Dangos 253 canlyniad

Acknowledges receipt of his letter of the 3rd instant and informs that the included postcard has been forwarded to Germany.

Describes in response to a letter from Mr Evans the conditions of camp life and Ifor's state of being. He also discusses an article he has written lately, his move tomorrow to London and representations he is making to reduce the medical standards for exchange.

Returning Mr Evans correspondence from Ifor. He apologises for being so late in returning them; his nephew has been extracting sections for publication in the 'Star'. He cannot understand why the German authorities stopped the letter he sent to Ifor himself. Mr Sibly finds it very interesting that Ifor is leading an intellectual life and feels he is lucky to have intellectual companions.

Writes that she has not heard about Ifor. She thinks he is still a prisoner in Germany but expects he will soon be released.

Providing the address of Mr J. H. Hague in Holland. Mr Evans has already written to him to thank him for his services and express regret that this has resulted in him receiving unpleasant enquiries from the Foreign Office. He has written to Ifor to ask if he wishes the caution money (3000 marks) to be sent to him. Mr Evans trusts Ifor's judgement and wishes to do what he thinks best. However he has little trust in German Officialdom and suspects that any money sent will remain there.

He thanks her for the letters she has sent, they give 1st hand evidence of German methods. He writes that he cannot understand why Ifor has been rearrested and hopes he is freed again soon and able to continue with his studies. He writes that the war must have upset all his plans for the winter, others Mr Rees says that he thinks Ifor would have had a good chance of landing a Scholarship. -- Mr Rees write of another Mr Evans he knows studying his PhD in Berlin, he describes how he is pessimistic of being able to finish.

Dear Madame, I thank you that you have had the good thought of writing to me. We all have the greatest sympathy for your poor Leslie. We are also very sad to hear that he has been a prisoner of the accursed Germans for the last two months. Remain confident, Madam, that your disquiet will soon be settled and a prisoner exchange will allow you to be reunited with your son as soon as possible. We wish this from the bottom of our hearts and hope for speedy negotiations and a good result. I thank you for your interest in the fate of Georges. He is a nurse and has not been sent to the front. We hope he will escape danger. I have told him what has happened to his friend Leslie and he will write to you as well. [Address of son]. As for us we are well. Our land has not received an unwelcome visit from the Germans, but we have left it nonetheless. My husband, my daughter and I are spending several weeks in Chartres where I have family as well. Please keep us informed of any new developments, which we anxiously await. I hope this letter will be faster than yours. I only received it this morning and am replying immediately. We are well aware of your anguish and send you our best wishes.

Writes that she regrets not being able to supply further information. She states that other Englishmen have been released after a short arrest and cannot say why Ifor has been detained. Louise writes that the prisoners at Nuremberg are being well treated so Mrs Evans does not have any cause for concern. She cannot suggest a means of communicating with Ifor or sending the money requested. However she provides the details of the American minister at the Hague who may be able to help.

He hopes to learn that ILE has been freed. He was sorry to hear ILE was still being held by those damn Germans. ILE is a brave boy for telling his parents not to worry about his fate. This does not surprise the writer in the least about ILE. He will not let himself be beat down. He knows that to fight these enemies, he must preserve his physical and moral strength. He is also helped by the fact that he is not alone. He and his friends mutually support each other. One has inner resources to fall back on when one is young. ILE will be freed and the writer hopes that ILE's mother will not have long to wait anymore before this happiness will come to pass. The writer has received good news from George [his son]. Nothing dangerous. Georges would have preferred to have been an interpreter, but the medical service is one of the few services where one is not allowed to change one's post once assigned to it. There have been many ill this last month, but he is in good health. He hopes to talk to her again soon about ILE.

Asks whether it is true that Ifor L. Evans is a prisoner of war in Germany. Last time he heard from him was almost 12 months ago.

