Category Archives: 1916

Letter to Rev Walters from W Adams

Jan 18th

1916

Dear Sir,

            I am just sending you a line to say that I am quite well & I hope that you are the same & I am also writing to you to ask if you would kindly remember me to all the Bellringers & I hope that they are all quite well & I shall be very pleased to receive a line from you just to hear you & all at Whitwick are getting on.  I was very sorry to learn that Lily had gone away from home but I hope that she will on all right & I am also pleased to tell you that promoted to Corpl & am glad to say that I am going on well & I often think about when I was at Whitwick when I used to come to Church & I also hope  that I shall not be long before I come again to see you & all & all at Whitwick & I have also sent you my address so you may send to me which is now Corpl Adams B Sqn Lei Yeo B.E.F. & now I think that I have told you all this time hoping to hear from you soon

I remain

Yours truly

W Adams

In envelope addressed to Rev T.W. Walters, Leicester Rd, Whitwick, Leicestershire. England.

Letter not postmarked

Letter to Rev Walters from C Priest 15 Jan 16

Pte C Priest 10080 A Compy 6 Leicestershire Regt British Expeditionary force.

Dear Sir,

            Just a few lines to you to ask if you would call round our house Mrs Priest and see if you can do anythink for her as she olly get 27/Shillings a week and she cant live on it and I wish you could see what you can do for her by getting here a little more as there is 5 Childing and they take a lot of keeping as I am been out to the war 11 months and I cant get home and she is the olly one who as wrote and I ant had a letter from know one in the Village and she cant live as thinks are now and I hope you will do your best for her and I should like you to write me a letter for I should bee pleased to here from you and we have had a lot of rain here and I hope you are having some nice weather there so I think that is all this time from yours truly Mr C Priest lives at No 9 South St Whitwick and I hope you will please write back to me.

In green envelope addressed to Mr. Walters, The Vicarage, Whitwick, Leicestershire.  England.

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 111.  15 JA 16.

Letter to Rev Walters from A J Wilson just before going overseas

Fred Wilson

Dear Sir

            Just a line to tell you that I am going to France on Tuesday next.  I am very sorry I have not wrote of late as I have been in Training very hard, but you know the old saying that it is better late than never, I am going to join the Hood Batt in the Base Camp hoping to find all the old boys out there.  Give my kind regards to all at Whitwick, I wish you to go and see Mrs Amos Allen 32 Silver Street, how is the Men’s Class going on I wish to be remembered to all of them, I hope this letter finds you all in the best of health, as I am A.1 befor I leave for France, I have been to Church every Sunday only when I have been on duty, that kept me away,  I will now close with all best wishes from one of the old boys.

I am yours ever

L.S. Alfred John Wilson P.T.I.

I will write again as soon as I get the chance in France (So Good Day Sir.)

There is no envelope with this letter.

Letter to Rev Walters from J.W. Brotherhood

No 4564 A Coy 3 Plat 3/5 Leicesters                                                     Wesleyan Chapel

Main St.

Bulwell

Notts

Jan 5th 016.

Dear Rev Walters,

            I most heartily wish you & yours a “Happy New Year”.  To me, it is a hard & difficult wish, especially in view of present circumstances; yet I think that we can venture in safety to wish each other, Joy, Happiness, & Peace in the midst of conflict.

Therefore being confident of Victory I ask you to accept my sincere wish.  On Xmas Day our Commanding Officer came to see us at dinner, & during his short speech one sentence he said struck one very much, in fact, my heart throbbed & my eyes filled with tears:- He said – “Men, I wish you & your comrades at the Front the Best of Luck during the coming year.”

What a splendid wish – “The Best of Luck”.  but one never knows the element of “Luck” in Battle, but there is one thing we know & realise – that we are here to do our duty whatever our lot may be.

There is always a glorious uncertainty in battle.

The irony of Fate is ever present (or seems to be present) in human life.  Many people seem to live by hoping for the best; but I do not hope for anything, save that I may do my duty, & should my bones mingle with those already slain in battle, then England would be the richer because of my sacrifice.

Mark you, I want to come back to see you all again, but I am just expressing my own views, because I realise more than ever that my Country’s honour is greater than my own ‘Little Self’.  To gain honour & Freedom, some must fall & those who fall in such a conflict are Eternally honoured.

“Who shall live if England dies”.

But, Sir, England shall still live.  Her men are still brave & her daughters good.  No foe can crush us if we all are resolved to conquer.

What a Price Victory is; 120,000 of England’s gallant sons laying slain on the Battle-fields of France, Flanders & the East.

I am tempted to ask the question – Is Victory worth such a price?  Is not the sacrifice too great?  No!  it took Heaven’s Sacrifice to find Redemption, & it will need the blood of heroes to redeem humanity from oppression, injustice & vice.

