Harrogate Herald - 9th January 1918

Letters

Private Edgar Sands, writing from a RMLC [G?] camp, says : 

We have a very good camp here, but Christmas has been very quiet. We have plenty of work to do, but we managed to have a half day on Christmas Day, when we dined at 12 o'clock off a menu composed of roast pork, cabbage, mashed potatoes, onion sauce, Xmas pudding, and apples. Usually our dinner is done in style, when we have it at the close of day after we finis our work. We just manage to get started at times when the Bing Boys come, and when we return to our dinner we have to start knocking the ice off. All the same, we have a good time with our little difficulties. In the vicinity of the camp there is a YMCA hut, where they run a picture show for us. If you go further afield you can come across the Salvation Army and CEMS huts, which are also handy, also near our work the Friends' Ambulance Unit runs a hut. Xmas passed over very nicely, the YMCA giving us a concert on Xmas Eve, carol singing Xmas Day, and games competition on Boxing Day, when prizes were offered. We are up in the morning generally at 4.30, when we have our breakfast, taking with us our lunch, also we carry gas masks in case of gas clouds coming over. I hope you had a good Xmas and that you will have a prosperous New Year. I must say all the boys out here are in a very good humour.

Harrogate Herald - 17th April 1918

Private Edgar Sands writes : 

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and keeping all right out here, although I had to go into the hospital for eight or ten days, but I feel a great deal better. Two or three days ago I came across William Bruce, of Chatsworth Place. He used to be in the Yorkshire Hussars, but is now in the West Yorks. He was returning from a convalescent camp. A troupe of players called The Propellers came up to our place the other night and gave us a good old English concert lasting one to two hours, which included about 24 hours; also the night before the Royal Engineers concert party gave us a concert. We were indeed very lucky – two English concerts in one week. We are very busy at work, and we have plenty of it just at present, but

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