France

Oct 1^st 1916

My Dear Nell,

A few lines to let you know I am quite well. I received your welcome letter yesterday.

Pleased to know my letter got through alright. Was not sure weather you would get it or not.  I expect you will see a few of the Fus in Egypt soon.  There were a good few wounded & are in hospital in England.

Bartrup got his discharge from Army being under age.  He was 17 ½.  I think he was jolly lucky as he has missed the extra “hit” which we have been in.

I expect it was a bit of a sight to see the Zepps on fire. We don’t get such a luxury here.  In fact we never see a Zepp at all.  We see an aeroplane being shelled now & again but I have not seen one brought down yet.  The only thing we have seen like it was when our aeroplanes set 5 enemy observation balloons on fire.

Next line of text Blue Pencilled. We don’t know how long we shall be there but there are rumours that when we come out we shift back further from the line & leave starts.

Can you send me Bert’s address again. I have lost it & want to write to him.

No more “news” now.  Please remember me to your Mother & Father.  With fondest love & Kisses from

Your loving

Alf

xxxxxx

With Envelope to

Miss E. Pilgrim,

161 Abbey Rd

Barking

S.X.

England.

Stamped Field Post Office. B 5 OC 16. Noted “Edge Hill”

Censor 2276 Signed G.L. Benjamin

On Active Service With the British Expeditionary Force YMCA headed notepaper

1.10.16

Dear M & P

Glad to receive your letter and hear you have been having a change I hope it has done you all good.  So Miss Sewell has turned out rather mysterious.  Well I do hope something comes of the Hallam affair.  In any case I hope you don’t suffer.  Well I met Jim Hopkinson a few days ago and had several walks with him he wished to be remembered to you all.  You can tell his people that he is merry & bright.  I eventually gave him my bed which I was sorry to leave.  We are now training again there is a fine chateau here but cannot say it is the best of places we have struck.  Still the weather is great for the time of the year and some of the boys are bivouacking out amidst the trees.  There is very little more to say beyond I am in the pink here.  We run a football team and I even donned our colours on the other day wearing the thistle.  I looked like a Scotch International weight thrower.  I wouldn’t mind having some vermin powder sent out as it comes in very useful at times.  How’s Geo going on?  Had a letter some time ago suppose I shall soon have a new auntie at my time of life too don’t think I could work special leave on that score although it certainly deserves it.  Well Cheerho for present

Gussie

Give them my best.

CONFIDENTIAL

WAR DIARY Of 9^th CANADIAN ARTILLERY BRIGADE

From September 1^st 1916 – To September 30^th 1916

Steenvoorde (Training Billet)

1/9/16 9.30 p.m.       The Brigade continued to carry on training in preparation for action on a new front.

2/9/16 9.00 p.m.       Training as usual.  All officers attended a lecture at 5. p.m. on “Aeroplane photographs” (illustrated by lantern slides)

3/9/16 9.00 p.m.       Brigade Commander inspected all batteries in full marching order.

4/9/16 9.00 p.m.       Heavy rain all day greatly hampered work.

5/9/16 2 a.m.            3^rd C.D.A. Operation Order No 17 received, announcing Brigade would go into action on a front between St. Eloi and Kemmel.

10 a.m.           Advance party set off.

6/9/16 2 a.m.            3^rd C.D.A. Operation Order No 18 received, giving details of relief of 88^th Bde R.F.A. by 9^th Bde C.F.A. One section of each battery goes into action tonight.

7/9/16 9.30 p.m.       All batteries have reported relief completed.  We are now “Centre Group”

8/9/16 9.00 p.m.       All batteries carried on registration during the greater part of the day.

9/9/16 9.00 p.m.         Registration continued.  Gas alarms in evening, infantry requested retaliation, which was given, no gas came over.

Scherpenburg

10/9/16 10 p.m.          To-day infantry reported destruction of tramway at O.13.c.8 ¼ .5. by our fire; also destruction of machine gun by our 33^rd Bty.  The 78^th Bn are replacing the 73^rd Bn in our front to-night.  All batteries began to cut wire in their zones this afternoon.

11/9/16 10 p.m.          All batteries registered.  “Petit Bois Barrage” this morning.  Wire cutting continued systematically in the afternoon.  Operation Order issued by O.C. Left Group to our batteries which are to be placed at his disposal for a contemplated operation.

12/9/16 9 p.m.              Further registration and wire cutting by all batteries.

