An unusual friendship - AIF soldier & Bilston girl

[Dawley Jockey]

I have just been given an amazing collection of letters (63 in total) that were all written from 1915 to 1918/19. They are between a 12th battalion AIF soldier 265 Charles Lewis Pulford and a (in 1915) 12 year girl from Bilston, Staffordshire. They started after she had knitted socks at school and sent them out with a note giving her address in June 1915, Charles answered from Gallipoli in September 1915 and the letters continue throughout the war and including talk of Zeppelin raids on the West Midlands, Charles being wounded and suffering shell shock at Pozieres  and been sent to the UK, where he actually went up to the Midlands to meet her.

They then continue up to Sept 1918 when he was accidently killed whilst clearing the battlefield at Mont st Quentin, the last letters are the young girl trying to find out what happened to him, and receiving a letter with a full explanation and the last one, a heart wrenching Thank you letter sent from his mother from Ross, Tasmania to the girl and her family. Also with the letters came some postcards and a silk hanky and some field service postcards.

Absolutely fascinating reading through the letters whilst cross-referencing with the History of the 12th Battalion, even thinking of trying to convert them all into a book.

Edited 25 March , 2020 by Dawley Jockey

[rksimpson]

HI

Wow that sounds great, it would be interesting to see them.

A book would be a nice way to remember a special relationship.

 

regards

 

Robert

[frev]

 

What an amazing present you've been given - really, really hoping you decide to put the whole thing together as a book...

 

I have a special interest in Charles Pulford, as he is not only in my Accidental Deaths Database, but received a special mention in the article I wrote some years ago about the accidental deaths - a copy to be found on my blog:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/blogs/entry/1697-death-by-accident/

 

His Discovering Anzacs profile, including (pre WW1) photo can be found here: https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/283634

 

Cheers, Frev

[Dawley Jockey]

11 hours ago, frev said:

 

What an amazing present you've been given - really, really hoping you decide to put the whole thing together as a book...

 

I have a special interest in Charles Pulford, as he is not only in my Accidental Deaths Database, but received a special mention in the article I wrote some years ago about the accidental deaths - a copy to be found on my blog:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/blogs/entry/1697-death-by-accident/

 

 

His Discovering Anzacs profile, including (pre WW1) photo can be found here: https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/283634

 

Cheers, Frev

 Thanks for the information Frev, fortunately I had trawled through the Australian archives and downloaded the information if I remember correctly 75 pages off one page and a further 66 from another, The first records were the Service records and the second were more to do with his mother claim for his effects and pension etc, you are truly blessed in Australia to have all of the records surviving.

My son is at present living & working in Melbourne and we have flights booked out for later in the year and I know its a short hop to Tasmania and I am hoping to get out there. I will also be visiting his grave at Peronne to pay my respects once the current situation is resolved.

The letters came to light purely by chance when a local Lady posted on a WW1 page for our area asking if any wanted some letters from an Anzac to a Bilston girl, I answered and she brought them around to my house, i couldn't believe what had literally dropped into my lap and have been researching further since with the intention of turning it all as i said previously into a book.

Edited 26 March , 2020 by Dawley Jockey

[BereniceUK]

Please keep us updated on your progress, I'd love to buy a copy of the book if it gets published.

[Milner]

With the right director it sounds like it could also make a rather moving film.