Correspondence of Private David Riddell, 1st Gordon Highlanders and prisoner of war during the First World War, c.1914-1921

Letters and postcards of and addressed to Private David Riddell, 1st Gordon Highlanders, and part of the British Expeditionary Force, c.1914-1921. Riddell, a machine gunner (number 9969), was captured and made a prisoner of war in 1914, during the early weeks of the war. He was captured at the Battle of Bertry, at which time around 500 Gordon Highlanders were taken prisoner.

Most of the letters by Riddell are written on prison camp headed paper, and many are accompanied with their original envelopes bearing various German postal franking and prison camp marks and censor marks. The letters give insight to his long incarceration, including frequent moves to different camps, need for tobacco, and reliance on food parcels. There are around 50 letters in total. Many are addressed to ‘Dear Chrissie’, to whom he proposes marriage in a letter of January 1919. Also included are many letters addressed to Riddell from his family.