OSE WWI Transcriptions from the Archives

15: J. Herbertson – Belgium – 13 Aug 15 Dear Miss Sing.

I was so glad to get your letter; the cigarettes and chocolate arrived with it. Thank you very much indeed. It is so very good of you to send me luxuries, and this morning I received them with quite a feeling of shame, for I am no longer in the firing line, but am enjoying what Tommy would call a ‘cushie’ job. The last week of our long-promised rest was taken from us and on the very day that the regiment went again into Hamen, I was called to Divisional HQ to do intelligence work. I had been called up just previously to question some prisoners and what led to my present, I hope permanent, position. My work is very interesting; I am unofficial (still a Pte [Private] - at if a day! [sic]) assistant to the Div Intell [Divisional Intelligence] Staff Officer. I could tell you very much more of the organisation position (were I permitted) of the German army than I could of the English forces. No, I don’t disguise myself and cross the lines, thank you for the thought, but if things someday wake up in a proper fashion – will they ever do that? – then intelligence work occasionally becomes exciting. At present I have a table to work at, a batman who ‘does’ for me and other staff clerks, a straw mattress to sleep on and opportunity to wash every day. No doubt you read all about our famous action in July the 16 th when we held on to those trenches at Hooge. It was rather good that our first serious action was a successful one. My commission form now lies with the Brigadier, having passed the Colonel. The Bde r [Brigadier General] has become loath to sign any more commission forms, he wants to keep us at good strength as a fighting unit; regiments with experience are not so very common now and we rank now, tho’ I say it as shouldn’t, as a first class regiment. I put on my form Intell Dept. or 7 Royal Sussex preferred, but Capt. Cass in a letter told me there were too many officers waiting in England to get into the 7 th for me to get in. I cannot say how sorry I felt when I heard of Capt. Bussell’s death. Had anyone a cheerier laugh? If one searched the German army, one could not shoot his equal [and] make things level. Cass has taken over his Coy [Company]. Two men with whom I rowed in eights last summer have been killed and another Jesus man in the regiment was killed on the 16 th by a shell while carrying a stretcher; he could have gone home for his commission the day before but preferred to see his Coy through the action. I hope Mr Sing is well; It would be a great pleasure to come and see you at Winchester, but the war must finish first. The officer whose second brain I am, has promised me my five days but when those five days are coming is very doubtful. My address is now a very simple one, just Headquarters III Division, British Exp. [Expeditionary] Force. The weather has just broken again here with a storm of rain; I hope you will have at least some good weather in the Lakes. Please remember me very kindly to Mr Sing,

Believe me, Yours very sincerely, James Herbertson

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