Letters from Hugh Barr to his mother, 1917

I am pleased to hear J J is

getting all right Give her my kind

regards (she will know) !

Cis will have to give me a day
out in Belfast (dive at the Burlington)
Remember me to Annie & Jeanie
also Miss Irvine. I have'nt
answered their letters you can
explain. It is time they were all
getting ready for Ausey. have they
got their hold alls ready. That will
be the next war Australians &
N.Zs fighting for ships for Home.
Hoping this finds you all in
the best of health
Ever your loving son
Hugh
Fondest Love to all xxxxxx 

France
6th August 17
My Dear Dear Mother
Received your
ever welcome letter also one from
Willie & the parcel. we have just
came out of the trenches again for
a spell & I can tell you we have
well earned it. we have had it
fairly hot since the advance, &
up over the waist in mud.
we had very heavy casualtys this
time also J. Kirk’s crowd. He is
not too pleased (Fritz) getting
knocked back here. he is trying
to have a piece of his own back
I have got my 2 stripes now. have
had them since the 17^th of last
month: & that is something. 

it means another 4 shillings a day
that is 10/- a day instead of
Six. I will allot you another 2/- a day
that will be 6/- a day you can draw
& they put another 6 a day to my
deferred pay in Australia that is
1/6 a day there will be a nice
little sum to lift when I get back
and I will draw the other 2/6 a day
here so you will have to send me
no more money. If I don't want to
draw it all every pay I can leave
it in my book, Mother Darling I
am ever so sorry to hear you
have been ill. I do hope you are
alright again Mother Dear do please
keep Cis at Home. She would be
much better at Home. I don't like to
think she has so long hours 

It is doing her no good. Mother
dear you use up that money of
mine. Honestly I don't like Cis
to be working in a shop. She is
the only one left with you now and
I want to try & give her as much
comfort as possible. & she can have
a day out when she likes then.
I would feel much happier any
how to know, you are all well
and as comfortable as possible.
Now Mother dear do for my sake
keep her at Home, and anything I
have they are all welcome to it.
& dont worry about me. I know this
Job is not to sweet But we must
carry on. I am not fretting or
downhearted - I go in to the
trenches. prepared to take on 

any jobs my mates have to do,

that is the spirit we Box on with
If it is good enough for one it is
good enough for all. I told you
about Young Lane winning the
military medal I will send you
on the account of it & have our
Photos taken. He is well & still
Boxing on with me. No poor old
Fat is still in London he has
to be led around cant see to
read or write. I am lucky never
had a wound yet & there are not
too many of the old Boys left
Hoping this finds you are in
good health
Ever your loving son Hugh
fondest of Love to All xxxxxx
Tell Cis to write & James

no need to tell Willie.

337
Cpl H Barr 

France

11th July 1917
to morrow will be the day
(Derry walls)
My Dear Mother
Received your
ever welcome letters also the
papers. I wrote to you
from the trenches saying I
received the letter with the £2
I also received the registered
letter with the £1. We had it
very lively in the trenches
this last time. Fritz is not too

pleased at losing Messines 
& he knows he had no hope of
re capturing it. I am down
at a school for a week going
through another Bombing course 

How did the Larne Boys get on in

the Push. He is about settled
now. They will give him another
couple of Knocks in the near
future. I am pleased to hear
George is on leave he has well
earned it. I am sorry to hear poor
old Crow is not too well. He should
go & have his teeth fixed up by the
way did Kate have hers fixed
up yet or is she waiting to I
get my Blighty leave. We could
all do with it now. Our Division
is not having too sweet a time
she never thinks of writing now nor
James of course I like them
all to write & not expect to many
answers. I hope they all enjoy
themselves at the 12^th. Kindly
dont send on any more money

As I have tons now I did'nt expect
so much. How is Georg Marg & 
Rita & Sunny man enjoying
their holidays. You can send on
a small parcel of cakes like you
always make I can buy tea cocoa
milk & eggs But they are not
allowed to sell us bread
so we have only our issue and
we are tired eating loaf & still we
are lucky we are not on Biscuits
ask Willie to send me on some
kind of a fountain pen as I
have a lot of notes to make now.
I am in charge of the Company
scouts & has been for some time.
and I am well on my way for Stripes
now. I could have had them long
ago only for the red line in
my book for overstaying leave 

that 21 days & Breaking Ship
in Durban & Capetown. They
more they are there the Col. &
Capt & all the Head think
I am just it. I have been in
all their raids and out over the
top every night any information
the want about Fritz's trenches
or wire I am on the job
and I will be well in the lead
for Home Leave as soon as  it
starts as I was the first to
go to Bologne and I do very little
drill do my patrol at night & finish
of course I have to fix up all the
patrols for the Coy. Our mail
service can't be beat there are very
few letters go astray they find you
if they should be some time