Cover of the Day 19th April UK to Mudros Townsend Correspondence

[Chris Grimshaw]

Morning team

Staying with Townsend,

He wrote 4 letters home to Mother or Father when on an unknown Transport which called at Gib and Malta.  Unfortunately no covers have survived with this section.

I attach the first letter home datelined 15 Oct 15 where he mentions calling at Gib on the 17th.  2 pages in total.

Page 1 attached.

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Page 2 attached.

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Letter No 3, 

Again No Envelope, however one slight clue as to which Transport he was on,  ALLAN LINE Notepaper.  4 page letter which if I have the size correct I can post in one go.

Datelined 18 Oct 1915, writing to Mother.

By this time the major troop movements had concluded and these were reinforcement troops.

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Letter No 4

Two pages this time, again datelined 18 X 15 Location given as near Malta.  Writing to his Father,  No envelope again.

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Letter No 5

Arrival.  He doesn't say where he is as far as I can tell, However he'd arrived at Mudros  Letter is datelined 2 Nov 15 and continued on 3 XI 15

Two pages writing to his Mother.  Again no Cover.

Westlake cover's  1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry  in just over one page.  They arrived at Mudros from Alexandria where they had been since 24th April 1915 on 17th August, Landed at "A" Beach Suvla 18th August.  Embarked for Mudros 31st October.  Two Officers recorded as wounded who he was probably replacing one of.

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Letter No 6

Datelined 15 Nov 1915,  Again to Mother,  No cover has survived with the letter.  4 Pages.

Gives his address as Mudros West, I of Limnos, Aegean.

Interesting comment on page 3 that whilst he'd like to see Egypt doesn't expect to do so. 

This is the last letter from here and indeed 1915 ,  Unit moved to Egypt in December. 

Like all such correspondence we never know if what we have is complete.  Next series of correspondence starts in January 1916 from Egypt.

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Team

Whilst this hasn't incited the greatest degree of interest either in reading the letters or commenting on such,  with the lack of other substantial numbers of other posts will continue for a while yet.

If Friends feel not appropriate, happy to desist. However this is the ideal function and platform to bring such a correspondence to a wider knowledgeable audience. 

Overall its a correspondence with wide interest,  To appreciate it fully in its later stages will need some one who can transcribe French & Russian.

Over you Team.  One day I may have time to fully transcribe everything.

Monday will commence with his time In Egypt.  And at last some covers.

Chris

[Michael Dobbs]

Hi Chris

Sorry to say that it doesn't do anything for me - I don't have the time to try and read the many letters you have displayed, I'm sure they may contain some interesting chat but to try and read word for word the many letters is far too much for me.  Happy with the covers / cards shown, but letters without any extracts of interest is a no, no for me.  Sorry to disappoint you.

Mike  :(

[Howard Weinert]

Chris, I can help with Russian, as long as the handwriting is not too terrible.

Howard