very thick cloth, and altogether loose
and useful. There always has been a battalion of the London Irish
Rifles (Volunteers), now a territorial corps. The War Office would not
allow them to belong to us, because Irish Regiments have no
territorial Bns. In S. Africa, that Bn. (London Irish Rifles) sent us
a company which was attached to our regiment throughout the war. I
leave the Irish visit in your hands at present. The only leave I shall
receive will be if I am wounded. There will be a lot of fighting of a
bad sort from now on. It would never be surprising if one were hit. I
have been mercifully preserved up to now; and, again, one must put
one's trust in Providence....

MY DEAR LITTLE HAL,

I am enclosing one of the coat badges which I wore in S. Africa and in
this war until this morning, when I received another coat from my
tailor, so I thought you would like it to keep. I hope you are a good
boy and working very hard, and are a help to Mummie.

Your affectionate
DADDIE.

_March 9th, 1915._

MY DEAR LITTLE BLANCHE,

I am also sending you one of my coat badges. This morning I received
from my tailor a much warmer coat, I am glad to say, for I find it
terribly cold being out all night in mud and ice-cold water. I am sure
you are trying to be a very good girl and learning your lessons well.

Your loving
DADDIE.

_March 9th, 1915._

IN TRENCHES. VERY MUCH!
_March 11th, 1915._

I have had some very hard fighting since I wrote to you. Of course I
knew it was coming off, but could not tell you exactly.... We lost a
certain amount.... I am too busy, though, to write much, and I am out
in the open feeling very cold, and will be in the mud all night,
where, by the bye, I've been for the past three nights. A few of my
officers have been killed, I regret to say, whilst the total of killed
and wounded for my regiment alone has been three times the number of
my father's house in P---- Terrace [total number, 141]. Can you
imagine me charging down with the regiment shortly after dawn into
Neuve Chapelle? I will write more about it all if I am spared. There
is heavy fighting before us.

Yours ever....