“SPIRIT OF THE BOYS ALRIGHT.”

LLANDEBIE TERRITORIALS LETTER FORM THE FRONT

His Vow to Lay Out Several of the Enemy.

Private J. R. D. Thomas, of Llandebie serving in France with the 6 th Welsh Regiment, writes home to Mr. Willie Rees, tailor, thanking him for a gift of “cigs” which he appreciates very much.

He goes on to say : —

“Since I wrote you last I have been ill, but I am feeling alright now. Yes, I had the letter that was in the Amman Valley Chronicle sent to me. I am glad to hear that you think so much of the boys that are out here, and I can tell you this much:

That we will try our best to be worthy of the thoughts you have for us and place we come from. I do not believe there is one of us which would forget it. We came out here to do our duty, and if our reward is death, you may bet your last penny we would gladly lay down our lives.

“The winter weather has set in, and at the time of writing we are up to our knees in mud. But I suppose there are better times ahead.

“Since I wrote last we have been shifted, and I think we shall be on the move very often now. The spirit of the boys is alright. And God help the Germans when we get at them. It was bad enough to read about them at home, but it is ten times worse to see what they have done out here. The only thing I wish is if I shall ‘go under' I shall want to go out for ‘keeps,' and a few more Germans if I can do it. I am glad to hear that Tom Double is recovering, and I hope that he will come out here, that I shall not miss him.

“Dear chum, I am glad to hear that someone sometimes thinks of us. A letter from friends at home cheers the whole company around the camp fire. I have nearly cried many a time when perhaps I have received a letter, but the chap next to me has no one to write to him, and he eagerly waits until we have finished reading, and asks, ‘What news chums' he asks, you may see we who have homes and friends have one thing to be thankful for.”

He concludes with the wish for a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to his friend.