Letter to Elsie & Jack March 1917, thanks for parcel

• May 22, 2018 20:58:15 Thomas A. Lingner

  Thursday

  1st March 1917

  My dear Elsie and Jack,

  Very many thanks for the parcel and its varied and welcome

  contents. It was delivered to me in my dug-out up in the trenches

  not many hours before we were due to come out for rest. The load

  we carry is just about as much as we can manage and I could not 

  have carried that splendid parcel, as after retracting one or two things

  I did it up again & returned it to the postman. I am now

  in rest billets and if anything is left of the parcel it will travel

  up in my pack next time. The candle is the admiration of all,

  and is reserved for my next dug-out. When I tell you I had

  to spend two nights without means of a light - and in the front

  line too - you will understand how delighted I was to receive the giant.

  Please give me particulars as to where this sort of candle can be 

  purchased & the price as many fellows want to get similar ones

  sent out. After the two nights I mentioned I managed to 

  manufacture an oil lamp out of a cigarette tin, pencil case and

  rifle rag (the 4 by 2 variety Jack will know all about.) This 

  last spell up in the trenches (different ones this time) has been the

  worst. There has been no rain but the thaw has produced a sea

  of mud. Of course we wore trench waders and it was just

  as well, as the mud in places came half way up the thigh. It

  was just like the cafe au lait you sent me and where very deep &

  thick it was very difficult to get along. Several men got

  
  

• May 22, 2018 20:47:57 Thomas A. Lingner

  Thursday

  1st March 1917

  My dear Elsie and Jack,

  Very many thanks for the parcel and its varied and welcome

  contents. It was delivered to me in my dug-out up in the trenches

  not many hours before we were due to come out for rest. The load

  we carry is just about as much as we can manage and I would not 

  have carried that splendid parcel, as after retracting one or two things

  I did it up again & returned it to the postman. I am now

  in rest billets and if anything is left of the parcel it will travel

  up in my pack next time. The candle is the admiration of all,

  and is reserved for my next dug-out. When I tell you I had

  to spend two nights without means of a light - and in the front

  line too - you will understand how delighted I was to receive the giant.

  Please give me particulars as to where this sort of candle can be 

  purchased & the price as many fellows want to get similar ones

  sent out. After the two nights I mentioned I managed to 

  manufacture an oil lamp out of a cigarette tin, pencil case and

  rifle rag (the 4 by 2 variety Jack will know all about.) This 

  last spell up in the trenches (different ones this time) has been the

  worst. There has been no rain but the thaw has produced a sea

  of mud. Of course we wore trench waders and it was just

  as well, as the mud in places came half way up the thigh. It

  was just like the cafe au lait you sent me and where very deep &

  thick it was very difficult to get along. Several men got

  
  

  
  

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• March 13, 2018 09:15:42 Jessica Adkins

  Thursday

  1st March 1917

  My dear Elsie and Jack,

  Very many thanks for the parcel and its varied and welcome

  contents. It was delivered to me in my dug-out up in the trenches

  not many hours before we were due to come out for rest. The load

  we carry is just about as much as we can manage and I would not 

  have carried that splendid parcel, as after retracting one or two things

  I did it up again & returned it to the postman. I am now

  in  and if anything is left of the parcel it will travel

  up in my pack next time. The candle is the admiration of all,

  and is reserved for my next dug-out. When I tell you I had

  to spend two nights without means of a light - and in the front

  line too - you will understand how delighted I was to receive the giant.

  Please give me particulars as to where this sort of candle can be 

  purchased & the price as many fellows want to get similar ones

  sent out. After the two nights I mentioned I managed to 

  manufacture an oil lamp out of a cigarette tin, pencil case and

  rifle rag (the 4 by 2 variety Jack will know all about.) This 

  last spell up in the trenches (different ones this time) has been the

  worst. There has been no rain but the thaw has produced a sea

  of mud. Of course we wore trench waders and it was just

  as well, as the mud in places came half way up the thigh. It

  was just like the cafe au lait you sent me and where very deep &

  thick it was very difficult to get along. Several men got

  
  

  
  

  • Show revision
  • Compare to current version
  • Compare to previous version

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