Description
Object description
Ts transcriptions of c.300 detailed letters (36pp), although heavily edited with many personal family details removed, written to his wife and sons whilst serving with the Royal Engineers, and also while attached to 9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) North Staffordshire Regiment on the Western Front, 1916 - 1918, up to his death from the effects of mustard gas poisoning in Rouen Hospital (May 1918), with details of his journey to Mansfield to begin training with the Royal Engineers (June 1916), descriptions of the camp and YMCA hut, duties and routines, wishing he'd stuck as a Conscientious Objector, moving to Chatham, Kent (July 1916), returning home on reserve (August 1916), being recalled to the RE Depot at Deganwy, Wales, but spending most time in Conway (January 1917), concert parties, visits to local towns and villages, his drafts being cancelled, finding out that he was due to be part of a Pioneer Battalion attached to the North Staffords and crossing to France (September 1917), moving to IX Corps Musketry and Reinforcement Camp, preparing rifle ranges, transferring to 9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) North Staffordshire Regiment (37th Division) (October 1917), the hard work in the mud, joining the battalion's band, Christmas Day 1917, sanitary work at HQ, based at Dickebusch, Ypres Salient, Belgium, copying band parts, plying his trade as a carpenter building boxes and crosses, and home leave, with throughout descriptions of his training, movements, accommodation, food, weather, leisure time including playing music [clarinet] with an orchestra and company band, and references to life at the front being like a Bairnsfather cartoon. His last letter (10 May 1918) is transcribed in full. Together with: photocopies of eight ms letters, sketches and poems written to his eldest son, Eric (November – December 1917), telling him to be kind to his little brother Kenneth and to look after his mother, and explaining to him why his father is in France, with a sketch of his dugout; and ts transcriptions of letters to Mrs Adams (21pp) from staff at No 10 General Hospital giving details of his admittance to the hospital and subsequent death (15 May 1918), letters of condolence from fellow soldiers from his units, including Private T Ryan who gave details of the German attack at Founquevilles in which Ted Adams was gassed, as well as from many family and friends, War Graves Registration details about his grave, a letter from a war memorial committee, and articles from local church newsletters about his death.
Content description
Ts transcriptions of c.300 detailed letters (36pp), although heavily edited with many personal family details removed, written to his wife and sons whilst serving with the Royal Engineers, and also while attached to 9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) North Staffordshire Regiment on the Western Front, 1916 - 1918, up to his death from the effects of mustard gas poisoning in Rouen Hospital (May 1918), with details of his journey to Mansfield to begin training with the Royal Engineers (June 1916), descriptions of the camp and YMCA hut, duties and routines, wishing he'd stuck as a Conscientious Objector, moving to Chatham, Kent (July 1916), returning home on reserve (August 1916), being recalled to the RE Depot at Deganwy, Wales, but spending most time in Conway (January 1917), concert parties, visits to local towns and villages, his drafts being cancelled, finding out that he was due to be part of a Pioneer Battalion attached to the North Staffords and crossing to France (September 1917), moving to IX Corps Musketry and Reinforcement Camp, preparing rifle ranges, transferring to 9th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) North Staffordshire Regiment (37th Division) (October 1917), the hard work in the mud, joining the battalion's band, Christmas Day 1917, sanitary work at HQ, based at Dickebusch, Ypres Salient, Belgium, copying band parts, plying his trade as a carpenter building boxes and crosses, and home leave, with throughout descriptions of his training, movements, accommodation, food, weather, leisure time including playing music [clarinet] with an orchestra and company band, and references to life at the front being like a Bairnsfather cartoon. His last letter (10 May 1918) is transcribed in full. Together with: photocopies of eight ms letters, sketches and poems written to his eldest son, Eric (November – December 1917), telling him to be kind to his little brother Kenneth and to look after his mother, and explaining to him why his father is in France, with a sketch of his dugout; and ts transcriptions of letters to Mrs Adams (21pp) from staff at No 10 General Hospital giving details of his admittance to the hospital and subsequent death (15 May 1918), letters of condolence from fellow soldiers from his units, including Private T Ryan who gave details of the German attack at Founquevilles in which Ted Adams was gassed, as well as from many family and friends, War Graves Registration details about his grave, a letter from a war memorial committee, and articles from local church newsletters about his death.
History note
Cataloguer RWAS