Dangos 282 canlyniad

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.

Gives advice to her aunty as to what items are best to send to the front; advice based on how hot the current climate is in Germany.

Thanks ILE's mother for her card, and taking an interest. ILE states that his mother speaks French, so he can use his maternal language, forgive him the momentary lack of his paternal language. ILE sends his love.

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.

Describing life at the front and some 8 days leave from the front that he has had due to illness in January. He is currently present as a surgeon linked to an infantry regiment at the front.

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.

She writes that she sympathises with Mrs Evans having her only son taken from her and that she knows she sympathises with them also. She hopes their sons have met each other. She writes that as Ifor is musical he must have taken part in the xmas performance. Mrs Darnell says that she is getting regular postcards now and her boys are well though they long for home; it is especially difficult for her eldest who had just become engaged shortly before leaving home.

Writes how strange it is that Ifor has ended up in the very same place as a Mr D. Evans who had stayed with John on his way back to Germany. He is sure that they will make each other's acquaintance soon. Mr Rees has only just recently heard from Mr D. Evans. He has asked for many things so John thinks they are in great straits; he doubts he will get anything he sends. John writes that the war is terrible; the sight of a Red Cross Ambulance train the previous Tuesday made him feel sick.

Concerns the general lack of news on detainees and his disappointment in the way the Germans are behaving.

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.

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.

Mr Darnell also has a son detained in Germany and is sending his condolences and best wishes.

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.

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.

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.

Letter from a gentlemen who claims to have been arrested alongside Ifor Evans on 06 August 1914. He describes how they were treated at the prison; they were handled roughly at first but conditions soon improved. Then explains that he had been released, after 3 examinations by the military Doctor had confirmed he was unfit for service. He writes that Ifor is cheerful and with other Englishmen. He says that he is under the impression that Ifor was on a cycling trip when first arrested, but then was set free, moved on to Nuremberg and arrested again. He is surprised Ifor is being detained, thinking him too young for military service. Fred expects that if the prisoners are not released that they will be moved on to a fortress somewhere. They would have their freedom but not be permitted outside a certain limit. This would be an improvement he writes.

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 has received word from the mother of one of Ifor's fellow prisoners. She has informed Mr Evans that her son and two other Englishmen have been released on grounds of being unfit for military service. In the same post they also had a card from Mrs Dales informing them of her son's (B. J. Dale) release from prison and that he is now staying once again at Hotel Trfgle(?). Mr Evans is anxious owing to his own son having not yet being free from confinement and is concerned that he would appear to have been separated from those he has befriended. He asks Mr Dale to wire a friend in Copenhagen to see if any news can be obtained of Ifor's situation.

Note written on the back signed by W. M. T. says that this letter should be passed on to Mrs Evans. The letter provides information on Ifor's movements; he went to the south of Germany in July when he left Gibbon's pension, in consequence of the war he was detained for being an Englishman in Nuremberg. It also states that in his last postcard Ifor claimed his parents had sent him enough money.