Pte Frederick James Davies KO(RL)R

[Fred W]

As little light relief the following is a letter sent by my uncle to his mother after a weekend's leave during training. I have left in all the spelling mistakes etc. Whatever he was at school he would not have been top of his class at spelling.

12th July 1916

Dear Mother,

Just a few lines hoping you enjoyen your holidays, and got back alright, and ask our Annie how work has gone down. I had a grand weekend last week, at Bournemouth, and I got lodgings for 3/- tea, strawberrys, sweet cake, bread and butter and we got up at half past eleven on Sunday morning just like home, and then we had cold eggs and then the feast came on about tou hour after, cock chicken and new taters and sweet peas, and that their sproled on top, I don't know what it is could, its like paste, and then raspberry pie and custard and then we left at three 0'clock, as we had to go back, but we could have stoped for tea, but we had a pound of strwberries before we left, they could her Miss Love the landlady, and I think she loves soldiers. I sent Lily (his fiancee) a post card of the house, so you must ask her to let you look at it, it is cold Tower House.

I wrote to our John last week, but I have not yey had a reply, I told him I was thinking of being home in less than three week, I might be home in a about a fortnight, we had a rout mach on Monday, about 18 miles, and about three hours digging Tuesday morning, but we had half an hour in, and half an hour rest, then it has rained all afternoon this to day so we haven't done much, and how did Edward go on camping out, I am in the pink and I have got a real tash (Moustache) on, I am just trying to curl it, but I shall have it moved of when I come home, I''ll leave it on just to let you have a look at me as I am, hoping this finds you all in the best of health, so God bless you all.

From Your

Loving Son

Fred

Fred enlisted on the 25th April 1916 and was in the East Lancashire Regiment at the time of writing the letter. He was transferred to the King's Own(Royal Lancaster)Regiment on the 26th August 1916 and embarked for France on the 27th December 1916. He died of wounds on the 13 April 1917 with the 8th Battalion, during the Battle of Arras.