Question

What a Letter about the experience of WW1

Answer 1

There are 32 letters and 16 photographs in this resource. All letters have been transcribed, and selected letters have an audio version too. The documents should offer students a chance to develop their powers of evaluation and analysis. Teachers may also wish to use the collection to develop their own resources.

You may spot spelling or grammatical errors in the transcripts as we have transcribed the letters as they stand. Unusual or technical terms have been defined within the text. However, we have not included full images for several letters as these would have proved too difficult to read online. In such cases we have shown part of the letter in order to provide a sense of the original.

Across the online resources Letters from the First World War, part one (1915) and Letters from the First World War, part two (1916-1918) it is possible to find more than one letter from the same person, or find references within the letters to those who have written. For this reason is it is helpful to see the letters as a whole group to get the most out of them and appreciate the nature of the collection.

Letters from the First World War, part one (1915) is based on the first half of the RAIL record. We have labelled each letter according to a theme from the First World War. For example, some letter writers have detailed their experience of the trenches, injury, or active service in the Dardanelles and India or training prior going abroad. Others have touched on the technology of war, the movement of troops or conditions at the railheads in France. There are three accompanying PDFs, each containing a collection of letters on the themes of the Dardanelles, training and the trenches.

Railheads were the nearest points to the front from which men and supplies travelled by train and were then taken to the battle line by motor vehicle or horse. The Great Western Railway Company formed four companies of Royal Engineers as many men from the company, including these clerical workers from Paddington, had enlisted to serve. Due to their knowledge and understanding of the railways, many became Railway Troops based at railheads.

Unsurprisingly, in the letters many men showed a keen interest in all matters connected with railways or engines, other Great Western Railway ‘fellows’ and the Great Western Railway Magazine. Some soldiers mentioned having received the magazine or asked for it to be sent out. It included photographs of all those who served in the First World War from the GWR as a whole and employees could catch up on company business and news of sporting or social events.

Answer 2

My dear Lucy, I understand that I am not supposed to be writing to you right now however I just couldn’t help it; I require to reveal myself to you on everything that has actually been going on here in the trenches. The trenches are so cold at the minute; I wish it would stay this way though. It’s best today, beautiful snowfall and this I more than happy for, brings us back the old memories of me and you.

Regrettably it will not be like this forever, it will be summer season in a while and that is going to be bad. I keep in mind in 2015’s heat wave.

The rotten smell of those innocent bodies, just dreadful and those pesky rats will be coming out too, consuming every bit of the remaining corpse, however luckily, I am in the dig out of the trench to avoid the freezing, but unforgettable weather condition. It may not be a 5 star hotel, but god thank that I am still alive.

I miss you all. I miss out on mom’s home cooking. I miss out on getting chewed out for refraining from doing my job around your home. I would trade anything to leave this trench. My feet are freezing and I have actually been sick for over a week.

I never ever wish to hear the words “over the top” once again. I’ve seen more any 17 year old should. I simply desire to come home. The food that we get here is ghastly, but it’s always much better to eat that than starve.