Trooper F J Howe, Bedfordshire Yeomanry

I hope you do not think I have forgotten you live at Eynesbury as I have not written you a letter for some considerable time. But I know you will excuse me for that as I am taking this chance of writing you one. I hope you are well, as this leaves me the best of health and happiness although up to our necks in mud, and our horses covered also. We have moved from the farm where we have been for so long, but we have had awful weather for being on the march. We left the old farm eight days ago, and it’s rained every day and night except two; and by gum ! where we are now it’s the picture of a mud heap or mud road. George Baker is with me, but the rest of “the boys” are some distance up with the Regiment, but hear that they are worse off than we are, so I can’t tell you what hey are like, we are bad enough. But never mind, we shall get over it, its no use getting down hearted is it? I’m not going to. We move from one place to another in the night and rest in the day. By moving at night the airman of our enemy cannot see us, it does not do to let them see too much. They say “ One above sees all:” those fellows are are high enough to see too much. I have seen many a one of their (the Germans) aeroplanes shelled by our guns. We were having a Church Parade one Sunday morning about three weeks ago, and in the distance we could see the shells bursting around one of their planes. The Zeppa have been paying England a few more visits I hear. We have never seen any of them over here. Geo. Baker wishes to be remembered to you, he is quite well. All the other boys are well as far as I know. I heard from my friend Albert Storey a few days ago. He often writes to me: he is quite well and tells me that that they are very busy letting them have it for all they are worth. I have been amongst several batteries of his Regiment, but have never been lucky enough to get among the No 2 Siege Battery that he is in; I would like to see him. In one of the letters he told me that he walked over 1 1/2 miles to where some Cavalry were lying in hopes of finding the Beds Yeomanry there, but we were not there and he was very sorry. He said it was rather rough luck. I suppose that by the time you get this our Harvest Festival will be over at the Parish Church, as I was told in one letter from home that it was to be on Oct 3rd and that is next Sunday. I would like to be there and hear it. It would be a treat to be at one of the Services again. How is the choir getting on? I hope it is still keeping up its good singing. The last Service I was at in our Parish Church was on May 23rd (Whit Sunday). If you remember I went to St Neots Station with you after the Service. That is more than four months ago, how time does seem to fly doesn’t it? Well I must now close this letter, as it is getting late and we shall soon have “lights out”. My very best wishes and “good luck to the choir and the school”.