Description
8 autograph letters, all signed "Albert", four to "My dear Godfrey", three to Captain Fawcett, one to Mrs Fawcett, discussing naval life "what do you think of papa's arrangement making Tait an Hon. and Extra Equery to me ?" , "do hope you enjoyed your time here with the Fleet.. I have quite settled down to life here again and feel all the better for the change and the work..." , general news "Portia certainly seems very happy about the engagement. Old Edward is a very lucky devil!!!!", and travel plans "go down to Windsor.. I shall be writing to Papa". The letter to Mrs Fawcett thanks her for chocolates and informs her "Neville is very fond of his decoration... can only wear it on great occasions... as it is rather heavy for him. It was very nice seeing Godfrey again the other day when he was up here with Papa.... The action seems years ago and we are longing for another one...." The letters to Captain Faussett are an appeal to get rid of a hanger-on: "This is absolutely confidential and I ask you not to mention it to a soul. It is about Clark. I have discovered that he is trying to gain his own ends, and that if he is with me in my first ship, he will want to remain with me afterwards, and then I shall not be able to do anything to get rid of him. He is one of those people that one must be very careful about. So do you think you could counteract that and get him out of the same squadron as I am in...", and referring to his posting "I have just heard from Papa who tells me that it is the "Collingwood" which is the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron, I am going to", two from H.M.S. Cumberland, 21 & 22 July 1913, 1 from H.M.S. Malaya, 7/7/1917, three from H.M.S Collingwood, 17/4/1914, 16/5/1916 and 9/7/1916, two from Admiralty House, 20/4/1917 and 17/12/1916, letters punch-holed on left side affecting a few letters, and slight discolouration from sellotape at left edge (8)
Footnote
Note: Born on 14 December 1895, Albert joined the Royal Naval College, Osborne in 1909, at the age of 13 as a naval cadet and progressed to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He spent the first six months of 1913 on the training ship HMS Cumberland in the West Indies and on the east coast of Canada, was commissioned as a midshipman aboard HMS Collingwood on 15 September 1913, and spent three months in the Mediterranean. His fellow officers gave him the nickname "Mr. Johnson". One year after his commission, he began service in World War I. He was mentioned in despatches for his action as a turret officer during the Battle of Jutland (31 May – 1 June 1916), an indecisive action against the German navy that was the largest naval action of the war. These letters were written between the ages of 16 and 20.