COU-44

B.E.F.
21/V 18

Dear Goldsbrough,

It seems the deuce of a time since I wrote to you and since my last letter we have passed through a good many happenings which might have been of interest to you. First of all though I hope that you are keeping fit & well & that everyone at home is also in good health.

By the way, our school was moved a week or two ago & while we were unloading I met a fellow who was on the staff (it seems years & years ago) I think it was McCausland but for the life of me I could not fix his name. He used to be in the 9^th Rifles & has not been long commissioned I think. Lord how funny it was to find oneself talking of the old times & old people.

Did you read about the exploits of "Carey's force" in the recent battles? I contrived to get involved in it!!! Just a few days previously I was medically examined & pronounced as unfit, to be used for "soft" jobs only, but when the call came for volunteers at the critical time I could not resist so I went in. Well you know now what kind of a force it was & I can tell you the work was no joke. But the men were splendid. We got very heavily attacked twice & had the devil of a time. The first day was the heaviest machine gun fire I have experienced & it was really marvellous how anyone got out of it. I had my heel cut open, a shoulder strap shot away & about four shots through my coat but that was all, & I don't mind telling you it was quite enough.

After that show we got all split up & wandered about the country looking for each other & the rest of the school. Eventually we got into the finest little town you could imagine. The surroundings are extraordinarily fine, the billets good & the people prepared to make us as comfortable as possible. So just now we were quite O.K.

I hope that you are all fit & well at home. I shall be glad to hear from you if you can get time to write. Please remember me to your wife, Miss Smyth¹³³ , to Head Gibson & Milligan¹³⁴ when you see them & to all my old colleagues.

Best of good wishes & regards

Sincerely Yours,

T. Coulson