Harrogate Herald – 27th January 1915

Dear Editor, Just a few lines to thank you for the paper, which I receive each week quite regularly. We have changed billets since the last time you heard from me. Of course, I cannot tell you where I am, but I am getting on very well and in the best of health. There is not quite so much mud and water in this billet as there was in the last, and we have all our horses under cover, and that is a great thing, as exposure to all kinds of weather takes it out of a horse more so than hard work. We have not been in the trenches lately; we are still resting. I have not much to say this time, as we have not done anything startling lately, but when there is anything startling to be done we won't be far away, as I still consider myself good enough for a few Germans yet; that is, if one of them does not accidentally hit the target, or I happen to shake hands with a "coal-box", which I have nearly done on more than one occasion. Well, I don't think I will trouble you with any more this time, so will close, wishing yourself and your readers the best of luck.

Yours sincerely, Trooper A Allardyce.

Harrogate Herald - 3rd March 1915

Trooper A Allardyce, 6th Dragoon Guards, writes under date February 24th, 1915 :

Dear Sir, I again take the pleasure of thank you for the Harrogate Herald. I am sure there is nothing pleases me more than to get all the local news each week. Well, we have just come out of the trenches again, and a lovely time we had too, almost up to the knees in water; but I arrived back quite safe, except for a very bad cold and a bad foot owing to standing in water, but we had the consolation of knowing that the Germans were far worse off than we were, because our trenches were on the top of a slope and the Germans' were down below in front of a wood, so they got all the water from the slope and their artillery could not shell us on account of the wood. If they had done they would have hit their own people, but the French artillery could hit them all right. They absolutely smashed up their front line of trenches where we were. The Germans must have lost a great many men, and our casualties were very small. I read with great interest Mr Annakin Rayner's letter criticising the action of the Town Council in wanting an energetic man as school attendance officer. I am of the same opinion as Mr Rayner. Why forty? I think if a man of forty years of age is good enough to come out here and risk his life hundreds of times a day and face shot and shell, and never know when it is going to be his last minute, he is good enough to be a servant of the Town Council. I think I may truly say that the average soldier who has served his time in the Army and comes out at forty years of age, is far more experienced than the average civilian at the same age. Well, dear Editor, I won't trouble you more at this time, as I know your time is limited, so will close, wishing yourself and your readers the best of luck, and still remaining one of the seven,

A Allardyce.