Letters and Newspaper Obituary, Percy R Manson
Maker
Manson, Percy Robert
Production date
1916
Object detail
Brief Description
Letter and Newspaper Obituary attributed to Percy R Manson.
a) Letter from Trooper Percy Manson to his sister Mabel. The letter reads:
Sinai Desert Dec 26th 1916
My Dear Mabel
Just a short note to let you know I have not forgotten you. I hope you are keeping well & also Vivie & not forgetting your beloved husband who I expect is up to his neck in work looking after the young lambs. How is that thin horse of yours getting on. I still remember the drive in from Hastings that evening. What a trying time we had whethering(sic) whether we were going to get to Napier. I was talking to Billy Flynn from Waipawa the other day same old slick. I received your parcels alright & I must thank you for sending them. I am sending you a card which I ordered about two months ago so you will see that it has been slightly delayed never mind better late than never. I am cutting this note short this time so I hope it will find you in the best of health as it leaves me.
I am Your ever loving brother
Percy R Manson XXX
b) The letter from Trooper Percy Manson to May reads:
Egypt
Aug 8th 1916
Dear May,
Again I take the pleasure of writing a few lines in answer to your most welcome letter which came to hand yesterday. Well May, I am still keeping in the best of health although I don’t know how long it will last as we don’t get too much tucker where we are now. Of course plenty of hard biscuits & bully beef, and when I say they are hard you have to break them with your boot before you can eat them. Bert Houghton is out here, he is in the Auckland Mounted Rifles. I generally go over & see him in the evening when I am not on duty. Bert says Archie MacKay from Tiko is in the Wellington squadron, wonder if he still drinks like he used to. And another chap named Morrison the nephew of John Holden is here to. I think Fred know him as he went up to where he lived to shift a mill.
I see my(sic) your letter that Tot(?) is down the South Island. I suppose the home feel very quiet with Wally Clive and Tot away. How is Fred getting on up at the farm. I expect by the time this reaches you there will be a lot of young lambs on the farm, and by the time I get home Fred will be an old pot bellied farmer, go in to town to sell his wool and you will be waiting out side in the buggy like Mrs Boult. I am in the Machine Gun Squadron now when I get near the Turks and Germany and get an all round traverse with the Machine Gun and firing at the rate of five hundred rounds of ammunition a minute I think they will have to go some. We are about fifty miles from nowhere out in the desert. We are expecting an attack but don’t know if it will comeof(sic) Occasionally a German taube(?) flies of our camp and theer(sic) is a scatter running to our horses in case of bombs dropping. I had a letter from Mrs MacKechnie and she does not seem to like the idea of Gordon going to the war. I suppose she will feel lonely with Gordon away. Well May, I think I will have to close now, hoping this will find you in the best of health and remember me to Fred and the rest.
I am
Your loving brother
Percy Robert Manson
PS latest address: 13/8048 P R Manson
Auckland Section NZ. Mounted Machine Gun Squadron
Egypt
c) Final page of a letter to his sister, first page(s) are missing. Undated. Manson states that they are currently out in the desert and expecting an attack. Talks about what they do with the horses during and attack. Mentions seeing Gordon and how lonely Mrs MacKecknie must be without him.
d) Newspaper clipping of an obituary for Samuel Manson, Percy Manson's father.
e) Military issue envelope for use on active service. Addressed to Mrs Fr Millin care of Mrs S Manson.
a) Letter from Trooper Percy Manson to his sister Mabel. The letter reads:
Sinai Desert Dec 26th 1916
My Dear Mabel
Just a short note to let you know I have not forgotten you. I hope you are keeping well & also Vivie & not forgetting your beloved husband who I expect is up to his neck in work looking after the young lambs. How is that thin horse of yours getting on. I still remember the drive in from Hastings that evening. What a trying time we had whethering(sic) whether we were going to get to Napier. I was talking to Billy Flynn from Waipawa the other day same old slick. I received your parcels alright & I must thank you for sending them. I am sending you a card which I ordered about two months ago so you will see that it has been slightly delayed never mind better late than never. I am cutting this note short this time so I hope it will find you in the best of health as it leaves me.
I am Your ever loving brother
Percy R Manson XXX
b) The letter from Trooper Percy Manson to May reads:
Egypt
Aug 8th 1916
Dear May,
Again I take the pleasure of writing a few lines in answer to your most welcome letter which came to hand yesterday. Well May, I am still keeping in the best of health although I don’t know how long it will last as we don’t get too much tucker where we are now. Of course plenty of hard biscuits & bully beef, and when I say they are hard you have to break them with your boot before you can eat them. Bert Houghton is out here, he is in the Auckland Mounted Rifles. I generally go over & see him in the evening when I am not on duty. Bert says Archie MacKay from Tiko is in the Wellington squadron, wonder if he still drinks like he used to. And another chap named Morrison the nephew of John Holden is here to. I think Fred know him as he went up to where he lived to shift a mill.
I see my(sic) your letter that Tot(?) is down the South Island. I suppose the home feel very quiet with Wally Clive and Tot away. How is Fred getting on up at the farm. I expect by the time this reaches you there will be a lot of young lambs on the farm, and by the time I get home Fred will be an old pot bellied farmer, go in to town to sell his wool and you will be waiting out side in the buggy like Mrs Boult. I am in the Machine Gun Squadron now when I get near the Turks and Germany and get an all round traverse with the Machine Gun and firing at the rate of five hundred rounds of ammunition a minute I think they will have to go some. We are about fifty miles from nowhere out in the desert. We are expecting an attack but don’t know if it will comeof(sic) Occasionally a German taube(?) flies of our camp and theer(sic) is a scatter running to our horses in case of bombs dropping. I had a letter from Mrs MacKechnie and she does not seem to like the idea of Gordon going to the war. I suppose she will feel lonely with Gordon away. Well May, I think I will have to close now, hoping this will find you in the best of health and remember me to Fred and the rest.
I am
Your loving brother
Percy Robert Manson
PS latest address: 13/8048 P R Manson
Auckland Section NZ. Mounted Machine Gun Squadron
Egypt
c) Final page of a letter to his sister, first page(s) are missing. Undated. Manson states that they are currently out in the desert and expecting an attack. Talks about what they do with the horses during and attack. Mentions seeing Gordon and how lonely Mrs MacKecknie must be without him.
d) Newspaper clipping of an obituary for Samuel Manson, Percy Manson's father.
e) Military issue envelope for use on active service. Addressed to Mrs Fr Millin care of Mrs S Manson.
Collection
Production date
1916
Production place
Production period
Production technique
Media/Materials description
Printed and handwritten ink and pencil on paper.
Media/Materials
Measurements
Length x Width: 172 x 100mm
Length x Width: 245 x 200mm
Length x Width: 245 x 200mm
Length x Width: 84 x 64mm
Length x Width: 151 x 101mm
Length x Width: 245 x 200mm
Length x Width: 245 x 200mm
Length x Width: 84 x 64mm
Length x Width: 151 x 101mm
Signature/Inscription
Percy Manson, Inscription, Handwritten
Mrs Fr Millin c/o Mrs S. Manson, Napier Terrace, Napier, Inscription, Handwritten
(Illegible Postmark), Stamp, Stamped
Mrs Fr Millin c/o Mrs S. Manson, Napier Terrace, Napier, Inscription, Handwritten
(Illegible Postmark), Stamp, Stamped
Classification terms
Subject person
Subject period
Subject date
1916
Credit line
from the Viv Millin Collection
Other number(s)
m2002/25/453, 70179
Public comments
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