In this letter written home to his family in Thurso in the last days of the Battle of Loos David Barrogill Keith and others of the 10th Scottish Rifles are still being held in reserve. Although the sound of the guns is ever-present, “I have not yet seen a shell burst on the ground”. He expresses the serving soldier’s disdain for “self-conscious stay-at-home heroes who on active service require all the comforts of first-class hotels” and advises his family what the troops really need (reading matter and cigarettes).
“Stobs” mentioned in the letter was a training camp in the Borders where DB Keith was stationed before being sent to France. “George” was a cousin who served as an officer in the Seaforth Highlanders.
Dated: Friday morning 16 October 1915, 10th Scottish Rifles, B.E.F.
My dear Mother,
For the last few days we have been pretty busy & I had no opportunity to write a letter. I sent a dozen p.c.s [postcards] to the family generally of scenes of the war etc. They will be interesting to keep. I have now lost immediate touch with George but he is still somewhere in the neighbourhood.
Life here tho’ not devoid of excitement is not particularly interesting or daring. Apart from continuous gun firing & aeroplanes hovering overhead everything is much as usual. I have not yet seen a shell burst on the ground tho’ I have seen some aeroplanes & observation balloons shelled.
The grouse & butter arrived all right & are now duly eaten, but so far there is no word of cigarettes. I have also got, as I think I told you before, my scarf & some woollen things direct from home. Nothing has been forwarded from Stobs.
I will return the photos you sent next letter meantime they are packed in my kit. I had of course already seen them at Stobs.
Hope everyone is keeping quite well at home. So you are still having rows with Strachan. I rather think he’s too much swollen head. He will I expect learn it pretty soon from the people round about. The [Caithness] Courier seems to shew that the people are about fed up with those self-conscious stay-at-home heroes who on active service require all the comforts of first-class hotels, if possible at the expense of the state.
You might let me know if the postcards arrive all right.
What’s doing at home – everything pretty – dead & alive.
If you are sending any stuff out here to Tommies don’t send sweaters, cardigans, shirts, socks, etc. Any amount of these, as many as the people care to ask for are supplied free to the troops here. I know this for a fact. If they don’t get them it’s because their Quartermaster is rotten. But send out old magazines, matches & cigarettes out of bond. They get 50 cigs a week from the [Government] each but these are all of one class & Tommy gets fed up without his Woodbine or his Gold Flakes & mopes for variety. Send them of course cigarettes out of bond if possible. Also send ’em eatables but the people knitting are absolutely unnecessary. On active service if the officers are worth their salt and the Q.M. [Quartermaster] a good man Tommy wants for nothing in the way of necessaries either of food or dress. But he wants luxuries, his own luxuries, little things such as handkerchiefs and soap. He gets plenty towels, a sponge, any odds & ends – reels, even small knives & forks for Tommy loses these & is looked on with a wrathful eye when he seeks that which was lost from comrade or Quartermaster.
No more just now, am just off to bed for this is really Thursday night tho’ it won’t go till tomorrow wherefore the date.
Hoping all are well,
With love from
DB Keith.
[Caithness Archive Centre reference P38/10/5; the next letter from DB Keith will be published on 18 October]
