Cecil Slack's letters: Volume 12

The body of each letter is as transcribed by Lady Joan Slack. In each case the name or initial of the writer is followed by the recipient, the date (where known) and the address from which the letter was sent. For convenience, these have been presented in a common format. CMS is, of course, Cecil Moorhouse Slack.

Dora to CMS; Tuesday 26.9.'16.

My dear Cecil.

I was awfully glad to get a letter from you this morning to know that you are alright - I was going to write to you to-day in any case - I haven't written for the last week because I thought you wouldn't be getting any letters until things were a little calmer. I seemed to know you were having a rotten time from about the 14th. onwards especially on the Sunday the 17th. I was feeling awfully anxious about you - but I feel absolutely certain you will come through everything alright but sometimes I can't help feeling worried about you. I know you are going through a horrible time but you are a brick to try and keep cheerful with it all.

We are still here - you will be rather surprised I expect - have been here with Ma a fortnight to-day and only intended staying a few days in the first place but have stayed on and on but we shall be going back to Silkstone on Thursday I think - the weather has been simply gorgeous - I am sitting now in those gardens on the South Cliff that face the sea - in fact half-way down to the sands - the Holbeck Gardens - 'spect you will know them - its beautifully calm and peaceful - you would never know there was a war on at all - and I should be QUITE happy if you were with me too.

We went over to Filey about a week ago for the afternoon and I foraged round after a cottage - I went to the middle one of those cottages I told you about - the owner of the three happened to come to the door and I said I wanted something to rent UNfurnished for next year - she was fearfully crabby and short with me - abominably so - in fact made me feel quite bad tempered for the moment until I saw the funny side of her disagreable manner - afterwards I found out she was the Hon. Mrs. Talbot - I don't think much of that kind of "quality". So those cottages are off I'm sorry to say - there was one more house on the beach promenade - with a garage too - but it was too big - three storeys - just like a lodging house for apartments, 65 a year rent - so it was QUITE out of the question - I could NEVER scrape that out of the whole thing.

I have decided to wait till January and then put an advert in the Yorkshire Post for Filey district - but it must be near the sea - I don't know of any other suitable house in Filey, do you? And I must have a garden to stretch oneself in and grow a few flowers etc. There are often people who want to let their houses about the new year so I think it will be best to wait till then don't you? What do you think? Still I feel rather disappointed all the same.

There has been a Mrs. Campbell also Colin Campbell (23) staying in the Boarding House for a week - she is a Dr.'s wife and lives at 43 Heaton Rd. Newcastle - they said they thought they had some E. Yks. billetted in the Assembly Rooms near to them at the beginning of the war. I wonder if you were there. She is awfully nice and so is her stepson - he was wounded in the Rush of July 1st and also lost a brother a yr. younger in one of those trench raids. He had a marvellous escape really altho' he was wounded twice - the first one in his throat - he's only just out of hospital and can't talk very well yet - shout or sing I mean - so has got 6 months leave which is rather nice I think - at the same time he got a wound in the shoulder very similar to yours. He seemed an awfully decent boy - rather like you in manner but of course not Cecil - he's a N.F. Tyneside Scottie - their battalion and wears a Balmoral cap - one would rather suit you I think. They have gone on to Harrogate for a week before they return to Newcastle.

Zepps. have been having a time this week haven't they - our letters and newspapers never arrived till after 10 am. this mg. - Zepps been to York, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon so they say. One passed over here at 2.am. but I was fast asleep but at 4.45 am. I was woken up by sirens going off from ships - I sat up in bed as I have moved my bed right into the bay window. It was hardly dawn but not quite dark but I thought it couldn't possibly be the Zepp buzzers. However this mg. we hear that six trawlers (fishing) had been torpedoed by a submarine and that was the alarm that a submarine was about. I expect the Germans will not mind how they give it us now that we are getting them into a corner.

