Letter from Edwin Telford to Cowan's Family

Somewhere in France.

3rd December, 1918.

My Dear.......

I don’t know who I have the honour of addressing this letter to, but I am writing in the hopes that the owner of the enclosed photo will receive it and also I hope that my letter will give some information that may be useful to some dear friend or relation of Lt.J.Cowan. I will tell you how I got in my possession of this photo and paper cuttings. Last Saturday I got two days’ leave to visit my cousin’s grave. His name is Capt. Maurice L. Cooper and he was also in the Royal Air Force. He was bombing a train on the Pitthem Thourout Railway and he was shot down and killed. I succeeded in finding his grave and I will tell you exactly as near as I can, the position of his grave and why I tell you is because I understand Lt.Cowan is buried quite near the same place.

Before I go any further I would like to say that I did not actually see the grave and what I am telling you is what I was told by a French or Belgian civilian – Well there is a railway running from a town called Pittem to a town called Thourout; in this railway there us a very large bending or curve, my cousin is buried just beside the Railway at this curve. I found the grave and had just finished taking some photos of the place when a Belgian civilian came up to me and produced the enclosed photo and paper cutting and he said the owner of them had fallen and was buried about half a mile from the place I have described to you. I asked him for the photo, which he refused to give me as he said that Mademoiselle (that is the lady in the photograph) was the only person that he would give it to. I think the mean rascal wanted paid for it but as he spoke Flemish and knew very little French I found it very hard to understand what he said so I may be doing him an injustice. However, I succeeded in getting it from him on conditions that I got Mademoiselle to write to him. His address is:-

Monsieur Disere Boddin,

Gits les Roulers,

Flandre Ocidentale, Belgium

If you do write to him and if you wish to get any further details from him, I’m afraid it will be necessary for you to get the letter written in Flemish to get any satisfaction. I certainly advise you not to send him any money.

The nearest town of any size to the place is Roulers and the nearest railway station is Gits station, which is in the North of Belgium. I wish I was in a position to give you more information but I am very glad to be able to send you the enclosed photo.

Whoever you may be, I offer you my heartfelt sympathy for your great loss. And may I conclude by saying, that if you think that I can, in any way, assist you, I will be only too pleased to do all I can for you if you will write to

Yours sincerely,
Edwin A.Telford, Capt. M.C.
Connaught Rangers,
Attahced 15th Royal Irish Rifles BEF,
France.