Transcription: 28 Oct.14   Here I am, very fit and not frightened. I hope you have received my previous letters. i have sent about six. You would hardly know behind the firing line that a battle was going on, except for the constant banging of guns - the peasants work quite quietly in the fields. I can't give you any news at present but when it gets fortnight old I shall be able to. It was pretty cold last night but I'll get used to it, we are all very cheery. p.m. 1 Nov.     I just sent you a hurried Post Card as the Post was just going out. I am afraid it was rather disjointed as the Germans were sending us a few cards in the form of 'Jack Johnsons" and while I sit here shells keep on passing over. it will most likely cheer you up to know that we are going back for a rest though, do you know, I am just a little sorry though I am a most awful coward! i really am and aafter this little show is over I shall be a stong advocate of peace. I am most awfully fit, in fact I have never been better in my life. The air cushion is an absolute godsend, if anyone is sending anyhting to friends get them to send one, The night before alast I slept in a house or rather the remains of it for it had its roof and very little in the way of walls, we only had about three hours sleep but bu Jove I was glad of it. We find any amount of chickens and in order to prevent them from dying of hunger we eat them - that is if their owner has not got them on a tring. We also have boiled rabbit now and again, so as far as little "Mary" goes I'm as fit as a fiddle. The house I am in at present is deserted and to tell the truth I do not wonder but there are much worse places out here.   We are very amused at the thought of an air raid in England - a few bombs seem so very little.   You have no idea how very cheery we all are. I don't wonder people want to get back, this beats big game shooting all hollow. We have no lack of news here as we receive the Official Reports but we do not have much from England.   Major Saunders who comands the Battalion os one of the best of good sorts and one would follow him to the end of the earth, the men simply adore him. It is extraordinary to see the peasants here working in the fields beside the guns. Henry is not near here and Fred came out in the boat after me - so I heard from some people who came over with him. Let me know his regiments, it may be bear us, by Jov e e we shall have a splendid dinner when I come home - I shall have so much back 4

Transcription: there) and you would never imagine we were fighting but rather on a picnic, the only disturbing factor is the terrific noise of shells - but I think we would be lost without that, we say it will be finny when we get home and go out shouting. At the first sound of a gun we will fall on our knees and begin to dig ourselves in! It will rather liven the shoot up if we bing opening fire on the beaters. So C/ has actually got engaged - well I think he could have gone futher and fared much worse, in fact I think he is avery lucky man.   Must cease my prattle now. hope the children got my letter with the Belgian money in it. My Captain says he has never met anyone who eats so much as I do and I am very fit on it. 18 Nov.14   I have had very little time to write hence you have heard little from me. I have been in the trenches for the last three weeks and lately I have been up every night entrenching (for the last three nights) it is perhaps the most exciting work which we have here, when it gets dark we move off, the road is gnereally full of 'Johnson" holes an these full of water so if you don't look out one has a bath, then while one marches along up comes a star shell lighting up the whole country and we lie flat hardly breathing for three or four minutes - then up and on generally with a few stray shells over us just reaching the country and they generally light on the road!!! But then one gets an expert and when you hear them coming one can generally tell if to right or left ot at one and then the ditch or any cover available. The only ones which do one are the little 18 lb field gun which come at such a terrific velocity that it is practically impossible to get away from them. After this and several very exciting moments one arrives at ones destination and here are the snipers (as a rule) a lot is said of the bad shooting of the Germans but one acknowledges to ones cost that their snipers are of a different class and  considering the really wonderful excapes some of us have from these men at night it is marvelous that we have such few casualties - of course they only fire in one direction as they cannot see to aim at night - but they come oftern (the bullets) uncomfortabt close - then we march back again just before daylight and the first glimpse sees one generally in a safe position, at present I am well beneath ground with a good shell proof lid over one though not "Jack" proof but one cannot expect everyhting. We are all prophesying the end of the war soon but again it seems almost too good to dream of much before Match, as we must absolutely crush the enemy other wise our work would have to be done again. i spent a happy day yesterday with a paper of the 7th and I was 8

