LETTER
DESCRIBING THE BATTLE OF GRAVENSTAFEL RIDGE – 22ND AND 23RD
APRIL 1915
April
28th 1915
My dear
Mother and Father,
I do hope you will
excuse me for not writing for the last few days and when youÕve read this I
expect you will. Ever since last
Thursday night IÕve been fighting in one of the most important battles yet
fought in this campaign and IÕm glad and proud to say that my company and the
regiment played a chief part in it.
Now for the narrative.
On Thursday 2 p.m. we
were moved out of our comfortable billets in the last village and bivouaced for the night under a hedgerow. It was bitterly cold and there was a
heavy frost and I had a most uncomfortable time. Next day the Germans continued their
heavy bombardment of our sector of the line which they had started in the early
part of the week and now I understand that there is not a single house left
standing in the fine old town of ....s. About 9 a.m. I saw a shell blow up the
farm in which our men had been billeted the previous day. The fearful cannonade went on the whole
day.
In the evening we went
up to the trenches and my company went into dug-outs
just behind. I was in charge of two
platoons in in group of dug-outs and I had hardly
taken my place when a shell flew into one of the dug-outs and killed three of
my men, wounding three others. I did
my best to save one of them who died later and nearly fainted when binding or
rather attempting to bind up his wounds.
After this I forbade the men to show a light or make a fire for fear of
being shelled again. The whole of
Saturday we stayed there not daring to move.
Saturday night an
order came up to me by phone to bring my men down to the rest of the company in
fighting kit. I did so and found
that we were wanted to support the Canadians who were having a bad time in the trenches, the Germans using a horrible gas which as phyxiated 50% of them.
We started for this place which was some miles
away and were under shell fire practically the whole way. To make matters worse, it came on to
rain and we had no rations. Arrived
at Headquarters we were told to lie in a ditch behind a hedge and await further
instructions. It continued to rain
and we were hungry, wet and miserable, yet the spirit of the men was fine.
At dawn on Sunday the
most fearful time started and for the whole of the day we were shelled from the
front and from the left flank.
German aeroplanes circled above us and gave their artillery all possible
information. We were without
the slightest information as to what was happening and we never heard a shot
from our own guns nor saw a single friendly aeroplane. This nerve-racking bombardment went on
until about 7p.m. when the poor devils in the trenches in front were blown out
and had to retire behind us. The
enemy advanced in thousands, the country in front being simply stiff with huge
dense masses of them. They came on
until they were within 400 yards of us when our rapid fire effectively stopped
them. It was wonderful - we were
only about 120 of us with the Captain, another Sub. and
myself along with about 400 Terriers who had arrived in this country on
Thursday, and yet we held about 6000 Germans through the night.
At dawn on Monday a
slight mist obscured the landscape and we were at a loss to know what was
happening. Suddenly about 6a.m.
some Terriers on the right legged it pretty hurriedly and the enemy also came
round on our left so our little band was forced to retire. The Colonel of the Terriers, knowing
nothing of the country, asked my Coy. Commander to take charge of the
retirement which he did in a most business like way.
The Germans came on in
hordes, jabbering like a cart-load of monkeys, but
owing to the mist, seemed undecided as they could not find out our
strength. Our strength was ??(450?) and at each hedge we
came to we called a halt and gave them a dose of rapid fire. Our men being regulars gave just the
required stiffening to the Terriers who, poor devils, were having a terrible
time as it was their first time under fire. Some men tried to break back but by
threats and cursings from our men they regained their
nerve and really did most creditably.
We slowly fell back until we reached our second main line of defence
about 2,000 yards behind where we found the reinforcements we had been
anxiously awaiting for two days. We
then took up a line of trench that was vacant and stayed there until we were
relieved about midnight Monday night when we went back to the dugouts. After our trying time they seemed like a
paradise. Last night (Tuesday) we
moved back to our original starting point (dugouts) and here we are after the
most wonderful experiences. We
mustered 26 men and three officers when we were relieved from the trenches but
since then the men have been rolling back up in small parties and we have not lost
as many as we first thought. I was
very lucky to escape with only a very slight graze from a shrapnel bullet on my
left hand and a rifle bullet through my puttee and now after a long sleep I
feel almost as fit as ever. Our men
were simply splendid and put all the backbone into the Terriers and when you
realize that all this time we had practically no food and only dirty ditchwater you can guess what we went through. On Saturday night my servant managed to
get the parcel and brought it along and my word, I was thankful for JackÕs
chocolate and the cake which I divided among the men
near me.
