Harrogate Herald - 25th April 1917

Letters

Sapper H Plummer writes : 

Thanks very much for the Herald to hand yesterday, which was mail day. Mail day is one of our greatest pleasures, and though the news if five or six weeks old it is our only touch with the outside world, and papers get well read before they are destroyed. The letters from soldiers I read with interest to see if there are any Harrogate lads in Mesopotamia. You see, I am on my own in a Northumbrian company, and up to now have only met one chap I know in pre-war days. This country is not much to look at - very disappointing after haring about this "land flowing with milk and honey". We are some hundreds of miles up the river; on either bank there are a few date trees and an Arab village here and there. Than as far as the eye can see is "howling wilderness" - howling because the Arab dogs and the humble ass makes the nights hideous with howling and braying. The latter are named "Jerusalem canaries", and well they earn their name. We have plenty of work to do, so have not much spare time. What time we have - that is, after washing and the other jobs of a soldier's life are done - we spend in writing and reading. By 6.30 it is dark and not safe to venture out of camp, so we are not long before we turn in for the night. The war seem to be going on all right in this country. We are hoping it won't be long before we see dear old Blighty again. I am thankful to say I have been in the best of health during the months I have been in this country. It is very trying with it being hot during the day and then so cold at night. I left the armoured train section last week, and hope to be with the company some time, as changing units makes one's letters, etc., come very irregular. PS - News has just come that our advance forces are in Baghdad.