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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/19521-8.txt b/19521-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bf212af --- /dev/null +++ b/19521-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3287 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters from France, by Isaac Alexander Mack + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Letters from France + +Author: Isaac Alexander Mack + +Release Date: October 10, 2006 [EBook #19521] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM FRANCE *** + + + + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + + + * * * * * + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | Inconsistent hyphenation and unusual spelling in the | + | original document has been preserved. The style used by the | + | author to record time is 6-0, rather than the modern 6:00. | + | | + | A number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected | + | in this text. For a complete list, please see the end of | + | this document. | + | | + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + +LETTERS FROM +FRANCE + + +WRITTEN BY + + +ISAAC ALEXANDER MACK +THE YOUNGER + + +LIEUTENANT OF THE +11TH SUFFOLK REGIMENT + +AND LATER + +CAPTAIN OF THE +101ST TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY + + +PRIVATELY PRINTED + + + + +LETTERS FROM FRANCE. + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Monday, January 10th, 1916. + +My darling Mother,-- + +This will probably be a long letter; I hope you will not get bored +with it. Please keep this letter and any that follow it, so that at +the end of the war I may perhaps achieve fame as the author of +"Drivellings of a young Officer at the Front." As I have not got used +to the routine out here I will describe all the last few days as they +strike me, because probably, when I have been out here a little, +everything will become such a matter of course that it will be +difficult to give you any idea of what our life is like unless I begin +with a good chapter one. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +"The young soldier's last day in England." + + +The last day or two was rather a rush. Thursday we frantically packed +valises and vainly attempted to reduce them to something near the +regulation 35lbs. At first one put in a wardrobe fit for Darius going +to conquer Greece, which, when put on the scale, gaily passed its +maximum of 55 pounds. Then out came slacks, shoes, scarves, all sorts +of things. The weighing was then repeated and further reductions +embarked upon, the final result being about 45 lbs. However, we packed +them up tight and they all passed all right. Friday was an awful day +spent in full marching field service order, inspections, and rumours +of absurd Divisional and Brigade operations, which were to take place +at night, although we were to rise at 4 a.m. to march to the station. +However, the operations were only for Company Commanders, and so we +were saved. + +In the afternoon we bought all the things we thought we had forgotten. +As everything was packed up a group of half-a-dozen of us assembled +round the anti-room fire to attempt to obtain a little sleep. I had a +chair and a great coat to go over me. The others slept on the floor +with table clothes and such like things. We kept a huge fire burning +all night, and, unfortunately, instead of going to sleep one could not +help looking into its red depths and seeing the pictures of men and +horses you always see in fires. Personally, I did not sleep at all, +only rested and dozed. At 3-0 a.m. a man came in and announced in a +stentorian voice, "The Corporal of the Guards' compliments to Captain +Seddon, and it is 3 o'clock." Appreciation of the fact from Captain +Seddon, who had been sleeping, in unprintable language which finally +resolved itself in a complaint that he had not been introduced to the +Corporal of the Guard and he failed to see why he should bear him a +grudge. + + At 3-30 we got up, + 4-0 a hasty breakfast, + 4-45 I began to go to the lines to fall in, + 4-46 I came back for my glasses, + 4-48 I return for my identity disc, + 4-50 I return again for my day's rations, + 5-0 I fall in a quarter of an hour late. + +At 5-15 we march off in the dark saying good-bye to those that remain +behind, and realising that at last our many months of training are +over, and we are soldiers at last, proud of the fact and beginning to +be proud of ourselves as we march down to the station. I was very much +struck by the great send-off given us by the women of the cottages we +passed who, despite the fact that they had seen thousands march out, +all turned out at that early hour, and from their doorsteps wished us +a very sincere and affecting God speed. At 7-0 we reach the station +and the train, uncertain from what port we sail, to what port we shall +go, and almost in entire ignorance of our destination, even the C.O. +knows nothing and our staff less. + +But in three or four hours we reach our port of embarkation and go +straight from train to boat, and are soon out in the Channel. Before +we sail all the men put on lifebelts, in accordance with orders, much +to the amusement of two or three blasé Canadian Officers returning to +the Front, who, however, are soon unable to take any further interest +in our proceedings, and seem from their earnest studies of the sea to +be trying indelibly to impress upon their brains a distinct +remembrance not of the ship but of the Channel itself. As soon as we +started we all went in to the cabin and lunched, I, attempting to fill +myself so full that the pitching of the ship in a choppy sea shall not +affect me. It was all of no avail. I paid three shillings for my +lunch, and discovered afterwards that I had not bought it, only hired +it for a short while. I was greatly relieved when the voyage was over +and we backed into our port of debarkation. + +There we had to fall in about half a mile from the landing place, and +Staff Colonels and Captains completely lost their heads trying to get +us to form up without telling us where to do so, or in what formation. +We did not know what we were to expect or what we should do for the +night. I expected to sleep on the ground and to eat cold +bully-beef--the remains of the rations we were carrying. It had been +impressed upon us by all the officers whom we had seen, who had +returned from the Front, that directly we arrived abroad all comfort +was gone, and that troops were rushed about here and there undergoing +frightful privations and fatigues, but not a bit of it. We marched up +about two miles to a rest camp, and arrived very tired to find a +beautiful dinner ready for us. Tents (two officers to a tent), beds, +spring mattresses, and as many blankets as we wanted. There we +received all sorts of orders and supplies. A day's ration, another gas +helmet (we already had one each), war rations (an emergency ration), +&c. The next day (Sunday) we marched down to the station to entrain, +marching off at 7-45. This was the only hard day we have had so far. +We had a tiring march to the station, carrying equipment weighing +about 60lbs.--an awful weight--we then waited at the station, and a +train came in with our transport on it, who had come over separately +by a different route, and spent four or five hours in the train, and +finally detrained at a very pretty village, where we could distinctly +hear the booming of the guns. There we waited for some time before +marching off, and were greeted with the sound of loud cheers from a +neighbouring field where the Artists were playing the H.A.C. at rugger +and were cheering their own sides. Then we set out, led by a French +guide, and marched about ten miles to reach our present abode. The +thing that struck me on the way was the flatness of the country, and +the roads, which were the typical roads one always sees in the +illustrated papers: long, straight and slightly raised, with avenues +of poplars along them all. The march was awful. The weight in my pack +almost dragged my shoulders off, and the men felt it terribly. +Finally, we arrived in the market place of the village near which we +are, and fell out on the grass immediately, only too glad to get our +packs off and rest, while the billeting officer led the Company +Commanders round and showed them where they were to be billeted. + +After an hour or so they returned and we marched off to our billets. +We are billeted in a sort of irregular ring round the village, with +Battalion Headquarters in a small chateau. We are in farms. Most farms +take anything from 50 to 100 men, and all the farms are similar. There +is a central square with a sort of depression in the centre, which is +covered with dirty straw and filthy water; all the rubbish is thrown +into it, and pigs, hens, and cows, wander at will all over it. I asked +the doctor this morning if it was not very unhealthy, but he said that +fortunately such places became septic filters. I think he said they +breed all sorts of bacteria and they have a squabble among themselves, +and by fighting against each other keep things all right. If the +Austrian and German bacteria would only do the same it would save a +lot of trouble. Round the cesspits are barns and pig-houses, &c. A lot +of barns. Instead of stacking hay and straw as we do they seem to put +it in barns. The men sleep in the barns; they snuggle down into the +straw and enjoy themselves thoroughly. They are just like kittens and +quite as happy, playing round and hiding themselves in the straw. We +set out for our billets, and were halted when we came to our farms. I +was in the rear when word was passed down that I was needed in front, +and I went up and found a small farm on the left and a big one on the +right. I was told my platoon would be in the little one and the rest +of the company in the big one, so I was sent in to tackle the owner, +who did not know a word of English, and to settle my men. I did my +best, my French is just good enough to make myself understood at a +pinch, and I am getting on. The farmer showed me round and I put the +men into two barns. Then I asked him "Avez-vous de l'eau a boire?" and +he replied "Mais oui." Then he showed me a pump. We then drew some +water to make tea in the company's travelling cooker. The +Quartermaster-Sergeant asked me to come and listen to it. About ten +yards off my nose told me where it was; it was filthy, so we had to +try elsewhere. + +The first night I slept very comfortably in an attic in the chateau +with Battalion Headquarters. Monsieur and his son and the old cook, +whose husband is a prisoner in Germany, still live in part of the +house, the other empty rooms we have, the Colonel having a toppingly +furnished room. Then we picniced quite happily the first night, +breakfasting off coffee and bully beef at about 10-0 the next morning. +The next day we spent in settling in and organising things. We are +about 24 miles from the firing line and sometimes hear the big guns +and see plenty of aeroplanes. Two Taubes flew over yesterday, were +shelled in the air, and chased away by our aeroplanes. + +It was arranged that we would collect most of our company together, +and officers sleep together, so I came down to this farm. We have +three-quarters of the Company here, my platoon in the farm I told you +about, and the others in the big farm. The officers, the Company +Commander and three subalterns have a room in the house, with big +windows opening out into the yard of the big farm. The room is on the +second storey. We have a large bed with a feather mattress, two of us +have the mattress on the floor, and very comfortable it is. We +censored our men's letters and so to bed. + +In the afternoon we went to the village and purchased eggs, candles, +bread, &c., and I scrambled the eggs for dinner and made chocolate, in +addition to our bully beef, which was stewed in the company's cooker +and made a very good stew. We then censored our men's letters and went +to bed. + +The letters seem most meagre affairs. All they said was that they were +writing to send their addresses. They were much as follows:-- + + My darling so and so,-- + + Hoping this finds you well as it leaves me well. I am writing to + send you my address. (Then follows an address hopelessly wrong, + and most of which I had to censor). We travel first-class here--in + bullock carts. (The men were put in vans in the train--you have + probably seen pictures of them labelled: Hommes 40, Chevals 8. I + would rather be one of the chevals myself; we had second-class + carriages--the officers). Please send me some fags. The people + here don't speak English. I can't put as many crosses in as I + would like as the officers have to read them. + + Much love, &c. + +This is not an actual letter, but a similar one to them all. + +Interruption. A knock came in "Monsieur il y a un soldat qui vous +demande" "Merci madame est-il dehas" "O oui Monsieur," Merci Madame. I +go and see. B Company Officers' valises have gone astray, &c. + +When we were finally in bed and almost asleep comes loud knocking. +Brown puts his head out of the window. "For the love of Heaven, come +and show us our billets." B and D Companies have just arrived a day +later than us and their guide is deficient in common sense. We are +quite old soldiers now and past such excitement; we could billet +ourselves in China if necessary. However, Brown goes to help. To-day +we rose early and breakfasted at 10-0 off bacon and eggs (fried by +me), bread and jam. We have a company orderly officer, and it is my +turn to-day, so I had to get up and put trousers, coat and boots over +my pyjamas and to mount a guard at 8 a.m. and to dress properly +afterwards. We have cold baths out of a hand basin and shave. One is +very particular about shaving and all small details. The men have to +be kept as smart as possible, and it is laid down that shaving is most +important. If left to themselves they soon grow long beards, long hair +and dirty clothes. All the morning we spent in cleaning up. We swept +out the yard. They hardly know themselves now. The farm has never been +so clean before. We built