33^rd Bty reports destruction of M.G. emplacement and snipers post.  Enemy shelled Vierstraat quite heavily in retaliation for shelling of Wytschaete by our batteries.  One man in 45^th Bty killed and one in 33^rd Bty wounded.

13/9/16 9.00 p.m.          36^th Howitzer Bty (4.5”) which has been firing with the “Left Group” under Lt. Col. A. McNaughton is back with us (Centre Group) and registering our zone.

14/9/16 10.00 p.m.        Each battery has cut a substantial gap in the wire entanglements in their zones.  This is part of the general operations extending along the whole British Front.

The 33^rd Bty reports quite extensive minor operations at request of infantry, having demolished 4 m.g. emplacements and several snipers posts.

15/9/16 10.30 p.m.       Rather quiet day, with little but registration going on.  33^rd Bty continued to demolish a few m.g. gun emplacements and snipers posts at request of infantry.  Ammunition shortage was announced tonight, and all batteries warned to limit expenditure to lowest possible amount.

16/9/16 10 p.m.           Firing today practically nil.  Ammunition is being held in reserve for tonight’s raids.

17/9/16 9.25 p.m.        Last night’s bombardment was very successful.  Shrapnel barrage was reported by F.O.O. in Front Line to be very effective and bursts good.  32^nd Bty assisted the Right Group with one section, and with the remaining section covered the Centre Group front line.  33^rd, 45^th and 36^th Btys assisted the Left Group.  Successful raids were carried out by both Right and Left Groups; 22 prisoners being taken.

18/9/16 9.30 p.m.        Operations today practically nil, and likely to continue so for a time, as ammunition expenditure has been limited to 10 rds. Per battery per day.

19/9/16 10 p.m.           Very quiet day.

20/9/16 11.45 p.m.      All batteries fired 10 rounds retaliation; otherwise operations nil.  Operation order No 20, 3^rd C.D.A. issued today.  10^th Can Inf Bde also 12^th Can Inf Bde to be relieved by the 4^th Australian Division and the 16^th Division respectively, on the nights of 20/21^st Sept and 23/24^th Sept.

3^rd C.D.A. to remain in action as at present.

21/9/16 10 p.m.           All batteries were tested with a “Denmark” last night, and got the shot off in time varying from 30 seconds to, in one case, 2 minutes, where the line seemed to be defective and some difficulty was experienced in passing the message from the Trench Station.  Time is taken from the giving of the order to the moment when the shot passes over the trenches.

At 1.30 a.m. today a heavy explosion took place in the German front line opposite Petit Bois, in a place they are supposed to be tunnelling at present.

22/9/16 10 p.m.          Our batteries did their first shoot in cooperation with aircraft today.  The 32^nd and 45^th each registered one target.  Also the 33^rd Battery registered Omnac Farm and the 45^th Battery a corner of Grand Bois, fire being directed in both cases by the Brigade Adjutant from the kite balloon at N.29.c.1.1.

23/9/16 10.30 p.m.      A little further work was done with aeroplane cooperation.  Otherwise the day was very quiet.

24/9/16                        The 12^th Can Inf Bde which we have so far been covering on this Front has been replaced by the 48^th Inf Bde.  Instead of 1 battalion as heretofore, we (Centre Group) are now covering 2 viz 7^th Royal Irish Fusiliers and 8^th Royal Dublin Fusiliers.  These have just returned from the Somme, and are greatly reduced in strength by casualties.  33^rd Bty demolished m.g. emplacement at N.18.c.9 ¼ ¾.  This had been greatly annoying the infantry who had two men killed by it during the afternoon.

25/9/16 11.00 p.m.       Enemy are continuing work very actively in front of Petit Bois.  Strong concrete dugouts are being constructed and trenches are being strengthened.

Hostile shelling cannot reach our front line here effectively due to intervening crest, but enemy is using heavy trench mortars, his activity in this connection having considerably increased of late.  Lieut J.R. Jamieson, 33^rd Bty has undertaken the task of locating the enemy mortars with a view to arranging a combined action of our T.Ms, 18-pdrs and 6” Hows to shell them out.

45^th Bty shelled an aggressive sniper today, silencing him with 3 rounds.

26/9/16 10 p.m.            32^nd Bty knocked out an O.P. with large periscope at O.19.b.7.6.  45^th Bty registered road bend O.14.a.6.6. and Omnac Farm, O.14.a.2.1. with balloon observation.

Hostile searchlights active during last night.