No, the Price is not too great!  We shall never gain Freedom by “Simple Peace Party’s” touring the Earth, & exhorting men to lay down their arms & kiss their enemies.

I know There are Fathers, & Mothers, & Sweethearts who say with broken hearts “The Sacrifice is too great”.  In bitter anguish they weep & say – the agony of parting is unbearable – yet out of the agony one can hear the cry – “I have given my son, not that I may weep.  Though weep I must, but that humanity may reap the benefit of his sacrifice & that my home & people may be preserved from the torture & agony that has befallen the Homes & the Daughters of Serbia & Belgium.

The Price too great. Nay!  The agony of the human heart wears away in the course of time, but the agony of oppression is eternal when freedom has fled & when all the joys of life are crushed.  It is then that we hear the “Broken Hearts” say “I wished I was dead”.  I know full well that the World is scarred with wounds, but those wounds shall be healed tomorrow when the World shall rise with the flame of freedom flashing through its sky.

Honour is lost when the Humility of life gives way to ignorance – when men say – It is wrong to fight.  As Cromwell said, so we do – “Trust in God & keep out powder dry”.

We fight as the Scottish Covenanters fought, “With the Bible in one hand & the sword in the other.  Not the sword of revenge, but of Justice.  We fight to live.  If we fight not we die.  But what about our wounded men.  I have heard them say “I don’t want to go back to the Front again, but of one thing I am proud – “I have done my duty, & my wounds bear their own evidence”.

Shall we do our duty?  Shall we uphold the Dignity of our Beloved England?  It is for us to gain honour, & succour the weak, & relieve the oppressed, & see that all nations live.

Our duty we will do, because after all – no one perishes who dies in the cause of Freedom.

Freedom ever lives, & her beauty is Eternally enshrined with the spilt blood of her defenders.

People of England, all your valleys call you

Height in the rising sun, the Lark sings clear.

Will you dream on, let shameful slumber thrall you?

Will you disown your native land so dear?

Shall it die unheard.

That sweet pleading word?

Arise O England, for thy day is here.

Thank God, our slumber is over.  With grim determination we face the foe & seek to shatter her.

England is not wanting in heroes.  We all lay ourselves at Her feet, & offer all we have that she may conquer & give to the World a new glory

By what I can see despondency is giving place to optimism, & the whole of our race is rejoicing in what it is able to do.

People of England.  You are wanted

Forth then , ye heroes, patriots & lovers

Comrades of danger, poverty & scorn!

Mighty in Faith of Freedom your Great Mother

Giants refreshed in Joys new – rising morn!

Come & swell the song

Silent now so long

England is risen! – and the day is here.

I remain Sir, yours Sincerely

Pte J.W. Brotherhood.

To Rev Walters

There is no envelope with this letter.

Col R.J. Kentish

To Capt Scovell,

Hove,

Brighton.

Dear GJS

Very glad indeed to get your letter and to hear that you are recovering.  I heard from Miss Pearce to the effect that you were Hors de Combat, but I hope that by now you are quite well.  Your letter of the 10th December only reached me to-day, Jan 16.

I am glad to hear you are pushing along at York.  I had heard it before from many sources that the Northern Command was the best trained command of any at home.  This is not surprising when one remembers the General at its head and his staff lieutenants at his elbow.  It is strange your mentioning that you have a splendid institution in the shape of an N.C.O.s School with the best regular N.C.O.s as instructors.  I say it is strange because I am at present the commandant of a similar institution here in the 3rd Army.  I shall have next course 150 Captains and 150 Coy Sgt Majors 1 from each battalion in the 3rd Army.  We train them all the points to which you refer and in addition we teach the officers the traditions of the old British officer class and what it means to belong to the British Army of to-day.  I have the most extraordinary able staff of officers, gathered from all the regular battalions in the Army.  Everything is run on lines which I am sure would gladden your heart if you could see the School.  We have a corps of Drums here which keeps up the martial spirit and incidentally raises the tails above the head.  We finish up our work every day with the March-Past to the tune of “The British Grenadiers”, the school March-Past and also ****** March-Past of The Royal Irish Fusiliers (not the 87th!! Let the General see how I have been *******).

I have Heskith Prichard, the Novelist and also the Sniping expert here running the 3rd Army Snipping School.  I teach the students everything which it is possible to teach in the short period of 4 weeks.  Lectures on Moral, Leadership, Esprit de Corps, etc.  These are delivered by me.  Other lectures are given by some of the best men in the British Expeditionary Force out here, irrespective of Army.