an incinerator to burn all our rubbish; we +organised a Company Store, a cobbler's shop, and we have a qualified +cobbler to do all our repairs. We organised our rations, and collected +remains to make stews for the men. Constructed scrapers for boots +outside each barn to keep them clean. At about 12-0 a.m. the doctor +and C.O. came round with me and inspected our billets and praised them +as the cleanest and best organised in the Battalion. + +This afternoon ammunition drill, &c., to smarten the men up. At 4-30 I +mounted our guard. Each lot of billets has its own guard; and we mount +them with all the pomp and ceremony a guard should have, so that our +guard mounting is really as impressive as that at Buckingham Palace, +and it keeps the men smart. Tea time, visitors from other companies; +afterwards the others go shopping. I am cook and mess president of our +little lot, and I give them a housekeeping list of what to purchase. +Then having nothing else to do I sit down and write the largest and +most drivelling letter I have ever written in my life, I call it No. +35. The next ought to be No. 135. Please tell me if it is too long. If +it bores you, censor it and pass it on. I hope it does not; tell me if +it does. Now:-- + +Cigarettes. Please give someone an order to send me 150 cigarettes a +week. I will send you a cheque for them any time. They may be either +Matinee, Abdulla No. 5 or No. 4. Sullivan, Savoy, Nestor, Pera, or any +similar brand. They might send vain attempts, but please get them to +send them regularly then and I will send a cheque. Letters will be +very welcome. Please give my love to all, and thank May again for her +cigarette case, it is awfully useful and much admired. Please ask her +to excuse a letter. Give Amy my love and thank her for her letter I +received a little time ago. Also, if you could let Auntie Effie see +this bit, or tell her I will try and write, I should be very pleased. +I am very happy, as you may gather, and it is the first real holiday I +have had for 14 months. We have a theory out here similar to Miss +----to wit, that there is no war. We have come to the conclusion that +the whole thing is engineered by Heath Robinson, Horatio Bottomley and +the Archbishop of Canterbury. Heath Robinson because he thinks humour +is decadent, Horatio Bottomley to advertise "John Bull," and the +Archbishop to cause a religious revival. How it is worked is as +follows:--Heath Robinson bought a chateau in Flanders and a Crimean +war gun. Then Churchill and the Kaiser came into the show. They bring +troops up to within 20 miles of Heath Robinson, who fires off his gun +every half hour. The troops are quite happy; if anyone grumbles they +are sent up to the trenches, where George Graves and Sarah Bernhardt +let off crackers. The battalion snipers are put in the opposite trench +and told to snipe the trench opposite them. Occasionally they hit a +man, and then there is a casualty list, and some General gets sent +home in disgrace. Gallipoli is another chateau near here. + +If you came out in pith helmets the corporation sand cart spreads sand +in front of you, and you are supposed to be in Egypt. To accomplish +The Great Practical Joke, Troops are trained to exercise their +imagination. They begin by being soldiers in blue, and imaginary +uniforms. Then they do arm drill and imagine they have rifles. Then +they do Brigade operations and have an imaginary enemy, get killed by +imaginary shells, shoot with imaginary rifles, fire imaginary +cartridges out of imaginary guns. In the end there is Heath Robinson +and his gun. I can't venture to read this letter over, and I am afraid +no one else will. But my imagination is now so good that I can almost +imagine my little Mother doing so, if no one else has the courage to +do so. + +Well the others have returned and common sense is returning, so I must +shut up. + +Good night, little Mother, and much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--I shall soon be home on leave as a lunatic. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Wednesday, January 12th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am beginning letter No. 2, so that, although you will not get it for +a few days, I may add to it occasionally and despatch it to you when +it reaches a decent length, and before it reaches the colossal and +iniquitous verbosity of my former screed--a monologue on the Great +European War. + +I finished letter 35 last night. To-day we again spent in improving +our billets. The sailor is always known as the handy man, but I doubt +if he would have a look in even with amateur Tommies like ourselves. +We made scrapers for each barn door out of nothing, mats to scrape our +boots on out of straw, roadways over muddy places out of brushwood and +tins, &c., and incinerators out of mud. We could easily make bricks +without straw. + +The G.O.C. inspected our billets this morning and complimented our +arrangements, and seemed highly pleased with them. The men are +extremely smart at present; the easy time and change of circumstances +seems to have returned to them all the original keenness we had rather +lost during our rather boring time during the last few months. + +We had our first shot fired in anger yesterday. A Taube flew over a +mile or two up and a long distance away, and a sentry, to show his +appreciation of its attentions, loosed off his rifle, much to his own +surprise and his neighbours. + +To-night I invented a new dish--an omelette made of scrambled eggs and +minced bully beef. It was very good. To-day we route marched, and +inspected gas helmets and ammunition this afternoon. To-night we are +making a savoury--it is still in the making. Its ingredients +are:--Cheese, butter, eggs, mustard, pepper, and a little brandy to +act as vinegar. It is a recipe of our own and I hope it turns out +well. + +To-night is a time of great excitement. A post has arrived--a letter +from you written last Thursday to Sutton Veney and from Father and one +from Win. Your parcel has not arrived yet. I did not get a tin box, as +we are not in Egypt. I have no new uniform. + +I am keeping the knife, fork and spoon. I am enclosing a 10s. note to +pay for it and the knife (slight pause). The savoury was good. +(P.S.--Later, note not enclosed.) Please tell Father he is very +generous, but I have plenty money, as Miss Jennie would say. I think I +must be awfully extravagant. I spend a lot of money, but I always seem +to have plenty. I generally buy good things and few. + +Can you send me a pound tin of solidified methylated spirits for +"Tommy's Cooker." (No substitutes.) Cost 1s. Yesterday I took a +fatigue party of 30 men over to a large town near here--(I wish I +could give you its name)--to unload stores for the division. We +marched there, and the men loaded and unloaded, while their officer +betook himself up to the town and purchased tinned fruit, potted meat, +&c., and executed all sorts of odd commissions for various people. + +I went and lunched at a French Cafe. I got a great shock, when I +entered, the outside, as it seemed a common eating house, but then I +went through the kitchen into another room, where there were two large +tables round which were seated English and French officers mixed, and +they brought us our food without one having to commit oneself too much +in French. We did not know what we were eating, but it was very good. +I had a Trinity Hall man on my right and a Caius man on my left, both +of whom knew several friends of mine. One of them was a captain, and +in his battalion was Kenneth Rudd, a great friend of mine at Jesus. + +We returned in waggons, big motor transport waggons. We finished +loading, and then I asked the A.S.C. officer which waggons to put my +men on, and he told us the empty ones in front. There were about seven +of them; they all go in a long train following each other, a few yards +between each one and the next. However, when we were nearly settled +the train moved off and left us behind, and I was then told that the +empty waggons were going in quite another direction. According I got +only one waggon and pushed the thirty men into it and rode in front +myself. We got stuck once or twice, and all had to help to pull it +out, and also had to help another waggon which was stuck; the road was +so narrow and muddy that we could not get it out, and so had to leave +it for the breakdown gang. + +At night we had a practice alarm and got all the men out with all +their kit packed, and the officers with their valises packed up, all +in 20 minutes. At 11-0 at night the men were all asleep, and it took +them completely by surprise, but I am afraid some of the officers +cheated and had most of their things ready beforehand. My platoon was +the quickest in the battalion--14 minutes, though they were rather +hastily dressed and sleepy. To-day we route marched, and are now +awaiting a battalion alarm, time unknown, where I know of at least one +officer who has cheated again. + +A new major, a regular, has just come to us--he is to command our +company. Any food would always be acceptable, especially good solid +cakes. + +I am afraid this letter is almost as long and almost as boring as the +last. I will close it to-morrow. Tell me if they are too long, and +please tell everyone that the post is the real excitement of the day. +Good-night, little Mother, sleep tight and go to bed early and don't +get a headache. God bless you. + +The new major is to be second in command of the Battalion, and Major +Morton is coming back to us. + +To-day being Sunday we had very little work to do, only inspection of +men to see if they were clean and shaved, of rifles, ammunition, gas +helmets, emergency rations, &c. + +I must close now, as I must go to bed. I will try and write +continuously, and send each letter off when it begins to get too +bulky. + +Good-night, Mother, and love to all. + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Monday, January 17th, 1916. + +My darling Mother,-- + +Chapter three now commences. It might be labelled "Reforms in the +Household." Major Morton, as I told you in the last letter, has +returned to our company. Before he returned we had one room for +officers, in which we slept, washed from one small basin, cooked, ate, +wrote and received our visitors. Now, we, Green, Parker and I sleep in +one room and Major Morton in another, and we eat in the family +kitchen, while two servants cook our food. To-day I arose with the +lark, which had unfortunately not been warned of my intentions, and so +failed to put in an appearance. Fuller, my servant, boiled me an egg +and made me some tea, which I ate at 7-0 o'clock, and then set out to +Divisional Headquarters to go on a one day's bombing course. We left +Headquarters in two motor 'buses and sailed along quite happily, as +peacefully as if we were in England, despite the fact that we were +some 15 miles or so from the firing line. On the way there we saw one +German aeroplane chased by four of our own, and I heard that they +finally had a battle near here, though I do not know the result. We +arrived there about 10 o'clock and spent the day bombing, throwing +live grenades, &c. We saw all the English bombs that are in use. I +knew most of what they told us before. They seemed a bit surprised at +what we knew; most divisions coming out have not done nearly as much +bombing--I have thrown about 20 live grenades myself already. Our +lunch we took with us. I had eggs, potted meat and marmalade +sandwiches I had made myself. We returned by 'bus, and had tea with D +Company on the way home. The men have just had tobacco served out to +them and are going to be paid to-day. It is very difficult to regulate +their pay, as they are paid in francs, and the rate of exchange makes +it difficult to pay them properly, especially as it changes from day +to day. + +I have just been conversing with Madame. I believe she thought I +understood her, as I tried to look intelligent and to make suitable +remarks at proper intervals. Really, I only understood a little of it. +To-day it is drizzling, and I must go and lecture my platoon on the +use of gas helmets. I have just received May's letter (Tuesday, +January 18th, to-day, I think). Please let me know when you receive +mine so that I can know how long they take to go. Some of the people +are very difficult to understand, as they talk half Flemish and half +French, at least many of the farmers do. We are about 24 miles from +where Arthur was in the firing line, and the big train, where I went +with a fatigue party, is the headquarters of my friend, the general, +whom I was with in 1912. I can't tell you more than that. It will be +an interesting little puzzle for you to solve. I will despatch this +letter now. It is rumoured that we shall see Joffre in a few days or +so, but it is probably not so. + +It seems very funny out here. We have no need to put our blinds down +at night, no trouble about lights on cars, while in London and +Cambridge one lives in inky blackness. The socks are very welcome. + + Much love, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--My letters are getting short, because they are sent off at short +intervals. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Wednesday, 19th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just received a very welcome letter from you. I append a list +of things I want and would be very grateful for at times:-- + + 1. Powdered milk. + 2. Tea cubes. + 3. One tablet coal tar soap (Wright's). + 4. Mixed soups. + 5. A warm pair of bedroom slippers. + +I did not enclose a note in my last letter, as I have only French +money. I will do so as soon as possible! + +As a week has gone, I can tell you we crossed Folkestone to Boulogne +and passed through Calais on the way here. I don't think I can tell +you any more. Perhaps you can understand my reference in the last +letter, if you cannot no one else can. + +Could you not get Finlay's to send cigarettes out of bond to me. Try, +at least, with a small quantity, and I will let you know if I receive +them--it is so much cheaper. I must have cigarettes, and Seddon says +his brother always received his all right. + +The weather has been beautifully fine, if slightly cold, the last week +or so. I do hope Father is getting better now, I was awfully sorry to +hear he has been ill. Now that we live in more luxurious +circumstances, Graves, Major Morton's servant, does our cooking. +Foster came to dinner in order to play bridge afterwards, and we had a +pleasant meal, consisting of soup, roast beef, and apple fritters, and +had a rubber or two afterwards. To-day we have done a few parades and +practised for the inspection. I told you about it in my last letter +and it is coming off to-morrow (Thursday). We paid out this morning; +we each have to pay our own platoons in francs and to sign lots of +documents, and to get the men to sign is rather a job. We marched out +to-day and the whole division was drawn up along the road two deep, +and we had to wait two or three hours in a piercing wind, with squalls +of rain and sleet, to be inspected. Then we were inspected by General +Joffre and Sir Douglas Haigh, who went slowly past in a car, followed +by 13 other cars. You must remember that the division would stretch +for 12 or 15 miles along the road. We returned a little time ago to +our billets and have just had tea. Some of the French papers have a +German official communique in them saying that the 34th Division has +been badly cut up. Well, the 34th Division is ours, and we have not +even seen a German yet, nor even come within miles of one, so they +must have been very clever. + +P.S.--I am starving for cigarettes, please get some sent out of bond. +I am sorry to ask for so many things and to cause you trouble, but I +hope you don't mind. Please give my especial love to the Aunts and +Aunt Polly and Francis if you get any opportunity, also Uncle Ted. +There was rather an amusing paragraph in the Cambridge evening paper +of January 14th about our departure. I think it is the "Cambridge +Daily News." You might like to write for it. Watch the first letters +of each sentence in my next letter on page 3. Yesterday I was +unfortunately slightly unwell and stayed in bed in the morning and got +up in the afternoon, and in the evening we had a brigade alarm and +were out from 7 till 12. I had only had six biscuits and some milk, so +I did not feel very strong. + +To-day being Saturday we have done little, and we bicycled into the +same huge town to make some purchases. Don't send me cigarettes unless +I write again for them, as I find I can get them cheaper from the +Officers' Canteen out here. I must close now as we move to-morrow a +few miles nearer the firing line and billet again, but we shall still +be rather safer than we were in England. Well, write again as soon as +possible. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., January 23rd, 1916. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just received a parcel from you; I might almost say _the_ +parcel. I never remembered ever having received a parcel which caused +me greater pleasure. I opened one end of it and took out each article +in turn and each article was simply delightful. It was really like an +unexpected Christmas, or a visit to the perfect grotto. There is only +one thing, mother, that you really must not do, it is simply spoiling +one as it is impossible to realise that one is supposed to be on +active service, when we are billeted in extremely comfortable billets, +and given all the luxuries one could possibly desire. I thought that +once we left England we should have to say good-bye to comfort, but +not a bit of it. I can say with perfect truth that nowhere in England +were we half so comfortable, or did have half so easy a time as here. +We sleep in absolute comfort and warmth, we are fed far better than in +any hotel outside London, and we are given just enough exercise to +keep us fit. Most people told us before we came out here that the +billets were not at all comfortable, and we expected to be in any old +cowshed. Our last billets were extremely comfortable and our new ones +are equally so. Rotten billets are usually only given to troops who +leave their billets untidy when they leave. Before we leave we are +always very careful to leave ours clean and so we get good ones. Early +this morning we moved our billets again and are now some 16 miles from +the firing line. Continuing from where I left off in my last letter. +Quite unexpectedly we had to move on Saturday night. Unfortunately +practice night alarms have been very frequent lately, and so we were +prepared to move quickly. Every other night last week, almost, we had +practices. We were warned that we were to be ready to move on Saturday +night any time after midnight, and, as a matter of fact, had two or +three hours to get our things ready. We went to bed and got the word +to move early this morning. We marched for about three hours and +arrived here in comfort in the morning, and found we only had one very +dirty and tumbledown farm for the company. Within about three hours we +had cleared every barn of old straw, clothes, boots, tins, &c., put +new straw in, and are now quite comfortable, the officers have a sort +of sitting room again, with one bed in it, two on the bed, two on the +mattress, and one on the floor, and I expect we shall be very +comfortable. As we did not seem to have any food for the officers the +farm people asked us if we would like some chickens. And we had soup, +the typical French pot-au-feu, which they keep on the fire and put all +scraps into it and which makes delicious soup, chickens, fruit salad, +and cafe noire, which all French people know how to make. To-morrow we +will spend in making the place like a palace. Don't send me any more +cigarettes. The ones I have just received will come in very handy as I +am short, but in future I can get them out here cheaper. + +Much love to all, and especially to you, Mother dear. + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., January 24th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +To-day we were expecting to get up late, parade this morning 9-30, +but, unfortunately, we were wakened at 7-0 o'clock and told to parade +at 8-0 for inspection by our Corps Commander, and spent the whole +morning standing still while we were inspected. It is extremely tiring +to stand still for half an hour or more, more tiring than marching for +hours. The rest of the day we spent cleaning up everything. Now we are +sleeping in three different rooms. In here two sleep, and we all eat +in another room, six feet by eight feet, three of us have our mattress +on the floor and one more in a small room by himself. Most of the +rooms lead out of the kitchen. In the kitchen most of the servants and +a few other men hob-nob with Madame and her buxom daughter, who are +Belgian refugees, and who are very agreeable and don't seem to mind us +over-running the whole place, and soldiers coming in to their kitchen, +where they live, in all stages of dishabile, to buy huge bowls of +coffee at 1d. each. The General this morning was a cheery untidy old +soul, who reviewed the troops in an old mackintosh and gum boots and a +day's beard, or I should think the result of a bad razor. He addressed +us afterwards in an oration full of split infinitives and mixed +metaphors, welcoming us to France for a few month's holiday. + +I perpetrated quite one of my best efforts to-night. I went into a +shop, where I hoped to get potted meat, and asked for "pâté en +bottine," which being interpreted is meat in boots, which was +unfortunate. Parker then entered another shop and asked "Je desire un +larabeau si vous l'avez," which means "I want a basin, if you have +one." But, unfortunately, the good lady thought he meant not "si vous +l'avez" if you have it, but "si you lavez" if you wash. I am afraid +that No. 36 was delayed, and so it arrived at the same time as No. 37, +I suppose. Read both very carefully together and you will perchance be +interested. To-day I had an inspiration. We could not get anywhere for +the men to bathe for the last week or two and this morning I was +desperate. I believe a lot of the little friends which are said to +dwell with the soldiers are due to troops in the same conditions not +having an inspiration and so starting badly. The idea was almost too +simple. I dug four holes in the ground and pegged a waterproof sheet +in it, and got four dixifuls of hot water, so that each section of my +platoon had a bath per platoon and water not quite cold. As there was +a gentle zephyr wind blowing and a nice warm sun it was very pleasing. +We have been having topping fine weather--hardly any rain so far. + + Good-night, Mother, + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F. + +My darling Mother, + +I hope you got my last letters all right and understood them. Since +writing them I have moved, but the battalion has not. Two of us and 71 +men are on a course in trench mortars. We have moved some 12 miles +further, and are, I think, about three miles from where Arthur was. We +came right up here in 'busses, and arrived here no one seemed to know +anything about us, so we had to forage round and get billets for our +men and then for ourselves. When all was settled, an officer came and +told us he had orders from his brigade to have these billets for a +battalion just coming out of the trenches, so we started off again, +and finally fixed the men up and in the end ourselves in an estaminet +(whisper it softly--a pub.) in a wee room with one large bed. We both +then slept on the bed and used the rest of the room for storing our +clothes in. The men were roused up in the night by a false alarm from +the trenches, but they did not disturb us. To-day we breakfasted at +9-0 and were lectured to in the morning and afternoon by an officer, +who came out of the trenches yesterday afternoon. This evening we went +to a fairly large town near here and had tea and dinner. At tea we +found a large major leaving the cafe and vainly looking for his cap. +At length he got the services of a waitress. "I've lost my cap" ("ton +chapeau?") "Call it what you like as long as you find it." He was +rather amusing. Dinner we had in the usual French cafe I have +described before, and returned home to bed. The other man has gone to +another estaminet and so I am sleeping alone. The house is on a slight +rise, so from my window at night I can see a huge circle with lights +going up every minute here and there--star shells, they quite light up +the room, then flashes and a boom. They have just been quite bad +tempered a few miles north of us and have been making a dickens of a +row. I think it is a nuisance that ought to be stopped, it must be +quite annoying to the people round. Now they are getting distinctly +unfriendly to the south for a little. It looks like a fifth of +November show, rather long drawn-out. + +Please excuse this writing, as I am lying down in bed. + + Good-night, little Mother, + Your loving Son, + ALEC. + + +I meant to send this letter off to-day, but I have not been able to. +This morning we breakfasted at the gentlemanly hour of 9-0 off +omelettes from the estaminet, bacon (a ration), coffee, marmalade and +bread and butter. We did a little work this morning, lunched off bread +and butter and marmalade and then a lecture, and then we went into the +town for tea and dinner. They have a very nice cafe place here--a +private house. Madam's husband is a prisoner, and her husband told her +to be "gaie," so she runs a cafe and enjoys herself. We had a very +good tea; they have some very nice cakes called gauffes (I don't quite +know how to spell it), like sweet pancakes, and afterwards a bath. The +division has some baths. There is a starch factory--I think it is--and +there are some large sort of square vats in it. They are used as baths +for officers; they have three big vats, one very big, and they are as +hot as you like, and are 8 feet by 4 by 4 feet deep, and you can have +a topping bath in them--you can just swim a stroke or two. Then +afterwards we had a cold plunge in a very big one. It was simply +delicious and cost us nothing. One of the best baths I have ever had. +I had one bath to myself and Bill Fiddian the other. Then we went to +dinner and enjoyed ourselves muchly. Soup, veal, chicken, coffee, all +for 3/9 or rather five francs--a franc equals about 9d now, as English +credit is very good--and then home to bed. + +To-night the machine guns seem rather busy. I have just heard one let +off a few hundred rounds, but I don't think one round in a thousand +hits a man. There is one busy popping off now. It is funny being a +sort of spectator. Things are pretty quiet really at present, as I saw +in a captured German letter from a German soldier to his mother. "In +the spring the curtain will rise"--I wonder who will pull the string. +They are noisy to-night, a lot of waste of ammunition, both rifle and +machine guns going on. It is a calm night so the noise carried. + +Well, good-night, Mother, + + Much love to all, + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +There they go: rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat, a machine gun. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Saturday, January 29th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +Do you send any of my letters on to Winnie? or anybody? After work +to-day we went into the town to have tea. After tea we met some of our +men and gave them some pay, pro. tem., as they have had no pay for two +weeks or so and were broke. Then I bought a Pearson's magazine (price +1s.) and we started for home and got a lift on a 3-ton A.S.C. lorry, +from which I dropped the magazine, unfortunately. I am billeted in an +estaminet by myself, and Bill Fiddian is with two other officers on +the same course in another estaminet in a large room with three beds, +out of which all the bedrooms open. Grandma groans in one small room, +Monsieur and Madame and about two dozen others in another small room +and two officers in two other small rooms. Grandma has just gone to +bed; she has attained to the small total of 97 years and seems able to +look after herself. We have just been having a long talk with Madame, +who brought us up our dinner, an omelette and coffee. We have been +reading and talking, and on Monday we shall return to the battalion. +The big candle you sent me is topping and is lasting for hours. The +guns are at it again--they have been busy all day. The Germans were +here once, but they are not here now. Since coming out here I have +come to be very proud of the battalion. I have seen no battalion with +their physique and few with their discipline. They sing a song about +the Suffolk boys being respected wherever they go, and I think they +are. In comparing them with other men, I have been struck, and so have +others, with how fair they are. Most of them have very fair hair, +often gold, and fair rosy cheeks. They seem a very Saxon type. I have +been wondering whether they are descendents of the Danes and Saxons, +who took refuge in the fens in Norman times, a memory of Hereward the +Wake. The fen men have always been a separate race; they must have +very little Norman blood in their veins. They have the Saxon stolidity +also. I am very glad I am not in a town battalion like the +Northumberlands and such regiments. They are not nearly so easy to +control or so well disciplined, and I am pleased to discern to-day +that our men seem much quicker in picking up new ideas, despite the +fact that they are not so educated. Well, I am afraid all this is very +boring. But, as I have suddenly developed into a writer of letters, I +must write either just what comes into my head or nothing at all. It +seems funny this long, stretching line of trenches, always busy even +in the quietest of times. By daytime guns and shells; by night, bombs, +flares, searchlights and machine guns. And a few miles behind it as we +are, perfectly safe as if there was no such thing as war, with only +the faint noises one notices, now faintly, now clearly, as the wind +varies to remind one of the struggle going on. It seems funny to lie +in a comfortable bed and watch it all through the window as on a +stage. Noises off. + +Please send me big candles when you send a parcel. This one is lasting +beautifully. Yesterday (Sunday) we fired off the mortar in the +morning, and in the afternoon went into the town for dinner. I wanted +to go to a Catholic Church in the evening to see what it is like, +because, of course, there are no Protestant Churches here. + +This afternoon we went to the Theatre of the Division we are attached +to. They have a cinematograph and a band, orchestra and concert party, +all composed of Tommies. They are at present in what I think must be +part of a disused factory, and it was a very good show. I went and one +of the other officers on the course, and two of the officers whose +battalion we are attached to. Then we had dinner with them in their +company mess, and a jolly good dinner, too, and after we talked. It +was very interesting, as they have been out over six months +continually, and not lost a single officer I think. They had some very +amusing yarns. I will tell you sometime. + +When I returned to my billet I had an awful business. It was one of +the blackest nights I have ever seen. I have never before remembered a +night, when you literally could not see your hand six inches before +your nose. Last night you could not--I tried. Also the darkness was +misty as well, it simply got up and hit you in the face. I started +back once--it quite seemed as if someone was striking a blow. + +To-day we did one of the most curious and typical things of modern +warfare. At 10-30 we went out for a walk--five of us--and our +destination was the trenches, just for a few hours' joy ride. We +walked about five miles along the road, and then about a mile across +open fields. The last mile, of course, was within rifle range of the +German trenches, but they could not see you, except from observation +posts, and if they could we were too far off to make the shot easy +enough to make it worth trying. The only disturbing thing was the +behaviour of our own artillery, who suddenly let off a gun, only a few +yards from the road on which we were walking, and made a horrid row. +The curious thing about this trench warfare is that a trench is such a +small thing to hit that the German and our own artillery have given up +trying to do any real damage, but they have come to a sort of +agreement to keep their faces up and to impress upon the infantry in +the trenches that there is some reason for an artilleryman being paid +more than the infantry. Accordingly, they plant their wretched guns +near a road, and when anyone goes along it they let off a round just +to see him jump. The shell probably falls in Holland or in our own +lines. Anyway, it does no damage, and the artillery enjoy their little +joke all right. It has become almost second nature with them. Of +course, the new batteries take some training--they lack humour. One +battery let one Brigadier-General, one Colonel and a transport mule go +past and each time forgot about loosing off a round. At the end of the +cross country jaunt we came across the beginning of the works of the +Cave-men. You may have seen some in England--they disguise themselves +as earth and then dig long narrow holes and live in them. The Cave-men +are strange creatures. We went up one of then funny long narrow +burrows, and occasionally they let off a funny toy which cracked +overhead. At length we came to the real caves where these men live. I +noticed that they were very vain men and were continually looking into +a sort of box thing, with a glass at the end, and admiring themselves +therein, and then so intoxicated were they with the sight that they +would put a stick to their shoulder and break forth into smoke and +flame. The name of this people is the Tribe of Tommizi. + + +And I noticed their gods visited them. Speckless mortals, clothed in +fine linen, wearing turbans or caps, as they call them, trimmed with +red and gold, and so appalling was their aspect that the Cave-men +were, as it were, turned to stone, and stood with their hand to their +hats as if to guard against a blow, or to ward off the evil eye. And +behold, a terrible dragon screamed across the sky, shouting out with +hate and roaring as the thunder, and fell and burst itself asunder, +and I fled, and the Cave-men laughed, for their gods in red were there +and they feared not. I expect the above gives you a good picture of +trench life. It is as given me by a friend of mine who visited these +men--my own experiences were different. + +My own experiences I will call "An Idyll of Spring" in blank verse, +without the blanks and without the verse, and will be continued in our +next. + +We wandered up the communication trench and nosed all along the firing +line, only 50 yards from the German trench--I thought it was topping. +I had a good look, with a periscope, while a sniper vainly tried to +hit it, and its owner became nervous of losing it. I enjoyed my visit +very much. Wednesday: The Brigade Major came to see me, and told me +that I am to command the Brigade Trench Mortar Battery, so I am now +one of the working members of the Brigade Staff, though I don't wear a +red hat. I was very pleased. He took me back to Brigade Headquarters +for tea and dinner and I had a very good time. But, unfortunately, I +had to come home in the dark. All the roads round here have ditches on +either side. It was pitch dark, I did not know the road, and it was +too dark to see the turnings oft. I missed my way and went miles. I +hated it. I don't mind a German, but I don't like the dark. Thursday: +We amused ourselves, and at 3-0 I went to see the Brigade Major of the +Brigade, to which we were attached for instruction, and he sent us to +the reserve billets, within a mile or so from the firing line, which +they have a stupid habit of shelling. It keeps waking you up in the +night. Then this morning we marched off and got two 'busses back to +the place we were in two weeks ago, after our first move, well back +about ten miles or so, to train the battery. It is a topping little +village on a slight hill, and we have topping billets. Fiddian is with +me at present. We have a room each, a feather bed with clean sheets +and a nice little sitting room. The men are in a topping loft with +plenty of straw and seem very happy. We are going to dinner with the +Colonel of the 16th Royal Scots. I command the battery and have the +powers of a Battalion Commander. I am absolutely on my own, no Company +Commander, no Battalion Commander, only the Brigade can give me +orders. Fiddian is second in command. We have four gun detachments. I +hope the war goes on for ever as far as myself is concerned; at +present I like it all, even including the trenches. + +Much love to all, Mother dear, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + +P.S.--I have just received your letter dated January 30th. The reason +some of my letters are dated differently inside from out is that I +begin writing a new letter directly the old one goes off and they take +some days to write, and also posting is often delayed. I am very busy +organising the battery at present, and have a lot of work to do. I +have just got my guns (4) to-night. The first place we were in was +near St. Omer, and it was there we went to shop. I am allowed to tell +you now--it is some time since we left there. + +Please send me my Sam Browne belt as soon as possible. I am awfully +sorry to hear that Father has been ill. Please give him my very best +love as always, and tell him I do not write to him separately as my +letters are always family affairs, and I cannot write more than one. +Does anyone else see my letters? If you see the Aunts please give them +my very best love too. Please thank Auntie Agnes for writing me such +an interesting letter. It was awfully nice of her to write, and I will +try to answer it. She asked if she could do anything for me--well, I +don't want to trouble her, but if she really would like to, a cake +sent any time she is making them would be very acceptable. You can get +no cakes out here. Also I should like you to take my letters to the +Aunts and Uncle Ted any time you go to see them, and read them any +bits that may interest them. You have no idea, but I know you have, +how I appreciate letters, especially the topping long one I have just +received from you. My letters are very much delayed at present as I am +detached from the battalion and being moved about. I have little time +to complete letters before there is more news to tell. + +Good-night, little Mother, give them all a good-night kiss from me. I +hope Charlie is fit and well. + + Much love to all, + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Monday, February 7th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I think my budget must be growing fast. Yesterday I spent in +organising my battery. I got some green and white paint from the +A.S.C. and painted all my guns, so that they look beautiful now. Most +of my time nowadays I spend in trying to get money for myself and for +my men, rifle oil, baths, boots mended, equipment for guns, and all +sorts of things. This morning I took the whole battery in battery +drill. Most of it's composed by myself, as there isn't a drill book +for trench mortar batteries. It is very interesting, as I have to +think out all my own tactics, and organisation. On every other, +infantry or cavalry or artillery, there are thousands of War Office +books, so that one needs to think very little for oneself. + +We are just having dinner, Fiddian, Carroll, who is my second in +command, and myself--quite a nice dinner--while our servants make +merry in the kitchen. The house where I am billeted is owned by a +topping old man. Whenever I pass through their kitchen they all get up +and monsieur says: "Bon jour Monsieur L'Officier." He is a time-served +French soldier, and works in a big wood just near here. We had a +Taube--A German aeroplane--over here this morning. It dropped one +bomb, which did not go off, a few hundred yards from here. I did not +hear about it till afterwards. The battalion has just returned to-day +from the trenches for a week or so before we return to them to take +over part of the line. Where we are going is, I believe, a fairly nice +peaceful spot. I shall try and stir them up if I have half a chance. +What happens in trenches is: that if the Germans get nasty and shell +us, or send a few bombs from trench mortars, we try to make ourselves +nastier still and send over twice as many. Then the Germans get +nastier still, till both sides have got thoroughly bad tempered at +having their parapets spoiled and trenches messed about. Then it +gradually wears out. And as the Germans are using bad ammunition at +present they go to bed or wander off to get a drink, and we soon do +the same. I have just seen Brown. He says he was going up to the +trenches in rather a nervous state of mind when the Officer Commanding +the trenches into which we were going for instruction met him, told +him his sergeant-major, would look after our men and took him to have +a wash and then to have dinner in mess. They had soup, meat, sweet and +savoury, all to the strains of a gramophone. Not bad for the +much-abused trenches. The battalion was in about a week and lost +nobody. This morning we were to be inspected by our Divisional +General. But he spent so much time talking to the battalion that he +was unable to see us. He says he is going to save every life he can in +his division. He is going to improve any trenches we go into, to make +them absolutely safe, and so on. He is a fine man. He was in command +of a brigade at the beginning of the war, and saved his own brigade by +his calmness and bravery. + +Tell May there is nothing I like so much as long letters, otherwise I +should not write such appalling long screeds about nothing at all. + +I am going out to-night to mess with "D" Company of one of the Scots +Battalion. Now I am attached to Brigade Headquarters I see quite a lot +of Captain Creig, who is on it you know. He sometimes gives me news of +Uncle Fred. + +I have just received a letter from May and one from Father. They have +been delayed, as I am away from the battalion. Remember that you can +say anything