Below you will find a small selection of letters written by Nellie Dabbs in search of news of her fiancée missing on the Western Front.
In September 1915 Pte Edward George Cutt, was reported missing. His fiancée, Miss N. Dabbs, immediately began writing to enquire about him. One of the first leads was that he had been seen to be taken prisoner, while his name appeared listed among the dead in the press. The press report of his death was soon retracted and his name returned to that of the missing. Using international originations including the King of Spain who set up a bureau to help locate missing people during the war, Miss Dabbs was able to confirm that Pts Cutt was not a pow in Germany. After a year of frantically writing to anyone who might have the slightest information on his fate the War Office confirmed he was probably dead.
Full transcripts below.
ESR/25/CUTT/3 Reference :13 Image Number : ESR/25/CUTT/3 13a-b
Postcard from the British Red Cross and Order of St. John.
Enquiry Department for wounded and missing: 31, ST. James Square, S.W
Nov 5th (1915)
We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, and will do our best to make all possible enquiries.
Louis Mallet.
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Somewhere in France
26 – 11- 1915
My dear Nellie -
I received your letter quite safely. Yes we have had some rather cold weather. Tuesday and Wednesday of last week we had quite a lot of snow – and in the sheltered places it laid about for a week.
Since I last wrote, we have made a move back to our divisional rest camp – here men are sent who want a rest – having slight sickness or wounds. We have a disused factory for our billet and the warehouses as hospitals . When we had the snow it came through the roofs – and saturated many of our straw beds.
(Farit) coming into the village, I was put on general orderly work at the hospital, this is the more drudgery work and was a great change after the work I had been doing at our last hospital. The work was not pleasant, yet is so very necessary, and no reason why I should not be able the one to do it. I had three others on the job with me, and as I thought they were more or less dodgers, you can guess the work did not go easy. The ten days I was on this duty were the most unpleasant ones of my military experience. I am thankful to say I was taken off this work last Monday- whilst a concert was in progress our (Reg) Major came in and called for some nursing orderlies by name, none of the three were present. And he spotted me and another young fellow who had worked with me at the last hospital, and called us out, to help form the staff of a hospital for officers at short notice. This Hospital is about a mile from our Headquarters, and is a gentleman’s country house and is for (2-case). It if furnished and is very comfortable. We only started with one patient, and as we have a sergeant corporal, 2 nursing orderlies, once nurse for general work and the officers servant, you can guess we are not over worked. We have lost this one and another has come in his place, but he is recovering and will soon be going, I hope we shall be getting some more in for we are very comfortable here. Of course we live at the hospital and it is a treat to sit down to table and have cup and saucers again.
You can tell Aunt that the squares of damask she sent me came in handy as table cloths for the officers (I had given some away but had two left). We are not supplied with such articles, so I thought of those I still had by me, and we have been using them thus, so even the blind lady has been able to help a little bit.
I am sorry you have heard nothing definite of Ted yet, I sincerely hope you will do so before long.
I am still in good health and spirits.
I fancy I have given all the news for this time, so will close with love to all.
I am
Your aff cousin
E. F Gordon Wallace
P.S
Have just heard our patient goes tomorrow and that we shut up unless any news comes of others..
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