Harrogate Herald - 19th December 1917

Dear Chaps,

From time to time I have been greatly impressed by the patriotism of those whom I may call the older men. I often see some of those men of the labour companies who are working so strenuously and effectively in France and on other fronts. I have come to regard them with the profoundest admiration, for I know that their work is not unattached by danger, whilst for strenuous toil it cannot be excelled. Those who know least about our labour units may imagine that theirs is a "cushy" job. I know better. Many of these men follow close in the wake of an advance and are often under severe fire. A visit I have had from Pioneer M J Sanpher of a labour company, has done still more to impress me with their patriotism. It was from him I learnt that in September no less than six of his comrades celebrated their 60th year of age. Just imagine it - threescore years. Do they not shame the young men whose patriotism has not risen to the point of sacrifice? Sanpher went out September 21st, 1915, therefore has been out about two years and two months. Another thing his visit reminded me of which might not have occurred to me : I learnt that he has a wife and three children. His wife came with him, and I noticed that she did not look too strong. Her husband told me that she had bad health for some time, and this weighed heavily on his mind whilst away doing his best for our nation. There must be many cases of this kind. I am sure we shall remember them with the utmost sympathy. Sanpher has no Harrogate men with him, but sees some occasionally. I was glad to hear that his company had received a letter of congratulation and thanks for some great service in connection with a push, from General Byng. My visitor has been fortunate insomuch that he has not been ill or wounded. His last leave was twelve months ago. I enjoyed the visit of Pioneer and Mrs Sanpher very much, for he is typical of his race - no show, but all there when wanted.

I was happy to receive a letter from Mrs Hodgson, of 75 Denmark Street, for she was able to tell me she had received news of her brother, one of my oldest soldier boys, H G Smith, who has been posted as missing. He is down with trench fever, but is getting on well. She thanks me for making inquiries after him; but the best thanks of all are to know that he is safe and that his friends are no longer in suspense.

To Private N J Blackburn : I am unable to send you the cigarettes because your address had been torn from your letter. You will remember that it was at the top and should have been in the body of your letter. Perhaps some of your friends will see this and let me know your address; if not, send me a card or word through them.

Quite a long time ago I told you Private A L Trowsdale, son of Mr Trowsdale, of Knaresborough Road, had won the Military Medal. He is now in Italy. I have had his brother, Private A G Trowsdale, in to see me. He, too, will probably be in Italy by now. A G Trowsdale was looking the picture of health when I saw him, and I think anticipating Italy with pleasure rather than regret.

Next week, as Christmas occurs on Tuesday, we shall be obliged to go to press on Monday morning. You see most of the shops will be closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

I have had a call from Private T W Scruton, of the West Yorks, son of Mr and Mrs T Scruton, Ribston, who used to work at the Wellington and Beechwood, who is home on 14 days' leave. His brother Alfred, a Beechwood Boy, lodged with Mr R Wood in Montpelier Street. He has hurt his knee and is in hospital. My visitor had been in France 12 months and looks none the worse for it. In fact, I should say, better. Robshaw and Earnshaw, of Starbeck, are with him in his lot. The Yorkshire Hussars have been transferred to his company. These include Mark Hutchinson, Duchy Avenue, and other Harrogate lads. T W Scruton was slightly wounded in august, but he did not come home. Dolphin, of Pateley, who was killed, was in Scruton's platoon.

Driver W G Baker, and his wife, brother of J Baker, our fire engine driver, also came to see me. He had met George Carrick and Oddy in London coming over. No Harrogate lads are with him. Baker has been four months out and never ailed anything. He drove a van for Handley's before enlisting.

Private Harry Kirk, of the 2/5th West Yorks, son of Edward Kirk, 1 Cheltenham Road, is missing, though up to the present no official notification of the fact has come. He has only been back on lave six weeks, after septic poisoning. He has not been heard of for a month. Mrs Kirk has received a letter from his chum relating the circumstances. Kirk was with the writer of the letter through all the battle, and took everything which came in good heart and spirit. The time came along when volunteers were wanted, and Kirk, along with another chum and an officer, volunteered. The officer has been officially announced killed; but there is no news of the son of his chum. If you boys know anything, I hope you will write to Mrs Kirk or to me. There is nothing definite to show them that he has been killed, and it may be that he is a prisoner. I hope the latter is found to be the case. Before Kirk went into battle he gave his chum a brief note to be sent to his mother in case he should fall. I have seen this letter, for it has been forwarded home. I can assure you it is a letter of a man, and a hero who is in the fullest sense a credit to his race.

CSM A Styan, of the Army Service Corps, has been two years in Salonica come January, and in the Army since the war started. During all that time he has had but ten days' leave when in France. Out in Salonica he has had appendicitis and been in hospital three times. According to his last letter he was expecting another operation in six weeks. I am told he only weighs 7st., so that does not look as if he is fit. Naturally his friends would like him to come home on leave or to be transferred, and I have been asked my opinion as to the probability. Styan is one of those men who sticks and is of the very last to ask for leave. I am not sure whether I can covey the facts to the proper quarter; but I should, indeed, be pleased if I could do anything to help his transfer or leave. I think I must try!

Mrs Bramley, c/o Mrs Baxter, Otley Road, Killinghall, would be glad of any news of her husband, Private Oliver Watson Bramley, Manchester Regiment. He was posted as missing after an engagement in France on November 10th by the War Office, and two days later by his Regimental Pay Office. Since then his anxious wife has heard nothing. If any of you boys know anything about him will you write either to the above address or the Herald Office?