We have been on the Spa two or three times to the concerts - very good orchestra - plays beautifully - also good 'cellist and man singer - I do wish you had been here to have gone with us cause I know you would have enjoyed it. I think they ought to give you a little leave as soon as things have settled down for the winter - shall you get your decoration leave as soon as ever leave for your division starts again. Have guessed for a long time by different things you have said in your letters that something was brewing. I haven't bathed once since I have been here - I'm not keen on going by myself - if I had had someone else here - would have gone like a shot. A week last Sunday afternoon I went and walked along the sands and cliffs to Cayton altho' it was pouring with rain - I simply couldn't stick indoors - I had to do something 'cause I felt you were having such a rotten time.

There are two elderly dames staying here who are Christian Scientists and are very interesting too - they have given me a book to read about their religion but I haven't read it yet.

Ma. and I went to Hull for the day last Sat. I have chosen a green coat - long one - I am going to have made for the winter with grey squirrel collar and cuffs - I am putting a pattern in to let you see and you can tell me if you like the colour and materal - I'm not going to have it made up for a fortnight or so - so do you like the colour - grey squirrel is light grey fur - your Ma has some I think. I must go into lunch I am late already. so Goodbye - I will write again very soon if you would like me to - p'raps it will cheer you up a bit to have a letter a little more often now that you are having such a rotten time. Love from me and take care of yourself my love,

Dodo.

CMS to Dora; 26.9.16.

My Dear Dora,

I'm awfully sorry I haven't been able to write before, but you know we're in the push and will understand that we don't have much opportunity. We have been away from civilization for nearly three weeks now, and are a good deal nearer Berlin than when I last wrote. Tonight we are going a little nearer. I have already been in the trench that we shall occupy. I went out with another chap the night before last, 600 yds. in front of our line, to see how strongly a certain Bosche trench was held. There were only a few Bosches in at one part, and we got in and walked along to see if there were any more. We didn't kill the Bosches, as we could have done easily behind their backs, because we didn't want them to know we'd been there. Patrols from other battalions went out, but we were the only ones who got in. It is quite exciting work going slowly along an enemy trench with one's revolver in one's hand wondering if you are going to surprise a Bosche, or whether he has seen you and is going to surprise you. One has to be very careful too as to direction. It is most surprisingly easy to lose one's way in No Mans Land if one does not go by the stars, or a compass.

There are rumours about that leave has started! I'm afraid there won't be any for our Division just yet though.

Do you know, I got a letter from Father the other day and he says that they have not had a letter from me for nearly 3 weeks. A mail or two must have gone West! because I've written oftener than that.

I hope you've received your letters all right. I'm glad you've been having a decent time at Scarborough. Don't I just wish I could be there with you to enjoy the old moon shining on the sea, and to have some walks and rides. The moon has been a tremendous help to us the last fortnight. We have had a lot of moving about over new and cut-up ground and but for it's light we should have been lost again and again.

I have had a couple of sleeps today, between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and tea, the first for 48 hours, except for an odd hour or two. It was beautiful when I woke up just now at 4.0. The sun was simply beautiful and the aeroplanes were skimming about just like beautiful yachts. I just lay where I was on a couple of boards out in the open, and thought of you.

Hilda and Mabel went back to Penrhos a few days ago. Bob is trying to get a commission in the 4th. East Yorks, and saw Colonel Easton about it the other day.

Goodbye for a day or two,

Love from Cecil.

Dora to CMS; Thursday 28.9.'16.

My dear Cecil,

We are on our way home at last - we seem to have stayed on from day to day for ten days - we only came for about five days in the first place and have stayed a fortnight and two days. Feel heaps better for the change and so does Ma too - my writing seems to be rather wriggly but its the train that is jogging me.

I saw in the paper last night that Thiepval and Combles are captured - jolly good - I wonder if you are near there or between the two. Between the two I should think. I have been reading in the papers all about those caterpillary things - the Tanks - they call them - they seem to be very marvellous but we have heard that something else will come out soon that we have never heard of. My pen seems to have got the wibbly-wobbly walk!