27/9/16 11.10 p.m.      At 5.30 p.m. a hostile kite balloon adrift was attacked by our aeroplane and brought down at 5.40 p.m. in a mass of flames in the vicinity of N.31 *** at 165 T.B. from N.13 c.1.9 (Centre Group Hdqrs.)  This balloon had drifted here from Bapaume (30 miles) with a German Officer clinging to a rope under the basket.  *******

28/9/16 9.30 p.m.         33^rd Bty fired 12 rounds retaliation at request of infantry.  Otherwise no artillery activity in this group.

29/9/16 11 p.m.            Remainder of this page is unreadable and the next page is missing.

October 1916

Verdun

On the 19^th October, the French began a 4 day artillery barrage on Fort Douamont without causing too much destruction to the fabric of building. The French  discussed pre-planned preparations and extensive traini, followed by an attack on the Fort.  Ceasing the bombardment on the 22^nd October 1916 the French troops began cheering from their trench lines. The Germans thought an attack by the French was imminent and prepared their defensive measures to repulse the coming onslaught, thus giving away their positions. The French immediately opened up another ranged artillery bombardment. Their infantry remained in their trenches for a further two days. However, on the 23^rd October 1916 a massive French shell penetrated the roof of Fort Douamont. This was followed up by a second shell causing more damage. Holes were torn into the 8 feet thick concrete walls of Fort Douamont where they were penetrated by 400mm shells, killing most of the German defenders. Under cover of early morning mist on the morning of the 24th October 1916   the French attacked and re-captured Fort Douamont. The Germans had taken four and a half months to take Fort Douamont, whereas the French had taken one day to recover the ground lost.

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The Somme

The Battle of the Ancre Heights began on the 1^st October 1916. The British army were positioned from Courcelette to Thiepval. The German army defended the Ancre Heights, by holding the Staufen-Riegel (Regina Trench), Schwaben-Feste (Schwaben Redoubt) and Staufen-Feste (Stuff Redoubt). Capturing the Heights required to be the over-running of individual trenches, rather than whole villages as before during the Somme campaign. The weather deteriorated as autumn turned to winter. Rain and constant artillery shelling had turned the ground to mud. Guns sank into the mire which required up to twelve horses to pull the guns clear. The troops were exhausted, soaked and shivering before struggling through the mud under heavy fire toward their barely seen objectives. The Germans fiercely fought constant attacks and counter-attacks which delayed the British from taking the Heights for more than a month. On the 9^th October 1916, Stuff Redoubt was captured, and the Schwarben Redoubt was finally taken on the 14^th October 1916. With the advantage of the higher terrain, British ground observation was now possible owing to the exposed flank position of the German forces. By the 21st October 1916, the German counter-attacks had been a series of costly failures while the British had managed to advance 500 yards (460 M) and take the eastern portion of Regina Trench. The exception being the last German foot-hold on Regina Trench. On the 22^nd October 1916, the British began numerous attacks and counter-attacks, raids and trench patrolling until the 29^th October 1916 when bad weather stopped all operations.

Following the Battle of Flers-Courcellette (15^th to 22^nd September 1916) the new British front line was under constant view from the heights of the Butte de Warlencourt. The Butte was a mound 50-60 feet (15-18 M) high and protected by many layers of barbed wire. The But is located with Bapaume to the north-east, Pozzieres to the south-west and the village of Le Sars to the south. An attack on the 7^th October 1916 by the 1/8^th London Regiment (London), the 1/15^th London and the 1/7^th London against the Butte was halted by machine gun fire. Several patrols were sent out to try to locate the 23^rd Division which had in the meantime advanced along the main Albert-Bapaume road and captured the village of Le Sars.

German national hero Oswald Boelcke was killed during a dogfight over the Somme on the 28^th October 1916. He crashed whilst flying his Albatros when he collided with another aircraft. Boelcke and the other pilot Erwin Boehme were pursuing the Same Royal Flying Corp aircraft. Boehlke was the first fighter pilot to be awarded The Pour le Merite (The Blue Max). By the end of 1915 he had scored 6 kills and by the end of June 1916 he was up to 19. Whilst commanding Jagdstaffel Justa 2 from the 2nd September to the 26^th October 1916 he had shot down a further 11 bringing his total to 40 allied aircraft destroyed. He was buried with full military honours in Cambrai Cemetery of Honour in Dessau. The following day the British Royal Flying Corp dropped a wreath over Justa 2 for a chivalrous and honourable foe. His legacy was his example and teaching, with his star pupil being Manfred von Richthoffen the future “Red Baron”.

