CB Kidd Father Letter

“Altamont”

Castlemaine Avenue

Croydon

1^st May ‘18

Dear Mr. Christison,

Many thanks for your kind letter of sympathy received last evening.

Claude’s death was a terrible blow to us all but I particularly felt there had something untoward happened as we had no letter from him for 3 weeks, the last being written just before he rejoined his Battalion on 17^th March (St. Patrick’s Day) & he fell on the 24^th – Palm Sunday. He had [2] been on a 5 weeks “course” at Hericourt near Amiens & wrote me he had a “top hole” time – playing “rugger” (crooked his knee thereat) etc. etc. Strange to say his chum at the “course” was a young officer in the “Black Watch” & they used to go into Amiens together.

The first information I had of the boy’s heroic death was in a letter from his Major received 4^th April – I only got the official notice from the War Office 5 days later – and even now I do not know where it took place, but fancy near St. Quentin, and [3] all the other details are to follow but there must have been a terrible scrap against an overpowering horde of the “Swine” as Lieut. [H.?] wrote me that “unfortunately his body was unable to be brought back & most of his bit was lost.”

I am enclosing an extract from the [Crest?] Journal of 12^th April giving an account of Claude’s career since the “joined up”. He won the M.C. at Vendeuile near St. Quentin & by a strange coincidence would seem to have fallen close thereto, 7 weeks later.

I trust you are by this recovered from the effects of your severe wound, & again thanking you for your kind sympathy.

I remain

Sincerely yours

Chas. J. Kidd