It was an awfully cold, foggy, miserable day in Scarbro' y'day - we were going a picnic to Cornelian Bay (near Cayton Bay) in the afternoon but it was too cold, so we went a walk along the cliff tops instead. It is lovely all along there.

Oh! yesterday mg. Ma and I called in at Ward Prices - Estate Agents in Scarbro' - to see if they have any cottages at Filey and they told me about one to let on the Beach there - the Ravine end of it. There are three together - I believe they were old coastguard places but am not quite sure. They belong to a Mrs. Martin there - who has some more property to let just behind these three. I am speaking of the three right on the Beach though. I can't quite place them in my mind but I know whereabouts they are - perhaps you do too - two bedrooms and large attic - I think there is a little bit of garden but no bathroom - we should have to go into the sea that's all. Rent 12 guineas and rates which would come to nearly £17 altogether. I might manage to clear that amount in the letting - at least I ought to anyway. I think it sounds rather likely - I'm afraid it's the only likely thing there is.

I am going to write to Mrs. Martin and see what she says and then if I am in Hull for two or three days later on I could go over to Filey for the day and see her and her houses - what do you think of all of it? Ma says I oughtn't to bother with it till after the war but I think that the war will be getting done by next summer and if I took it on from January or March say, I should be able to let it probably next summer as the east coast has improved a lot this year - people are going back to it.

I had to stop just then as we arrived in York - we are now in the Flying Scotsman train from Edinburgh to London - stops at N'castle - York and Grantham. We are on what they call a slip-carriage - it is the last carriage on the train and a few 100 yds before we get into Doncaster they slip us off and we drift into the station - rather convenient really - 'cause it only takes ½ hr. from Y. to D.

Its a simply gorgeous day to-day - just like summer - it seemed a shame to leave Scarbro' still I've been very lucky to get away at all in war time - for such a long time - I expect you would think you were VERY lucky if you were given a fortnight's holiday in Scarbro' wouldn't you?

Write to me as often as you have time for won't you ? I don't mind if it is only just a scrappy line to say you are getting on alright - 'cause I know you will want a lot of sleep in your spare time.

Good-bye - I will write to you on Friday again and take care of yourself my love.

Love from

Dora.

Dora to CMS; Saturday 8.30 pm. 30.9.'16.

My dear Cecil,

I had to take some flowers down to the Church this afternoon for the Harvest Festival tomorrow and when I got there the Vicaress asked me to help and decorate the Church so I couldn't very well refuse and then I went into the Vicarage to tea and had to stay and help them after all that, so I didn't get up here again till nearly seven o'clock after post time. However I can get this posted at the camp to-morrow mg. - there isn't a post in or out here - in the village - on Sundays. It was so nice to get a letter from you this mg. chéri, and I'm glad you are getting on alright but you do get some narrow escapes - still I know you don't do reckless things during all the risky things you have to do so that's a blessing. I think I have received all the letters you've written - I have only had one once a week for the last three weeks I think but I know that's because you have been so busy advancing. Several E. Yks. officer casualties were in last night's Hull Mail as wounded - are any of them yours?

We feel awfully sad to-day because Mr. Rawles has left Silkstone. After the Loumoor explosion near Bradford (you remember about some explosive works being blown up a month or two ago) - the works weren't worth repairing so they've sent the manager here and poor Mr. Rawles has to report at the Ministry of Munitions to-day and be ordered off for another job - he hasn't the slightest idea where or what it will be - probably may have to join up with the 8th. Leicesters - he's 2nd. Lieut. in it - but he's never seen them once - as soon as he left the H.A.C. the Ministry took him over and the War Office gave him this commission so altogether he feels rather rotten about it - also the Ministry have given him £500 a yr. and he'll get £180 or so if he is sent to the Leicesters. I'm fearfully sleepy to-night so I'm going to hop into bed - we change our time to-night - 'tis the end of the Daylight Saving Bill so we have an extra hour in bed tomorrow which is rather a joy on a Sunday morning.

Do you change your time too?

Goodbye for to-night my love

Dora.

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