EAG-01

Somewhere in France
31.10.1915

Sir,

I had a letter from home a few days ago informing me that my weekly allowance viz. 9/3 had ceased on account of my neglect in not calling to see you, and also for my neglect in not writing to you from time to time. For the latter I humbly beg your pardon, but truth to tell, it never entered my mind that it was my duty to write you now and then. If I had considered it a duty, no one would have done his duty more readily than myself. As for the former neglect I cannot see Sir how I am to blame. Whilst I was stationed in Newry from November to July I was home several times on week-end leave, also a couple of days at Christmas. It was impossible for me to see you on these week-end passes as I only arrived in Belfast on Saturday afternoons at 3.30. pm at which time Sir you would have been away for the day and then I had to catch the 8.00 train to Newry on Monday mornings, so you see Sir it was utterly impossible for me to call with you. In August I was granted four days leave from England and I called at the Library to see you, but I was informed by the attendant, or one of the assistants, I forget which, that you were on holidays and since then I have had no leave whatever. I am very sorry to hear Sir that you considered it necessary to take this step and I humbly beg of you to renew the weekly allowance to my mother.

I am in France now and am enjoying it well so far but when services work commences I might have a different tale to tell. The weather at present is extremely cold and I suppose it will [be] three times as cold when the winter sets in. The inhabitants are rather curious in their manner and we have great difficulty in making ourselves plain to them, but with the help of various editions of French-English phrase books we manage to rub along fairly well. We hear very little of the war over here, the people at home know more about it than we do, and it is only another case of "the spectators see most of the game". If you wish to correspond with me in regard to the allowance my address is 46784 Private J. F. Eagleson, R.A.M.C. 110^th Field Ambulance, 36^th Division B.E.F. France. Of course you understand, Sir, I am not allowed to say where I am except that I am now in the now famous "Somewhere in France", and likely to be for some time, so in my opinion this war will last for a good many months yet. Everything in this part of the world is very quiet at present and there is nothing much to write about, so I will close now Sir, hoping that will see your way to kindly accede to my request. Pardon my writing this in pencil but ink is not procurable here. Thanking you in anticipation.

I Remain,
Yours Sincerely,

J.F. Eagleson
Late Donegall Road Branch


G.H. Elliott, Esq.