Anonymous said...I have been to Rivalta scrivia, beautiful place
April 15, 2009
Sgt Sam Avery said...Hello Harry: Sorry to hear you have been held back and shifted around a bit. I'm going through some big shifts myself with the loss of my rating into the bargain. Some class what? We're back into the mix somewhere north of Toul. Stop by for a read when you can, and keep your chin up. Regards, Sam
April 11, 2009
G. Tingey said...EXCEPT Harry says "It is very near France", which Rivalta Scrivia most definitely is NOT. Any other possibilities (without burrowing into the Munster Rifles records...?)
April 10, 2009
I think the distance from France is relative for Harry. It's definately Rivalta Scrivia. I have burrowed into the Royal Munster Fusiliers' records! I think it's fair that Harry knows where he is. BL
Anonymous said...Rijeka became a border town between Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Rijeka, Istria, Zadar, parts of Slovenia and the islands of Cres and Losinj were a kind of 'present' for italian participation on the side of entente. They were promised much more, but disappointment with the Italian ability to fight, reduced its territory gains.
April 09, 2009
Anonymous said...Fiume is Italian name for Rijeka in Croatia.
April 09, 2009
Jack O'Sullivan said...I think that this letter must have been hard to get through, with all of the frustration that was involved.
April 07, 2009
Anonymous said...Wait, what?!? So everyone from Harry's old battalion, officers and enlisted, have all gone home: but for some reason Harry, one single man!, is left behind with another unit?!?This letter to Kate sounds pretty calm, for what must have been total frustration!
April 07, 2009
G. Tingey said...So, now you'll have to look up the Royal Munster Fusiliers records?
April 07, 2009
Royal Munster Fusiliers 1st (Garrison) Battalion. BL
Jay Stevens said....the military is sometimes in their own world. I love your blog. thanks for the post.
April 06, 2009
Thank you for the comment but, no advertising links please, Jay BL
April 06, 2009
Linda said...Just had an email from Amazon, "Estimated arrival date: 23/04/09 - 25/04/09". I don't mind the waiting is a bit delicious, will make the reading all the better.
April 05, 2009
Anonymous said...Looking forward to getting my copy of the book, but not NEARLY as much as Harry must looked forward to finally going home! Letters from home gone astray, everybody ELSE has gotten demobbed, and he's still in there cooking for 16-17 hours a day. (I do like his comment about the how officers must have thought it was a restaurant.) Hang in there, Harry: surely this can't go on TOO much longer!
April 04, 2009
Kittybriton said...Grinning about the acronyms! The military do love their alphabet soup. I was thinking maybe Harry would be all set to open a little cafe when he came home, but after working 16hr days, I can't blame him if he was content to let somebody else do the cooking for the rest of his life.
April 04, 2009
Anonymous said...Publish and be damned.....we are all adults....military acronyms are always fun!
April 04, 2009
Sorry, but we're not "all adults" and maybe not all comfortable with military language. I may link to them on a separate page with a disclaimer.BL
Linda said...The worrying thing is, as he as is so late going will he get a job when he finally gets home. Although he sounds just as easy going as always, I think I would have liked him.
April 05, 2009
Janell said...As the old saying goes, "Last person out, turn off the lights!" I guess that will be Harry. Obviously, someone has got to be last to leave a war; but a Private would not come to mind, cook or no cook. I hope he doesn't miss the last train home.
April 05, 2009
Janell said...Maybe Harry has been sent to Paris for the signing of Treaty of Versailles on June 28th. After all, someone needs to cook for the participants!
April 04, 2009
Kittybriton said...Confused of Lyndonville writes "this appears to be a circular link. I think I may have missed something."
April 03, 2009
Marcy said... Oh no......that is not fair! surely he wasn't transferred to another unit...no, no, no....ugh!!!!
April 03, 2009
meg's mommy said...oh no!
April 03, 2009
G. Tingey said...Except, you say "SNAFU" regarding Harry. I also note that the 8th Bn has joined the 9th. I presume the remaining battalion(s) are being reduced and renumbered, as the Regiment returns to Pre-War regular Army size, but from your remark, Harry is still cooking for someone, or has been re-transferred elsewhere?
03 April 2009
Hosting said...It is about 3 weeks to 23rd october. :-(
April 03, 2009
Oh dear. Maybe Hosting means April. Perhaps it was late at night....BL
Janell said...Congratulations, Bill. Your amazing achievement and incredible tribute to your grandfather has come to an end. Your labor of love has produced a masterpiece that is a lasting, historical record. Thank you for your dedication to the cause.
April 03, 2009
Harry isn't home yet! Don't assume anything. This is organised by the
Mark at Mark's Travel said...**Waiting for book to be delivered so can find out ending**
April 02, 2009
Marcy said...Yea Harry!!!!!!!!!! Now I want to know what happened when he got home---how long did it take him to find a job? did he have any more children? how did he adjust to being home? etc etc???
02 April 2009
Steady Marcy! No one said anything about Harry.
You might have to buy the book to find out the answers to those questions. BUT he isn't home yet. BL
Anonymous said...Do you see any rhyme or reason in WHO is getting demobbed? Longest enlistments first, longest time since leave, any particular specialties (not a lot of need now for sappers!) or assignments? (Maybe Harry getting into what we first thought was a slightly cushy berth, cooking for some officers, was a bad move after all: they'll want to keep their best cooks as long as they themselves are there!)
March 31, 2009
Unfortunately, the war diaries just refer to "other ranks" by numbers involved. As always, no details. We can only pick up clues from Harry's letters. He's not that helpful there. BL
Janell said...At least there is no reference [in the war diary] to the pandemic Flu. Since the Battalion is fairly isolated, they may be protected. I guess that is one advantage for Harry and the others.
31 March 2009
Kittybriton said...It's wonderful to know that Willie is still with us - another belated Happy Birthday to the grand old man! I'm sure he has a few stories of his own to tell.
March 29, 2009
Doctor Pion said..Harry's experience mirrors that of my Grandfather, whose letters sent up the chain of command pointing out the conditions of his enlistment were not as restrained as Harry's. Happy Birthday to your father. Has he learned new things about his father from your project?
March 29, 2009
March 28, 2009
Janell said...Thanks to the Ministry of Defense ("Defence", for my U.K. readers.) for finishing with the Battalion War Diary in such a timely manner. It only took them 3 months to muddle through. Meanwhile, we have been missing out on valuable information about Harry's continued detainment in Italy, cooking for the brass, of all things. Now, the Diary will keep us informed about his battalion's activity and "dispersal". I see they continue to route march. They probably route march in their sleep!
March 28, 2009
Or, sleep in their route marches. BL
Anonymous said...He must have been very good at what he was doing or he would have been sent home, surely?
March 27, 2009
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