I expect we are in for
a good rest now so we shall be alright again. My Coy. Officer has been recommended for
his work and he has sent in a good word for the other Sub. and
myself so we may get a little kudos.
As the General sent a message saying we had saved the situation by our
spot of work.
This is a long letter
and I hope it will not make Mam jumpy or otherwise I would wish I had not
written it but I thought you would all like to have an account first hand from
me. The English and the spelling
may not be as good as it should be but under the circs. its
the best I can do.
Please send another
parcel with writing paper and cream and condensed milk as I had to leave the
cream, notepaper and paste behind and some dashed Bosche
has doubtless devoured them by now.
Thank Will Howell for
the cigs and ask him to excuse my not writing just yet as IÕm dog tired and
have a number of my menÕs letters to censor.
Love
to all at home and the very best to you both from your loving son TOM
LETTER
DESCRIBING THE BATTLE OF FREZENBERG RIDGE – 8TH – 13TH
MAY 1915
May 12th 1915
My dear Mother and Father,
Thank you very much
for the letters and parcel which I have just
received. I have not written for
the last few days because I could not.
Today is the first day I have taken my togs off for 25 days, you can guess what IÕve been through. For all this time the battalion has been
fighting hard and when we marched in last night or rather the night before, I
was the only officer left with 100 of my men out of 30 officers and 1000 or so
men. True, there is one other officer
left who has not been killed or wounded, but his
nerves went and he has had to go to hospital. Brin Hughes, I
think, in fact, IÕm sure, is wounded in the back, but not seriously, tell his
people. At one time I wished most
devoutly to get one myself so as to get out of it as
it has been a perfect hell. Strange
to say, though, my nerves refuse absolutely to go wrong and here I am today
after a decent sleep whistling and singing and as happy as the day is
long. I have had the unique
experience of being a btn. commander
for a day and am now in charge of a double company which has been made up of a
large draft from weÕve just had from home.
You have probably read all about this battle in the papers. Well, in the straightening out affair we
were at the extreme end of the horseshoe line in the furthest advance position,
yet we retired without losing a man and diddled the Huns in the finest
style. It was in the subsequent weekÕs fighting that we lost our people. ItÕs still a wonder to me how IÕve
escaped. ItÕs strange that such a rumour has reached home that I am thought
to have been pipped off in the Canadian do but
thank goodness IÕm still alive and ready to kick again. The Huns are now well in hand and things
IÕm sure are going to buck up for us.
I may not write for a few days again because I believe we have to go
back again although weÕve only had 24 hours rest. IÕm feeling very fit just now through
having just had a good bath outside my little hut this morning. Well I must try to thank all the kind
folks for my gifts so IÕm in for a dose of writerÕs cramp. Love to all and the very best to you
both from your loving son TOM
p.s. I potted
half a dozen Huns before breakfast two days ago. TOM
___________________
May
13th 1915
Dear Mother and Father,
I hope you received my
letter of the other day and that you have not been worrying about me. My poor old battalion has been terribly
cut up and why I should be the only one to come out scatheless
I canÕt make out yet IÕve had some of the nearest shaves possible. I donÕt know whether I thanked you for
all the good things you sent me, if I didnÕt, please accept my best thanks
now. I am sending this letter in
one of the green envelopes to ensure your having it so I cannot give you any
war news in it. Our Censor stamp is
lost so these are the only ones possible to use. The parcel had been knocked about a
little and I could not find the gum or some of the chocks so I expect someone
else has benefited by it. Brin, I discover, has been wounded, but not seriously, the
bullet entering his back and coming out in his chest. He got away to hospital alright and in a way I envy him as he will get a good long
rest whereas I have been at it continuously for three weeks and donÕt know what
minute I shall start again. IÕm
feeling deucedly worn out and want about a fortnight in bed but if we have to
go up again I expect I shall rise to the occasion with ease for its wonderful
what you can stand when forced to do so.
Keep your eyes on th
papers for our casualty list in the next week or so, it will be one of the
biggest yet, IÕm afraid. I must
close now as I must try and thank the other people.
Love to all and best to you both, from your loving
son TOM
_______________