Correspondence.
222
THE YPRES TIMES
holes at an unfortunate stage, so that the Staff
won 3 and 2. (Naturally the Staff had seen to it
that they had choice of course
Bellingham and Brewer went over to Croham
Hurst and beat Meakin and Wayte 2 and 1.
'Nuff said.
Woodcote Park was the scene of much blood
shed one evening when three matches were
played simultaneously. Scott and Green played
scratch golf, behaving very rudely and beating
Meredith and Hines 7 and 6, and Hines had come
up from Sandbanks specially to win this
Capt. Ray and Pte. Jim Irens had a close
match with Leek and Wiltshire, beating them by
2 and 1, after some good golf on both sides.
The Bombardier and Lindsay put up too
many 3's to give Waghorn and Hancock a fair
chance, finishing the match at the 15th with an
eagle 3, to win 4 and 3. Waghorn fired off
the shot of the evening, in (nearly) holing out
for 2 from a bunker.
Pte. Butt and Capt. E. H. Carr met Gnr.
McFarlane and Lieut. Adams at Coulsdon Court
and won a close battle by 2 and I.
Douse and Taylor brought the Second Battles
to an end in good time, by visiting Chipstead to
play Smither and Tomlinson, coming away
victors 6 and 4.
The competition this year has proved very
popular, 26 pairs having entered and all tell of
good battles, well and truly fought. Many re
main to be fought yet, and the doings of the eight
remaining teams in the Third, Fourth and Fifth
Battles will be duly reported later.
The Adjutant.
The Secretary, 20, Swords Street,
Ypres League, Oxmantown Road,
Dublin.
June nth, 1933.
Dear Sir,
Having just returned from holidays we take
an early opportunity of sincerely thanking the
members of the Ypres League, whom we met on
the recent Whitsuntide pilgrimage, for the
facilities afforded by them to two ex-service men
visiting Ypres.
A friend and myself, revisited Ypres expecting
merely to see the Menin Gate Memorial and some
of the old landmarks near the town, but hearing
that a pilgrimage had been organized for the
dedication of the Lord Plumer Memorial on
Whit Sunday, we happily decided to approach
the principal official at the termination of the
service with a view to participating in any tour
which might have been arranged on that date,
and by his very kind permission we were per
mitted to join the party which started at 2 p.m.
from the Ypres Grande Place. It proved to be
a trip which enabled us to see all the important
memorials within the Salient which otherwise,
as casual visitors, we would not have seen.
Besides, we had the services of a thoroughly
well-informed guide.
We shall always remember the kindness of our
companions on this trip, particularly appreciat
ing the wonderful esprit de corps of our fellow
ex-service men. A splendid comradeship that
has endured among us even despite the passage
of many years.
As two old comrades unattached to any
ex-service organization, we shall always retain
pleasant memories of the impromptu gathering
at the Café de la Lune that night following the
motor trip, when finally we met .in joyous
reunion. Those who had travelled from London,
the Midlands, Brighton, and ourselves from
Ireland would certainly like to keep in touch
with those friends, through the League, and with
a view to doing so, we respectfully ask that you
accept our names for enrolment. Kindly notify
us regarding the annual subscription and con
ditions of membership.
Wishing the Ypres League every success.
Yours faithfully,
J. J. Abbott.
M. O'Hea.
The Secretary,
Ypres League.
June, 1933.
Dear Sir,
Thoughts, especially the very appreciative
ones, are difficult to write down in black and
white, but I should like to tell you how great is
my appreciation and admiration for the faultless
organization of the Whitsun Pilgrimage to Arras.
Everything was perfectly arranged, and only
when we realize how extremely easy and com
fortable the journey was, the kindness and
courtesy extended to us, both here and by our
fellow countrymen across the Channel, can we
fully appreciate our debt of gratitude to the
Ypres League, the silent service whose first
consideration is our comfort.
How I wish that everyone could go and see
those beautifully kept cemeteries and memorials,
even in these days of the world's forgetfulness,
maybe they would recapture that wonderful
spirit of comradeship and courage that belonged
to those happy warriors who walk the Elysian
Fields.
I remain.
Yours truly,
Madeleine Riddelsdell.
