Captain/Major Harold Ward Correspondence, item 125

• December 10, 2018 19:27:44 Thomas A. Lingner

  left side

  The gardens in our village are 

  looking quite gay in places for

  they are decked out with daffodils

  primroses daisies &c. Unfortunately

  the houses fell on parts of the

  gardens so the effect is somewhat

  spoiled. The gooseberry & currant

  bushes are full of blossom but

  I don't think we shall get any

  pies just yet. We are having

  stewed rhubarb for dinner to-night

  & most nights for the last three

  weeks we have had potatoes &

  greens. Our cook can manage the 

  greens very well & I am sure

  we are all better for the addition

  to the rations. Last night our

  cook surprised us with a large

  bread pudding so you see we

  are living in the greatest luxury.

    It is very pleasant to see

  all the countryside becoming

  more & more green each day. The

  right side

  villages, though, do not fill one

  with pleasant thoughts. In this

  one there is not a single house

  or shed left standing. Most of 

  my men are in shelters which 

  they have built whilst we

  live in a cellar again. It is

  quite a pleasant cellar for it 

  is light & airy during the day

  and also - strange to say - its 

  chief attraction is that it is

  lovely & cool. Fancy delighting 

  in the possession of a cool home

  a few days ago I would have

  given much to have found a

  really warm place to rest in.

  It was not through kindness 

  that the Boche left us this home.

  He intended it to go up with 

  the rest of the village but for

  some reason the explosive did

  not go off. It was carefully 

  removed & so for once we had

• December 10, 2018 19:27:23 Thomas A. Lingner

  left side

  The gardens in our village are 

  looking quite gay in places for

  they are decked out with daffodils

  primroses daisies &c. Unfortunately

  the houses fell on parts of the

  gardens so the effect is somewhat

  spoiled. The gooseberry & currant

  bushes are full of blossom but

  I don't think we shall get any

  pies just yet. We are having

  stewed rhubarb for dinner to-night

  & most nights for the last three

  weeks we have had potatoes &

  greens. Our cook can manage the 

  greens very well & I am sure

  we are all better for the addition

  to the rations. Last night our

  cook surprised us with a large

  bread pudding so you see we

  are living in the greatest luxury.

    It is very pleasant to see

  all the countryside becoming

  more & more green each day. The

  right side

  villages, though, do not fill one

  with pleasant thoughts. In this

  one there is not a single house

  or shed left standing. Most of 

  my men are in shelters which 

  they have built whilst we

  live in a cellar again. It is

  quite a pleasant cellar for it 

  is light & airy during the day

  and also - strange to say - its 

  chief attraction is that it is

  lovely & cool. Fancy delighting 

  in the possession of a cool home

  a few days ago I would have

  given much to have found a

  really warm place to rest in.

  It was not through kindness 

  that the Boche left us this home.

  He intended it to go up with 

  the rest of the village but for

  some reason the explosive did

  not go off. It was carefully 

  removed & so for once we had

  
  

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