Category Archives: 1915

Letter to Jack from F Hammond 16 Jul 15

Green envelope FPO 28 to No 3142 Pte GG Hammond 2/7 Bat Mchr Regt “D” Coy 15 Platoon Crowborough Sussex.

62210 RE Sigs

HQ 28th Inf Bde

9th Scott Divn

16 July 1915

Good morning Prince you seem sad do you ever hear from old Kemp

 

Dear Jack

Glad to receive your letter the other day.  You seem to have been at all sorts of jobs.  I suppose they put you on G.M.P. because you are teetotal eh!  I wish I could have got one of those jobs.  I also hear you made good use of the position as I had a letter from Hilda the other day and she said you seemed to watch a particular hotel there.  Well I hope you did make the most of it Jack.  Yes their seems to have been some hot work in the Dardenelles.  One of the lads from our office has been killed out there and another wounded.  I am pleased to hear of the good work done there lately and hope that before long the allies will have more favourable positions as I can tell you it must be awful to face the present day artillery without good cover.  I see the Germans have finished their game in S. Africa & that the Konisberg has been accounted for.  What do you think of your Leyton cousins rather lively lot when Par is away eh.  I had a parcel from them the other day also a parcel from Mar with a big cake in it.  However its life was very short and sweet.  While I am writing this I am wondering where you really are and what you are.  Anyway drop me a line to let me know what your destination is.  I shall feel rather funny if I have to start saluting you and saying Sir but wait until its all over and I put my cold feet on you again.  I am at the Bde HQ as you see and our Boys are in the trenches.  We have not lost any of our (the telegraph) men up to now but some of them have had some near squeaks.  Two had to be dug out of their dugouts yday.  The only thing we get up here is shrapnel.  You can hear the bounders whistling thro the air and so give you time to expect them.  Further down the trenches they get W.B. Whiz Bangs.  They don’t let you know until you are amongst them.  We are not doing bad for grub.  It’s usually stew and potatoes, jam & bread altho a change goes well.  I had some pineapple & cream given me for tea & felt like a Staff Captain.  There are plenty of shells etc to be picked up but nobody bothers with them after the 1st day, only too glad they’ve missed you.  It is rather a fine sight to see them firing at aeroplanes.  I sleep in a loft on a stone floor.  Had a rat in my emergency ration bag last night.  He’d eaten one of my biscuits so he must have been hungry.  Well remember me to Hilda and tell her I’ll drop her a line soon.  Also drop me a card to say where you are.

Yours Burgy

Letter to Wil from F Hammond 9 Jul 15

Green envelope FPO 28 9Jy 15  to E. Hammond 9 Countess St Stockport.

62210 RE Sigs

28th Bde

9th Scot Div

  1. 7. 15

 

Dear Will

I received your letter and parcel OK yday.  I am fixed up now for a few days as they sent me some tobacco from home the same time.  I also had a parcel & letter from 212 Vic Rd.  so if we have a quick move or get shelled out of here I shall want Peter Wright of prude ass fame.  Our Divn is now in working order.  We form part of the 1st Army Corps.  I am at Brigade HQ at present abt 2 or 3 miles from first line of trenches.  There is plenty of noise at times.  We have had a few shells near in fact a fellow standing near me picked a piece of hot shell up.  Some of the lads are in the trenches & have to keep their heads well down.  So you see I am pretty near to it now of course mums the word at home.  Mar sent me one of her cakes I never liked cake much at home but one appreciates it here.  Some of the boys brought in some broad beans today so had what one might call a bean feast.  I had a letter from Geo a day or to ago.  I hope he gets his Com.  There is nothing much to report as we are strictly forbidden to saying much.  It is rather a change to be lulled to sleep by the noise of the guns and hear them whistling through the

air.  I heard of Gladys success at tennis also her offer for Crewe but I think anr yr at school would be best at present seeing that the house is so quiet now a days.  What say you?  I am not having a bad time at all here and I hope to see a bit of excitement before long.  Well old sport remember me to all enquiring friends.  Will drop you a line soon.  Your old Golf Teacher.  you don’t need to shout 4

Burgy here 11 11

 

 

Note on Signals form:

 

This is a note from the fellow I mentioned in my letter Eh

 

On reverse:

 

Dear Mrs Hammond

I have just had a taste of your cake from Fred.  I must say your cake making does you great credit.  It was OK

Yours etc S Reading

 

P.S. I am getting more like Fred every day.  Will send you 5 Francs but not this week of our Lord.

By one whos’ had some.

Your cake plenty nice.

