Today on Remembrance Sunday I am posting a scan of a letter sent from a military hospital at Malmesbury in 1917, by my grandfather to my grandmother.
Tom Davies was a soldier in the first World War and he served in Northern France in the trenches. He had met my grandmother in London, shortly before he was sent to France. Their courting years were continued by letter for two years, from the trenches, up until the point when he was wounded in a shell blast and repatriated. I have about forty of these letters, the originals of which now lie in the Historial de la Grand Guerre museum in Peronne, France. He was stationed near there, and their down time was spent in the town, from where some of the letters were sent.
I randomly picked this letter this morning to find that it is the one where he actually proposes to my grandmother. I wouldn't be here writing this today had the shell blast killed him which it nearly did. Ironically, it also probably saved his life as the war had almost another year to run.
18/12/17 Cottage Hospital, Malmesbury, Wilts.
My Dear Flo,
Received your letter this morning and was very pleased to hear that you are all right so it leaves me in the pink only I still got my cold cant get rid of it
Ill have to get married I might get rid of it then what say you. I have ventured at last to write to your father I dont know wheather it will suit or not but its the best I can do.
The silk handkerchief is from sister Mary she sent it on to me to send on to you supposed to be for your birthday but it's rather late now.
I hope you will be pleased with the ring for Im a poor judge it ought to be good it's 18ct with small stones as you said.
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