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Archiver > GREATWAR > 2000-10 > 0970783292
From: "Mark Reid" <>
Subject: [WW1] Fw: Sapper J.T.Chatfield, 293rd Army Brigade RFA
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 23:01:32 +0100
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Mark Reid
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Mark Reid=20
To: =20
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2000 9:31 PM
Subject: Fw: Sapper J.T.Chatfield, 293rd Army Brigade RFA
My long time friend Gavin Chatfield has just come into the possession =
of some letters (10) sent to his great uncle in 1917/18 and we thought =
you might find them as interesting as we do. John Thomas Chatfield was =
born in 1897 and lived, as we do, in Brighton.From his small log book he =
disembarked at Le Harve a.m. 22.1.1917 (under canvas SNOW). He lists all =
the places where he was up until being wounded in the knee at Pilkem =
Ridge on 29/10/1917. his log finishes 29/10/17 Boulogne BLIGHTY. He =
was then at Queen Mary's Hospital, Whalley, Lancashire for nearly a year =
and the letters are from 3 chums still in the trenches. One is from the =
father of a deceased friend(1), and one is addressed to his mother from =
his officer in the field(2). I will copy one letter from his Chum, Ted, =
here, and letters (1)&(2).
=20
Drv E.H.Crane
April 18th (1918)
Dear Jack,=20
Many thanks for your last(?) letter which I received some time ago. =
Sorry I have not written before, but you must excuse me, as we had =
plenty to do lately. I have had not much time to ourselves just lately. =
Well Jack old boy how's the old leg going on, I reckon you are laughing =
up your sleeve to be out of this lot. Talk about fed up with it, fed up =
is not the word for it. What do you think of the situation of things =
now. They dont look very racy now do they. I have an idea that the end =
will not be long now as they cannot go on at this rate for long. Fancy =
them calling men up to 50 years of age the chelsea pensioners will soon =
be sweating now the weather has not been up to much lately, but perhaps =
it is for the best with Jerry's offensive on it must handicap him a bit =
especially on the Somme ground. Well Jack old boy I think that this is =
all for this time, so wishing you the best of health & luck I close with =
kindest regards. So cheerio for the present
Your sincere chum Ted
=20
Letter(1)
letter is black bordered with a newspaper cutting showing the =
deceased.
H.T.Hodges can be found on the CWGC site, died 30/8/1917 aged 23
96 Cranbrook Road
St Johnn S.E.S(?)
21/9/17
Dear Mr Chatfield,
In reply to your letter of 12th Inst I was very pleased to know that =
my dear son had such a good friend. I only wish you were with him when =
he passed away. I could have known more. If I could have seen him , if =
only for a little while it would not have been so terribly hard to bear. =
I cannot realize it and am afraid it will a (sic) long time before I do. =
You asked me about the cigarette case I shall be very pleased for you to =
have it as I know you will treasure it for the sake of the one who has =
gone. I must thank you for your kind sympathy in my terrible loss.=20
Yours Truly,
H Hodges.
letter(2)
In the Field
31/10/1917
Mrs Chatfield
49 Ladysmith Road
Brighton
Sussex
Dear Madam,
I regret that your son John was wounded on the night of the 29th =
in the leg. He managed to walk with assistance to the Dressing station =
and was from that place sent to Hospital.=20
I have been unable to secure further information as to his =
condition but do sincerely hope he is progressing favourably and perhaps =
by the time you receive this in Hospital in England.
Your boy has been with me over nine months & has always been one =
of the best. We are all anxious to know how he is faring and trust his =
wound is not of a serious nature.
Yours Sincerely
F A Preston Lieut.
Signal Officer
293rd Army Brigade RFA
=20
I hope you find these interesting and would welcome any comments or =
information.
=20
Regards, =20
Mark Reid
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mark Reid</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:" =
title=>Mark=20
Reid</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A href=3D"mailto:"=20
title=></A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 05, 2000 9:31 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Fw: Sapper J.T.Chatfield, 293rd Army Brigade=20
RFA</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My long time friend Gavin Chatfield =
has just come=20
into the possession of some letters (10) sent to his great uncle in =
1917/18=20
and we thought you might find them as interesting as we do. John =
Thomas=20
Chatfield was born in 1897 and lived, as we do, in Brighton.From his =
small log=20
book he disembarked at Le Harve a.m. 22.1.1917 (under canvas SNOW). He =
lists=20
all the places where he was up until being wounded in the knee at =
Pilkem=20
Ridge on 29/10/1917. his log finishes 29/10/17 Boulogne =
BLIGHTY.=20
He was then at Queen Mary's Hospital, Whalley, Lancashire for nearly a =
year=20
and the letters are from 3 chums still in the trenches. One is =
from the=20
father of a deceased friend(1), and one is addressed to his mother =
from his=20
officer in the field(2). I will copy one letter from his Chum, Ted, =
here,=20
and letters (1)&(2).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Drv E.H.Crane</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>April 18th (1918)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear Jack, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Many thanks for your last(?) letter =
which I=20
received some time ago. Sorry I have not written before, but you must =
excuse=20
me, as we had plenty to do lately. I have had not much time to =
ourselves just=20
lately. Well Jack old boy how's the old leg going on, I reckon you are =
laughing up your sleeve to be out of this lot. Talk about fed up with =
it, fed=20
up is not the word for it. What do you think of the situation of =
things now.=20
They dont look very racy now do they. I have an idea that the end will =
not=20
be long now as they cannot go on at this rate for long. Fancy =
them=20
calling men up to 50 years of age the chelsea pensioners will soon be =
sweating=20
now the weather has not been up to much lately, but perhaps it is for =
the best=20
with Jerry's offensive on it must handicap him a bit especially on the =
Somme=20
ground. Well Jack old boy I think that this is all for this time, =
so=20
wishing you the best of health & luck I close with kindest =
regards. So=20
cheerio for the present</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Your sincere chum Ted</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Letter(1)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>letter is black bordered with a =
newspaper cutting=20
showing the deceased.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>H.T.Hodges can be found on the CWGC =
site, died=20
30/8/1917 aged 23</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>96 Cranbrook Road</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>St Johnn S.E.S(?)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>21/9/17</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear Mr Chatfield,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In reply to your letter of 12th Inst =
I was very=20
pleased to know that my dear son had such a good friend. I only wish =
you were=20
with him when he passed away. I could have known more. If I could have =
seen=20
him , if only for a little while it would not have been so terribly =
hard to=20
bear. I cannot realize it and am afraid it will a (sic) long time =
before I do.=20
You asked me about the cigarette case I shall be very pleased for you =
to have=20
it as I know you will treasure it for the sake of the one who has =
gone. I must=20
thank you for your kind sympathy in my terrible loss. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yours Truly,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>H Hodges.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>letter(2)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In the Field</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>31/10/1917</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mrs Chatfield</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>49 Ladysmith Road</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Brighton</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sussex</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear Madam,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I regret =
that your son=20
John was wounded on the night of the 29th in the leg. He managed to =
walk with=20
assistance to the Dressing station and was from that place sent to =
Hospital.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I have =
been unable=20
to secure further information as to his condition but do =
sincerely hope=20
he is progressing favourably and perhaps by the time you receive this =
in=20
Hospital in England.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Your boy has =
been with=20
me over nine months & has always been one of the best. We are =
all=20
anxious to know how he is faring and trust his wound is not of a =
serious=20
nature.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yours Sincerely</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>F A Preston Lieut.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Signal Officer</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>293rd Army Brigade RFA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I hope you find these interesting and =
would=20
welcome any comments or information.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Regards, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mark =
Reid</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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