F Hammond letter 8 Jul 15

62210 RE Sigs

9th Divn

HQ 28th Bde

8.7.15

 

Dear Mar & Pa

Just a line to let you know I am still OK.  I recd your letter yday and today recd your lovely parcel all complete.  I had a quarter of it for tea today and gave a pal of mine some & he said he wished Mar a long life to make such cakes.  It’s quite a change from what we usually get.  Sometimes we have a little bread & butter other times jam and if the bread is scarce we resort to biscuits which require plenty of digesting.  We have moved again and are pretty busy this time.  We have just had an aeroplane over.  Glad to hear Gladys helped to uphold the honour of the S H S also glad to hear of her fortunate offers.  Hope she does the right thing.  I think she would be as well at home at present.  Pa was talking about War Loan.  I quite agree to the suggestion if it can be done unless Geo wants some of it.  Has he heard anything definite yet?  I had a letter from Will at the same time as you also some gaspers.  I am well fixed up now for a few days.  Glad to hear Turk is learning to write in this country you see a couple of dogs in a shaft with a couple of men riding behind.  They also have them on a tread mill.  The dog is as diagram.  The poor beggar keeps walking but he is always in the same place as the wheel goes round.  I saw one dog do about 16 hours at it the other day.  Well I think this is all at present.

Love to all  Fred

F Hammond letter 4 Jul 15

62210 RE

4 Section Sigs

HQ 28th Bde

9th Div

4 7 15

I received your cake I don’t think Gladys

 

Dear Mar & Pa

I received Gladys little parcel which just came at the right time.  I am still alive and kicking.  We have moved again twice since last I sent a letter but I don’t suppose we shall shift again as I don’t think you will hear from me for about 10 days at least by letter.

I could do with a good washerwoman and a darner at times but manage to knock along alright.  We had 3 taubes over us yday and can see the star lights which they fire up at night which look very pretty.  We can also hear the machine guns & rifles too sometimes.  The flies out here are a perfect nuisance great swarms all over the place.  I am in the best of health only for fly and nat bites.

I had a letter from Geo & Will the other day.  I see they have made Geo into a Glorified Copper.  When are we going to have these shells Lloyd Geo speaks so much about and an army of aeroplanes eh.  They seem to be taking a census I see.  I am quite comfortable here.  Remember me to any enquiring friend.  What about taking up a war loan.  If Geo gets his Com you can do as you think fit with my overplus.  I suppose I shall be finding Gladys with her hair up and a big dog in the passage.  Glad to hear you are all well.  When are you going on holidays this year?  Will it be Blackpool?  I suppose you will be having Uncle Will up there before long.  Going for a swim in the canal after tea so Bye Bye  Fred

July 1915

 

When the Ministry of Munitions was formed on 2nd July 1915, David Lloyd George was appointed Minister. The Munitions of War Act were passed in July 1915 in a desperate attempt to tackle the problem of labour shortages on the home front. Government control over labour was required to overcome the soldier-civilian balancing act. With some 2.5 million men having volunteered for military service, skilled jobs were being performed by unskilled labour. Included in the civilian labour force were women who were answering the call to participate. The unions were unhappy with this situation but Lloyd George found a way to appease the unions. Productivity of arms, shells and equipment increased.

 

16th July 1915 saw the British National Registration Act in force whereby men of eligible age were conscripted to work in the factories that were under military jurisdiction. This ensured the boost to the production of munitions. Women were encouraged to undertake the work formerly done by men releasing the men to continue to join the military. Conscription was introduced into the British military forces in May 1916

 

The second battle of Isonzo began on 18th July 1915 with the Italian forces attacking Austro-Hungarian defences. The River Isonzo was the front line and the Italian objective was Trieste, which is 20 miles (34km) into enemy territory. The battle lasted until 30th August 1915 but the end result was stalemate and with horrendous loss of life on both sides. There were to be a further two battles for Isonzo before 1915 was over.

 

On the 30th July 1915 saw the first tactical use of flamethrowers. At the battle of Hooge, just outside Ypres in Belgium, the Germans used the flamethrower consisting of a backpack containing a pressurised reservoir of nitrogen and coal tar/benzene mixture. Connection from the reservoir to the ignition nozzle was by a flexible hose. When the trigger, complete with the igniting device was operated the pressurised liquid was released through the nozzle projecting flaming liquid approximately 47 mts. (50 yds). The flamethrower was designed to destroy enemy strongholds or enemy troops.

 

In July 1915, Pope Benedict XV condemned both the sinking of the “Lusitania” and the German blockade of Britain as unchristian. In time of war, French Catholics were outraged at the neutral stance of the Roman Church. The Catholics were denied the patriotic commitment of all French citizens to defend themselves.

 

G G Hammond letter Jun 15

P/e G.G. Hammond

2/7 Bat Mc/r Regt.

D Compy 15 Platoon

Crowborough

Sussex

Sunday

Dear Father & Mother,

I am sorry I was not able to write early last week but as I told you on my PC from Tunbridge Hilda and all the Southport people came over to see us last Thursday and did not go back until Friday so I have not had much time for writing.

