Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1917 - Part 13

being well it will be my fourth away
but this year has slipped away
very quickly and now we have to
face another cold & bleak winter
I simply dread it, but some one has
to remain here. The cold weather
has started already. Cold winds
rain, & a few frosts up to date
My hand is [[?]] now
The unit is out for a spell but very
far away from a descent town
where one can buy any thing.
If you buy say butter from the
French people they charge four
francs & a half about -8/8^d A terrible    
price I think Cigs fourpence each.
My pen is about run out & no
more ink to be had for love
so I must ring off hoping you are
well. I am [[??]] tomorrow
night Your loving brother
George
I have heard nothing more about
poor Jim.

 

Corp George Murray
14th Battalion
France
2-11- 17
Dear Mum
I received a few days ago a
batch of mail from you all also one from
Het from her new home, and yesterday
I got a letter from Les but I have not
seen him for a long time getting on
towards three months; but by all
accounts the mounted troops are
being split up and drafted into infantry
They are coming in a very hard time
for they have all the winter months
ahead of them and that's not a nice
thing to talk about.
I am back in the infantry again, far
better being in it; for you know what you
are doing & have to do. I was in the last
turn in the line with them Plenty of
rain & mud & plenty of shells, but the Coy
was very lucky indeed. No one killed
only one slightly wounded & [[when?]] in
the enemy put over a terrible lot of
 

big shells and plenty of gas but the ground being
so wet & boggy it saved our fellows a
terrific lot. The unit is will out of the
line now and will be some time for it is
up to them to have a good spell for they
have never had one since landing in this
county
Het wrote me a long letter about her
new place and how she manages her
new school & the hammerings she gives
some of her pupils.
By the account Lenx gave me a lot of
the poor boys from the old town have
given their lives in the glorious cause but a
lot more have to go ere this is all over
and the brave boys dying here while those
at home are causing such unrest. They
are not fit to be left in such a
country for they are not loyal but
traitors to the county and flags that
shields them from all outward ham harm
Imprisonment is too good for such as
they. Punishment could not be too severe
for them, for if they were in Germany they
 

would not last twenty four hours.
I was stopped by a chap in the battalion &
he said he knew me, but I could not
place from. He was one of the Franklins from
Beulah
Where I am now I cannot get any ting
to send for Christmas but may be able
when we move again but I wish you all
the happiness of Christmas but I know we cannot
be cheerful when we are so far apart & one
of our loving ones missing.
I well now close hoping you are all well as Les
and I a..
I am
Your loving Son
George

France
11-11-17
Dear Mother
Another week gone by and
still no word has been heard of poor Jim
I had a letter from Les today and he has
heard nothing either. He said he was near
the battalion but never knew that I was
in it, but since then both of us have
travelled far and are now far apart
in fact do not know where each other
is but may meet any time for the mounted
are often on the move.
Christmas will be about come and gone
by the time you receive this but so you we
have beek spared though have gone
through some very warm pllaces
Today I have sent a card to all at hom
I could not at any thin else in the
out back plane for it is a be typunt
Frink village
 

The wet weather has set in with a venyanre
for never a day goes by without filenty
rain and today church parade had to be
put off for it has to be hild in the
open am
The gurl in Eryland said that she had written
to you & had receive some letters in reply
I hear from her regularly and she has been
the best of friends to me Looked after me
as well as any one could, while I was on
leave but a few weeks after I came
back she was taken very ill and was
in hospital for a few weeks but is out.
very near atte to get about gain
There is very heavy fighting not manymiles
away and I can just hear the continums
rumble of the guns in the dirtance, and
to made matters worse the weather
has been very bad and the advancing
has been stw & heavy going but it seems
not to have much differne to the
Stations in their extrear for they are
stearrly going back into thiis own
H seems that Durrias Stat an
eoety
 

300
 

onabout bealen & if they are woe betioe the
Weitra arnnis for he will consentiate all
hiforces against them & then they will have
a by thing to yau.
I have not much to say py hoping you are
all well and enjoy a Merry Chanman &
have a Happy Naw Year but it is nyd
impossible when there is such a mysler
simounding poor from
An Revon
hrom your loving Son
George.
 

AOI
Couldns find before
Bnaps Go.
Her harvest
A
 

Framce
14-11-1
Dear Sor
I received your eer + always
looked for letter today along with
one from Mum telling me the
news they received about poor
fim and I fear that it is all
too true for if he were taken
prnoner word would have
been through by now, and re
cannot be in a hospital or
he would have written lon,
before now, so poor from was the
first of us to go in the gieal
cause but it is far from being
finished and either or both of u
may follow but always hope
for the best but I can sayI
have had sime very narou
 

shaves too near for my likery
for the wind that the shell made
in painny tunched my stiel has
off but still fcame out not
even scratched but badly shaken
The nearest I have had
I have not seen Lis since Preturnod
from Leave but a few days
ago I had a letter from him
saying that he was well of an
back from the line A very
good place to be in especially
now that it is so cold + wet
but by all accounts our
dermin is out for some time
and I think it is due to them
for they never had a cer
since they landed in France
while all the other civinion
had long lary spelts for away
from the sounce of
the Ium