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Western Mail, Thursday 28 September 1933, page 2
A Fragment from France.
Somewhere in France, 1917.
Dear Mabel. - When I read in your last letter that some nasty infantry chap had told you that we engineers weren't really soldiers, but just did odd jobs behind the line, I was terribly upset. If you could only see me now. I am in a shell-hole in the middle of no-man's land, with mud and slush almost engulfing me. It is midnight, and the only illumination I have is the sparks made by the machine gun bullets as they strike the barb wire. Although, as you know, it is winter time I am not cold, as the heat from the red-hot shells passing over my head is keeping me warm.
The smudge of ink you see on this page was made when a German 12-inch shell blew me out of the other shell-hole into the one I now occupy. You will understand that the infantry are away behind me, occupying the front line, and are all cosy in deep dugouts. They will not have to fight if we engineers in no-man's land manage (as we usually do) to drive the Germans back when they attack.
Now that you can picture me as I really am situated you will never believe those infantry chaps again, will you? -Love from Ted.
The above letter was written by an engineer (A.I.F.) in a billet some 50 miles behind the line to a girl in England who had been "strung on" by an infantry chap on leave, regarding; what Engineers really did in France.
7392, Corrigin.