On Wednesday Captain Nasmith asked me if I would take a strip, I was not over keen but eventually I offered to take it on.  I waited until Friday when the appointments were up on orders but strange to say my name did not appear on the list.  I was a bit surprised but not sorry, during the day I was looking out for the Captain to ask him about the commission when he saw me and called me to him.  He said “I have not put your name on the list for stripes as I am going to try to get your commission through.”  I thought he had forgot all about it.  I have not seen the adjutant yet & things will have to look up as I am down to go to the Dardanelles with the next draft & may possibly be home on leave next week if things are not moving with the commission

There is not much doing on here at present, we were out until 1-30 am on Friday on a night scheme and were fairly tired out, we have been having a fortnight special training.  Did you see that Granger had been killed.  The 7th have caught it pretty heavily.  They say down here that there are only 80 men left but nothing is official.

I had a very good week last week, it was quite a pleasure to see some friends.  Willis wrote me a PC but I have not answered it until today.  I do hope my application comes off.  I suppose you have seen Arthur by now he is over to order his uniform.  How is Ma keeping?  Did you go for your Whitsuntide walk I forgot to ask you before.  There are woods full of bluebells down here & ferns in great quantities.  Could Ma send one on of her own made soda cakes.  It would be very acceptable down here also any other luxuries she may think of.  Have you heard anything about Dick Lister being killed I heard a rumour down here.

It has been frightfully hot down here.  It has just been raining for the first time for about a month.  It gets very warm climbing the hills with full pack on.  If I come on leave I shall bring my kit bag as I have any amount of stuff which I must leave behind.  Have you heard from Bugsy again lately.  I am going to write to him today.  I am sorry Gladys had not won the Tennis Championship, is she on the League team.  I think she ought to stand a fair chance.  I don’t know how I shall go on when this war is over I seem  to have forgotten nearly all my business but I suppose I shall pick it up again quick enough.  Have you seen Donohues lately.  I have not written to them since I came down here.  I think I will write again today.

Write soon as there is nothing much doing down here and it is very interesting to hear from you.  I am going to see Captain Nasmith today to see if there is anything doing, if I am coming on leave I will **** as we don’t get any notice I hope its off with the draft as I an almost sure I could get a commission, still it does not matter very much.  Don’t forget the cake &c

Love George

F Hammond letter 25 Jun 15

Green envelope FPO 28 27 Ju 15 to E. Hammond 9 Countess St Stockport

62210 RE

HQ 28th Bde

9th Sig Co

25 6 15

Still as fat as ever

 

Dear Ma & Pa

Received Pa’s letter OK the other day.  We are still in the same place we were last time I wrote but expect to be moving by the time you get this.  The weather has been glorious until today when we had a thunder storm.  There is very little news to tell as we have not been anywhere since last I wrote.  You can see we are pretty well in the country here as I have not seen a shop of any kind since we have been here.  I could do with a little tobacco as I have now run out and don’t seem to get any chance to buy any.  I see Lloyd George is fairly waking the old country up.  I see the Russians seem to have been forced to do a rather long retreat.  It is quite useless to expect anything else while the Germans have a preponderance of equipment.  There is plenty of heavy fighting this side and I think we shall gradually wear them down.  The French seem to be making headway.  If you send a parcel you might put a tin of Keating’s Powder in as it is very necessary in these parts.  I have not tried any French dishes such as frogs but they keep one awake with their croaking at night.  The brook here is literally packed with them.  Glad to hear you are all well.  Sorry to hear Gladys has got her usual complaint.  I suppose they would think Pa was my brother now he has such a fine row of teeth.  Do they still take him for a detective or Kitchener?  What has become of Geo?  Never hear from him.  Remember me to all enquiring friends.  Will drop you a line if anything interesting occurs.

Fred

 

