Trooper J. F. Allen, D Squadron Bedfordshire Yeomanry

Considering it’s a month ago since you wrote to me I think its about time I answered your kind, and interesting letter, and trust that when this reaches you the Company, that’s boys out here from Eynesbury as you term us in your letter, hope that you and all yours are quite well, as I am pleased to say all are here bar myself. I am in Hospital sick, but am getting on fine and hope to be out soon with the boys. It must indeed make you feel proud to get so many letters from your Old Boys, it shows how very much they all appreciate your kindness and
trouble to them in days gone by, and your sincere friendship now, I know of us do in the Beds Yeomanry, and the utmost singular thing is that the Eynesbury boys always stick together. I had a letter from Jim Chamberlain, he is quite well and cheerful and sends his best wishes on behalf of us all, I shall write to him as soon as I get back. I heard St. Neots was very busy with holiday makers; also that you had a Sung Eucharist on the Sunday. I should love to get into a cassock and surplice again. I hope it went off all right, guess it did though. We went to the sea-side for our Bank Holiday this year Brigade training. Was up at 4 o’clock Monday morning and had breakfast at 5. 30. Had a scheme on the way to our destination, so took us until about 1.30 p.m. to do about eighteen miles. It was a large stretch of land against the the sea, all the Brigade was there, so there was a large number of us altogether. We went on the sands until stables at 4 o’clock then after tea Geo. Baker, C. Twigden, and I went bathing, it was treat the sea, but jolly cold out, so we had a run up the sands to keep ourselves warm, and to top it up it rained like blazes when we were getting dressed ; there were no houses to run to, only a large French Searchlight and one Estaminet (pub), so went in and had a drink. and then back to the lines to make our bed, that is a couple of saddles and a sword stuck in the ground and a sheet over the top, but that was no good, it rained and blowed, it’s about the roughest night I’ve had since I’ve been in France Gig fell out of “bed” I think any way he was up at 3 o’clock and grooming his horse and trying to get warm again.
Stables were at 4 a.m. again and drilling on the saddles from 5.30 to 8.0, when I think I was just getting hungry. After breakfast time was our own until 12.0, as our Regiment had a swimming race. Gig came fourth, he would have been first only he couldn’t run fast enough when he got out owing to have taken too much salt water in: also the officers of the Brigade had a horse race, all right it was too. We met a chap from Eaton there named Ernest Partridge, about the only one I’ve met from our way I think
Things went on as usual until a week last Thursday when we had to go and dig trenches again, only we went in motor buses this time. It’s a large park about 11/2 miles from the firing line, a fine place it is too, a big chateau stands right in the centre, belonged to an Austrian count, that accounts probably for the reason its not being shelled, because just to our left the village is absolutely done for. Furniture and clothing lay about everywhere in the houses, people must have left in a great hurry, and all the Church is absolutely ruined, a hole in it large enough for a donkey and cart to go through easily, but the majority of it is down, bricks and mortar and great holes in the churchyard, with bits of coffins and bones lying about.
On Monday night I was up all the time sick, so on Tuesday morning the Doctor sent me here, and now I am pleased to say nearly better.
Please excuse the writing this time, am sitting up in bed to write this, and have only got a stump of a pencil, and as its getting dark will have to close with my kindest regards to all