| Place | Europe: France |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | PR00882 |
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 1cm (12 items) |
| Object type | Letter, Souvenir |
| Maker |
Gates, Arthur |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
| Copying Provisions | Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required. |
Gates, Arthur (Lance Corporal, b.1893 - d.1916)
Description
Letters and postcards written by Lance Corporal Arthur Gates (5th Pioneer Battalion) while serving in Egypt and France written to family members between April and September 1916. There is also a letter from the unit's chaplain, informing the family that Gates had been killed in action in France on 28 September 1916. The correspondence contains descriptions of his work as a carpenter building furniture, on the construction of railway lines and as a stretcher bearer. He describes living conditions such as food supplies, billetting and lack of suitable clothing, especially for the wet and cold conditions. He also gives opinions on the Russians with whom he is fighting, `Fritz' and the Prussian Army.