F Hammond letter 18 June 15

On embossed Government notepaper

62210 RE

Sigs

Attached 28th Bde

9th Scott Div

18 June 1915

Dear Mar & Pa

I received Gladys letter of the 14th OK.  We have moved again from the place I wrote last.  I don’t think we shall move much more.  We are a few miles behind the firing line.  We are in a very small village and even pumps are unknown.  There is a sort of brook runs along the road where the natives fetch their drinking water, wash their utensils etc in it.  I have not tasted water for a week or should I say practically since I landed in France without it being boiled first.  I have been working night again from 12 md to 8am.  We sleep in the fields which we prefer to the barns however I slept in a haystack the last 3 days.  Several of us go down to the La Basse Canal for a swim every day which is quite refreshing.  I can make them understand what I want as far as food and drink is concerned now.  There is rather a funny fellow who I knock about with when he wants some milk he asks for Dooley I suppose Gladys will know what he means and when he wants eggs he says durs hoofs.  There seems to be two words in French which the natives make very good use of.  One is compre and the other is no compre.  When they don’t wish to understand they say no compre altho I am rather inclined to think at times they are pulling out legs.  I am pretty well supplied with tobacco altho my cig supply is done out at present.  If you send any cigs now & then send Gold Flake.  With regard to grub we get plenty of it.  If you are really hungry of course one of Mar’s cakes occasionally would soon find a home.  Some of the fellows here get parcels and give you some so one likes to return the complement occasionally altho I can get along alright without and do not want you to start sending a lot of parcels.  I have a few francs by me but you can’t buy side issues in these villages.  We are in a farm house here and the cocks and hens are making their morning carol.  The Jocks have to be rather careful with their baw bees.  One sent a rather amusing letter home the other day.  He started something like this – Dear Mother I am sending you  five francs but not this week.  I heard about the Zeps paying Angleterre a visit.  I haven’t seen any round here.  I think it would be too healthy for them.  I wouldn’t mind the express occasionally.  We have been getting the D. Mail a day old up to now but rather question it when we make our next move.  There was rather a good article in it yday about machine guns which I think deserves attention.

Well I think this is all this time.  Hoping you are all well.  I will now go and waken the cook from his greasy bed and afterwards have a cup of coffee from the farmer.

Bye Bye

Fred

I got a letter from Will the other day.

F Hammond letter 9 Jun 15

62210 RE

Signals

Attached 28th Inf Bde HQ

9th Scottish Div

June 9th 1915

Dear M & P

I got Gladys parcel yesterday for which many thanks.  The matches are quite unique.  I suppose you are all back again now and that Gladys is at school again.  We are having good weather now.  I did not see Asquith when he was over as we are a few miles from there.

However Fd Marshall Sir J French inspected us about a week ago.  He is quite a stiff built man and grey.  He looks very well.  We have moved from the place I wrote from last and are now at a farm house.  We have been sleeping out lately.  There are some Indian Cavalry in the village here.

We paid them a visit the other day and they gave us some of their grub which they called chuppatti.  It was like an oatcake and they put ghee on it which is clarified butter.  One of our lads tried their curry and he thought he had swallowed the cruet.  Fancy Bert Sheldon donning that uniform on.  Geo seems to have struck a rough lot.  I think he would have done better had he not rushed into it as he always does.  I hope he finds something better.

I think it is a wise thing in the making Ld (Lloyd) Geo the minr (minister) for munitions.  There is no doubt about it the High Explosives are very essential.  It is about time that we should be properly supplied with everything.  Of course we are.  Really wonderfully equipped but we can’t have too much artillery.

Well the post is due now and I think I am wondering a bit so Bye Bye for present.

Hoping you are all well

Burgy

Is Turk a real Turk or has he any fight in him?

Just smoking one of those fat cigs.

I feel like a Staff Captain

 

 

Letter to Will from F Hammond 7 Jun 15

62210 RE

9th Scottish Div

Sig Co

28th Inf Bde

7th June 1915

Dear Will

Just a line to let you know I am still kicking about.  Sorry I did not get a chance to see you before I landed in Flanders.  We are all in the pink here altho I had the misfortune to fall off a geegee the other day and knocked my arm a bit however it is nearly OK now.  We are billeted in a farm attached to a chateau.  There are some very old fashioned places in this part.  The beer here is very weak in fact it takes no notice of you however

 

We had a move yday and find that there is more go in it.  There are some Indian troops in this part so we have commenced eating curry which makes you think you have swallowed the cruet in fact it makes you swear in Indostani.  We are not allowed to say anything about military matters as it rather spoils one of giving many interesting incidents.  I had a bath in a small tub the other day which was rather amusing.  I got your cigarettes OK, in fact they have all vanished by now.  We get some given us every week but we have some many opportunities to smoke that they don’t last long & the ones you buy here are nothing like English.  Our Brigade have been in the trenches altho I have not had the chance yet.  They say they are simply great.  Parts being laid out with flower beds they have different names such as Kew Gardens . Harley Street Ldn. Bridge, the last name is a real bridge in the trenches.  The entrance is named Shaftesbury Avenue owing to the rows of trees.  In fact it is like being in Ldn without the busses & busers.  You are quite safe in the trenches as long as you keep your napper down but pop it up even only for a second and they’ve got you.

I had a letter from Geo about a week ago.  I was rather surprised about A Boon.  I hope Geo manages something.

Had a postcard from Gladys.  I hear Mar & Gladys have been to Blackpool.  I think Mar should get about a bit now she has the chance.

Well I don’t think I have anything else to say.  Will drop you a line again soon.  Am always glad to get a letter or post card.  We have a mail here once a day.

So Bye Bye old sport for the present.  Remember me to the Bhoys

Bungy