Writing to his mother for the first time in a few days, he first told of her of his surroundings in his little corner of the support trench:

‘I am sitting in my little dugout at present – which is a kind of little square box let into the side of the trench – quite dry and comfortable and having just room to lie flat down on the floor – I have a blanket, my air pillow (which is very useful) and my burberry here, also a few of my pet books and things – so am quite content on that point – the cramping is rather troublesome but one gets used to that in time – I spend some of my time reading and writing and some in sleeping and of course one has to be occasionally round about your men inspecting them etc.’

At that point he put down his pencil to head off to dinner, but he resumed the letter later in the evening, while the guns were ‘booming away in the distance’. Although things were quiet in their area at present, they never knew when something might start, so he had to be completely prepared, with all of his equipment ready at hand in case of emergency:

I very much hope things will keep quiet here – but, as I say, you never know your luck from one moment to another, so it is quite useless to worry and I always try hard to take it fatalistically  – and it always comforts me to know that you are always quite prepared and will never be surprised at any news – just knowing that it was fated to happen and could not be prevented. I simply adore this photo of you in nurses’ costume – I am very proud indeed of it, dear, and also that one of beryl too.’

Sherriff’s mother, in nurses uniform. By permission of the Surrey History Centre (Ref: 2332/6/6/3)

Sherriff’s sister, Beryl, in nurses uniform (around 1918). (By permission of the Surrey History Centre, Ref: 3813/14/1/4)

He promised that he would let her know when he came out of the trenches for a rest, and how much he would enjoy it (‘When you lay down on a soft bed after days of sleeping on the floor the delight and comfort is absolutely wonderful’). He was not troubled by the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements in the trenches – he almost always slept soundly – it was only the mental strain that bothered him – ‘and that can always be eased by thinking in the right way and always being perfectly prepared’.

He added a postscript the following day (having missed the post) in which he sounded surprisingly contented: ‘I have had quite an easy day today – just sitting in my dugout reading and thinking about you and dear old home – which seems so near, sometimes, dear. I can just shut my eyes and see the old house and the Park and everything.’ He would write again soon.

[Next letter: 22 May]