Transcription: pay that we shall have bubbly water. Tell Cousin Cy that his vest has saved my life since I have been out here as I have not seen my kit since I have been out here and have had to sleep in my kit without a blanket or greatcoat as both are too heavy to carry but its wonderful how little one feels the cold and I am blessed with a secon sense as far as finding straw goes - the other night we wer e lying in the remains of a village - on the stone cobbles 0 but I found a bit of a stable and lots of straw where with the air cushion I spent two very peaceful hours, my unfortunate servant was responsible for rousing me. I only told one other Subaltern as I finf that it s best to keep these things to oneself - for example - I lost a goose through shouting to a man to cut off its line of retreat. My Captain is first being shaved and we are waiting for a shell to burst near and the barber, a Sergeant, to jump. pm 2 Nov. 14   Here I am sitting on my valise which is lying on nice clean straw smoking a cigarette feeling thoroughly at peace with the world. i don't know quite how much I may tell you but I don't expect it will matter if I say I am a considerable distance from the Front - in fact so far away that I can't even hear the sound of guns. I'm afraid I shall not get any of your letters for some time as we do not join up with the 1st Battalion for a few days, no-one knows how long, it may be less or even more and I am afraid till then I shall not hear from you. The French seem a cheery crowd and are very good to us and I can almost make myself understood in their language. i saw a Zouave yesterday he had been wounded at the Front and I wonder they live a day - they are all gold and crimson with patches of blue.   I hope you recieved the Post Card I sent from Ringwood to say that I was en route. I had no time to send a wire. The long chap we thought we did not like has proved a most amusing comapnion. I have just bought a copy of the New York Herald here and once can get the Daily Mail so we are sill in touch with Civilization!! Last night I walked into the town to get some candles and I had great difficulty in finding my way back hre as my French was limited and I could not remember whether 'gauche" was left or right and what "a droit" meant - whether straight on or to the rightl Well, the men are just falling in to go for a walk so I must stop now, love to all at home. I expect I shall turn up like a bad penny. 5

Transcription: 28 To cut my story short, i'll say We had it pretty rough; They don't want men that're invalids, But lads that're pretty tough. 29 But I'd a stop put to my career On the fifteenth of September, And if I live to be a hundred and one, i always shall remember. 30 It was a dreadful morn at half past six, But the sky was a pretty sight When the lads went ove 'No Man's land' With their bayonets flashing bright. 31 It was a terrible fight, you can bet your lift, For the Strongholds that 'Bill' had made, And many a mother's lad that night Would be covered up with a shade. 32 I got wounded a quarter to eight, My pipe I was calmly smoking, Till I got hit with a German lead Which prevented me from walking. 33 I crawled into a shell hole To keep down out of sight, For I knew I couldn't do any more For home, and right, and might. 24 Our lads they drove them back a mile That bright September morn; They made the square head Germans Wish they never had been born. 35 I was dressed at the Red Cross Station And then sent to Boulogne, And the time from then to being on the boat it was not very long. 36 We landed back to Dover, A pretty down in Kent, they carried us off the boat, and hen In a Red Cross train we went.

Description: Shelfmark: Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg | Cod. Pal. germ. 231

Description: Der Soldat M. Rabenschlag befand sich seit ca. 1916 im Kriegsgefangenenlager Stobs (Grafschaft Roxburgshire in Schottland) in englischer Kriegsgefangenschaft. In dem Album haben sich zahlreiche seiner Mitgefangenen in den Jahren 1916/17 mit kurzen Eintragungen sowie ihren Heimatadressen handschriftlich verewigt. Das Lager in Stobs wurde 1903 südlich von Hawick errichtet. Bei Kriegsausbruch diente es noch als Lager für heimische Truppen. Zeitweise waren dort bis zu 5000 Soldaten stationiert. Im Oktober 1914 wurde das Lager in ein Kriegsgefangenenlager umgewandelt und 200 Holzbaracken für etwa 6000 Gefangene gebaut. Unter diesen befanden sich auch die überlebenden Besatzungsmitglieder des Kriegsschiffes SMS Blücher. Die Gefangenen wurden zu verschiedenen Arbeiten eingesetzt, u.a. bei Bauarbeiten im Lager, in der Feldarbeit oder beim Bau eines Abwassersystems. Zudem brachten sie ihre eigene Zeitung heraus und entwickelten ein lebendiges Theaterleben. Die letzten Gefangenen wurden Ende 1919 entlassen. || Zahlreiche Informationsblätter zu Theateraufführungen im Kriegsgefangenenlager Stobs in Schottland.

Description: Destinataire non identifié : Monsieur Elkan, habitant 2 rue Royale à Bruxelles. Elkan semble avoir été à la fois l'ami du marquis de Caux et une sorte d'agent pour les tournées de la Patti. - Comprend 200 lettres, 52 télégrammes, 1 carte de visite. - Comprend également 5 programmes et diverses coupures de presse. - Monogramme en relief du marquis de Caux : HC surmonté d'une couronne || Correspondance || || Correspondance || Destinataire non identifié : Monsieur Elkan, habitant 2 rue Royale à Bruxelles. Elkan semble avoir été à la fois l'ami du marquis de Caux et une sorte d'agent pour les tournées de la Patti. - Comprend 200 lettres, 52 télégrammes, 1 carte de visite. - Comprend également 5 programmes et diverses coupures de presse. - Monogramme en relief du marquis de Caux : HC surmonté d'une couronne

Description: Certificate of Discharge van Henry Ernest Fookes

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