Harrogate Herald - 24th January 1917

Letters

Driver H Aubin, writing from Salonica, says : 

I received the football that you sent me - I am glad to say we have only been beaten twice out here. There have been teams lately with unbeaten records, but we have lowered their colours. They were very hard games, too. I see in your Herald about Speight being missing. He used to be in our Brigade. It will be about eight months since I saw him, but we went a different way to them. I like to read your chat to the boys on active service. I see that Billy Womack and Mothersill are out here. I know where hey are. It is a long way from here. We have had a good Xmas - turkey and roast beef. A bit different to last Xmas, when we had bully and biscuits. We still keep giving "Johnny" Bulgar some iron rations. I am very sorry to see that Bro Winterburn has gone under. I used to play in the same team as they did. I dropped across one of the boys when we were on the move. He had just come out. We had a talk of the old town, and he said that Voakes was out here too. He used to work at the Queen Hotel as a night porter. I have forgotten his name. He had a brother on the cars as driver, but he is in France. I have just come across another Harrogate lad. He is in the village here. They call him Read. He lives up King's Road. The RAMC have concerts every night, and they have a panto called the "Babes in the Wood". There is another panto coming. Read is in the same Corps; and there is a very good choir listening to. They sang some fine Xmas carols on Xmas Eve. It is turning very cold now in the mornings, but we have plenty of winter clothing, such as jack boots, mufflers, and gloves, so we are all right. I see you are getting a lot of soldiers over from Ripon at the weekends. Would you be so kind as to send me Willy Metcalfe's address. He works in Tower Street, and looks after the Northern Union team, because I would very much like to write him. I am not a proper Harrogate lad, but my brother-in-law and sister have been in Harrogate for years. He has been a fireman for about 17 years. I lived in Harrogate for about nine years and I used to go to St Peter's School. I then lived in Ship Yard, when the Salvation Army used to be there. If you ever write to Walter Smith, will you tell him I am asking about him. He worked on the cars for the NER. I can remember when there used to be nothing but fields up to High Harrogate. I see from your paper that they are showing the "big push" on the Somme at the Picture House on Skipton Road. Wishing you and the Herald every success.

Harrogate Herald - 21st March 1917

Letters

Driver H Aubin, who is with the Salonica Field Force, writes : I am the only lad in the battery from Harrogate, and the boys here like to read the Herald, especially chat to the boys on active service. I also thank you for the address R W Metcalfe. He is a great chum of mine. I have had blistered toes, but they are going on all right. We will be having summer here shortly. We still keep Johnny Bulgar busy. It is very good of Lord Furness to lend the Grand Hotel as a convalescent hospital for wounded officers, and they will be able to get a grand view of the surrounding country and the Valley gardens. The boys have joined our battery who were in training near Harrogate. We had a chat about the old town. They used to come to Harrogate for their week-ends off. I should be glad if you can send me another football, because the one you sent last winter is worn out. The bladder is mended in three or four places. I was surprised to see a bit of the "Balkan News" in your paper. I think you would laugh at it. It is quite right about the place, as about nine months ago I was there, and I had a headache for about three days, so that will tell you what it is like. We had a Taube over yesterday, but it soon went back again.

Harrogate Herald - 4th April 1917

Driver H Aubin, who is with the Salonica Field Forces, writes : I am going on all right. I have received the Harrogate Herald and like to hear about the old town and the boys. I see that a lot of the Harrogate boys are winning honours. I have passed the Harrogate Herald on to Private Read, who is in the Royal Army Medical Corps. We are still keeping Johnny Bulgar busy. I saw by the paper that Sergeant Atkinson, whom I know quite well, is joining the Tanks. He will have a chum in Raworth. I know a lot of Harrogate lads out here, but I have not dropped across any of them yet. You remember that Harrogate lad whose name I did not know. I found out that they call him F Purchase. The way I did so was by seeing his photo in the Harrogate Herald. I see you are having plenty of frost, and I bet the boys are having plenty of skating and sledging.

Harrogate Herald - 18th April 1917

Letters

Driver H Aubin, with the Salonica Field Force, says : I have received two mouthorgans, and I thank you very much for them, also the paper. I am very sorry to hear of Gamble dying of wounds. I knew him quite well; and I also see in the paper about another Harrogate man called Veal being out here. If he is in the same unit I will try and see him.

Harrogate Herald - 9th January 1918

Mr H Breare letter

The other case is that of Driver H Aubin, who wrote several letters to us prior to his being missing. He is the brother-in-law of Mr J Franklin, of 34 Nidd Vale Terrace. He has seen long service, and went through the first attack at Loos. He has had a good deal of moving about, and went from France to Salonica, then to Egypt, and the last heard from him was when he wrote to his sister about two months ago, stating that he was just going into action. Naturally his friends are anxious, and would be glad of any news at the above address. His number is 44994, and he is with a howitzer brigade in Egypt.