Letter about home front in Carmarthen, Nantmel and Southampton

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This letter, posted in Carmarthen on 20 July 1915, was written by Ernest Collier to Mrs [Mary] Jones, Maes y Gelli, Nantmel, Rhayader, Radnorshire. Extracts from this letter: 22, PICTON PLACE, CARMARTHEN July 20 15 My dear Lucy, [Lucy Jones, née Lucy Gwen Adamson] I am sorry I have been so long in answering your letter... ...I suppose War and its scares do not much affect Nantmel. Here we get a little Knowledge from having so many soldiers billeted in the town, but when I went down to Winchester at Easter, I found myself in quite a War atmosphere. 90,000 quartered there, leaving for France almost nightly, from Southampton. Sentries at all turns and at all Post and Railway offices. No lights. Could not buy a penny stamp or post card without a man and bayonet staring at you. It gave one some idea that something very out of the Common was afoot. Southampton, usually so busy with shipping, now is devoted solely to army work. No passenger or cargo vessels in the Docks, only War transports. No-one except officials allowed inside the gates. No shipping as usual down the Water. It looked quite deserted tho' there was always a bustle outside the Dock Entrance, where I saw some field batteries and thousands of horses going in one day. All troop and War material trains are run right thro' into the docks without stopping at the station, so one sees very little of the actual work or troops embarking. I have joined the Volunteers Corps for Home Defence, here [Carmarthen] and quite enjoy the work. It is amusing to see such an odd lot of old men drilling etc. and has a very humourous [sic] side still we must try to be of use. We have a Red Cross Hospital here, which takes in about 80 and is always full. There are a lot of Canadians here [Carmarthen] now in the Red X [Red Cross], most interesting men, some of whom have been "gassed". In addition to my usual odd jobs I have charge of the Belgian Refugees here [Carmarthen], 53 in all, and I find them quite a handful to manage. Still I like them on the whole, tho' some are terrible grumblers. I am glad to hear my God daughter [Mary White nee Jones] is growing up. I fear I am not doing my duty by her. Give her my love and with the same to you and all the rest and best remembrances to the Jones. Yours very sincerely, Ernest V. Collier

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