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BILLY CHANTLER : 1917 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT PAIR OF LIGHT-HEARTED AND NOSTALGIC LETTERS HOME HANDWRITTEN BY A YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER FIGHTING THE OTTOMANS AT THE BATTLE OF JERUSALEM AND IN THE BATTLE FOR GAZA

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is an original pair [2] of fascinating WW1 letters in an original military envelope handwritten by Billy Chantler, a British soldier from Kent whose service included fighting the Ottoman Empire in what is modern day Israel and during the Gaza campaign. The letters, November 29, 1917 is 4 pages, the letter of December 23 is 8 pages, were written at the time of the Battle of Jerusalem that took place between November 17 and December 30, 1917, and resulted in surrender of Jerusalem to British forces. Both letters are in one envelope and addressed to his parents in Kent, England, the first dated November 29 addressed to his father, and the second of December 23, 1917, to both parents. In addition to the Battle of Jerusalem, the letters relate to the First Battle of Gaza and mention time spent in Cairo. These remarkable letters are humorous, poetic, filled with love to his parents and home: "memory dwells the smell of log fire and roasting chestnuts and other things of those far away days". He describes a strange feeling to be in the Holy Land when Christmas is approaching, regrets not being able to see most holy places, and is obviously proud with British victory half-jokingly comparing British soldiers with Crusaders "marching with a glint of victory in their eyes shining through the dust", and pictures "swaggering Prussians in all their pomp and splendor viewing their conquerors, the hated "contemptible"", alluding to Kaiser Wilhelm's words about the British army. He does not write much about military operations or hardships he is experiencing, in part because of censorship restrictions - the envelope bears a signed statement that the letter refers only to private and family matters (such envelopes were called "green envelopes" and were not opened by regimental censors), and also maybe because he does not want his parents to worry too much, but he cannot completely avoid it. When describing sleeping in a house built of mud and stones in Jerusalem, he writes that "I woke up at night and wondered how it was that I was not cold - and being half asleep I sort of imagined that I was in heaven". He regrets losing photographs from his friend during the First Battle of Gaza: "I took these photos which I received on the eve of March 26th only to glance at them by a lighted match and never see them again…most probably they lie in that shell torn plain of Gaza", and it can be understood that he was wounded and spent some time off the front lines at the Casualty Clearing Station. The second letter contains a poem citing a Lutheran hymn with wishes of peace. The same poem is written at the back of the envelope. Condition: The envelope is slightly damaged, soiled and has tears, but the text is intact; In addition to the address, a postal stamp and a statement about the letter content ("green envelope"). The letters themselves are in very good condition, the ink may have slightly faded at creases.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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