(Written on the notepaper of the YMCA)
9 Hartley Road
Luton
Beds
5/9/14
My Dearest Ethel
I received your letter this Friday morning, and I now tell you I signed to go to any part of the world, where they may choose to send me. David has also signed to that effect, the officers came just as we come in at 10 o'clock last night to get our signatures and we read the paper and said we would think it over and we would not sign last night, so they came in again before 7 o'clock this morning as they had got to know every bodies decision by 8 o'clock, so we signed. All those in our corps under nineteen could not sign as they are not allowed to go out of the country at that age, and they will I expect in a very short time return to W'hampton, also those of age who declined to sign, but will be detained at some place or other same as us before we left W'hampton since our mobilization. Well Darling you may think I have done a wrong thing, as if I had not signed you would have been able to come up to W'hampton to me, and me to you at W'hall, that would have been grand looking at it from our point of view, and only considering ourselves, but my conscience under the present situation would not allow me to do so, there is a few W'hall chaps who would not sign, but I was ruled by a mind of my own and was not lead by others, the Major when I was putting things to him before signing, said those men who refused to sign and returned to W'hampton would not have a very good time, and would be worse off than us who went away, so Darling if you will sit down and think for a few minutes you will see it was a trying time for me to decide which course to follow, finally on this decision, I hope with all my heart the course I have taken will meet your approval, and that I have done a right thing before your eyesight, and if I had not signed I should have been ashamed to return to W'hampton with that hanging over my head, Darling Ethel I have found out at a time like this, you have to be willing to sacrifice your loved ones for a time and try and rest yourself with the assurance that you will be together again soon, and in our absence from one another shall be guarded over by our Creator, and also that at our meeting again, our absence will have put that love in our minds, which will not depart in our lifetimes, and would not have matured had it not been for our absence, at England's call, and which I hope and am certain at a future time, will give you a greater confidence in me your lover, that is all Darling I can say on that course, hoping me signing my name to that paper will never turn out to be a course of me losing my Darling, through being absent from her too long a period. I met Mr Pratt at 9.30 last night when I was going home he was conversing with some of the head Officers of the Staffords and he saw me passing, and he called me and said he wanted to see me he called me Frank Ward so I waited until he had finished his conversation, and then he came up to me, and in our conversation he said I looked better than he had ever seen me. Ethel you seem to think I am really homesick, well I am only subject to that complaint when our love affairs do not go well as if I were at home I could in a short time put things right when our affairs go wrong. Well Ethel I shall be very thankful to receive that sleeping helmet, and would be very glad to wear it. You still seem to worry about me in reference, to me having plenty of good solid food. I tell you Ethel truthfully that I am going short of nothing, when butter does go short me and David get our share and do not go without it, Deakin is one of those slow sort of chaps, he is not in our section he is in A. I am all right in that respect, or else I should be the first to tell you.
You ask me Ethel if in my absence from England should I be able to write you, well if we were at the front they have printed letters they serve us out with, like this printed questions on, all you are allowed to do is strike out questions which you do not want you are not allowed to write anything at all simply cross out what is not needed.
This is a similar copy of original.
1 I am well
2 I am wounded and expect to return home
3 I expect to be sent back to the base
signed F Ward
Well you see Ethel if I was alright I should have to strike out last two questions, if I was wounded strike out first and third, and if sent back to rear of army strike first two questions and sign your name, but if you dared to write anything on the letter, it would be destroyed, as you are only allowed to strike out questions not required.
But as far as other countries go, outside seat of war, I cannot say whether they would let us write how we liked, but it would not be wise for the war officials to allow soldiers at seat of war to write letters, although it seems very hard. The Children at W'hampton Orphanage have subscribed over £4-0-0 to the soldiers who are away from home, and the Matron said she respected W'hampton R.A.M.C., and she wished the money to go to our corps, so with part of it she has made a great number of lovely bandages to be used on wounded and also a large number of pairs socks, and then with the remainder sent us a lot of chocolates which Dr Dent gave us this Saturday morning. Well sweetheart I commenced this letter last night Friday with the intention of you getting it this morning but I missed the post, and so I brought it back again as with the W'hall address on it would be Monday before you received it, as with sending it to Walsall you will certainly this week receive it on Sunday.
In beginning part of my letter I said all those who were not of age, to go out of country, and also those of age who declined to sign were going to be sent back to W'hampton well they have sent them sooner than we expected the train left Luton at 10.15 this morning there is about five W'hall chaps returning 3 have declined to sign and 2 under age perhaps when you receive this letter you will have heard of their return and also a lot of 6th South Battalion, some of
of W'hall lot, let me know who has returned, as I am told Jack Forrester has not signed Francis Jones boy, I believe it to be right. I received your P.C. last night I did not think it possible for it to reach here same day as posted, thanks very much for sending it, as we are nearly 90 miles from W'hall.
Ethel I am sending you another money order of 7/6 to save for me, I want to try and pull up all money I have drawn out of my bank book while out of work, you see I was out about 8 weeks and paid Mother her money all the weeks then started for Royal London and paid my money the week before camp then money I paid down and money I paid Mother and also what I spent while out of work comes to nearly £10-0-0, which is a lot of money, I am also enclosing money note for 1/6 for yourself for some chocolates. Well lovie before sending us away they ought to give us 2 days leave, as the Officers have had a good few days now and then, well if they do not give us any leave, I must see you before going away some how or other.
I should think there is cheap bookings for weekends for Joe Fletcher's girl came last Saturday and went back Monday morning, if it was not for his swank I would have asked him how much the fare for a weekend was but I never bother with him for he is very disagreeable and full of vain pride, so I don't speak to him, his girl spoke to me not as I wanted her to. The wife of a W'hall chap named Price came last Saturday with the child and went back today, and there was a lot of sweethearts come from W'hampton today either for a day or weekend until Monday, to see their boys in our corps. I wish you could get to know how much fare is for a weekend, as trade is quiet I expect perhaps your Dad would let you come, as a day you might not see me much as maybe out on a big march. We could have a good night or two together we should love one another I can tell you, we would have a lovely time I can tell you especially if you were not you know, I know you would let me tell me in next letter it would make it so lovely and loving to look forward to.
Well my little Darling I must bring my small letter to a close, looking forward to having a letter from you in the morning Sunday. I am, and Shall Always Remain
your Lover and Loving you Always Frank
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