Harrogate Herald - 1st December 1915
Letters received from our soldiers :
Private G Eaddie
Harrogate Herald - 2nd May 1917
W H Breare letter
I had news from lots of Harrogate boys when Private
G Eaddie, RAMC, came in last Friday, from Elmwood Street. He has
been out since July 4th, 1915. Before the war he was twelve years
with Maxwell Grayson, wine merchants, James Street. Of the six lads
who enlisted and went out with him, only one remains, and that is
Wood. Eaddie has been at the Dardanelles, Suvla Bay, Egypt,
and now France. He came home on leave on Tuesday of last week, and
returns today. He met Johnson, who worked for Knowles, wine
merchant, Parliament Street; likewise E Tindall, who was with us;
Sergeant Birkhill, J W Smith, H Lockwood, who, by the way, is
reported missing, and Dent, named "Major", as well as
Oddy, Ted's son. The last two he saw only three weeks ago, and they
wee well. Then he has seen Harry Robinson, Taylor, Syd Dawson, and
Simpson. Robinson and Simpson were in the Salvage Corps. Eaddie
met Frank Jackson at Suvla Bay, and was the only Harrogate man
Jackson had met. Eaddie attended the ambulance classes, with
Jackson, under Dr Campbell Ward. Although the last two soldiers were
training in Sheffield at the same time, they never saw each other
until Suvla Bay. Private Eaddie wishes to be remembered to
all his old friends, wherever they may be.
Harrogate Herald - 27th June 1917
W H Breare letter
Just imagine how you would feel if you suddenly found yourself in
Harrogate on leave for the first time in two years and three months.
This is the happy situation of Private J Oldfield, RAMC, who called
to see me on Friday morning. He is the son of Mr and Mrs John
Oldfield, of Skipton, and at one time worked for Robinson's,
grocers, then for Standing's Ltd., from which establishment he
joined up. The reason why he did not get leave before is that he
first went to Suvla Bay, then to Greek Islands, next Egypt, and
finally France. After Thiepval he was transferred to another
division, and had to leave his friends George Eaddie and
Wood, who lived in Parliament Terrace, and Billy Smith, of Union
Street. These boys are all right so far. In his present division
with him is Billy Burkinshaw. On June 7th Oldfield had a touch of
shrapnel on the shoulder. he calls it "a bruise", but is
quite all right, and declares he suffered no inconvenience. You will
remember that his brother Dick was killed a year ago last November.
It is rather singular that Dick should have been sent to the
casualty clearing station to which J Oldfield was transferred and
now in. Oldfield and the Petty boys are great chums - in fact,
before the war they went to camp out at Crimple. Perhaps it was to
get their hands in, though they could have had no idea of the great
affair which was to come later. Perhaps you would like to know who
comprised that party? I van tell you. Dick and John Petty, Jesse
Scott, Maurice Broadhead, Ryan, and Chapman. All, in turn, have been
casualties; but I am glad to say are now alive and well.
