Monday 30 September to Sunday 6 October 1918

WEEK 223: THE END OF THE WAR IS IN SIGHT

Monday 30 September to Sunday 6 October 1918

The tremendous resurgence of the Allied Forces on the Western Front in September 1918 had decimated the gains of the German spring offensive and brought the German front to the brink of collapse. General Ludendorff, leader of the German war effort realized that his country had lost the war, and on 29 September 1918 insisted that immediate armistice must be sought from the Allied powers to spare what was left of his army. On 4 October Prince Max von Baden, who had been appointed Chancellor just one day before, reluctantly complied and telegraphed the request to President Woodrow Wilson in Washington. Meanwhile halfway across the globe, the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman empire culminated in the fall of the Syrian capital of Damascus on 1 October under the guidance of the enigmatic Captain Thomas Lawrence, now better known as Lawrence of Arabia.

Tuesday 1 October

Letter from Thomas Tait Pitman to Mrs Armstrong

Dear Mrs Armstrong.

Many thanks for sending me an invitation to Ione’s wedding. We are rather too busy out here at the present moment to attend to these matters. I hope the wedding went off all right. When did you take to yourself such a swell title & wouldn’t have known who it was from had it not been for the nice uncommon Christian name of the bride elect. Can you tell me exactly where poor Pat was buried as I would so much like to look and see that his grave is kept in good order. I shall never forget his cheery face. Some day you must give me one of those nice photos of him. The one I used to like so much which stood on your drawing room table. No time for more.

Yours sincerely

Thomas T. Pitman.

Lawrence of Arabia

Letter from Colonel Fuller, 3rd Corps Hd Qrs B.E.F., to Mrs Armstrong

Dear Mrs Armstrong.

I was so pleased to hear of your daughter’s marriage, and so sorry that I could not attend it. Please give the bride my very heartiest congratulations and best wishes. The bridegroom is a very lucky man, indeed. We have been pushing the Huns back for over twenty-five miles across the Somme battlefield, where Pat wintered with me in 1916/17, and are finding it a very much easier job than it was in those days. The Boches are still fighting hard, but we have got their measure, and at last we can say that the end of the war is in sight. Hoping you and your daughters are well – I haven’t stopped at Folkestone, when crossing the channel, since the day I lunched with you, so have had no opportunity of looking you up

yrs very sincerely

C. G. Fuller.

‘The Vacuum-Cleaner at Work’

Wednesday 2 October

Letter from Muriel Everard, Bradgate Park, Leicester, to Ione Everard

My dearest Ione.

Letter from Muriel Everard

I really can’t believe you are really Mrs Lindsay Everard! It is thrilling. I do hope he is kind to you & does not beat you!!! He is such a dear, the more you see him the more you will love him. I am so glad too for his sake too [sic] that he is happily married & has such a darling wife. Your wedding was a great success, every one said so, & if only it had been two people not quite so dear to me I should have enjoyed it thoroughly, but I felt rather inclined to weep & It took me all my time not to – so silly I always say, when two people you love are going to be so happy, to want to cry! I am longing to see you & talk it all over. I hear you are both enjoying the honeymoon, I do hope it will be finer & warmer tomorrow as it’s been a fairly nasty day to-day & very cold – but you have got the lovely new fur coat to fall back on so perhaps you won’t mind. I think you looked sweet in yr bridal gown, & I liked Phyllis’s veil, it did not look too much for you & was quite admired by many people, I heard – also the green band for the Emerald Isle!! There are quite a lot more presents come for you both, I must try & get time to unpack & acknowledge them or the people will think they haven’t arrived. I saw your mother & sisters & Miss “Heppy” on Sunday they did not seem at all tired & we had great fun at tea. The “Baby” is so lively & seems to enjoy it all so. Give my best love to your dear husband!!! & with heaps to yourself form us both.

Ever yrs. affectly

Muriel Everard.