Whilst looking through some of my Grandmother's old letters I found a 10 page letter from my uncle Charles Clarke which he sent at the end of the war, when he was serving with the British Army in Germany, and on the
small envelope she marked MY MASTERPIECE. I copied it out as I thought it
was so well written although some of the grammar is not that good. Anyway I
copied it out exactly as he had written it, and thought it very interesting.
I attach a copy and hope it will be of interest to you, obviously the
original is very fragile and on very thin paper.
Tuesday on board ship
Dear Mom
I am writing this on board while waiting for the other troops to arrive. I told you in my other letter that 24 of us had to do escort, well 500 POW coming on board shortly and they are being repatriated to Germany they are billeted below decks in the foremost part of the ship.
The ship is called the Empire Cutlass and it looks quite a good tub has been repainted. We have to do guards on the ship the 24 of us 2 hours on 6 hours off. We have officer’s bunks and cabins the other blokes on the draft have to sleep below decks and civvies. It is warm in here and is sat in a big armchair writing this. My bunk has a clean white pillow and its lovely and clean in here, polished red floor.
They have the wireless on the loud speakers are playing dance music. The officer said that we shant have any trouble with the jerries, but we have to keep them below decks and our blokes from mixing with them. When I go on guard I have to wear my life belt and carry a rifle and bayonet.
I do my first 2 hours as soon as they come above and while they are on boat drill. There shouldn’t be much to do as we are only on the water 24 hours. A boat has just pulled in from Cookshaven with British troops on leave. The sea looks calm enough and an old sailor says we should have a good voyage. We have three Sgts in the cabin, ten of us altogether.
Have been on top deck and had a look around. When you are in here you cannot imagine you are on a ship until you look up and see the porthole. Tell Tom I am on the starboard side, I know that because it says so on the notice. We are having the toilet change from officers to us we have civvies on board they are in with the troops. Our blokes can’t come on board until the P.O.W.’s are on, they are late already.
Had my dinner on board and it was a treat had prunes for pudding. We also get an extra meal and tea through the night on this guard. I am with 4 of the blokes from Farnborough. Shall write to Ken as soon as I get a chance perhaps tomorrow. Well the blokes coming from Germany are loaded with cases and stuff so I reckon there must have been a bit of swapping and changing going on. Shall be glad when we get under weigh now and get there, then I shall get a bit settled for 6 months I hope. I haven’t got my cigs out of my pack yet, as a bloke has lent me 20 until I can get to them.
Well I am about ready for my tea, but how long I shall keep it is according to the weather.
I have just done my guard duty we have the jerries aboard, they have them doing fire duty and boat drill right now. We have left England now. The boat is going smooth right now, hope it lasts. The jerries are right above our heads walking about. Roll on the time when I am coming back and instead of looking for Cookhaven I am looking for Hull.
They are giving orders to the Germans over the loudspeakers in German. I see we have a number of women aboard I wonder where they are too. Have just had my tea some of the blokes are serving up the grub in the galley so I had a good helping of peas and meat Bread butter and jam its pure white and it tastes a treat. Well I am going to have a lie down now and try to get some sleep, but I expect I shall be on guard again soon. I have been on this crate since 11 am this morning and we didn’t sail until 6pm. I will write some more to this as soon as I get a chance we have a lav for escort only with hot water and shower it was the officers but had a notice put up to say Escort only. Cheerio a bit.
Well here I am it is about 10.30 am on Wednesday morning and I am lying in my berth writing this. Did a guard this morning 3.30am till 5.30 on the deck and it was damned cold, you should have seen me with my balaclava on and life belt on. I came in and had a good sleep I am on again at 3.30pm we are supposed to arrive in Cookshaven about 6pm.
Have just had tea and biscuits and for supper last night we had a chop and potatoes and breakfast fish “haddock” potatoes bread butter and jam. I had a ration last night 20 cigs and one bar of chocolate a pkt of biscuits and a can of beer it came to 1/10 the lot all duty free you see. I had one of the Sgt ration an all but only had one lot of beer. Wonder how far we are inland when we get there. I was talking to one of the gerries and he told me he was shot down over Britain in 1942 so I wondered if he had bombed Brum. If I thought he did, I should have kept him below decks all the while I was on. Talk about old men some of them are grey and bald. They seem happy at going home anyway.
Well I think it is about time I had a wash and shave I have not been SICK up to yet but I am not going to speak to soon.
I have just had my dinner; we had beef, potatoes, cabbage and RICE PUDDING.
Wish I could send you some of this bread; its lovely the crust is crisp. They give you a little card when you come aboard mine has number 1 on it so I am first in the queue every time, so I get mine before it gets cold. We are having a very calm trip up to now. I think we shall be a bit late getting in. By the time I have finished this it will be about 10 pages and you will have sailed across the North Sea.
The sea is blue and I think the sun is going to shine and I hope this wind drops, it is, but it makes your face a little sore and your lips dry. Have just had some orange and it went down a treat. I shall post this as soon as I get in. Don’t throw this letter away I should like to keep it, as it is my first trip at sea. My feet where lovely and warm while I was I bed, you see I have a radiator right at my side. The prisoners are taking a stroll around the deck foremost of the ship they have been polishing their boots and getting spick and span for their return home. I bet someone is happy somewhere waiting for their return. They have come from all over the place some from the USA and some from Canada so they must have had quite a trip. They are just about to have their dinner and the German interpreter has been called to get them down, so I expect we shall be going out on duty again in a very few minutes. We may get some more cigs before we disembark I have just asked the Sgt if we have British stamps over here and he says we don’t have any stamps at all, so that’s one thing I will have to get. There are light ships all along the route with lights all over them to mark the route.
I am glad I had this job because you get better accommodation the other blokes are in 5 tier bunks they are only sack bagging stretched across a frame. They spend more time on the deck than they do in their beds. It has just been announced that we have high tea at 4 o clock.
Have arrived in Germany and am in a big building like a hotel, am moving out in the morning. Have changed my money and am about to have my supper. Was not seasick at all.
Well Mom this is all for now Cheerio
All of the Best
All my Love
Charles
Ps Will write again as soon as I can.
Write Soon