The weather during the month of October 1916 was appalling with it raining for no fewer than twenty days. Battlefield conditions had turned the ground into a quagmire of mud and shell holes, due to the heavy rains and continued artillery shelling. As autumn turned to winter the weather on the Somme deteriorated more.  By mid-October existence for the troops, both British and German, in the open, wet, muddy trenches became a test of endurance. The troops were exhausted, cold, wet and hungry as insufficient stores were able to reach the front line owing to the terrible conditions.

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The Eastern Front

At the end of the Brusilov Offensive against the Austro-Hungarian forces in September 1916, the Russia army had suffered nearly half a million casualties including 60,000 deserters by October 1916. Their army was exhausted and disillusioned by the losses. The civilian population also suffered massive deprivation, the main problem being food shortages and rising prices. Crime and strikes by the workers increased steadily, but the majority of the population endured the suffering. Government officials responsible for public order was concerned the patience of the lower class population would result in riots. The political unrest was blamed on Tsar Nicholas for the breakdown of the economy. Whatever support the Tsar still retained became disillusioned with the way the war was heading, which eventually led to the Russian Revolution of 1917.

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The Balkans

For much of the Great War, Greece had remained neutral despite the Greek King having pro-German sympathies. His wife was the sister of the German Kaiser. At the request of the Greek government the Allies had landed in Salonika to support the hard pressed Serbians in 1915, but the Greeks remained neutral. During September 1916 the Allies had organised a major show of naval strength to the Greek King and on the 10^th Oct 1916 the allies seized the Greek fleet. The larger ships were demilitarised and one cruiser and many smaller ships were incorporated into the French navy.

The Romanian Second Army, which was the main central force, attacked the Austro-Hungarian force, from the 7^th to 9^th October 1916.  The attack was repulsed and the Romanians were forced to retreat. The Romanian 4^th Army, attacking the northern part of the border, retreated without too much pressure from the Austro-Hungarian troops. After the successful assault into Transylvania and the inevitable counter-attack at the end of September 1916 the Romanian army began the retreat to the Vulcan and Turnu Rosu Passes. These passes are located on the southern section of Carpathian Mountains along the border. The Central Powers (Germany & Austro-Hungary) had massed large forces for the defence of the Carpathians, consisting mainly of Bavarian mountain troops who were ideally suited to this type of warfare. By the 14^th October 1916, and faced with the threat of an attack the Romanian 1^st Army offered strong resistance. Near the southern section of the border, in the region of Torgu Jiu, the town was supported by the civilian population, men, women and children. One of these citizens was Ecaterina Teodoroiu , who was to become the “Heroine of the Jiu”. By the 25^th October 1916 the Romanian army was back to its original position prior to the Romanian assault into Transylvania. By the 29^th October 1916, the German High Command had regrouped their forces in readiness for a renewed attack on the 1^st November 1916, after the Romanian troops had halted the German advance on the Jiu valley.

Prior to Romania entering the Great War on the Allies side in 1916, Ecaterina Teodoroiu was to become a teacher. At 22 years old she initially worked as a nurse with the Scouting organisation, and as such was instrumental in moving and tending the wounded.  About that time she decided she wanted to become a front-line soldier. On the 14^th October 1916 she joined the civilian and reserve soldiers fighting to repulse the German attack at Jiu River Bridge, as she was deeply impressed by the patriotism of the wounded who she was nursing. On the 30^th October 1916 she travelled in her capacity as a nurse to the front-line to see her brother Nicolae who was a Sergeant in the Romanian 18^th Infantry Regiment.

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The Caucasus and Middle East Campaign

On the 29^th October 1916 Hussein ibn Al-Hashmi declared himself King of the Arab Countries. Hussein was a Hashemite Arab leader who was the Sharif and Emir of Mecca. He announced the Arab Revolt would begin against the Ottoman Empire. Despite the promise of support by the British for Arab independence, his aspirations were not accepted by the Allies who recognised him as King only of Hejaz (Modern day Saudi Arabia).

