The Officers' Mess

HMS St Vincent (Wikipedia)

Wednesday 18th November 1914 (Kempston): The following letter of thanks has been received by Mr Thomas Barnard of Kempston Hoo: 

H.M.S. St.Vincent [1] 
First Battle Squadron
13th Nov 1914 

Dear Mr Barnard 

On behalf of the Gun Room Officers I wish to thank you for your great kindness and consideration in sending parcels of game. I need hardly tell you how very much we all appreciate this welcome addition to our messing which you can guess is neither so plentiful or varied as in Peace time. All the birds have arrived in splendid condition and seemed to feel perfectly well after their long and fatiguing journey.

We have struck a really bad patch of weather I am sorry to say, as cold as an ice-house and accompanied by heavy hail storms and sleet.

Things seem to be looking up a bit on the Continent – the enemy have got up against a regular brick wall in Flanders. It must be very unpleasant fighting there in rain and mud and I expect that like their forerunners our Army in Flanders “sweare terribly”!

With best thanks and all good wishes.
Sincerely yours  Leslie G [Grans?]

Source: BD1423

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[1] H.M.S. St.Vincent was a St.Vincent class dreadnought battleship commissioned in 1910 and decommissioned in 1921. From April 1914 she was flagship of the second-in-command 1st Battle Squadron Home Fleet.