No 3142 P/e G.G. Hammond

2/7^th Bat Mc/r Regt

D Compy 15 Platoon

Crowborough

Sussex

Monday

Dear Father & Mother

I received your letter & parcel alright last week.  Thanks very much for the cigarettes & the note.  I am always uneasy when a letter containing my money does not turn up to time.  How is Gladys getting on now.  She has not written to me for weeks.  When I was over at Uncle Will’s he said he was going to our place & something was said about Gladys coming back so if we are still here I may have a chance of seeing something of her.  I am going to apply for a pass home soon if the railway fare drops.  It is 10/5 at present & you only get from Saturday 1-o’clock until Sunday night.

Tom Spencer has been over again this weekend so I have had rather a good time, he is coming down again on Thursday in the car & bringing Hilda & Peggy so our luck is in.  I am on Garrison Police duty for a week or so, relieving two of our men who have to go back to the company for training.  We were inspected by the General this morning & he congratulated us on being a fine body of men.  Bozey Bozey.  I commenced on this job yesterday & had a very eventful day.  I was sleeping on the grass outside the hut when I was suddenly wakened by a rifle shot.  The bullet went right through the hut wall, through a partition a finally stuck in the door post.

All the police were called out & we made a search through the 8 L F lines, we found a bullet hole in one of the huts, so all the men were paraded and the doors locked.  The men and rifles were examined and eventually one of the men gave himself up.  He is now awaiting his trial in the Guard Room.  I suppose his sentence will be fairly stiff as the bullet passed within about 2 ft of our sergeant’s head.  Later on in the day as we were marching home an officer ran into us on his motor bike and knocked one of our chaps down.  He had to be taken to the hospital.

The food supplied to the G.M.P.’s is much better than that we get and more of it, but I would not care for it permanently as you are confined to camp to a certain extent.  I have heard nothing more about the commission yet but I have not given up hope as it is sometimes weeks before you hear anything.  I think it must have been a rumour about going to Egypt as I have heard nothing more.  I met a chap from Stockport the other day.  Dad knows him, Robinson, he told me Jack Lister had been killed (unofficial) & Heydon wounded.  Well I shall have to conclude now as we are going to fall in soon to patrol the village &c to keep the men in order.

Love George

Confidential

9 Risingholme Road

Wealdstone High Road

Harrow

22^nd August 1915

The Colonel,

3/7^th Battn Middlesex Regt

Falmer, near Brighton

Dear Sir,

Re Thomas F. Paul, No  4509

“D” Company

I am writing at the request of my sister, who had been guardian to the above, since he was 5 years of age.  T. F. Paul is my nephew & has no parents living: he is a child of another sister of mine who died some years ago.

He is very anxious that he should serve his King & Country, & so are all of us that he should do so.

My sister thinks, however, that in consequence of his youth (he was not 17 years of age when he joined) & also of his very short eyesight (if his glasses in anyway got damaged or lost, he would be blind without them – & he cannot see sideways without turning his head round) that you would pardon the liberty taken in drawing your attention to this & she would be very grateful if you could – instead of sending him away on active service with the regiment, transfer him to some Home Service Battalion, as she has a very strong objection to his being sent away to the front for the above-mentioned reasons.

Personally, with his defective vision & nervous temperament, I do not think he would stand a fair sporting chance.

I am writing this unknown to my nephew & shall be obliged if you will kindly treat this in confidence.

Apologising for taking up your valuable time, & thanking you in advance for your attention,

I remain, dear Sir,

Yours faithfully

1. Spencer Stilwell

MEMORANDUM

Captain and Adjutant

3/7^th Batt Middlesex Regt

To A Stilwell Esq.

Harrow

Falmer 24/8/1915

Answered 28/8/15

In reply to your letter of the 22^nd I have to say that in the event of this Battalion going on Foreign Service No 4509 Pte. Thomas F. Paul would not be taken

• on account of his age
• should his physical defects be as you say

1. Petrie Hobson

Captain and Adjutant, 3/7^th Batt. Middlesex Regt.

28/8/15

Dear Sir,

Re Thomas F. Paul No 4509 ”D” Company

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 24^th inst & note your remarks for which my sister & I are very much obliged.

Yours faithfully

1. Spencer Stilwell

Capt. A. Petrie-Hobson

3/7^th Battn. Middlesex Regt.

Farmer near Brighton

MEMORANDUM

Captain and Adjutant

3/7^th Batt Middlesex Regt

To A Stilwell Esq.

Harrow

Falmer 24/8/1915

Answered 28/8/15

In reply to your letter of the 22^nd I have to say that in the event of this Battalion going on Foreign Service No 4509 Pte. Thomas F. Paul would not be taken

• on account of his age
• should his physical defects be as you say

1. Petrie Hobson

Captain and Adjutant, 3/7^th Batt. Middlesex Regt.

Confidential

9 Risingholme Road

Wealdstone High Road

Harrow

22^nd August 1915

The Colonel,

3/7^th Battn Middlesex Regt

Falmer, near Brighton

Dear Sir,

Re Thomas F. Paul, No  4509

“D” Company

I am writing at the request of my sister, who had been guardian to the above, since he was 5 years of age.  T. F. Paul is my nephew & has no parents living: he is a child of another sister of mine who died some years ago.

He is very anxious that he should serve his King & Country, & so are all of us that he should do so.

