Hetty Thomas
Daughter of Ann & Dafydd Thomas
Hetty (Thoms) Richards and daughter Elizabeth Mary
When th letter below was written Britain was well in the grip of the First World – The Great War to end all others.
I am a regular visitor to Flanders (Belgium) were the fields are full of the White Portland Headstones of the young men who gave their life for our freedom today.
The small city I stay was all but flatten by four years of War ‘Ieper’ (Ypres) a great monument is built there called the Menin Gate, and at 8.00p.m. every day of the year the buglers of the local fire brigade sound the last post in honor of the fallen, the walls of the gate record the names of 54,896 names of soldiers with no known grave from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa and China and another 34,984 are on the great wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery (Passendale) the walls of the gate no longer having room. Also in Ieper is St. Georges Chapel a small protestant church built in memorial of the First World War were many of the colours of the regiment hang.
47 Gwuan Bant
Pontycymmer
Glam – S Wales
December 24th 1917
Dear Cousin Hetty Adamson
I dare say you will be surprised to hear from me after all this time.
I am very sorry I haven’t written before but my husband and I have been very ill the beginning of this year and he is still suffering a great deal with his chest. He has not been able to follow his work much this year, but I am glad to say he is a little better now. I have come very good again and am able to do my housework very well only I suffer from rheumatism all the time.
Well dear cousin I hope you and your husband are still enjoying good health also your son Arnott, how is he now ? also I should like to know how is your brother John getting on and his family, are they all in good health ?
My son is still a soldier like all the young men of our Country and is now in Egypt somewhere near Jerusalem after training in this Country for two years. We hear regularly from him and the letters are very interesting, all about the Holy Land. He has been rather lucky although he was sent so far away and we are not likely to see him for two years at least as they do not get ‘leave’ from there as often as from France. He is in the Sanitary Section of the R.A.M.C as an inspector, and does not go into action at all only following up the advancing armies and clearing it out of any bad smells in case of plagues breaking out.
I see by the papers that America is doing her best to help the Allies and we see several of the America troops over here all looking quite fit. I hope this war wont last much longer as there is a great shortage of everything here especially foodstuffs although we cant complains we are far from being in want, and this Xmas finds us able to celebrate it in the good old way as usual. Has any of you people enlisted at all ?
Thanks very much for the newspapers we received from you as we found them very interesting.
My oldest daughter who is married has moved away from here to the Swansea district, not so far from Carmarthen and is living in a very nice place. My husband and I spent a week with them in the summer. Her husband is under manager in a very large colliery down there and is getting one very well.
Well dear Cousin I don’t think I have any more news to tell you. Hoping this will find you both all right and that you will forgive me for not writing before.
We haven’t heard anything from John Roberts, Neath about his son Arthur and I don’t think he has came back to this Country
Trusting to hear from you soon
With Kind Love
And Best Wishes
From Your Cousin
Hetty Richards
Address :-
3 Roseland Villas
47 Gwaun Bant
Pontycymmer
Glam, S Wales