a soldiers letter

coolegrain

wonder if anyone has any more information on the couple in this letter..

while roaming around galway museum yesterday we found this.

what looked like a service manual for radiators or something {well, to me anyway } was sitting on a shelf, it had a black cover, and no writing to say it was anything important, and it wasnt inside a cabinet or anything...just randomly left on a shelf....i didnt pay it much attention as i went by it.....but i looked back a couple of minutes later and my wife was reading through it...she called me over to show me what was inside...a soldiers* letter to his sweetheart in 1918....they were both from galway, but he had found himself injured from battle in a hospital in egypt, and she had found herself in america, the reason why she was in america wasnt clear, but it appears it is temporary..


*he was a member of The Connaught Rangers ("the Devil's Own") - an Irish Regiment of the British Army during WW1.


anyhoo....this is hardly readable...due to batteries having died on my good camera and this was snapped with our ****ty little point and shoot thing...but it is readable if you try...and i think it is very much worth reading.

this was donated to the museum by the grandson of the couple...they eventually married and settled back home in galway after the war ended.

hope someone gets something from this..



^^
this is what is written above...as its hard to read due to a bad photo of it...
...............................
excuse writing and mistakes, i am lying down as i write this letter xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
my dearest bridget xxxxxxxxxx
i take the greatest of pleasure in answering your most kind and forever loving letters. i recieved them all quite safe. i can see by all your letters that your love for me is just the same as it was in the happy days of long ago. i know you will be very sorry to hear that i have been wounded since i came to egypt. i got wounded on the 18th of july this year. of course you might like to know what part of the body i was wounded. well don't laugh. i was wounded in the 'bottom' you know where i mean excuse me for saying the word. the proper name is 'buttock'. i know you wont mind, you love me much, and its well i know it. you will be delighted to hear that i got over two operations quite safe. i had to have the operations to get the bullet taken out. the doctor failed to find it the first time + finished the job. operations are grand things, did you ever try one?. i am writing this letter as i am laying in bed. i cannot sleep on those hospital beds its such a....

Das Kitty

I read that when I was there. Moving stuff.

Sponge Bob

That unit , the Connaught Rangers, fought in the Battle of Armageddon in September 1918 ( More) . I think the letter is dated 30 August not 30 September so he could have missed Armegeddon.

coolegrain

thanks...thats interesting..

more on the connaught rangers...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connaught_Rangers

which were part of...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Expeditionary_Force

mikemac

we must all go to sleep so I must finish this letter, the nurse tells me I must be in love

Ahhhh bless

?Cee?view

Thanks OP,

That's interesting stuff and so appropriate for today!

Its a bit worrying how the letter was just left on a shelf for anyone to maul over. We've a few bits and pieces about the Connaught Rangers but I've always been loathe to trust them to that museum. I don't think your experience would change that view!

They've a museum in Boyle which is supposed to be very impressive with a lot of artefacts relating to the rangers. Sadly, I think that would be a better home than Galway museum for ranger's related stuff.

Anyway, thanks again for taking the trouble on this.

coolegrain

@ churchview.....this is where it was when the wife looked at it...

Galway City Museum

Just to point out that the soldier's letters discussed here are actually only copies of the originals, which are still in the possession of the family. As copies they have been left out for visitors to view and read at their leisure. When museum objects are being placed on display, they are always mounted within secured cases. Only exceptionally large objects are left on open display and in that case they are secured by other means.

There is indeed a display of Connacht Ranger material from the Connacht Rangers Association on display in King House in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. The Association have also very kindly loaned us a selection of objects for the military display at Galway City Museum.

chasmcb

Galway City Museum wrote: »

Just to point out that the soldier's letters discussed here are actually only copies of the originals, which are still in the possession of the family. As copies they have been left out for visitors to view and read at their leisure. When museum objects are being placed on display, they are always mounted within secured cases. Only exceptionally large objects are left on open display and in that case they are secured by other means.

There is indeed a display of Connacht Ranger material from the Connacht Rangers Association on display in King House in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. The Association have also very kindly loaned us a selection of objects for the military display at Galway City Museum.

That should be ConnaUGHT Rangers. Tsk tsk, Museum!