
first few days of his arrival &before joining his ship, 
&, it will require an immense amt of luck too. 
It takes a [[?]] from London 4 days to reach the 
Battn, &as it took 9 days to get a reply from 
Div. H.Q re my leave, two days from here to 
Havre, &then the chance of being held up there 
by a 'closed' Channel - you can see I'll have 
to be very lucky to meet him O.K.
  
16 

 

136
11 .3. 17
However I'm trusting to luck - I generally
manage to get along somehow. so I don't anticipate
the possibility of not seeing him.
There's a vacancy for a Major in our Battn. &Seager,
Moule, &myself is the order of seniority
Seager is somewhat of a 'dud' just now, and is
going to be superseded - Moule is Qrmaster, &as such
can only take an hon. appointment - that leaves
me next. & I've been told unofficially by Murray
Fowler - (Adj. now) that my papers are "written up".
I hope I am not promoted. Seager is a bit
of a muggins in some respect - but he has
guts anyhow. He is a friend of mine too, &
was superseded by Loutit - (now 2nd in Com) not
long ago, - so he would think we had him set 
&would be bitter about it.  The O.C. has had to
interview him about his Co., & Seager is properly
down to things just now
I don't want to be promoted if it makes S,
sore - I would rather do without it, - also it
seems farcical to make a youngster like me have
a position that among Regulars is only filled
by a man of 35 or 40.
I hope I don't get it:- as tho I'm prepared to accept
the responsibility if necessary - I don't want either
the rank or the pay. I think the AIF. is
14 

 

137
overpaid already, especially the Caps. & Majors. I think
it would be better if they knocked off some of our pay
& gave extra to the N.C.Os - especially the L.Cpl. who only
gets the same as a private.
I'm not promoted yet - so I'm happy &content.
Fritz seems to be giving a fair amount of trouble
up about Bapaume, but in a few days he will
get a solid bump, &will have to fall back towards
Cambrai at a tremendous rate - altho we don't
expect him to go much further back.
This retirement is one of the benefits we have
reaped after worrying him all the winter, and it
is a reward to our boys who are following Fritz
up for the last half of his retirement
March winds here are 'Some' winds - knifey
and strong. I've only experienced one &that's enough.
Occasionally snow falls, but we have plenty of
MUD- getting just the opposite extreme to the dry
sand of Egypt - just to make the happy mean.
No more news just now - I'm as fit as a
fiddle, &sincerely hope you are all quite well too.
Will write again in a day or so - &will now close
with very much love &best of all good wishes to
you for all sorts of good luck, prosperity &good
health- &much love to yourselves from
Your loving son
Rollo.12

 

138
France
17.3.17. 
Dear Father & Mother, - 
You will have to excuse a very
brief note today; - we are exceedingly busy- never an
hour to ourselves - getting ready for the "Spring".
A mixture of news today - We
have got Bapaume, Achet le Petit, le Transloy,
& now the Russian Revolution which we hope will
better our position 
On the other hand we hear
rumors of a German push in Belgium. I hope
we get a look in before things finish down here.
for I am keen on having a look at historic Cambrai.
Mesopotamia news too is
splendid - the tail of the British Line getting
stiffer and stiffer -   & is rising gradually to perpendicular.
My name has gone in for
my Majority - but I hope it does not come thru
yet. - I feel too young  &inexperienced..
No more news - plenty of work.
Hope your birthday Dad is still going strong.
Very best of all good wishes
&much love to all, especially yourselves, from 
Your loving son
Rollo.

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