12 November 1916 - Letter to Edith from The Somewhere
Fred starts this letter with a discussion of two books, ones that Edith had likely sent him. The Shepherd of the Hills (written in 1907 by Harold Bell Wright) Fred had read previously but “didn’t mind reading again”. The Adventures, however, was new to Fred and a book he described as “the finest reading I’ve had for ages and ages”. His letter goes on to discuss his thoughts on the plot and style of the book.
Still in Courcelette, France, Fred describes the shelled village as “the most desolate region in all the world”. He explains that the soldiers in his battery “keep underground a fair amount of the time” which protects them from all but the largest of shells.
At the end of the letter Fred indirectly addresses his reported death, though he doesn’t seem to be aware how far the news had gone: “Had a letter from Denny, I almost blew him to pieces with a whizbang postcard, as he had heard that I was a casualty. I hope his letter to you people didn’t worry you any. Mistakes will happen and that sort is certainly not hard to make over here.”
Letter censored by E.C. Hale.