Harrogate Herald - 8th August 1917

W H Breare letter

C J G Whitham, of the 2/6th West Yorks, has been out 21 months with the 1/5th. He came home to get his commission, and is now with the 2/6th. I should like him to know that we are sending the papers free. He offers to pay for them, but I ask him to accept them from me as a mark of our regard and appreciation.

Whitham tells a quaint story. he says : 

"We have not seen any 'civvies' for months, and last night we met a few. We were having something to eat at a French shop. A little girl of 17 was looking after us. One officer said to her, 'Good evening, mademoiselle'. She replied, 'Cheerio, old thing! How are you? Is your father still on munitions?' She uttered this in all seriousness and in very good English, evidently not understanding the nature of the remark. It sounded so funny from the earnest, serious-eyed French girl".