My sister thinks, however, that in consequence of his youth (he was not 17 years of age when he joined) & also of his very short eyesight (if his glasses in anyway got damaged or lost, he would be blind without them – & he cannot see sideways without turning his head round) that you would pardon the liberty taken in drawing your attention to this & she would be very grateful if you could – instead of sending him away on active service with the regiment, transfer him to some Home Service Battalion, as she has a very strong objection to his being sent away to the front for the above-mentioned reasons.

Personally, with his defective vision & nervous temperament, I do not think he would stand a fair sporting chance.

I am writing this unknown to my nephew & shall be obliged if you will kindly treat this in confidence.

Apologising for taking up your valuable time, & thanking you in advance for your attention,

I remain, dear Sir,

Yours faithfully

1. Spencer Stilwell

August 16^th 1915

Dear Mum,

I am just writing this while I have nothing to do, I am getting on fine, will you send me some stamps as this is the last one I have got because it is too far to go tonight so don’t forget to tell Ethel I can’t write until you send me some.  We have to play football of a night in camp be in bed by ¼ 10 pm of a night.  I think I would rather be at Ilford but still I am enjoying it alright.

We have plenty of stew for dinner no custard and plums and say you don’t want them don’t forget to tell Ethel to write if I don’t get my stamps for a day or two I shall make up for it when I get them.

Well I think this is all now with love Bert.

P.S. give my love to Dad Nell & Ethel xxxxxxxxxx

No 3253 Pte. Pilgrim

¾ Essex Regt.

B Coy, 8^th Platoon

Queen Anne’s Gate

Great Park

Windsor

62210 RE

Sigs HQ 28^th Bde

9^th Scot Div

4 Aug 1915

Dear Mar & Pa

Just a line to let you know I am OK.  I suppose Will was over on Bank Holiday.

Our Brigade is again in the trenches for some time now.  There is some talk of there being some leave when we come out of course I don’t know how long it will take before it all goes thro the Divn and I suppose circumstances may stop it.  I think we shall be out for the winter alright.  We are expecting some of the German troops from Russia before long when I suppose they will make their last effort as far as the English Line is concerned I don’t think there is any doubt.

Well Gladys said something about Mar sending me some grub.  It has not arrd up to date.  Now Gladys you mustn’t kid poor old Gussie like that.  I am in the pink suppose you will be going to Blackpool when you receive this.  How’s Geo going on would like to hear something definite about his position.  There is very little news out in this part the same affairs occurring day after day.  One night the Germans got a surprise our artillery soon put them to sleep.  It’s for all the world like the fireworks at Belle Vue of a night.  They send star shells up which lights the country for miles around.  Drop me a line when you get to B’pool or a pc of it.  Just to cheer the Boys up.

Well Bye Bye for present.  Fred

On the 1^st August 1915, the “Fokker Scourge” begins which lasted almost a year. The Fokker Eindecker EIII engine was fitted with an interrupter gear allowing the pilot to fire machine-gun bullets through the spinning propeller. The interrupter gear was an improved version of one fitted to a captured French plane. This interrupter was to give the Germans superiority over the Allied fighter planes until the Allied aerial technology caught up.

The Italian Second Battle of Isonzo ended on the 3^rd August 1915. Casualties on both sides were heavy. Some minor territorial gains were made by the Italians since the battle began on the 18^th July 1915, but gradually the fighting died away. The Italian General Cadorna was convinced he could break through to Trieste but he would need a couple of months to reinforce his forces before a third battle could begin.

At Gallipoli on the 6^th August 1915, the British attacked the  heavily defending Turks at Suvla Bay. 63,000 Allied troops landed and were scheduled to link up with Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC’S) at nearby Anzac Cove. This was hindered because the operation was steeped in secrecy, whereby Allied senior officers were unaware of what adjoining forces were doing. The ANZAC’s  were unable to breakout at Anzac Cove and unable to link up with the British at Suvla Bay. Turkish Forces, led by Mustpha Kemel mounted a frantic attack and the British forces were pushed back. Turkish forces retook Suvla Bay on the 10^th August 1915.

On the 19^th August 1915, The German submarine U24 sank the British liner “Arabic” off the coast of Iceland. Of the 40 people who lost their lives, three were American. Despite protests from the Americans after the sinking of the “Lusitania” on 7^th May 1915, submarine actions had continued. After the sinking of the “Arabic”, American protests escalate.

Italy declares war on Turkey on the 21^st August 1915.

On the 21^st August 1915, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich was dismissed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army. Tsar Nicholas II takes overall military control on the 5^th September 1915.

On the 21^st August 1915 Major General Beauvoir de Lisle, who commanded the 29^th Division of the British Army, decided to attack across the Suvla Plain. Surrounded by high ridges the British had a large base on the lower foothills, overlooked by Turkish forces. De Lisle intended to seize the foothills of the Scimitar and W Hills with the aim of crossing the Suvla Plains to link up with the British Army at Suvla Bay.

The plan was simple. The 29^th Division would storm the Scimitar Hills and the 11^th Division would attack the W Hills. To the south, the ANZACS would attack Hill 60. Preliminary bombardment lasted approximately half-hour and began at 2.30pm. By limiting the bombardment to 30 minutes, the British hoped the Turks would not have time to move their reserves up to the front line. The battle swung backwards and forwards on top of Scimitar Hill. For the British to advance beyond Scimitar Hill they would have to advance across wide-open spaces in full view of the Turkish Artillery. Officers of the Turkish Artillery were presented with an easy target of slow walking British infantry across an open plain devoid of any cover.

Eventually the attack petered out with very little ground gained and the link-up between the British and ANZAC forces not being accomplished.

.

On the 30^th August 1915, the Germans announce the prohibition of the sinking of passenger vessels without warning.