Sir Douglas Haig is not altogether in favour of Army Schools as he prefers the Divisional Schools.  I told him, however, when he came to pay me a visit, that Divisional Schools are impossible for the New Armies and especially the Territorial Divisions: they have no instructors who could teach and without good instructors these schools lose all their value.

Your story about Madame Caillaux is excellent and I have added it to my list of “Bonnes Histoires”.

I am due for leave now.  I have not, however, taken it because I have felt that there is no reason for my going on leave.  I would, however, gladly come and spend a week or say four or five days with you in Northern Command.  If by so doing I could be of any service to you in the way of lecturing etc. you can let me know.  I will come although I loathe the sea.

I am absolutely up to my eyes in work and cannot write any more.  My best to the General and Lady Wilner and good luck to you.  I *** *** general’s letter. I will answer.  I am taking the whole of the A Sergeants of the III Army next course (161) & the C.O.s in batches of 20 for a week at a time to see the system & to get the spirit.  My lectures can be obtained from Gale & Polden.  I have now altered views; they are possible on the lines now being attempted.  I am helping them all I know on frid

 Week.  They are delivered on active service.

Yours ever

RGK

Lieut Col.,

Commandant,

3rd Army Infantry School of Instruction

16.1.16.

I am sending you a copy of Trench Orders and Wolseley’s Maxims, also a copy of the Syllabus of our work here which may be of interest to you.

Letter to Rev Walters from A W Hanson

O Room

3rd Jany 16

Revd T.W. Walters.

Revd Sir,

            Just a few lines to let you know I am still well.

            We had a very nice but quiet Xmas under the circumstances.

We are still resting and awaiting orders.

Will you please pay Miss Roulston the money which is in the money club, due to me, I think it is somewhere about £1.

I trust you had a good time at Xmas and that the New Year will bring all early peace & reunion.

With kind regards to Mrs Walters & yourself.

            Yrs obediently

AW Hanson

In Green envelope addressed to Revd T.W. Walters, The Vicarage, Whitwick, Nr Leicester.  Angleterre.

Letter postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 138.  4 JA 16.

Postcard from Alan King to Harry R King dated 21 January 1916

The postcard is a photograph of Scrubbing fatigue of Royal Fusiliers taken by J.M. Flatan, 88 Ley St. Ilford.

Thanks for your letters I shall reply shortly.  In this I look much happier than I felt.  Hope you are both well.

Best wishes,

Alan

Addressed to Mr & Mrs H. R King, Munmore, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin.

Top of postmark unreadable.  Bottom ESSEX and dated 21 JA 16.

On a postit note attached is written Alan Howard King 3rd from left scrubbing table.

Norman Richardson 27 November 1916

ARMY BOOK 152
CORRESPONDENCE BOOK
(FIELD SERVICE)
Opened on Nov. 1st 1916.
Started Intelligence Nov 21st 1916.
Norman Richardson
2nd Lieut S.O.
DECK
SIGNAL SECTION.
27/11/16.
Maps Handed over to BOW.
1. Large Paper map. GOMMECOURT 2 B.
2. Large oilskin 1/2500.
3. 56 & 43 Aeroplane Photos
8.L.1258 “ “
4. Left Sub-sector Trench Map 1/5,000 (Paper)
5. Do 1/5,000 2 (Paper)
6. Do 1/5,000 (Linen)
7. Artillery Map
8. 1 Kite Balloon Map 11 M 186.
WJ Warner 2/Lt
KEEL.
———————————-
Patrol Report (Summaries)
26/27/11/16.
No Compn Time of Place of Object RESULTS
Exit Entry Exit Entry
1 1 Off + 4 men 6.10 pm 8.20 pm At advance front top of YOUNG ST. Do To examine enemy wire near K.3.d.4.6. 1 Found gap about point K.3.d.40.50. This gap was three yards wide, and completely through the wire. The wire was thin on each side of it.2 A German heard (& later seen) get out of a sap 30x N of this gap & march S.W.
3 Not much wire in front of S.W. corner of wood.

2 1 Sgt + 4 men
? ? At disused trench N of advanced Sap MOUSETRAP
K.3.d.30.60. Do To examine wire along N.W. side of GOMMECOURT PARK for 100 yards. 1 Observed Bosche covering party (10) at about K.3.d.50.70.
Note: mist became very heavy & party withdrew.
N. Richardson
2/Lt.
I.O.
DECK
———————————-

