Page:FM Bailey letters from LA Bethell.pdf/3

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Letter 2, 27th September 1915

c/o Thos. Cook and son
Ludgate Circus
London, E.C.
England
(please forward).

Forwarded to
The Shelbourne Hotel
Dublin.

Various post marks 23rd FEB 15.
Stamped in red “Passed by no 1683 censor”
Oddly, no postage stamp.

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Letter 2, 27th September 1915

IMG 0330

Headed with a red ‘War Office’ seal, with UK government coat of arms

Room, 351,
27–9–15,
5.30 p.m.





My dear Bailey

I’ve made enquiries about your R.F.C. idea. It will not be easy for you: the difficulty is as follows: –

A) a necessary preliminary to any such appointment would be a written
statement by the India Office – or, in your case, by the Foreign Office, that
they will dispense with your services for the rest of the war.

B) If you get this, then the rest should be comparatively easy – that would
probably depend on an application on your behalf by the O.C. of some place
like Hendon – the latter would be able to tell you if they have any age limit
beyond which they will not take people.

     The apparent red-tape of the clause a) above is more sensible than it seems. The India Office reserve the right of resuming disposal of the services of any