4^th  FEB.   Inspection by G.O.C.  N.M. Division to attack Little Walden 10.30 am (in conjunction with 1/6^th Staffs Regt).

5^th  FEB.  One Coy Bridging, one Coy Outpost, 2 Coys Fire Direction & Control at Audley End Park.

 Pte BERTIE HIBBETT: LETTER to Mrs A. HIBBETT, 95 Foden Rd. Walsall.

29 Gold Street, Saffron Walden

Feb 5 / 15.  Pay Night  8 pm

My Dear Mother,

I can taste the butter, & I do believe you’ve gone & put some eggs in it too, such a lovely flavour there is in the toffee – most delicious.  I offered Vernon some just before going on Parade on Thursday. He forgot his share & left it on the table.  I thought it was his but did not want to force it on to him.  He was quite put out that he had forgotten the toffee for he, two others and myself, as well as Corporal Sanger * in command, formed the advance guard in the attack (1) & the day  was lovely and bright and Vernon could just do with some toffee in his mouth.  He did enjoy the toffee when he got it and didn’t refuse some more when I offered him a second dose.  Syd also enjoyed it.

These two sheets have stuck. I thought it was all one. Are the socks for Syd or for me?  (Just finished my lump – I say its a long time since I started it!).

I ‘tumbled’ across Lieut. Tim Cozens* (2) – no not tumbled, for I tried to give him a good salute & he simply beamed all over with smiles – didn’t say anything of course, but just raised his hand in reply.  He was carrying an ‘oddity of white’ on his shoulder (3) – something like a dirty clothes bag, Ha! Ha!  What eh! ‘naughty boy don’t let me hear you say that again!‘

You ought to have seen the orcifers (sic) playing at children this morning.  Well, Capt. Lister’s Company and Captain Moore’s Company(4) were out on their own while the Battalion went out on a Route March.  We went Bridge Building again.  The Colonel*(5) turned up to see us (must have come away from the March).  After Bridge Building the best runners out of each platoon had a Steeple Chase round the field – then we watched the officers trying to beat each other at Longest Jump.

Then how we roared with laughter when the two companies’ officers had a Tug of War.  ‘A’ Coy  won, down they all fell in the mud.  ‘A’ Coy. again, Hurrah!  ‘A’ Coy  won in the Steeple Chase too.  You should see our lanky Parr* leap and jump and oh when he plays at Tug of War! He got his coat off and hat too and set to work.  He showed off his ‘ganzy’ or cardigan, he has got a swanky one like the Colonel has got swanky pattees.   And oh! you really cannot imagine what our Lieut. Parr is like skipping, his long legs flying about.  Beg pardon, but he is a fine officer to be under & he supervised all the business of engineering in the way of bridge building this morning.

I say!  try and cash that PO. I heard the shops have stopped taking POs.  The Post Office will take ’em I believe.  Well try and see.  I am sending a 1915 half crown & a bran new 1915 sixpence for Basil.  Good of  you to suggest the idea of giving him the 6d before going in for the exam (6). To prevent breaking the good luck of that lucky 6d you can send 6d back if you wish.  I thought he would like a 1915 6d.  I too was rather surprised to see such new coin so early in the year.

I have been tempted to buy a lot of lovely postcards, some specially for your collection & I daresay you will like one or two for your bedroom mantlepiece.  I’m glad Okoo (7) shows you his PCs.  I cannot very well send you all the comic cards.  I find it a hard job which to send you.

Yes! Syd and I are feeling in the trim.  I am in high spirits (not wine) myself, but Syd has been either ill or in the dumps this last night or so.  He has just gone to get it cured at the ‘pictures’ tonight with Vernon & Eddie Hateley*.

Eddie Hateley was invited by Vernon that when he went to Walsall on Home Leave he was to go to Dundrennon House & have tea.  Well it turned out he went twice & sent Vernon some mince pies from them.  Oh! he’s had a really good time of it,  but it just shows, don’t it Mother –  Fancy going twice.  But Eddy is one of the best in the Company & I am so sorry he has to leave us, for he has been told off for ‘D’ Coy.  He is a Signaller like Syd, but more experienced & so it’s a good job Syd isn’t so experienced for I should also lose him.

You like the note & Ida likes the beau –  oh no I mean the bow (8) – that’s good, now I’m satisfied.  And you all enjoyed a Happy Sunday, that’s another good thing.  Yes Sid is coming home soon, so we are expecting & I shouldn’t be surprised if it’s free & on Saturday Feb 6^th or next week but I don’t want to disappoint you or cause anxiety.  I just say what I’ve heard to fulfil the expressed desire you seem to put in your letters to us.

By the by I got the letter from Mother after I got the parcel. The letter posted on the 27^th of Jan.  So funny, it seemed & the two letters – the one in the box & the one sent alone were as different in character as chalk & cheese.

What can I say next. Well all along I have tried to keep my letters short & far between, but alas!  I hope you look forward to them – that’s THE thing for I was disappointed when you expressed the lack of freshness & loss of being able to look forward to my letter, beg pardon.  I remember now – you Mother were the only exception. At any rate I hope I succeed in keeping you, as well as myself, in the pink of good spirits (not Hall’s wine this time) (9).

Now I have done it now – I shall have to try to fill this sheet or there will be a calamity (10) .

Ida you are catching me up, how dare you try to write such long and chatty letters like MINE, I don’t think.  And my word Mother, you have done more than your fair share of handwriting.  Alas! for human nature, it cannot keep to scheduled rules and ‘lipped’ promises even between the affections of members of the famillee (sic) what oh!

We,  Mother & I,  said we should both write once a fortnight. I daresay you guessed I was straining myself the week after I left home, my word what a long time it seemed before I could write to you.

Now I hope I have not missed anything out.  Keep well.  I dreamed a vivid dream about Dad one night – awful it was, dear, dear!

I remain your affec.    Bert.                 

PS  I never thought I could write such a lorng letter.  Never mind, as long as you can read it all’s well.

* S. Staffords War Diary. Regimental Museum, Whittington Barracks, Lichfield. (1) Attack on Little Walden. (2) Lieut Tim Cozens, (former Sunday School Teacher at St Matthews, Walsall. (3) Lieutenant’s stripes. (4) ‘A’ & ‘C’ Coy respectively. (5) Colonel Crawley* (6) Basil’s Junior Oxford Exam. (7) Basil’s nickname (& Dodger). (8) Staffs Brooch. (9) Hall’s Wine: a tonic wine –  its ‘rich, revitalising power is evident to doctor and patient alike’. Find My Past website. (10) Started page 16. (On page 6 is written ‘5 has flown away’).

NEXT POST: 8th FEB. 1915:Night Trench Digging & Porridge on Foot.