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Other Fronts

On the 1^st October 1916, eleven airships left their air bases for the largest raid on London. Due to bad weather only seven actually crossed the English coast at Lowestoft. Conditions slowed six of the airships down but Zeppelin L31 commanded by Capitanleutnant Heinrich Mathy set out on a solitary course for London. At approximately 8.00 pm the ground searchlights caught L31 in their beams and to lighten the load Mathy dropped thirty high explosive and twenty six incendiary bombs over Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. The only casualty was one woman who was injured but not fatally. Three hundred houses were damaged and many glass-houses had their glass shattered. Still pinpointed by the searchlight beams and being fired upon by anti-aircraft batteries, L31 headed off toward the west. At approximately 11.45 pm Second Lieutenant Wulstan Tempest spotted L31 and closed with the airship firing his machine-gun along its length. A second attack under the tail and firing the gun along the length when he saw a glow from within the airship and flames shot out the front and the Zeppelin began to fall. Rather than burn to death Mathy, without a parachute, decided to jump. All members of the air-crew were killed. The bodies of the crew were buried in the local churchyard alongside the earlier crew of SL11 the first airship to be shot down and crash the previous September 1916.

German submarines were given permission to hunt for Allied merchant vessels on the 6^th October 1916. The German authorities stressed the resumption of the attacks were on the condition the merchant vessels were warned before the attacks commenced.

Founded in 1910, the Imperial German Army Air Service entered service when the first military aircraft were acquired. On the 8^th October 1916 the name was changed to Luftstreikrafte (Imperial German Flying Corp). Initially the aircraft were used for reconnaissance and artillery observation duties, but gradually air combat was established. The Western Front was the main focus of air combat and was to produce fighter pilots who were to become aces, with many serving in the Second World War Luftwaffe. Some of the well-known aces produced were Oswald Boelcke, Ernst Udet, Werner Voss, Max Immelmann, Manfred von Richthoffen and Herman Goering. After the defeat of Germany in 1918 under the Treaty of Versailles the Luftstreikrafte was dissolved and all military aircraft destroyed.

The Eighth Battle of Isonzo was fought from the 10^th to 12^th October 1916 and was essentially a continuation of the Seventh Battle of Isonzo. The Italians attacked the Austro-Hungarian forces in an attempt to extend the bridgehead in Gorizia. As with earlier attacks heavy Italian casualties necessitated a short, sharp concentrated initiative be employed to enable the army to recover their losses. The seemingly continuing onslaught at Isonzo was renewed on the 31st October 1916 with the Ninth Battle of Isonzo.

In late October 1916, the occupying German administration began the deportation of Belgian workers to Germany. At the beginning of the war in 1914, the conscription of German men created a man-power shortage in German factories. From mid-1915 Belgian civilians were encouraged to voluntarily enlist to work in Germany, but the 30,000 recruits were insufficient to meet demands. The military required more German troops and consequently factory labour declined leaving Germany with an even greater man-power shortage. German administration began to consider forcibly deporting Belgian workers to help solve the situation. The deportation began in October 1916 and continued until March 1917, but the 120,000 workers who had been deported proved to be insufficient to meet German needs. Economically the deportations had little effect, but politically, International widespread condemnation of the deportations helped to cause the rise of the Belgian resistance. By late 1917 most of the deported workers had returned to Belgium, influenced by pressure from other neutral powers.

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THE GREAT WAR – OCTOBER 1916

Verdun

19^th Oct                            French began 4 day barrage against Fort Douamont

24^th Oct                              French take Fort Douamont

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The Somme

1^st Oct                                 Battle of Ancre Heights began

7^th Oct                                British secure Le Sars

28^th Oct                              German air ace Oswald Boelcke killed in action

October                           Heavy rain and the onset of winter

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The Eastern Front

October                            Political unrest in Russia

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The Balkans

10^th Oct                               Allies seize Greek naval warships

7^th to 9^th Oct                   Romania attacked Austria/Germany forces and were forced to retreat

14^th Oct                              Romanian 1^st Army had assistance by civilian population in the Jiu Valley

25^th Oct                               Romanian was forced back to original position prior to the engagement

29^th Oct                               Germans regroup in readiness for further advancement

14^th Oct                               Ecaterina Teodoroiu joins the Romanian civilian and reserve troops

30^th Oct                               Nurse Ecaterina Teodoroiu goes to the Romanian front-line

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The Caucasus and Middle East Campaign

29^th Oct                               Sheriff of Mecca proclaimed King of Arabs

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Other Fronts

1^st Oct                                Zeppelin heaviest bomb raid on London

6^th Oct                                 Germany allows unrestricted submarine attacks

8^th Oct                                 German air force established

10^th to 12^th Oct               Eighth Battle of Isonzo

31^st Oct                             Ninth Battle of Isonzo

Oct                                     Germans deport Belgian workers to Germany

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