18th April 1917: WW1 Letter: Stretcherbearers, ships and shellshock

18 April 1917

Perham Downs, Salisbury Plains, England

My Dear Mother,

I hope you will forgive me for not writing to you before, I know it is a long time since you last heard from me.

I have been here in England for a long time now, I have not been too good in health, I think my constitution is ruined, I never feel well now, the result of too much bully beef and biscuits I suppose. I think I told you before about my legs being paralysed, they are a bit dicky yet, sometimes when I get a bit excited they get quite weak and nearly give way, I got that lot at Pozieres as I suppose you know.

I got Mary’s photo and Harold’s letter. I am glad they got their watches all right, and like them. My word Mary has grown up to be a fine girl. I am quite proud of my sister.

I am in camp on Salisbury Plains rather a dreary hole, a long way from any city. It was very bleak here in the winter, I am glad in a way that I was not in France. I think the cold and snow in the trenches would have just about settled me. I am glad I missed that. Someday I suppose they will send me back, as all men are wanted nowadays, when we are pushing them back so well.

The other day the Australians had a go at the Prussian Guard and gave them what was the first serious defeat the Prussian Guard have ever had I believe.

It was funny in a way on the Somme, anyone that did not know what was on, would have thought that they boys were out hunting rabbits, the way they were going about looking for snipers. The bravest of the lot were the stretcher bearers, every one of them deserved a V.C. not only in my estimation but in everybody else’s.

I cannot tell you much about the war as I know it or the conditions here in England, things are very dear now, but I suppose that is the same all over the world. In this camp we get fed very well indeed, better food in fact that we got at Broadmeadows.

I very seldom get any letters here, the mail seems to go astray, don’t send me any parcels, I can get any amount of nice things here if I want them. I seldom do though my sweet tooth seems to be gone completely. I very rarely eat jam even.

I have not seen Uncle Mayhew, or anybody I know yet, of course it is very hard to find anybody in the army, the units are scattered so much. I went to Lark Hill camp one day and enquired about him but could not find him, some said he had gone to France, he is a sergeant now I believe.

I have seen a little bit of England by this time. I am supposed to be permanent Guard here, the duties are not hard for me as I do not do any sentry go, when we are not on guard we do escort duty to different parts of the country. I have not been to many large cities up to date. I have been to Liverpool, Birmingham, Cheltenham, and of course Salisbury, Southampton, Isle of Wight (Cowes and Newport) and lots of other little towns that I suppose you have never heard of. I have been to Gravesend too, W.W. Jacob’s port.

I must say I know London pretty well by now, but of course I can still get lost in it. I think Melbourne or Sydney are far more up to date in some ways than London. The best thing about London are the policemen – they can and will always direct anybody that is lost, and never seem to get tired of answering silly questions, they are always civil.

Several times you have asked me about the boat I came over in. It was the “Clan McGillivray” (pictured) one of the xxxx Line a xxxx steamer, and very crowded, and uncomfortable, the tucker was bad too, but not the worst troopship I have been in. The worst one I have been in was the “Abbyssia”, an Egyptian boat, filthy, crowded, and bully beef and biscuits. The best one was the “Empress Britain” (pictured) from Alexandria to Marseilles. I don’t suppose there is any harm in me telling you these things now, as it all happened a long while ago.

Well I suppose I must close now, I am ashamed of myself for not writing to you before. You know I don’t like writing, although I can go alright once I start, but I take a lot of starting, but I will try to write more often in future.

Address me the same as usual but put 5th Battalion A.I.F. No 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs, Andover, Hamps.

With best love to all at home and yourself. I remain your loving son,

Trevor.

P.S. I got my kit bag that I left in Egypt. Everything of any value was taken out, I had some curios for the children in it, but they are gone too. I was not in a condition to collect anything when I left the Somme.

1. Rediscovering my great grandfather, Reginald Trevor: Letters home from World War 1

2. Background Information about my great grandfather - Reginald Trevor - a soldier in World War 1

3. 18th October 1914: World War 1 letter - Mother I have enlisted for war

4. 23rd October 1914: - Preparing to Embark - World War One

5. 22nd February 1915: We have embarked - World War One letter

6. 20th August 1915: Letter from Cairo - World War One

7. 5th October 1915: Trench Rats! World War One letter

8. 2nd Nov 1915: WW1 Letter - Life on Lemnos Island rest camp

9. Christmas Day 1915: WW1 letter - Life in the Gallipoli Trenches

10. World War 1 Field Service Postcards from the front

11. 1916: World War 1 letter - Belgian refugees' suffering, experiences in Egypt and France

12. 3rd Dec 1916: WW1 Letter: Life in Perham Downs camp - England
13. 18th April 1917: WW1 Letter: Stretcher bearers, ships and shell shock (current page)
14. 14th Oct 1917: WW1 letter: The tedium of 'home service' in England
15. 22 Oct 1917: Wounded in the Battle of Pozières - the Somme: WW1 Letter home

16. Postcards from World War One - France