Happy to have received ILE's letter. Finally ILE has left the German hell and happily enough in good health too. He and his family rejoice that the trials and tribulations ILE and his parents have borne over the last four years is now over. How has ILE borne this trial. How difficult it must have been to be a prisoner. He hopes Britain and France will go forward together to a better future. Poor France has suffered terribly, too many of her youth have been sacrificed and her occupied lands systematically destroyed. An immense desolation in a devastated region. The French will never be able to forget this and other crimes against humanity. As ILE knows, the writer's own lands were devastated by the Boche. He asks ILE whether he remembers seeing it. Those beautiful memories of 1912. The writer has informed George of ILE's news. George is in the Alsace. He ends by giving his address (c/o 237th Regiment Campaign Artillery) and extending family greetings.
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.
ILE's family is remembered by the writer and his family and they take part in their anguish over ILE's fate. He thanks ILE's mother for her letter and her concern over Georges [the writer's son]. One must be indulgent to our soldiers and forgive them faults that would otherwise be inexcusable. Georges left for the front 21 February. The start was not too hard, but afterwards he was sent to one of the most dangerous parts, from which he emerged unhurt. Thank God! Now he is again in a region with frequent battles. The courage of our brave soldiers is marvellous and they will win in the end. Do not doubt this. But how sad all this is at the same time. So many sufferings, so many chagrins. One must have confidence. The enemy is a coward, once they feel themselves beaten and only the fear of retaliation prevents them from hurting their prisoners. Send best wishes to Leslie and that he may preserve his courage and good health during his captivity. The writer's daughter will pray for him. All need God's help during this time.
The writer's son has not received news about ILE for a long time. The writer and his family are anxious to know what has happened to him. They get news from time to time of some young Englishmen being released and returned to their families. It would be happy news if ILE was one of them. They hope ILE will be released from his captivity at the same time this horrible war ends. The writer's son still fulfils the same role as at the beginning of the war in the medical corps and is not in immediate physical danger. He does his best to relieve suffering and has plenty of ill people on his hands. He has borne himself well. Hope ILE's mother's sufferings will be at an end soon.
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.
Glad to hear ILE's news after these last five years. His French is excellent. He addresses ILE with tu as this is common usage amongst comrades, especially in the army. He is glad to hear that the political debacle gives ILE no pleasure. The military debacle neither. The writer and his fellow soldiers were en route to the front towards Nachy for the 'famous' attack that never took place because the colonel came past in his automobile crying out to us the good news. The last three months of the war under the command of General Mangin have been hard. Perhaps ILE knows that the general has a bad reputation. The writer does not know whether the German army deserved its defeat. Perhaps all that happened was deserved. In the army we have always considered that the enemy troops defended themselves tenaciously until the very end. We were, after three months of pursuit, in front of their famous Hermann Stellung at the end of last October and the Prussian Troops defended it with their usual courage and their artillery gave a good and precise account of itself. As for the writer, he will not be demobilized until June or July. Meanwhile they are having a capital time in the Alsace. If ILE is in France in six months perhaps they could meet, but in these times nothing is certain. The writer ends by speculating whether in the future he will go to study in Paris or Edinburgh.
Something about a reply he has received to a letter about Ifor which he encloses. He hopes that the conditions apply to Ifor (likely some sort of exchange).
Her cousin Borgmastaren Pettenson has received a postcard from Ifor L. Evans dated 11 October 1914. The card requested that his parents be informed that he is quite well and that he requests that they send £150 (3000 marks) to the American Consul as security for his release. He is currently in Nuremberg.
Regarding a letter Mr Hoyle had sent to Professor Fungersen, requesting he contact Herr Leister in Suhl to find out any news he has on Ifor Leslie Evans. Attached is the reply from Herr Leister of 16 September 1914 (attached), which gives details of Ifor's situation.
Acknowledges receipt of communication from Mr W. J. Evans and informs him that a dispatch from the foreign office dated 08 October 1914 states that they are not to take part in the transmission of letter to persons in enemy or neutral countries. They're also under no circumstances to forward money.
In reply to Mrs Evans letter of 02 August encloses letters from Mr G. R. Thorne and Mr Kannreuther of Birmingham (the Dutch Consular), as well as copies of letters he has sent them. They concern arranging for Ifor L. Evans to be part of a prisoner exchange.
Harper, Holland. Thorne, G. R. Kannreuther, Mr. Dutch Consular.
Encloses a letter he has received from Mr Thorne which details the Hague agreement under which the Dutch have undertaken to provide accommodation for prisoners of war.
A reply to his father's letter of 21 May 1917 over confusion over the question of Ifor's scholarship. He explains the reasoning for dropping the modern language school idea and switching to History. Then outlines the work he is undertaking to achieve this. Ifor then details the teaching and Spanish studies he is currently undertaking. He goes on to explain that while he is stronger in French he has still made some progress in the language, just not enough for the modern language exam. He briefly covers remittances to the bank and expresses his hope that they have sent the money he requested to Thomas's family. The postal service has been extremely poor lately but Ifor refuses to dwell on it. He has received a tobacco package and one from Selfridge's. Ifor requests that in future he send Players W3 instead of the medium and hints that he would like a pipe. Ifor then moves on to correct a misunderstanding about a move to what he refers to as the Sea House. Then talks about his wishes for a proposed exchange of civilian prisoners and mentions an incident where a fire broke out in one of the stables in the compound. Finally he writes how he is pleased that the school term is coming to an end, it would appear he is looking forward to a break.
Informs his father that the arrangement with Selfridges is working well and acknowledges a 2nd parcel from them. He has received the 1st batch of Danish bread, which is an improvement over that from Berne. Ifor brings up the subject of his parents moving house and expresses how he wishes he was there to assist with the move. He then moves on to talk at great length about Welsh nationalism, his hopes and dreams for the future of the nation of Wales. He sees education of the Welsh population as the main tool of achieving his vision. He writes that his mother would understand if she saw him teaching at the camp school, his pupils all seafaring men. Ifor is still in good health though is finding the monotony of life and limited outlook a strain. He once again expresses how he longs for home but writes how he has not forgotten the social squalor and the intellectual torpor of the Welsh of Aberdare. Finishing with 'we must cleanse the Augean stables'.
Ifor struggles to write interesting letters given the present circumstances but is pleased to have a good reason on this occasion. That reason being that old Dale has broken his arm playing tennis. Ifor is well but expecting 1 if not 2 more years captivity. Then he discusses prisoner exchanges and his hopes for papa Allen. He discusses the parcels he has received and the deliveries he would like his father to arrange in preparation for the winter. He also briefly mentions the Great Duff scandal (involved someone making money from prisoners of war). Ifor finishes with a quotation from Heine.
Enclosing material (not present) that he would be happy to have forwarded Mr D. James of Dyfynnog (Chairman of the Welsh Language Society), should his father be willing. He further asks that Mr D. James be thanked for the interest he has shown in them, and assured that the Cymdeithas Gymraeg is in fullest sympathy with the aims of his society. He also gives permission for the enclosed material to be published in the Cymru, but asks that it not be further published unless it is in some other Welsh journal. Ifor goes on to briefly discuss the Welsh section of the school and his hopes that this will be the last year of their activities.
