Sheriff began a short letter to his mother by commenting on the weather: ‘[it] is still exceedingly hot and the dust is rather troublesome – but it is ideal weather and perfect for living in tents’. Very quickly, however, he turned back to the topic which had engaged him so completely in his letter to Pips the previous day – the delay in his receiving leave: ‘How I do wish I had got leave – I feel nothing could be more perfect now than days on the river and strolls in the park.’ But there was nothing to be done about it, he concluded, so they should both set themselves to waiting until the permission finally came through – at least it was bound to come in a quicker time than that which had already passed. He was sure, if he kept well, that it would come through soon, for he was ‘next on the list but one’.

Home at twilight. From Memories of Active Service, Vol I, facing page 222 (By permission of the Surrey History Centre, Ref: 2332/3/9/3/2)

His comment about keeping well was an interesting one, and echoed similar thoughts made in his letters in the previous few days. They were clearly involved in significant preparations for something. The battalion diary notes that, through the first few days of June, it provided ‘day and night working parties for X Corps REs, consisting of about 7 officers and 400 men daily and about 3 officers and 150 men nightly, and, although it does not mention exactly what the men were doing, Sherriff had mentioned in a previous letter that they had been laying water pipes, among other tasks. He had frequently referred to the hard work they were doing, and were going to be doing, so it seems more than likely that they were aware of the impending assault on the Messines-Wytchaete ridge, which would begin just two days later (with the battalion ready in support from the beginning). In fact, it was probably the impending assault which was the reason for his frustration at not receiving leave quickly enough – had he done so, he might not have been there when it began. Nevertheless, there he now was, and aware of the impending dangers, as he confided to his mother:

‘There is one thing, dear, we must both face: shortly, I expect I shall have to go through bigger dangers than before, and although a great number are bound to come through safely, untouched – it is simply a matter of chance and it is just like drawing lots. I don’t wish to worry you dear, but I simply want you to realise exactly that it is a great gamble, and that if I win I shall be home fit and well sooner or later – if I lost I would know nothing about it – it would simply be you at home who would hear the news.

I have every hope of coming through safely – I shall endeavour to do so for my sake and yours, dear, but it must all be left to fate to decide – and should you not hear from me sometimes for several days, it will be because I am too busy to write.’

He ended his letter by wishing everyone well at home, and with the heartfelt hope that he would soon see them all again, ‘in dear old Rossendale’.

[Next letters: 7 June]