COU-39

B.E.F.
30/IV 17

My Dear Goldsbrough,

A spasm of comparative leisure gives me an opportunity to write you. We are on the march again & today's march having been a short one I found myself with very little to do this afternoon.

Well last week I got another boost up. As I have been acting as second in command of the Battalion all this year they have made me a major while I am in that position & at present there is no prospect of the real second in command ever coming out here again. It is very satisfactory to find that it is possible to make progress in the world. I had begun to doubt it while in Belfast. On the same day that I wore my new decoration of majority the commanding officer was injured while riding & I found myself in command! I was in an awful panic as the Brigade were doing a big show before Sir Herbert Plumer, however our Battalion was the only one singled out for praise so I was very bucked¹¹² .

Otherwise I have very little news for you except that my wedding had to be postponed but I am now anxiously awaiting leave & hope to get it as soon as the Colonel comes back. I am afraid that I will not go to Ireland. A few days in London & a few more in Nantwich with my brother, with whom Madeleine¹¹³ is going to live, is about all I can reasonably hope for.

Don't you think that we are doing very well over here now? Everything seems to point to a satisfactory conclusion during the course of this summer although we have great hopes that our Division is going to have one more wallop at Fritz before he gives up the ghost. I wish you could have seen us on the march today, every man in perfect fighting condition, as hard as nails, I guess we could put up a jolly good fight when we were wanted.

Please remember me to everyone at home, I hope they are well, & of course to my old colleagues. I have looked carefully over each new draft to see if Gourley¹¹⁴ was among them. When is he coming?

Good bye & good luck. Best of good wishes.

Yours sincerely,

T. Coulson