Michele writes that she has received a postcard from Ifor and in the belief that he cannot write to his parents directly, is passing word to them that he is well. She recommends that if his parents wish to try writing to Ifor that they should do so in German.

Mary Harold is glad to hear that Mrs Evans receives an occasional postcard from her son but sorry that he is still a prisoner. She writes that she thinks it unreasonable for the Germans to ask for so much money to allow Ifor out on parole, and does not trust they won't re-arrest him once released. She recommends that Mrs Evans not pay out the money; they are well treated and Mary hopes that an exchange will soon be arranged. Mary wonders whether her son has received word of his brother's death, she expects it will be a great shock to him. She then explains that as difficult as their situation is it is not so bad as those that have family that are missing in action.

Mary is glad that Ifor is now in Berlin, she expects he will be much happier among British P.O.Ws. She has had a postcard (they are permitted 2 a week) from her son John who had left Nuremberg before they had received his letters. She says that sending money would not have done any good as they were not detained. They now wait on whether they will be permitted to receive the parcels they have sent. -- She is feeling better knowing that the British prisoners are now together, but has heard they have been taken to Berlin to deter the Russians from bombarding the city should they advance that far. She therefore hope an exchange will soon be arranged.

Mary Harold's son John has received the money she had sent through Sweden and a parcel. There has been delays in the post due to the volume sent over Christmas, so he has not got everything yet. Mary hopes he will get the clothes she sent soon as it is very cold over there. She has been notified by the Foreign Office that John's name has been placed on a list for a possible prisoner exchange, an action she believes to have been taken by her local M. P.

After 4 weeks of not receiving any word from John, Mary has received 3 postcards and a letter. She hopes Mrs Evans has also received word from Ifor by now. She discusses the sorry state of how their mail is treated and the parcel situation. Then Mary moves on to writing about their sons situation as prisoners in Germany and describes how she is occupying herself, as well as helping others. For example she provides some details or a recent neighbours nervous breakdown.

Mary Harold has received a cheerful letter from John, they are making the most of their circumstances. She mentions that they are not permitted to receive cakes or sweets and hopes John has been permitted to have his birthday parcel. She has also just heard news of another Maeduff boy's death; killed by his own grenade. Mary writes that she hopes Mrs Evan's friends have had good news about their boys, saying how terrible it is to have someone missing in action.

Mary writes about their bread parcels and a garden John has described to her. She says that John has informed her that their conditions have improved considerably and they are in good spirits, though she worries that the monotony of camp life must cause problems. She then writes about smoking, some brothers of one of John's friends that have been killed in France and of persons (not named) missing in action.

A response to a letter Mrs Evans has passed on to Mary from Mrs Balls, a friend of hers; Mary hopes she gets news of her boy soon. She writes that John fears they will be detained through the winter and has requested she send a sturdy pair of boots. John has started a German class for sailors that trade between England and Hamburg, who are keen to learn and have something to pass the time.

Mary is wondering if their boys will have any chance of getting home, having just received a letter from a gentleman who has just arrived back from Ruhleben. She informs Mrs Evans that she has just heard of the death of one of her neighbours eldest sons at Dardanelles. This had come as a shock as they had got the news in a letter from a friend (who had seen the news in the paper) sending their sympathises; they had not yet been notified by the war office.

January 1916. Mary Harold discusses their sons and how they expect them to return changed by their experience and the stories they will have when they return. One of Mary's sons was home for Christmas, he has finished his training and may be sent to France at any time. She also provides some information on a gentleman who can get money to prisoners. -- 24 January 1916. Mary is very sorry to hear of Mrs Evan's recent accident, but glad that it is not serious. She is grateful for the letter forwarded on to her from Mrs Dale, detailing how the Germans hold on to some of the things they send. Though she does mentioned that the Germans turned a blind eye to the prisoners celebrating the new year. She also details the progress they have made with the camp school and her son's recent attempts to develop his cooking. Then goes back to the subject of parcels.