October | 1914 | Letters from the Front

Wednesday 21 October, 1914 by John Adams

Bangor: “We are just in from a route march to Helen’s Bay and it has rained the whole way home”

Postmarked: 21 Oct 1914 Bangor, Co. Down

Dear Mother

I received your letter alright. I am sorr J has the cold. I am very afraid he would not stick this long. We are just in from a route march to Helen’s Bay and it has rained the whole way home. You need not think because I don’t write often that I have forgotten you but sometimes I have nothing to write about. We may put in a pass for Sunday week if we get away. Both our [arms?] are better and we are in the best of health. I think this is all now.

I remain your son

J. A.

Postcard shows painting of soldier and elderly mother as soldier bids farewell to her to join his comrades. “Duty and Honour Bid us Part”.

Tuesday 27 October, 1914 by John Adams

Clandeboye: “We are going home by Loughgilly with Sam Porter”

Postmark: Clandeboye Camp, date unknown

[faint postmark and location suggests early – possibly October 1914]

Dear Mother

Just a line to say that if all goes well you may expect us home on Sat. We are going home by Loughgilly with Sam Porter. He is getting George to meet us with the car, but it might be late when we are home and will have to go away again on Sunday night. But it will be better than nothing. I think this is all to we meet again. I remain your loving son,

John Adams

Postcard shows:

“Helen’s Tower, Clandeboye, Co. Down

Built by the late Marquis of Duferin, in memory of his mother, in the year 1850.

Helen’s Tower, here I stand

Dominant over sea and land

Son’s love built me, and I hold

Mother’s love engraved in gold.

Love is in and out of time,

I am mortal stone and time;

Would my granite girth were strong

As either love to last as long!

I should wear my crown entire

To and thro’ the Doomsday fire

And be found of angel eyes

In earth’s recurring Paradise.

-Alfred Tennyson”

A view of Helen’s Tower, which flies a large flag with horizontal stripes (blue, white red, from top to bottom). [no such flag appears on http://www.flags.net/search.php]

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