Transcription

B.E.F.

France.

April 7th.¹

My Own Darling Minnie,

At last I'm able to write you a few lines to say I received your two welcome letters safely a few days ago. I was so glad to hear you were well, and having a good time, and have been thinking a lot of you lately, I suppose it was because I was unable to write, and there was heavy fighting going on. and I knew you would be worrying about your soldier boy. 

Well dearie, as you know, there has been heavy fighting, and we were called out of the line to go to where the scrap was going on, and since then we have had a rather busy, and exciting time, and have been in some tight holes, but Darling I'm still alright, and am feeling fine, the weather is rather undecided, one day is wet, the other fine, and the trenches or so called trenches were very wet, and we got lots of mud on our clothes, but we were lucky enough to get dry clean clothes after our first nights rest, so we are not doing to bad. I was surprised to hear that Frank White had been drafted, but I hope he gets over here just to see what it's like, and there are lots of troops coming over just now. 

I had a letter from Mother the other day, she was telling me about him, and I suppose they think him a hero now, but when the boys get back, that have done more than their share the ones that stayed at home will feel rather a little in the dark, what do you think darling. 

So the kiddies were afraid I was coming home, and going to take you away from them, well "darling one," although things have been going rather hard lately I firmly believe that the war will finish this year, so keep a stout heart, and a cheerful face, and things won't seem so bad, and we will have a lovely time dearie when we get together again, and I don't think we will have long to wait now, and so dearie we must keep trusting in the one above and never get downhearted and be still longing just as much as ever to the time when you and I get married, which will be the happiest day of my life. 

I met one of my old chums last night, and it was a treat to get talking to him again, and it seemed like old times, to be talking of Dorset again, as he was born there. The first thing he said to me was, "Well Dud old boy, I see they can't hit you", meaning Fritz. so I hope I'm lucky in future scraps. Well darling I'm afraid there isn't more to say this time, so will close, trusting this reaches you in the best of health as it leaves me, with heaps of love and, kisses, ever your loving and true,

Dudley²

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¹*Archivist note:* Year inferred as 1917 from correspondence context and shared date with 2026.028.036; only "April 7th" written on letter.

²  *Archivist note:* Three rows of seven x marks each reproduced below signature.