Letters home from the warfront

A blog full of nothing but letters sent home from the warfront seems to be gaining popularity around the Internet.

In the blog, William Lamin gives a view of the world through his eyes, offering the readers a human perspective of things. But there’s a twist to this blog full of letters from the warfront, as yes, there are many blogs today being written by and for military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The blog of William Lamin is made up of transcripts of Harry Lamin’s letters from the first World War. The letters posted on the blog are posted exactly 90 years after the date they were written.

There’s at least one great piece of history that many may appreciate just for the item itself. It’s a scan of an envelope Harry used to mail a letter home from his duty location in World War I. On the left side of the envelope is a disclosure that contents need not be opened at Regimental headquarters for censorship, as it’s been reviewed at the base. The disclosure continues, noting that the contents contain personal and family business only, and does not, well reveal military secrets. Check it out for yourself.

The letter that was sent in that envelope was from March 3, 1918, and read:

March 3rd/1918

32507/9 Batt York & Lancs Regt
C. Company
12 Platoon L G S
I.E.F

Dear Kate
I am pleased you are getting on alright. I am in good health at present. I am glad they are keeping well at Ilkeston, it is Willie’s Birthday this month. I hope the war will be over before it comes round again. It must be bad for you in England being so short of food it will be a good job when it is over. We are not so bad off for food out hear and cannot grumble, not in war time. I have had a letter from Jack he says that he and his wife are keeping well and that he will not be required for the army so he is alright, I am very pleased. Write as often as you can and let me know when you pay Jack a visit. The scenery here is alright we are quite close to the mountains and they look well. It takes five hours to get to the top of some and they are not the largest it would be alright out hear in peace time We can get plenty of fruit out here oranges and apples etc. but we dont get paid often enough. I think I must be a nice bit in credit.

With best love
Harry

(PS) Put I.E.F on letters not B.E.F.

To read the rest of the letters, as well as find out the fate of William, be sure to read WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier.

Tagged as: Awsworth Board School, B.E.F., BEF, British Army, British Expeditionary Forces, censors, Derbyshire, England, I.E.F., IEF, Ilkeston, Ilkeston Derbyshire England, International Expeditionary Forces, March 3 1918, military censorship, military secrets, regiments, William Henry Bonser Lamin, William Lamin, World War I, WWI