Harrogate Herald - 27th January 1915

Tom Fletcher, AB, Mess 53, HMS Princess Royal, writing to the Editor, says :

Dear Sir, I am just sending you a few lines thanking you for your papers I have received quite safe every week. I think the photo of myself is a very good one indeed. Weather fairly cold just now. This ship escorted the first Canadian troops over the Atlantic Ocean a month or two ago, in November and part of December. We went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Jamaica, West Indies. Halifax was very cold indeed; whilst in Jamaica we were wearing flannels and white trousers - nothing else. We had our own swimming bath on board; of course that was for us to get cool in on an evening. I like to have the papers, as they are very interesting indeed to me, as I like to read about the movements of the town. No Germans to fight yet. You make me feel proud of myself being in the paper. I know now if I am spared to come back to Harrogate again I can hold my head up, as I shall have done my duty for King and country. Well, sir, I will close now, as time is short, so will say goodbye to you for the present, wishing you success in the future.

Yours sincerely, Tom Fletcher.

Harrogate Herald - 25th July 1917

W H Breare letter

With Ushaw came Able Seaman T Fletcher, who was having leave. His last jaunt home was eighteen months ago. He is on ten days' leave, and has been 5½ years in the Navy. He is a brother of Miss Mary Fletcher, 19 Belmont Avenue. [Street directory shows a Miss Laura Jewitt as living there]. Fletcher saw George Stephenson some time ago, but he had not seen Tom for three years. Fletcher would like his friends to know that he is well. He made enquiries of me for the address of Dawson, of Oatlands, who is somewhere in the navy. I was not able to tell him, but perhaps Dawson will let me know, and Fletcher will find out his address from the Herald. Darrall Macklin, he told me, was an officer's steward. Macklin's father was at one time caretaker of the Liberal Club, Harrogate. I had seen Fletcher before, and was glad to renew our friendship.