Some of you boys will remember Cecil Allen. I told you about the brothers Allen being in the Army. Cecil had a flourishing hairdressing business at 3 Lowther Arcade, when he enlisted, and so far as he knew gave up all. His mother and sister, however, took over the ladies' hairdressing department, and you will be glad to know that they have carried it on since with great success. The other day someone set going a report that the ladies were going to close the business. Like myself, you will wonder who those people are who set such erroneous statements in circulation, for Mrs and Miss Allen are not by any means retiring from business, they have succeeded too well. I feel a great interest in all our soldiers' families, particularly the Allen's. I recognise that such a report, if it gained credence, might do the business harm, and so I tell you now that there is no truth in the rumour. Your friends at home read the soldiers' letter, therefore I take advantage of it to give this very just and desirable information.

I had a triple surprise the other morning, for the first three letters I opened each contained something which pleased me very much. In the first place one held a cheque from Mr Herbert Frankling for £25, £20 of which was to go to the Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Children Fund and £5 to our Emergency Fund. Major Kelley had enclosed in the second letter a cheque for £5 5s for the Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Children. The third letter included a cheque, £2 2s, for Major Kelley's Fund, which is to supply money presents to the widows and children of fallen Harrogate heroes. Speaking of the blind soldiers' children reminds me to tell you that I am getting on exceedingly well with my army of collectors who are to leave the envelopes making an appeal on Christmas Day. There are something like 6,000 house in Harrogate, and to place one in each of those dwellings is rather a large undertaking, but as things are going I shall succeed.

Lots of you remember Mr Hodgson Smith. You know at one time he had a shop in James Street. You know at one time he had a shop in James Street which was very attractive because of its fancy goods. Well, I have heard today that his son is missing. I do not remember to have seen him, but I am told by several people that he is a fine, handsome chap, but that is not the only reason why we are all hoping that it may turn out he is a prisoner of war in Germany at the worst. Of course, we shall be delighted if we hear that he is in hospital and news has not got through. This is the less probable than the prisoner theory, and that is why we are fondly clinging with all our hopes to that. I am sure you will sympathise with Mr Smith and his family in the painful suspense which has come to them.

I attended the funeral of Mrs J F Royce on Friday at Harlow Hill, and was pleased to see there the Matron of St George's and quite a contingent of wounded soldiers from that convalescent hospital. For a long time Mrs Royce's eldest daughter has gone daily to help in the work there. No one can ever accuse our soldiers of ingratitude.

You will be interested to know something about Harrogate and district prisoners of war in Germany. I am glad to say the boys are getting their parcels all right and are pleased with and grateful for them. There are many more on the Advertiser's fund than there used to be, and then the cost of parcels was something like £15 a week. I have not had time to ascertain what the expense per week is now, but it must be much more. I am glad to say that funds come in to meet the demands.

It is Sunday morning, and when I got up I found about an inch of snow on the ground and fine flakes still falling. When I looked through the letters this morning there were six postcards from prisoners of war in Germany. Sometimes these come in batches after considerable delay. With every parcel that goes is enclosed a reply postcard containing the date of the parcel sent and these queries : "Have you received your parcel regularly? (2) Were contents in good condition? (3) Is your address as shown on the other side correct? If not, please enter your correct address below". By these postcards we know whether the boys receive the food or not. You would like to hear who those cards were from, so I will tell you. There were two from Private H Wood, 27791, 16th West Yorks, one of which was dated October 17th, the other October 20th; from Corporal A Hall, 200860, 2/5th West Yorks, there were two dated October 2nd, October 6th. The dates I have mentioned relate to the time when the parcels were sent from this country. The date of despatch of Hall's cards was November 5th the lot of them. The date when Private Wood sent his two cards were October 17th and 20th. Then there were two cards from Private T Lang, 2 Company, West Yorks. The parcels they acknowledged were sent September 10th and September 27th. These postcards were written October 28th. We receive such cards regularly. I mention these because they have just come to hand.

You will remember the late Mr Samson Fox's home, Grove House. You will know it is now used as a military hospital. Of late I have had many grateful reports from wounded soldiers who are staying there, speaking of the great kindness they receive from every member of the staff and the people of Harrogate. If we civilians have to economise in food, I am glad to say that these soldiers are well looked after. All sorts of good things are sent, and their meals include many delicacies of which they are entirely worthy. I think I can say the same about all the military hospitals in Harrogate, though I do not get much news of some of them. The wounded soldiers who come to see me from the different establishments, however, are loud in grateful praise.

There is rigorous combing out of eligible men from industrial concerns. Amongst these are men of various trades and professions who have even gone into coal mines to escape service. They are being raked out, for they include trades and professions quite foreign to coalmining. So far all is well. I have but one fear, and that is men who are physically unfit to stand the strain of training and war (in the anxiety for more men) may be sent into the Army. You know how much good they will be and can imagine the expense which will attend any unwise selection in this respect.

I should go to London again on Friday, but cannot, possibly. Christmas comes on Tuesday, and all our five papers have to be published in a limited time. Then I have my hands full over the Blinded Soldiers' Children Christmas Fund. To see that six or seven thousand houses each have an envelope containing an appeal is a job requiring the closest application.

Knowing so well how much you boys look forward to receiving your Heralds every week, I am sorry to hear there are those whose friends send them the paper who frequently do not get it. You see those we send are in special wrappers on which is printed the name of the paper. They all go together. The Postal Authorities are very good. They send them in separate bags and hurry them forward because they know there are all those boys at the Front, a big number of them, waiting for their weekly Herald. If you know of any chaps who do not receive theirs sent by friends, let them write home and suggest they go with ours. There are many friends at home well able to bear the expense of the paper and postage, and these hesitate to ask us to send them. That is all right, if the boys get them. But I want you to understand that we are prepared to send them out, and never refuse such requests, and are specially delighted to send them to boys whose friends cannot afford the expense.

W H Breare