DECK
TACTICAL PROGRESS REPORT.
From 6 pm, 26/11/16 till 6 am, 27/11/16
OPERATIONS.
Enemy Artillery: Intermittent shelling of HEBUTERNE during the night.
At 8.10 pm, 8.30 pm and from 9.0 to 9.10 pm shells (5.9s & 4.2s) were put over near to the pond and the Aid Post at the entrance to the village.
At 10 pm about 12 rounds 77 mm were fired on ‘R’ line. No damage was done.
Own Artillery: A slow steady rate of firing was kept up with salvoes at intervals.
Enemy T.Ms: Active again.
At 4 pm yesterday the enemy opened out on to our lines with about 50 L.T.Ms.
About 9 pm he commenced again on the left & on the right.
All sizes were used, but no damage was done & the majority fell short.
At 4.0 pm yesterday, he appeared to be firing from K.4.b.10.15.
At 9.0 pm the Bosche seemed to take advantage of the mist for firing his T.Ms.
Enemy M.Gs: One M.G. kept traversing out parapets on the left at intervals. On the whole very quiet. There were bursts over the village at 6.5 and 6.10 am.
Our M.Gs: fairly active.

INTELLIGENCE.
See Patrol Reports (enclosed)
N. Richardson
2nd Lt.
I.O.
DECK
———————————-
DECK. 26/11/16
REPORTS on WIRE.
A. In front of ‘C’ line.
1. The only wire is round the posts at the head of YUSSIF and the head of YOUNG ST.
2. Between these two posts there has originally been a little wire but now a clear gap, which stretches almost from post to post, has been blown, and absolutely affords no obstacles at all.
3. The wire in front of the posts is not too strong and in places at the YUSSIF post the enemy could bomb the post from the wire.
Note: A complete new system of wire is required in front of ‘C’ line. It requires putting out beyond the present wire so as to place the posts out of bombing distance.
B. Wire between ‘C’ & ‘R’ Lines.
1. The main wire is about 30 yards in front of ‘R’ trench & attached to stout wooden pickets. The wire is in fairly good condition but in places has been blown up by shell fire. The ground between the latter wire and ‘R’ line is full of shell holes and seems to have been laid with cross “trip” wire on short pickets but owing to shell fire this has been badly mangled, the broken places having been filled in with barbed concertinas. This wiring comes to within 4 yards of ‘R’ line.
2. From YUSSIF Tr to MG2 the wire is very thin.
Illustration
From MG2 the wire stretches to within 20 yards of YOUNG ST, and is old, straggling, fairly good and wide. The remainder is very poor. There are no definite gaps apparent. No concertinas or gooseberries were noticed.
N. Richardson
2nd Lt.
————————-

DECK. 27/11/16
REPORTS on Wire.
{ A. Forward of ‘C’ Line.

{B. Between ‘C’ and ‘R’ Line.

A. Forward of ‘C’ Line. In front of Left Front Co. the wire is very good; that of the Right Front Co. is not so good, but here there are stretches of entanglements and wire, old but forming effective obstacles over 100 yds into No Man’s Land.
(a) Right Front Co.
1. Patrol Report of 25/11/16. Place of exit was Left Advanced Post from YOUNG ST. “On our return journey we entered our wire about 50 yards West of the wire fence. The wire was chiefly French wire and little barbed wire was encountered. We struck the wire fence about 30 yards from its junction with ‘Z’ Hedge.”
2. Patrol Report 24/11/16. Place of exit was junction of YOUNG ST & ‘C’ LINE K.3.d.2.9. “The outer edge of our wire is about 100 yards from our parapet”—-“ We left our lines at K.3.d.2.9. and proceeded along the wooden fence which runs out in a N.E. direction. We went about 100 yards along this, the going was fairly easy and we walked all the way. The wire on the fence is still standing. On the left hand side of the fence, very little of our wire is left. On the right the wire is much broken but would form a difficult obstacle.
3. There is fairly good wire round the posts at the head of YUSSIF and also of YOUNG ST.
4. Between these two posts there has originally been a little wire but much of it has been blown away & does not afford much of an obstacle at all.
5. The wire at the YUSSIF post is within bombing range.

(b) Left Front Co. [from YUSSIF to SAP]
1. From YUSSIF to YUZ. – Good; 20 ft wide.
2. From YUZ to SAP – On the whole good; about 20 ft wide.
3. Opposite the end of YUZ: – V. Good indeed. Posts wired all round.

Page 3 of report is missing. Recommences at page 4.

B. (b) Contd
to stout wooden pickets. The wire is in fairly good condition, but in places has been blown up by shell fire.
2 The ground between the latter wire and ‘R’ LINE is full of shell holes and seems to have been laid with cross trip wire on short pickets.
But owing to shell fire this has been badly mangled, the broken places having been filled in with barbed concertinas.
This wire comes to within 4 yards of ‘R’ LINE.

N. Richardson
2nd Lt.
DECK.
——————————–
Notes on Maps in Possession.
1. About 30 57C NW Edition 4A. Achiet Le Grand.
2. About 30 57C SW “ “ Martinpuich
3. About 10 1/20,000 Puisieux
4. 1 Achiet.