World War I - Letters From The Trenches

Letter 3

Dear Mother,

It’s great to hear you’ve got a job making weapons for the war – It’s like almost everyone is helping out now. I can’t wait to see your new hair when I get home at Christmas – It’s hard to picture you in my head now, as I always think of you with long hair, and I never thought you’d get it cut. I’ve received a short note from Henry today – I thought he was never going to talk to me again. Please say hello to him for me and give him the letter I’ve enclosed. According to him you’re wearing trousers now? I’m trying to picture that as well and can’t picture it at all. Next thing I know you’ll have your own tobacco pipe!

I was so angry when I heard about the Lusitania. We all were. I can’t believe they would do something like that. I think it proves to me that I made the right choice by coming to fight, and that the Hun really are evil. There were children on that boat – and babies.

We are now in the communications trench. We’ve been here for 3 days, and in two days we are due to move forwards to the reserve trench. I was expecting it to be harder than this – We’re in warm, dry wooden shelters. I’ve been hunting and caught a rabbit, which we had for dinner. Best thing I’ve had since we got here – we normally just have bully beef. Apparently us Tommie’s have it better than the Bosh though – we’ve been allowed a bit of rum, and a couple of cigarettes, which I know you would disapprove of me having, but they calm my nerves when they do surface, which is rarely. It doesn’t seem like people are dying so nearby. The sounds of gunfire keep me grounded through – remind me where I am – otherwise I might be able to believe I was on a holiday with the boys. We’ve been having talent shows – James won. He did a stand up thing, and managed to get everyone to laugh, even Billy. They’re such opposites, but they seem to get along. I spend a lot of my time with them now – James making sure I don’t get too depressed, and Billy making sure that I don’t forget where we are or what we’re supposed to be doing. I haven’t delivered a message to the front line yet, but a couple of days after the Battle of the Marne, James had to, and he came back not his usual self, more sober than normal, although he soon cheered up again. He said the older, more experience soldiers are saying that it means that the war won’t be over by Christmas, but how can that be right? We must be winning. I’ll see you soon now – I’m going to start counting down the days soon. Please say hello to Rose for me if you see her, and send my love.

Missing you still,

Charles Reeves.