Letter sent home from the First World War by Owen Ashton of Llawryglyn, 22 [July] 1917 [page 1 of 4]

Description

This is the first letter sent home from abroad by Owen and because of the demands of the censor, he no longer writes in Welsh. He tells his family that he is still 'here', but that he may be moving sometime this week. The weather is good and he has been out all last night up the line. There is not much rest to be had, even when out of the trenches. Owen writes that he did not get much of the parcel they sent as he had to go up the line. The men's oversacks were left in the village and everything was lost - razors, biscuits and many other things. 'Other battalions' pinched everything but Owen isn't too worried about it as he is alright himself. He describes having to stay in the trenches for days, nothing to eat from breakfast until the next morning as he had to go to the front line to relieve another company. He tells his sister Lizzie they have seen a lot in the last three weeks and have had a few narrow escapes but that they should be thankful to God for pulling them through. He thanks his sister for the little hymns she sent and wishes he could go to Chapel as he is in the country. He hopes that she is feeling better and asks his father about sheep and the price of wool. Owen is glad they got the hay in and feels that God has been good to them. He closes by sending his best love to them.