HMHS Rohilla
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Sergeant Arthur Petty

Sergeant Arthur Petty

A Final Farewell

The following is a copy of a letter sent by Sergeant Arthur Petty to his wife. The letter features in my book and I am pleased to be able to replicate it here.

R.T.A. Rohilla

Thursday, Oct, 29th 1914

My dear wife and child
I am writing to let you know we leave here for France today, so by the time you get this letter we shall be there. We shall have a few days hard work getting the sick and wounded on board + landed them in England, if you keep your eyes on the papers you will see were abouts the wounded is landed, it might be London, Dover or Southampton. We leave here at 4.oclock this afternoon + will arrive about Saturday morning, Dunkirk near Ostend so you see we shall not be far off the fighting. I have told you where we are going because by the time you get this letter we shall be perhaps be leaving, so the censor wont object.

My dears you will have got our Elsies parcel by now, I thought about a doll, but its such a long way + it might have got broke, so I sent her two little brushes so that she could help you to clean up a bit, I hope he will get them, you can let her have them now. So I will write from France if we stop a few days, but don’t be anxious if I don’t because we shall be busy, so good bye for the present give any love to all, your loving + affectionate husband Arthur.

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