MS 604 01 01

MS 604 01 01

Christopher Caslon archive: Letters from France

Sub-series

Chris Caslon was initially sent to France in May1915, returned to England for some more training, then arrived back in France in September, 1915, in time for the Battle of Loos. He continued serving in that locality after the Battle of Loos. His brother Tom is killed by a bullet to the head while walking through the trenches and soon after that Chris himself was invalided home.

1915-1916

1 box

Mostly typed letters, with some ms. originals. These early letters are those that carry the most corrections in ?Albert H. Caslon's hand. There are some typed diary entries, presumably from a diary that Chris was keeping at the time. There are a few letters by Tom Caslon before he was killed on the 25th November, 1915. Included are letters relating, in great detail, the Battle of Loos, one of which, along with one of Tom's, were published in the "Times" (cutting included). In them he criticsises the generals and newspaper accounts of the battle. He later writes to beg his father to destroy the letters as he realises it is a court marshalling offence.