October 31, 1918 Royal Artillery Mess, Athlone, Ireland

Just less than 2 weeks before the Armistice that is to come, Bill writes a letter to Mrs. Gillies, Secretary of the Teeswater Patriotic League, to thank her for a parcel, . He mentions having been in Ireland since February except for 2 months spent in England on a course. He regrets missing all the excitement on the Western front.

 

September 15, 1918 Royal Artillery Mess, Athlone, Ireland

Bill writes to his older sister Mae Skilling about his hopes of getting by the medical board to another commission although he has been a Signalling Officer here in Ireland for only less than 6 months. He describes his trip to Dublin with another officer named Stewart.

 

August 4, 1918 The Methodist Manse, Ballinasloe, Ireland

Bill writes to his mother in Teeswater from the Methodist Manse at Ballinasloe, where he is filling in for the minister and preaching several sermons. It is the 4th anniversary of England’s declaration of war on Germany. Bill hopes to become a Methodist minister when the war is over.

 

 

February 23, 1918 Royal Artillery Mess, Athlone, Ireland

Bill writes to his mother from the Royal Field Artillery Depot in Athlone, Ireland where he arrived around the middle of  February. He is trying to decide where to apply to the War Office for his next commision: Egypt, India or France.