Harrogate Herald - 1st December 1915

Fred Harwood, taking a very cheery view of things in Flanders, writes : 

November 22nd 1915. I'm sat in my "Little grey home in the West", writing this - a dug-out built of sandbags, six feet square and about three feet six inches high; situated in the front line trenches about 100 yards or less from the German lines. The weather is cold and frosty, and much preferable to rain. I've just finished a dinner of good hot "mulligan" and now feel fit for anything. When one thinks of it, it is really wonderful how we get fresh meat and bread up to the front line trenches every night. There is nothing to grumble at in the way of food. I saw Corporal Haigh a while ago; he was looking well. It was very sad about Neil McMillan, wasn't it? Wilf, Haigh and Neil and I went to school together at Starbeck, and were all in the Canadian Forces. There's not much news, so I'll close. Thanking you for the paper, which I receive regularly every week. It's great to get the Harrogate news and even the lads from other towns appreciate the paper. Hoping you are well; I'm A1. Wishing your paper every success, which it justly deserves.

Harrogate Herald - 25th December 1918

W H Breare letter

Then I have had in the two brothers Currie, Private Alexander and Driver Donald. They live at 5 Denmark Street. Alex has been twelve months out, wounded and gassed on the 28th January, 1918. This affected his voice, and he couldn't speak for three months. Ben Smith, of Hurstleigh Terrace, was with Currie, and Micky Brain, of Denmark Street. There were six of the Currie boys in the Army - one, Arthur, with the Canadians, was killed April 16th; Driver Donald was taken on the 8th September, 1914, at the fall of Manbenge. The town surrendered on the 7th September, after ten days' bombardment. In 1914 his treatment was severe, but better later. With him at the same camp was Second Lieutenant B Archer, under-chef at the Hydro, and Lieutenant Frank Wilson, and eight or nine other Harrogate boys. They were all at Mainz. Lieutenant Colonel Bousfield, who was once in charge of the 1/6th West Yorks, was likewise a prisoner there. At the same time as those boys called, Private Fred Harwood, of the 29th Battalion Canadian Infantry, came. He had been out two years and eight months, and is the son of Mr and Mrs Harwood, engine driver for the North Eastern, of 99 The Avenue, Starbeck. Harwood was in the Giessen camp. He was taken at St Eloi in the battle of the craters. With Harwood was Private W Tindale, 3rd Battalion, Toronto Regiment. He was taken prisoner on the 24th April, 1915. Been three years and seven months out. Captured at St Julien. Tindale was in Harrogate as a guest of Fred Harwood.