Harrogate Herald - 9th May 1917

Letters

Private John Nettleton, with the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, and has been abroad since he was seventeen, writing home, says : 

Dear Mother, I expect you are anxiously awaiting this letter, but this will relieve you a bit. I have been sent from my regiment to Bombay in India. I expect to be getting on a boat for England any time now. Bombay is such a grand place I feel as though I don't want to leave it, but again I would rather be at home; it would be all right if you lived here. When I left the regiment we were halfway between Kut-el-Amara and Baghdad. I was in all the fighting for Kut, and it was pretty warm, too. I was not sorry when I got out of it. Poor old Johnny Turk got two bombardments a day, and then as soon as the bombardments ceased we made a rush at him with bayonets and bombs. He did not wait for either. The sight of us was enough. He would take his hook, and a good job for him too. I will have plenty to tell you when I come, so cheer up - it won't be long. If I am sent to France, when I get home there will be one consolation : I shall know what to expect. So will close now, hoping you are all feeling like I am. PS - My first day in the trenches was Xmas Day.