Harrogate Herald - 18th April 1917

Private J L Jepson, writing from Salonica, says : 

I thank you so much for the paper. Out here there is nothing more acceptable than a budget of interesting topics from home> I should just think the memorial to the gallant Knaresborough boys who have fallen was thrilling; the mere reading of it thrilled me. I notice most of your letters are from France, but I think one from Macedonia will be acceptable. I used to be in the Yorkshire Dragoons, but was sent out here last summer to the 1st Royal Irish Regiment. The fighting is of a different character to that in France. Our enemies (Bulgars and Turks) are in some very strongly fortified hills and we on the plains beneath. The only way to take these hills is by a pass called Rupel Pass, and it is very jealously guarded by the Bulgars. Most of their officers are Germans, as well as all the heavy artillery; but for these two facts I think they would have given up long ago. They are very badly clothed and apparently badly fed, and those we take prisoners seem quite pleased about it. I am at present in hospital suffering from ear trouble, for which I have had an operation, but I am nearly ready for the line again. I am sorry to hear of the terrible winter you have had at home. The weather here is now, and has been this last month, quite hot; as hot, in fact, as a typical English summer day. We have had no snow at all in the low-lying country as yet. I think the war will finish this year, and shall not, I assure you, be sorry to say goodbye to "Johnny" Greek, as we call him.

Harrogate Herald – 29th January 1919

J Leslie Jepson writes : 

I am writing these few lines to give you a few impressions of my fifth Xmas in the Army and my third one here. My first, in 1914, I had early in December; my second I got in February, 1916, and the last three have been spent in the Balkans. We had a good day taken all round. We had butter, sausage, goose, turkey, cakes, tarts, etc., jelly, custard, etc., nuts, apples and oranges, cigarettes, cigars and tobacco, with plenty of beer as extras during the day. As amusements we had a shooting match and football match before dinner, whist drive in the afternoon, and a concert at night.