My Dear Old Mum

This is some ‘found’ poetry I have taken from three letters sent by my Great Uncle Francis (Frank) William Denegri to his mother while a Prisoner of War (POW) in June 1918. He was a Rifleman in The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and captured in May 2018. There are four ‘letters’ – which are in fact brief notes written on Red Cross postcards requesting food and other items – and each begin ‘My Dear Old Mum.’

My Dear Old Mum

What a pleasure,
To write and let you know
The news, small as it is.

I am in the best of health,
And sincerely trust you are the same.
Remember, work tires but worry kills.

I muck in with a chap called Jimmy Moss
We get on alright, and when one of us
Feels a bit humpty, the other cheers him up.

Hurry up the day when letters
From England come,
As I know you will send plenty.

Please send some cigarettes
As they are in great demand,
I could get little pleasure with them.

I am in the best of health and sincerely
Trust you are all the same,
On no account are you to worry.

From your ever loving son, Frank
I hope to see you all again.
God be with you always

Frank died from pneumonia while still a POW on July 11th 1918. He was 19 years old.

BACKGROUND – Below are the transcripts of the letters which are scrawled in fragmented sentences and notations on the cards and from which I formed the above. Other than order and the occasional word there is very little I have changed that would alter the sense.

4th June 1918

I have some good news to tell you
We have received our first supply
Of two parcels from the Red Cross

There are some very strong rumours of us,
Receiving letters from
England.
**Hurry up the day **when they come,
As I know you will have sent plenty.

I trust you are all in the best of health as I am myself

On no account are you to worry

7th June 1918

I can’t tell you **what a pleasure it is **
To be able to write and let you know the news
Small as it is.

I muck in with a chap called Jimmy Moss
We get on alright and look after one another.
When one of us feels a bit humpty
The other cheers him up.

17th June

**Yesterday was very wet but the weather has cleared again today **
Will you please send me some cigarettes through the Red Cross
I haven’t started smoking yet but they are in great demand
And I could get **little pleasures **with them

I am in the best of health and sincerely trust you are all the same
Remember work tires but worry kills won’t you?

From your ever loving son, Frank
I hope to see you all again.
God be with you always