Harrogate Herald - 14th February 1917

W H Breare letter

Private H V Hanson, RAMC, has just this moment left me. He came in as I was Dictaphoning to you boys. He doesn't look very well. He has had a nervous breakdown, and is home on sick leave. In that affair when a certain clearing station was bombed by an enemy aeroplane he received a bad shock. Perhaps you will remember that a nurse was severely injured in the leg at the same time. The bomb dropped squarely on the clearing station. Before the war Hanson had been in the newspaper business some years. He was a proof reader on the Manchester Guardian, and was on the Birmingham Post. He had to give up this work on account of his eyesight. From July 1st, all through the Somme push, he was working close to the line. I enquired what Harrogate boys he had seen, and was told he met Private Lund, RAMC, at the base, had seen Frank Beale from the Baths, and Enderby, who was in the Harrogate Post Office, and subsequently transferred to Durham. Morris is in the same unit as Hanson, who is now at 12th Stationary Hospital.

Harrogate Herald - 18th April 1917

Private V H Hanson writes : 

I have left hospital and returned to the depot of my corps, which is now at Blackpool. We are at present in billets. I can assure that the change is great, and I have no doubt that many of the boys out yonder will be surprised to hear that the RAMC have moved to a spot so favourable. I have received the paper you have sent me to the hospital, but would be very glad if you could now send it direct to me. I have been marked C3, and am acting as a clerk in the depot orderly room. Should you have any old magazines sent you I know they would be acceptable to the boys here and I would undertake to circulate them and collect them in for re-circulation. Reading matter of all descriptions is swallowed by the men with avidity. I notice you had a set of chessmen to spare. If this is not already spoken for I should be glad to have it, for it is almost impossible to get a cheap set now. Blackpool is very nice, but not a patch on Harrogate. (The chessmen have already been sent to a sailor, so if any of our readers have a set to spare we shall be pleased to forward it to Private Hanson - Ed)

Harrogate Herald - 2nd May 1917

Private H V Hanson writes : 

Many thanks for the very splendid set of chessmen which I received quite safely. I can assure you that I value the present very much. They will pass many weary hours away. I hope you will convey my appreciation to he donor, whose name I noticed, but unfortunately have mislaid. With best wishes for the success of your paper and hopes that your health is better (The donor was Mrs Malim, Duchy Road - Ed)