Harrogate Herald - 9th January 1918
Letters
Private Edgar Sands, writing from a RMLC [G?] camp,
says :
We have a very good camp here, but Christmas has been very
quiet. We have plenty of work to do, but we managed to have a half
day on Christmas Day, when we dined at 12 o'clock off a menu
composed of roast pork, cabbage, mashed potatoes, onion sauce, Xmas
pudding, and apples. Usually our dinner is done in style, when we
have it at the close of day after we finis our work. We just manage
to get started at times when the Bing Boys come, and when we return
to our dinner we have to start knocking the ice off. All the same,
we have a good time with our little difficulties. In the vicinity of
the camp there is a YMCA hut, where they run a picture show for us.
If you go further afield you can come across the Salvation Army and
CEMS huts, which are also handy, also near our work the Friends'
Ambulance Unit runs a hut. Xmas passed over very nicely, the YMCA
giving us a concert on Xmas Eve, carol singing Xmas Day, and games
competition on Boxing Day, when prizes were offered. We are up in
the morning generally at 4.30, when we have our breakfast, taking
with us our lunch, also we carry gas masks in case of gas clouds
coming over. I hope you had a good Xmas and that you will have a
prosperous New Year. I must say all the boys out here are in a very
good humour.
Harrogate Herald - 17th April 1918
Private Edgar Sands writes :
Just a few lines to let
you know I am well and keeping all right out here, although I had to
go into the hospital for eight or ten days, but I feel a great deal
better. Two or three days ago I came across William Bruce, of
Chatsworth Place. He used to be in the Yorkshire Hussars, but is now
in the West Yorks. He was returning from a convalescent camp. A
troupe of players called The Propellers came up to our place the
other night and gave us a good old English concert lasting one to
two hours, which included about 24 hours; also the night before the
Royal Engineers concert party gave us a concert. We were indeed very
lucky – two English concerts in one week. We are very busy at
work, and we have plenty of it just at present, but
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