you like in your letters, as they are not censored at +all. I very rarely see a paper, so any news is valuable, especially +about such things as the last Zeppelin raid, &c. Please send me also +my slacks and shoes, and the Sam Brown belt as soon as possible. I +will enclose a cheque for all I owe you in this letter; I hope it will +cover it all. One of the Scots, Kitton, a friend of mine, came in to +dinner last night with us, Carroll and myself, or rather it was Bill +Fiddian and myself. Carroll was out. + +Yesterday we spent in the usual way. I went to dinner in the evening +with "D" Company of the Scots, and had a very pleasant time. +Unfortunately, after dinner, I went to see Major Warden, of the Scots, +and, instead of going into his room, I stalked into Madame's bedroom, +and fled precipitately. This morning I took the men down, and we had a +bath in some temporary baths the R.E.'s have rigged up. I received a +very nice parcel from you to-day (Thursday) containing a cake, +powdered milk, tea, &c. It was very welcome. It had been delayed with +the battalion. I went along to the battalion and saw several of the +officers to-night. I was very glad to see them. Good-night, little +Mother, I am going to bed. Whenever it is raining you can be quite +certain that we are being inspected by some big General. It has been +pouring all this morning because we were being inspected by Lord +Kitchener. We have just returned and had lunch and changed, and I am +now spending a quiet afternoon, hoping that some of the battalion will +come in to tea with us. + +The Colonel is in command of the Brigade, as our new Brigadier is away +on leave. Our Brigadier, General Fitton, was, as you may have seen in +the casualty lists, the first casualty in the Division. He was killed +by a stray bullet during a visit to the trenches. We are all extremely +sorry to lose him; he was such a priceless old man, although he made +us work. It was extremely bad luck for him. + +I will finish this letter now, as I am just sending off a batch of my +men's letters, which I have just finished censoring. + +Much love to all-- + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Sunday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just returned from taking the men to have a hot bath in some +baths the Engineers have rigged up. You asked about our padré. He is +at present at the base; he has been very ill for a little time, and we +have no padré at present. Yesterday afternoon I went down to see "C" +Company, and, whilst I was in a farm talking to Gillson, a Fokker came +and dropped two bombs a few hundred yards away. They did no damage as +they exploded in the middle of a large field. I am sorry that I have +not sent this letter before, but I have been rather busy lately, not +only with work, but with social business. Last night I had dinner with +the A.S.C., and the night before with Major Warder, of the Scots, and +the Signalling Officer of the Brigade had dinner with us. You will be +surprised at the menu:--Soup, lobster, roast beef and fried potatoes, +chocolate blancmange, welsh rarebit, coffee. Quite good for France. +Fuller, my servant, cooks for us, and he is turning out a genius as a +cook; he cooks toppingly. We have rather to try and make ourselves +pleasant to other people, when we are an independent unit, they can do +so much for us. A captain of the A.S.C. took me into the town I have +often mentioned before--20 miles from here. I wanted to buy a +gramophone, a lot of people have them in the dug-out. I am thinking of +getting one. Will you ask May to get me two catalogues, one of Decca +gramophones and one of Master's Voice. If I go on like this I expect +you will all be coming out here for a holiday. We fired off our guns +the other night and the Colonel in command of the R.E.'s came to see +us fire. I asked him to dinner, but he could not come. + +I cannot write a long letter, but will write again soon. To-morrow we +go towards the trenches and will be in them in a day or so. Much love +to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + B.E.F. + +This letter is in two parts--this is No. 1. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have another letter half written to you, but the tablet it was +written on is left at my billet, and, as I rather forgot where I left +off, I hope I will not leave a gap. To-day is Monday, 22nd. As you +know, or will know when I finish the other letter, Friday and Saturday +we moved, and rather marched up, billeting Friday night and on +Saturday night--I won't go into details. On the march we saw an +aeroplane being shelled--a very pretty sight--white puffs of smoke +bursting all round it; one bit of shrapnel fell quite near us and made +one of the brigade sergeants quite excited. I am writing this in +comfort in bed in my dug-out, though my eyes keep trying to close; I +am a bit tired, but I shall get a good night's sleep, I hope. It is +now nearly eleven. On Sunday morning I came up early to prospect round +the trenches, and to take over from the battery we were relieving. I +prospected and then returned back to bring the battery up. + +To get to the trenches we go first along the road up to a deserted +village the Germans shell when they have nothing better to do. They +were shelling it when I came out in the morning. I have often heard +shells described as sounding like express trains coming through the +air. They are almost as difficult to describe as the noise of the +bullet. It's a far quicker noise than an express train. It sounds like +a taxi going at about a hundred miles an hour and then bursting; a +bullet sounds like someone cracking a very loud whip just in your ear, +and a bit noisier than that when it is close to you. A machine +gun--there is one going now--sounds like a very noisy motor bike, +exactly like one, shells and bullets both whistle as well as they are +going on. Well, I must get on, I brought my men in in the afternoon. +After you get to the deserted village, you start up the communication +trench, twisting and turning for about 1,000 yards, you pass the +second line, and so on up to the firing line. The trenches we are in +are rather wet, but quite pleasant. Directly we arrived in I found +dug-outs for the men and myself, or rather pinched them, and put my +guns in position. I will carry on to-morrow, I hope; till then, +good-night. It's to-morrow now, and nearly the day after; in fact, it +is the day after. You will be glad to know that the trench mortar man +is the only one who gets a chance to sleep in the trenches; that is, +to have a decent sleep. This morning I got up at 11-0, when my servant +got me tea and a fire. Here is a plan of my dug-out:-- + +[Illustration] + +It is quite a comfortable place, but rather cold now the brazier is +out. I will describe it. The whole is made of wood with a wooden +floor, just like our hut, only a smaller edition. It is about five +feet six inches high, and stands on the ground level in the firing +line, earth piled on top and all round it. The bed is made, I don't +quite know how, but it is wood with canvas stretched across it, like a +sort of hammock, and I have my valise, sleeping bag, blanket, fur +coat, &c. I sleep in everything except tunic and boots. The pictures +are post cards. It is lighted by your candle. It has been snowing the +last two days and everything is cased with snow. I mess with "D" +Company of the Scots--we have quite a nice dug-out. + +The first night I arrived I climbed over the parapet with another +officer to examine our wire. It has to be repaired every night. The +German trenches are about 70 yards away in some places and as much as +400 in others. It is rather exciting wandering about in front of the +line, as lights go up every now and then and show a bright white light +in the air for a minute or two like a rocket. When one goes up you +fall flat and pretend you are a sandbag or a milk-can or a rat. You +may meet Fritz on the same job sometimes; I always have a bomb handy +to give him a brotherly welcome. + +Well, I arose at 11-0, washed myself, and messed about, sent down for +rations and sandbags, &c. The German artillery is just firing, or +perhaps it is our own. You hear a bang and then a buzz over your head +a long way up. They are probably firing at something a good way back. +Rather bad form to fire at night time, I think; I hope no one sends +for me to do a little straffing. Having arisen at the early hour I +mentioned I nosed round and noticed some of the wretched Germans were +having the cheek to work by day time, throwing earth out of their +trenches. You could see on the snow on the parapet, so I sent them +four rounds with my compliments and they then saw their mistake and +stopped. I then watched their return of compliments with a battery of +field guns; they were quite cruel to a small bush a hundred yards +behind our line. I thought it rather a funny object to vent their +spleen on. Yesterday I inspected the whole of the brigade trenches to +see where I could make myself unpleasant to Fritz, and to-day we +started making a beautiful emplacement in the salient. I messed as a +visitor with "B" Company to-night, and so to bed. To-day it is +Thursday, I think. Yesterday I had a very exciting day, rather too +exciting in parts. I got up at 8-30 in time for breakfast, and went +down to see the second in command of the Scots, and stayed at +headquarters for lunch. In the afternoon we worked on another +emplacement and got it nearly finished. We have to be continually +working on the trenches--that is, the Infantry have to. My men do some +work every day making emplacements, as those already in the trench do +not come up to my standard at all, and we need a lot more to move the +guns about. The life is either rather too exciting or ideal. It is +usually a sort of picnic; at least, for the battery. We can't do any +firing as I have not got my own ammunition at present. The men get up +at any old time, they brew tea most of the day. In the morning they +don't do much. Then they cook their dinner. In the afternoon they work +on emplacements and some go down for rations; they have to carry it +all a mile or two, and it takes a long time, mostly through trenches. +Then they brew tea again. At night one is always on duty as a sentry +over the guns. In the ordinary course of events their life and mine is +just a picnic. Well, yesterday after lunch we worked, and then I had +tea with the company I mess with, after which, at about 6-30, Kitton +and I started out. By the way, the men all have to stand to arms for +an hour or more at dawn and dusk. After stand-to in the morning, they +get rum. I think I am the only man in the trenches who does not +stand-to. Kitton and I went to see the Brigade Major, and they made us +stay for dinner; we did not want to, as headquarters mess are all nice +and clean and we were simply filthy, I had not shaved and was filthy +dirty. I will tell you what I wear. Starting at the extremities:--Long +pair of gum boots--they are an Army issue, and come up to the thighs, +one pair socks, trousers (more intimate details censored), sweater, +tunic, fur coat, what skin I don't know, it is something like squirrel +in colour, grey--also an Army issue; and either a waterproof cape, +coming down to the calves, Army issue (free) or my Thresher and +Glenny. + +After dinner, and a talk with the Brigade Major about instructions, +&c., for the battery, we set off down the road back to the trenches. +When we got to the village you can either go up the communication +trench or miss the first 500 yards or so of it and go up the road +taking your chance of machine guns. Being rather late we chose the +road. But, unfortunately, we had not gone 200 yards up it when +tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut (say that as fast as you can and then say it +faster and get father to sneeze it) a wretched machine gun got right +on to the road. With our usual politeness we gave the road up to +someone who seemed to want it more than ourselves, and dived into some +R.E. stores at the side, while the wretched gun went on for 2 minutes, +the bullets ricocheting off the road and ripping into the wood in +which we were hiding. The only thing you could see of me were: (1) +That upon which I sit down, and (2) my legs. I didn't mind about them, +as a wound in them would only have meant a few months leave. At last +the thing stopped, and we, strange to say, returned to the village and +went along to the communication trench when plop, bang, smash (four +sneezes from father, the new housemaid dropping the dinner tray and +the chapel-keeper dropping the plate, will give you some idea--get +them to try), four shells fell 50 yards away on our left. We were then +halted by a sentry, one of my own battalion. Meanwhile, I saw the +whole sky lit up as all our heavy guns were letting themselves go a +bit; I suppose they knew the machine guns had been unkind to us and +were trying to show their sympathy. The sentry challenged, I replied +with our names and ranks. He glibly replied "Pass friends, all's +well." As we were passing him to go to the C.T. (communication trench) +I noticed something funny about his face, so I asked him what was the +matter with it. He answered that he was wearing a gas helmet. I asked +him if it was for amusement, or because he thought his face would +frighten the passers-by. He answered that there was a gas attack on. +Then an infernal din broke out, artillery, rifles, machine guns, &c., +Very lights. I can tell you we got our helmets on pretty slick. Of +course, Kitty (that's Kitton) had forgotten his (he's getting the +other battery in the brigade, a Scot--a topping chap), but as I had +two I lent him one of mine, keeping the prettiest, a blue and white +striped one, for myself. Then we proceeded up the C.T. Well, you have +never worn a gas helmet. It smells like ten hospitals and nearly +suffocates you. I could not breathe out of mine at first and the +windows got misty, but it got all right soon. You can imagine what it +was like, nearly suffocated, hardly able to see or hear, and +slithering about in army rubber boots on the ice in the bottom of the +C.T., catching my cloak in everything, never knowing who was coming +towards us, whether it was a fat, greasy Fritz or what it was, not +having the faintest idea what was happening in the front and the +firing line we were making for, unarmed except for the moral effect +our gas helmets would create by their hideousness. + +However, I soon managed to breathe out and to see a bit. Then I +noticed the position of the Very lights and saw we still held the +front line, so we felt reassured, especially as we could hear the +topping sound of our own shells whizzing over our heads, about the +most comforting sound I have ever heard. When we came to Battalion +Headquarters we found that the gas was off and gladly took off our +helmets and tried to push on to the firing line. But we had awful +difficulty, as about 800 men, who had been in working parties working +on the trenches, were coming down, and the whole way up the C.T. we +were sniped and shelled, the shells bursting all round us within a few +yards, but, thank goodness, none going into the trench. The men coming +down seemed to think the end of the world had come were almost on +their hands and knees. We tried to encourage them a bit, but they did +not like to stand up, though they were not likely to be hit unless a +shell came into the trench. At length we arrived at the safety of the +firing line; really it is quite the safest place unless you are +several miles back. They practically never shell the trenches unless +there is an attack coming off, because they can do so little damage +without shooting off hundreds of rounds. In the firing line we found +things quieted down, no attack being made against us and things +generally normal. The alarm had come from our right. There was an +attack away up North, and probably the alarm had been passed right +down the line. I think we were successful in the attack I mention. At +about 3-0 a.m. I got to bed. + +I arose this morning at about 11-0. Fuller fried my breakfast on the +brazier and I had it in bed. Then I washed my feet, rubbed them with +anti-frost bite, had a good wash and shave, brushed my teeth and hair +and went to lunch feeling very fit. + +Had tea this afternoon at our Battalion Headquarters and am now going +to bed at 1-10 a.m., having been scrawling this rubbish for about an +hour; breakfast in bed in the morning, I think. + +I am afraid this letter has been a long time coming, but somehow I +always seem to have something to do. There are two noises I can hear +now, one the squeak of a rat, but I know he won't come in (at least, I +hope not), and two, the crack of a sniper's bullet, which I know has +no chance of coming in. As the papers would say, "Situation normal on +the Western Front." We get absolutely no news, you know more of what +is going on in France than I do. We heard that the division on our +right were in action the other night, but, although it was four nights +ago, we don't know whether it is true. + +Father's and May's letters to hand, for which many thanks. Father +gives me a lot of news. I had not heard of the fall of the place he +speaks of, I suppose the Russians took it--good work. I do hope Lovel +comes home, don't tell him too much of what I say about the artillery. + +There are two things of which we absolutely cannot get too much--1, +candles; 2, cake. I have about one and a half of ordinary candles a +day. + +Much love to all, + + From your sleepy and loquacious Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--Don't believe all I say. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I received yesterday a letter from you and one from Win. I am sorry to +hear you had not heard from me for some time. How long was it? as I +have never been a week yet without sending off a letter. Only once has +there been more than five or six days between letters. My last was +sent off on Friday night and the previous one the Friday before. By +the time you receive this you will be glad to know that I am out of +the trenches (D.V.) for 16 days, and shall have a nice rest. Yesterday +we fired some ranging shots and were unsuccessful, as there was a +strong head wind. I was firing obliquely thus: + +[Illustration] + +and the first shot got blown right back into our wire and put me in a +fearful funk. To-day I had my usual breakfast at 10-0 in bed, washed, +shaved, and then went along to see "A" Company Commander to arrange +about firing. On the way to his headquarters I saw a captain of the +R.H.A., and found out he had come to be in command of a heavy trench +mortar battery in our brigade. While talking, he mentioned the name of +a man's father whom I knew at Jesus, and then I found out he had been +at Jesus; he was in his third year when I was in my first, I had met +him and knew his name well and he knew mine. I was extremely pleased +to have him in the brigade. This afternoon a major in command asked me +to get on to a dug-out in the German lines, the roof of which was +showing over the parapet and from where a sniper had killed one of his +men. I did so. We fired four shots, all landed in the trench, the +fourth blowing up the dug-out. That sniper snipes no more. The +infantry were awfully bucked and several men have spoken to me as I +wander along the trenches about our good shooting. It was a long-range +and there was a difficult wind. I was very pleased. The Germans +retaliated with mortars, but fell short of our front line. Then I went +and had tea, having done a good day's work. To-night the company I +mess with kindly invited Lloyd-Barrow, the Jesus man, to dinner, and I +am just going to bed now. I will send this letter off to-morrow night +when we arrive in billets. I am afraid that it is rather short, but +one has very little time on one's hands in the trenches, I find. + +Yesterday we came out of the trenches. In the morning I got up early +and was cleaned for the fray at 10-0 o'clock when with his and I with +my guns we played havoc for an hour or so. The men were very pleased +when I removed what they declared to be a cookhouse. This war becomes +quite incomprehensible to you once you have seen the real thing; no +tactics, no strategy, just men turned moles. I believe in time we +should become sort of Cave-men; our eyes would have developed into +sorts of periscopes, our feet would have become web-footed to help us +to stand up on wet duck boards; there would be a new type of man. As +it is, it is quite haphazard and pointless. Just somebody makes +himself disagreeable when he has nothing better to do. It is so +difficult to hurt anyone actually in trenches; I think a mortar is the +only thing that can do so. With dozens of shells sent over in the last +ten days or so (40 yesterday morning) there has not been a single man +in the brigade wounded by shell fire, and rifles and machine guns are +the same. The casualties occur only in a push when one goes over the +parapet, and that is not war, only a big field day. I was talking to a +sergeant-major who had been through Neuve Chapelle, and said that it +was just like a field day in Salisbury Plain, men marching in fours in +all sorts of formations. His battalion halted after a little, ate its +lunch, and then went on, got a bit too far forward, returned and dug +themselves in, and trenches again. It is a hole and corner affair. We +were all very cheered yesterday morning by the official news of the +French successes at Verdun, and we all got obstreperous and terrorised +poor Fritz. The men say they infinitely prefer the front line trenches +to training at home. They have more comfortable sleeping +accommodation, better food and less work. I like it better myself. +Then what seems funny is to come out of the trenches and to be in +perfect safety two and three miles back. I went on a course to-day; +demonstration in mortars. + +We are billeted in a topping farm, and I have a huge great room with a +big bed and a fire. They are nice clean people in the farm. The men +have a loft, and use of kitchen for sitting in. We are within +shelling distance, but the people in the farm have been living in the +farm, carrying-on their ordinary work, without the young men right +through everything, and the farm is absolutely undamaged. Well, I must +go to bed, little Mother. Did you receive my letters asking May to get +me gramophone catalogues of Decca and Master's Voice gramophones as +soon as possible? Parcel received. Slacks, shoes, candle, biscuits, +&c., very welcome indeed. Stir Ellen up to make another cake, larger; +I will write to her. Also can you send me Mars oil for boots. + +Much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + March 2nd. + +My darling Mother,-- + +Please note address. Don't put in my battalion, if you like you can +put in O.C. before the name of the battery officer commanding, as a +bit of swank. This letter is a joint one to you and May. Many thanks, +May dear, for the simply topping parcel; it is ripping. Thank you, +Mother mine, also for the letter and the papers. The parcel had been +delayed a little by going to the battalion. The Aunts also sent me a +delightful parcel. I have been having a sort of little private +Christmas on my own, with a letter from Win also, and two free papers +from the King. At least, the Post Office gave us them, free to the +B.E.F. Consequently, I am very pleased to-night. I don't want my gum +boots, nor my Burberry, British warm or rug, as you know I have my +Thresher and Glenny and a fleece lining, also a fur coat, a mackintosh +cape, and a pair of thigh gum boots, all the last three presents from +the King, or rather from Father as a taxpayer. Please thank Father +very much for them. Also for the guns, which were bought out of the +taxes he pays. Several people have asked me where to get candles like +the ones you send me, and I tell them to see that when their father +marries he marries a wife with brains, as that is the only way. Then, +Mother, about the cheque: it is intended to pay for the cigarettes and +my knife, fork and spoon, and such things, I would much rather you +used it, as you are all practising war economy and I am living in +luxury; at least, do please me by buying a new hat with it, or +something as a little gift from me. I know it will not go far towards +a hat, but Father will give you the rest, and then it will be from the +two Alexanders. I am quite rich, I have nearly £30 in the bank, and I +am intending to be absolutely extravagant and buy a gramophone, and +even then I shall have a nice balance. I don't spend nearly all my +pay, and I am sure I don't earn my pay, because already I have +introduced economic reforms in Germany by cutting down the personnel +of their Army, and so saving them expense. + +I wish I had seen Norman Smith in St. Omer. At present in billets we +are doing little: we draw our rations and eat them, go for our letters +and read them, get new clothes and wear them, take rations up to the +dump for those in the trenches, and then go to bed. To-morrow is a +red-letter day. We are going to have a bath. I am getting quite good +at having a bath in a tin hand-basin, but to-morrow I shall soak in a +great vat, which was once used for washing clothes. You will be glad +to hear that we have had no single case in the brigade yet of a man +sharing his clothes with anything else of the type in the dog's diary: +"Bad attack of eczema, caught one." + +The rats in the trenches are delightful animals, about as large as an +overgrown horse, but you get quite friendly towards them in a little +while; after all, I suppose they are fighting for their country like +some of us. I expect the papers in ratland are like ours: "In the +western hole there is nothing to report, the situation was normal, in +Rotten Row Alley gnawing was heard, and it is thought that the enemy +are sapping towards us." Then they have articles about the bad +conditions of their trenches, and write home to say that the human +vermin simply swarm there, and are swollen to a huge size and have all +become furry. + +Much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--We had an official message sent by the French line brigade to +say that the French had won back all ground lost at Verdun and taken +thousands of prisoners. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Monday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have not written for the last day or two; that is, my writing has +not been continuous as it usually is, because in billets we do little, +and have little we can do. All the guns are in the trenches, so we +have nothing to amuse ourselves with; half the battery is in with my +second in command. We have only had three killed in the battalion so +far, two men and one officer, and about half a dozen slightly wounded, +almost all on working parties, on which trench mortar batteries do not +go. If you are with the battalions you come out for four days rest, +but it is a very deceptive rest; you usually have to send large +working parties up at night-time to work on the trenches. Our rest, +fortunately, is really rest. The only things we have to do is to take +rations up to the dump for the rest of the battery, draw our own +rations, and get our mails from the Field Post Office. I have a fair +amount to do. There is a sort of Will o' the Wisp person called the +field cashier, from him a whole army corps draws the pay for its men, +and he goes to various places. His best game is to hide himself in a +wood miles away from anyone, and, then just before you succeed in +reaching him, he flits away to the other end of France; it takes about +a week to catch him, if you are lucky--I have been trying for six days +now. Another way I manage to fill up my time: Suppose I want some +rifle oil I send an indent in marked urgent. Then the indent goes to +the Practical Joke Department of the Division, and the indent is +returned to you, telling you to apply elsewhere. You apply elsewhere, +and are told to apply to the cheese department. If you are persevering +you get the right department at last, and your indent is returned to +you again with either a demand for the authority for the issue of what +you require--and by then you have forgotten what you wanted, and have +"borrowed" someone else's--or telling you that what you want is not +one trouser button, but button, trouser, one, and you let it go at +that. So the rest of my time is spent indenting and receiving indents, +and finally bearding some divisional authority in his den, and discern +him trying to find some way out of supplying you with the article. I +then smile in my most charming manner, and treat the matter firmly. +It's like answering Margaret's questions, or getting her to go to +sleep. The last "Tatler" you sent me has a large picture that will +cover a lot of boards in my dug-out. I am becoming very careful now. +When I first got in the trenches I used to get bored with a periscope, +and put my head and shoulders up and have a good look round. The +Bosches opposite us are rather sleepy. But now I am becoming quite +careful; No Man's Land isn't very interesting, so a periscope is good +enough. I take good care of myself nowadays since the little machine +episode on the road. I expected when I first went up to the trenches +to find them smelling of dead men, and to find No Man's Land a sort of +quagmire covered with dead bodies, but in front of us it is a nice +green field with no dead bodies on it; the only excitement is right on +the right of our line, where there is one dead German in the middle. I +believe a small charge is made for looking at him through the +periscope there. + +There's something I notice, and that is that there are certain +magnificent gentlemen, you will have seen, who wear red round their +hats--the Staff. In England you see the red about 60 miles off. Behind +the lines here there is no mistake about seeing it. But in the +trenches, the red is carefully covered over with a nice khaki band. + +The Aunts sent me a topping parcel the other night, a pair of socks, +worked by Auntie Lil, that I have on now, a cake, made by Auntie +Agnes, I have in me now, and a book and some chocolate, the last has +been censored and the other is being so. I wrote and thanked them. If +you see them please thank them again and give them my love. Fancy I +have been out here about nine weeks and I am still writing long +letters about nothing at all, and I see no chance of my falling off in +this respect, mother mine, because I know that you like to receive, +even the most ridiculous letters I send. I received letters this week +from David Smythe, who, after being rejected several times, has at +last managed to get into the Black Watch in the ranks. From Eric +Davies, who has now got a commission. From Jasper Holmes and Kenneth +Rudd. I was very pleased to receive them. Roly, I hear, has been +wounded. Pat I have not heard from for some time. I also had a letter +from Miss Crocker from Paris. Ask May to write to Miss Smyth some time +and give her my love, and ask her to write to me and send me her +address. I am thinking of you all to-night, Father in the dining +room, Charlie not in yet; you and May having your supper before you go +to bed, and Amy, probably in bed already, at Ripon. I hope Arthur is +all right again, and Lovel is enjoying himself. Good-night, little +mother; God bless you. I should like to walk in and surprise you all; +perhaps in two or three months I may do so, and find you all out at a +meeting or some other thing. + +With much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +March 7th (Tuesday). + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just received your letter and a parcel with a topping +waistcoat; I don't think I could ever be cold with it on. Thank you +very much indeed for it. I received the slacks, &c., in the trenches. +I have got enough clothes now to keep me warm at the North-Pole. I +would be very glad indeed of socks for my men--I have 23 men if you +can send for all. I got the papers last week; they are not due yet +this week. I have two Tommy's cookers. I have got rid of my camera; +they are very strict about not having them out here, so I got rid of +mine directly I came out, and, of course, had no opportunity to take +any photos. We all got rid of them the first day out here. Please tell +Ellen that I will never forgive her if she is not at home to welcome +me back when I come. I don't know where the Pals are. Winnie ought to +know exactly where I am. If not mention a few places S. of 5 if you +can remember. We got into rest a few miles behind the firing line. We +are also S. of 1 S of 2 and 3. + +I am going into the trenches to-night for two or three nights and then +for about a week's rest. I have just had a week's rest. I cannot tell +you the exact number of days, as I should have to censor it myself if +I did. + +I must stop now. + + Much love to all, From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +It is Sunday afternoon, 2-30, and I am just finishing dressing. We +came out of the trenches yesterday; we were only in three or four +days, as the brigade has to hold these trenches for longer than was +first intended--my second in command is in now. I shall have about 11 +days rest now. We arrived at our billet at about 11 o'clock last night +tired and hungry, and found everyone in bed; however, one of the girls +got up and made me an omelette, consisting of five eggs, and some +coffee, and the men had beer and coffee. Then I read some letters from +Father, Amy and Roly Wait, and then to bed. I have got an awfully +comfortable bed. I will write later; this is only to let you know that +I am safe and happy. + +Much love to all. In haste, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Sunday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +My letter this morning was interrupted by a message from the War +Office, brought per Second-Lieutenant Lake, of the gunners, that I had +to go to get some tea at the officer's tea room at ----. Now for +enlightenment. You have one son younger than myself, take the first +two letters of his name. Then think of the opposite of a woman crying. +If you cannot understand this take it to Uncle Ted, or some detective, +and you will find out something you are very anxious to know. It is a +good conundrum. Tell me if you get it. To resume. At about 10-0 this +morning Fuller came in and started lighting fires, cleaning up the +room, and cooking my breakfast. At 10-45 five officers came to see +me--I was where? Two guesses allowed. Still in bed. 10-46 message from +Brigade Headquarters asking for a return. I daresay you have seen a +picture taken from the "Bystander" of a scene at Loos during the +September offensive. Colonel Fitz Shrapnel in his dug-out with a +telephone at Battalion Headquarters, his dug-out being blown to +pieces, a shell bursting on the top of it. He received an urgent +message from G.H.Q. "Hello, hello! Please let us know, as soon as +possible, the number of tins of raspberry jam issued to you last +Friday." Just like the staff. They will stand up in the middle of an +attack to know when your return of trained farriers will be in. I am +afraid I forgot most of my returns. I should get, if I were you, +"Fragments from France," by Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather, price 1s.; it is +very interesting and amusing and very true. To continue:--From 11-0 +till about 12-30 I ate my breakfast and talked to these two, and then +shaved, washed, &c., and other such details, dressed and lunched off +some potatoes at 2-0, being all I wanted when Lake called for me. We +had a pleasant tea in a farm about one mile from here (see riddle), +and bought some books and things and so back home. I went out to +dinner immediately with another battery in another brigade in our +division, and we were just enjoying our coffee when we were disturbed +by a divisional test alarm. I rushed back, but was thankful to find we +were not included in the amusement. To-day the papers would describe +as "Artillery active on the Western front." They have been putting a +lot of shrapnel over into the front trenches, and did some damage +with one shell to my battalion, who are in at present. They always +seem to shell when I am out (touch wood). I am beginning to hope I am +a safe mascot against shells. I will write about the last few days in +the trenches to-morrow. We had one awful attack on my dug-out--by +mice--I hated it. I can sleep through machine gun fire (I mean the +noise of it) and shells as long as they are not too close, but mice, +ugh! they wake me up at once and I hurl the nearest thing I have at +the noise. Fuller came in the other morning to find my dug-out strewn +with Very pistol cartridges; I found they were useful not only for +sending up lights but also for frightening mice. The rats are more +gentlemanly, so far, they keep themselves to themselves, they have +their own dug-out and have left mine alone so far. + +By the way, the "Tatler" and "Punch" have not arrived this week, or +rather last week; I have only had one copy of each so far. It must be +the fault of the bookseller who is sending them, as if posted they +would come through all right. I have just had three days in, and I did +not enjoy the first two, as I had a sort of chill, and only ate a +plate of porridge each day, and, added to that, there was one of our +battalions of our brigade in which I do not like. The last day I was +all right, and the Scots were in, so I enjoyed myself. I usually +attach myself to the nearest company mess, as I have told you, and +mess with them, but with the battalion that I was in with for two of +the three days I preferred to mess alone, and it is not nearly so +nice. To-morrow we go into Divisional Reserve for about a week or a +little more. I shall have a topping billet in the town just close to +here; a nice mess-room with a piano, and a good bedroom. I am thinking +of turning Presbyterian (not seriously) because the padré--Black--is +such an absolutely tophole chap, I see a good deal of him. He is +attached to the 16th Scots, of whom also I see a lot. Padre Black was +offered R.J. Campbell's Church after Campbell, but refused it. His +brother, Hugh Black, is rather famous I think. Anyway, the Padre's a +topper. He is like a ray of sunshine in the trenches. He come striding +along, head up, not stooping as all those who don't live in the +trenches (and some of those who do) do, with a cheery word for +everyone, and a memory for anyone he knows. A curious thing is that, +as you may know, dotted all over the roads in France, are crosses and +_prie dieu_, and I have seen scarcely one touched; you can see +villages in ruins and in the middle of it all a shrine untouched, not +a flower, not a piece of tinsel, not a bit of gold paint damaged. You +become sort of superstitious sometimes out here, and when there are +shells I always try to get behind the nearest one, and I know I am +safe. I have seen no Wesleyan Padres out here at all. We have in our +brigade one Church of England, one Catholic, and a Presbyterian for +the Scots. + +To-day I had company, one Northumberland Fusilier and one 15th Scots, +to lunch, three men to tea, and I have just had dinner with our +quartermaster and our interpreter, a Frenchman--roast duck. _Bon._ + +This is rather a mixture of a letter. The next time I am in the +trenches I will describe it in detail if you like, but it is all just +the same, sometimes you long to get out and over the parapet and have +a go at the blighters and settle the matter, instead of potting at +each other from behind mud heaps, especially when you see a man killed +by a stray bullet; we have only had a few, thank goodness. Well, I +must to bed. + +Much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--We are now changed to 101/1 T.M.B. not A/101 any longer. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +As you see, the name of our battery is changed. We are in billets at +present, in divisional rest, none of the Brigade is in the trenches. +We do not do very much. This afternoon we fired about 30 rounds for +practice. Rest is chiefly a social and bathing time. We had a good +wash yesterday. Two visitors came to lunch to-day and two are coming +to dinner. Will you look in the papers every day at the "Gazette" and +tell me when I become a First Lieutenant; my name went in a month ago. +I never see the papers. Again this week, I have not received "Punch" +or the "Tatler." I am afraid this will be a short letter, as I have +little news, and I don't want to write just for the sake of filling +pages; when I have news it is easy to write, and to you is, I know, +interesting reading. But, as you know, the happy and the righteous are +generally uninteresting, and we are very contented at present. We fire +most of the day for practice, and, as I say, entertain a lot of +officers, and go out to meals. I know almost all the officers in three +Battalions in the Brigade now. It's been beautiful and warm this last +week. If things go on as they are doing at present I should not like +the war to stop. It is very nice being out, and I really enjoy the +trenches. + +We went into ---- (do you know where now?) the day before yesterday, +and went to the Divisional Pierrot Troupe, a sort of Follies. They are +quite good, and have a sort of theatre, in a disused college--College +des beaux Arts. It is always crowded with officers and men. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Sunday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am afraid that I have rather fallen off in the writing line lately, +but we have been leading a very pleasant but humdrum life, and the +evenings have been rather busy; at present, five rowdy young +subalterns profane the air with discordant music and facetious +witticisms, so it is difficult to write ("Mack, you will never write a +letter," "Do lend me a hundred sandbags," "Orders from Brigade," &c.). + +We are at present in a very pleasant billet just a few miles south of +where we were before; we ought to be in the trenches, but as there are +no dug-outs for us yet we are building them before we go in, or rather +we are talking of making them at present. For eight days or so we were +in divisional rest, during which time we fired for practice most days, +entertained people to meals, and went in to the town near to see the +divisional pierrot show. Two or three days ago we suddenly had orders +to move to the section on our right, so Greig, Uncle Fred's friend, +told me to ride his second horse, and to come and look round with him +at the billets, &c. We had a very pleasant ride. The next day we came +along, bringing our things on handcarts, and one big horse waggon; we +came to take over this billet--it is a huge, big farm, square with a +long courtyard, and a long tower at the gateway. The men sleep in huts +round and in barns; we have a large mess-room, with a sort of camp +beds on which we sleep. We have a huge fire, which we keep going, and +we have piles of crockery and tableclothes, &c., which we have +"borrowed." The first night there was an officer of the Company we +relieved who had apparently a little too much to drink, and, +unfortunately, got thrown from his horse three times and was found +unconscious in a ditch, and has quite wrongly been charged with being +drunk, and is going to be court martialled. I am a witness for the +defence; we have with us at present two officers of his company who +have to stay behind for the court martial. The first day we were in we +slept in huts, but it was so terribly cold that the night after we +shifted our beds into the mess-room. The first day, Carroll and I went +a tour of the trenches; they are topping trenches, we sought and +found many things to devour and destroy. Finally, we came to a road, +where we asked the way, and were directed to go up it. We went up it +until we came to a low barricade, and looking over it, to find our +trenches just below and the Bosche trenches about 200 yards peeping at +us. Crack, crack; we returned to try again, only to find ourselves up +in the firing line. Finally, we succeeded in getting home all right +rather tired. We had a pleasant dinner, and got a large wood fire made +with ammunition boxes. The next day being Sunday we had breakfast at +10-0 in pyjamas and fur coats, and went a walk in the afternoon. + +To-day we went up to the trenches and worked hard (?) all day +emplacing guns, and making dug-outs, &c. I lunched and tea'd with the +Scots, and returned in the pouring rain. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Sunday, April 2nd. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am afraid that in the last week or two I have not been writing so +well, but as you know when you become used to a life, and nothing +exciting is happening, there is little news, and there is not much +that strikes me as interesting to tell. When you begin to accept +things in the ordinary course of things, it is difficult to feel that +trivial occurrences of every day will be of interest to others. One +consolation you can have is that the more uninteresting and the fewer +my letters are the more harmless my life. If there was anything doing +I should become as verbose again as ever. However, I will try to give +you what news I have. + +In the first place the weather is beautifully hot. I got up this +morning, much to my disgust, to see the Brigade Major at 9-30, and +since then I have been sitting in the large yard in the sun reading "A +Knight on Wheels," by Ian Hay, with only two interruptions--to inspect +my men, and to pull our ambulance, which had broken down, back to the +billet. It is glorious weather; you can hear the birds and the faint +hum of an aeroplane, with occasionally the noise of anti-aircraft +shells bursting round one, just a faint crump and tiny little fleecy +white clouds clustering round a black speck in the sky. It is a +perfect almost summer day. There is one point about shell fire that +may interest you. A battery of guns fires on a target, say a farm +house. The guns are a long way back, and, of course, cannot see their +target. An officer or some observer will be well forward up a big +tree, in a church steeple, or a ruined farm house, or, perhaps, in an +aeroplane, and will direct the battery. Consequently, once a battery +gets on to a point, that point alone is the dangerous one; you can +stand on a road, about 200 yards away and watch the whole show quite +safely. The other afternoon we were coming down the road and the +Bosche was shelling a point about 200 yards beyond. His shells came +over the road and always sounded to be going to drop on the road. Of +course, they never did. A shell is awfully deceptive; you see a large +black cloud of smoke arise from the ground and bits fly, while you +still hear the shell in the air, so often you try to get out of the +way of a shell that has already burst somewhere else, until you know +what happens. It is rather funny to see the explosion of a shell, +while you apparently hear the shell just going over your head. Our +mess at present, commonly known as the Anarchists, consists of those +who take and those who give life--three Trench Mortar Batteries and +one Field Ambulance. We have a very pleasant mess. Although the +Brigade is in the trenches at present we are not sleeping in the front +line. There are no dug-outs for us, and we have a lot of work to do, +so we go up every day and make emplacements and sleep in comfort at +our billet; we have a pleasant life, because we get pleasant sleep in +pyjamas, and plenty of exercise to keep us fit. We have just had +lunch, and are lying out in the field in the sun--it is rather +pleasant. There are only about two things we want, and they are a +gramophone, which Winnie is getting for us, and a tennis court, which +does not seem probable at present. We are very impatient for the +gramophone to arrive. Kitton is with me at present; he is a topping +chap, and is in command of the other battery in the Brigade. + +Last night I had to take some ammunition (200 rounds) up to the +trenches, also two dug-out frames and 2,000 sandbags; we get through +in the battery about 500 sandbags a day. They are brought up to the +dump, and from there we push them up tramway lines on trucks, +across the open up to the firing line, and then along it in the open +behind to the place where they are wanted. Stray bullets and machine +guns make it rather exciting; we had one man wounded--the bullet went +right through his calf just about half an inch under the skin, a tiny +little wound, but he will only be a few days. I hope Amy is quite +better again. + +I was made a First Lieutenant on March 1st. It is possible that I may +be made a Captain sometime in the future. There is talk of making all +Battery Commanders Captains. I am afraid that soon we will be moving +further south; we are very comfortable here, and I am enjoying myself +greatly. I am not feeling up to writing much; I am going to read or +sleep. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Wednesday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I did not quite know what was the meaning of the telegram the other +day. It was dated April 1st, which made me rather suspicious, and it +did not arrive here till April 4th. I wired immediately, but it is +difficult to do so; I wrote last Sunday and once the week before; I +hope you have received them all right. You can be quite happy about me +now, as after this afternoon I shall be quite safe for some time. This +afternoon I had my first real taste of heavy shell fire, and I was +glad to find that I did not object to it half as much as I thought I +should. We were doing a pre-arranged strafe into a German salient--two +trench mortar batteries and all our artillery on to their first and +second lines, &c. We put over about 4,000 lbs. of shells from the two +mortar batteries in ten minutes and absolutely crumpled about 150 +yards of their trenches. There is no trench there now--just a mass of +earth, great girders, pointing jauntily skywards, timbers drooping +over where the parapet was, and the front of the trench, where any +remains, leaning in a tired fashion against the back of it. Of course, +directly we started the Germans got going with all their artillery at +us. "Jack Johnsons," so-called howitzers--I have never heard such a +noise. I was observing in our salient; they had cleared all the +infantry out except the machine guns. I had my eyes glued to a +periscope, and never noticed most of the stuff coming over till I had +to go along a deserted trench to give orders to my guns, and they put +over in one place four shells from big howitzers into the stream +within 10 yards of me. I enjoyed it; it was topping to see the Bosche +parapet crumpling away, lighted every half second or so with a weird +flash, covered with smoke, and the earth rocking with the concussion. +They must have lost a lot of men; we lost only about three killed and +a dozen or so wounded, none in my battery I am glad to say. In about +half an hour all was quiet again, and I was observing the damage +through a topping periscope, which magnifies ten times, when I saw +four German officers crawling among the debris and distinctly saw them +from the waist upwards. I had no rifle worse luck, and when I found a +sniper they had gone. Fancy missing four German officers. They had +grey uniforms and grey caps on and Sam Browne belts. That is what we +have been working for, for the last week making emplacements to guard +against their shells. At present we are rather being messed about; we +are supposed to be going back for about a month's rest, which no one +wants--a rest means twice as much work as you do in the trenches, and +no excitement. After that we shall probably go to somewhere +unpleasant. We are being relieved here by men who were in the same +place as Lovel. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +(_After this date the names of places are inserted from a diary which +was sent home later._) + + + + + April 14th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am afraid I have not written to you for several days, but I have not +been able to do so as we have been marching every day. We were +relieved in the trenches by the Australians from Anzac. They are a +very casual lot and did all manner of absurd things in daytime, +thinking it so much safer than Gallipoli, but I hope they have learnt +wisdom now. The first day we moved only about five miles independently +to a new billet; we had two rooms with a big bed in each, and we slept +two on each bed. That was Monday. + +On Tuesday we moved again, about 15 miles, to Havesoskirk. It was +raining all day, but we managed to put our packs into our waggon, and +so marched the whole five days in Sam Brownes only. That night we had +a farm house, with the usual arrangements, and went a few miles into +St. Vement for dinner, where we went over the school of mortars and +saw several interesting guns, especially the 9.4. Major Dodgson was +very interesting and pleasant to us. We had dinner at an +estaminet--quite a good dinner, but a mad female served us. On +Wednesday we again wended our way farther on our flat feet marching +again; also rain again and a very cold wind. When we march it looks +rather funny, as we have a long train of handcarts, which are our +transport, packed with all sorts of things, including a lot of wood, +chiefly composed of ammunition boxes. We had an hour's halt for lunch +and tried to get some lunch, but were pushed out of one estaminet by a +fat madam who was bustling round, and evidently did not trust us near +her very unattractive daughter. Then we went to get some lunch at an +hotel piloted by a major, but discovered we only had sovereigns and +halfpennies, and so bought chocolate instead. That night we had a +topping billet--a house in a lane at Roquetoire standing by itself, +which belonged to a French doctor; we had a dining room, the use of +the drawing room, and three topping bedrooms with big double beds in +each. Kitty and I shared one, Carol and Brand another, and Seddon and +Douse, the Brigade Signalling Officer, another. We had a topping time, +but, unfortunately, had to wait till 9-30 for dinner, as our servants +seem to have fallen on evil days. After dinner we made our confessions +in a book of Madame's, such questions as "Who is the greatest author +of the day," "Describe the girl of the period," &c. Afterwards we went +in with Madam, a topping old dame, who spoke English very well, and +Madamoiselle, who was rather charming but "triste" because so many of +her friends had been killed, so "triste" that she never plays the +piano now. We had to justify and explain our opinions and confessions, +and so to bed, only to get up at 7-0 the next morning so as to get +everything packed up to move off at 9-20 a.m. This day (Thursday) +fortunately it was not raining, and the Trench Mortar Batteries and +Brigade Headquarters moved off independently of the Battalion; we went +only about ten miles and arrived at Blendeque for lunch, where we were +billeted with the brewer, a most topping and hospitable old man, who +offered us drinks before lunch, and attended to us in a most courtly +manner. After lunch Kitty and I borrowed two signallers' bikes and +biked into St. Omer to get pay--it is rather nice country round here, +not flat like it is further forward, but rolling downs and quite a lot +of wood, and lanes, rather like Salisbury Plain. You will be relieved +to know that the Bosches could not shell us here if he tried, and we +are here in army rest for a week or two. In St. Omer we went for money +for ourselves and men, and then went to the canteen to get cigarettes, +&c.; after that we went to a tea shop to tea. While we were there a +lot of the 16th Scots came in, and we had a jolly tea altogether. We +then biked back again. I paid my men, and then we had a jolly good +dinner. After dinner we went in to enjoy ourselves with our host; he +offered us all sorts of drinks, cigarettes, cigars, &c., in a very +hospitable manner, and his daughter played the piano and we all sang +all sorts of English songs. Madamoiselle sang "Where my caravan has +rested," "Chocolate soldier," &c., with a perfect English accent. Then +she and Monsieur sang from various operas in French; they both have +very good voices, and have been well trained. When we went to bed I +said to Madamoiselle "Bon soir," &c., of course, in a hopelessly +English accent, and she replied with "Good-night" in perfect English. +In bed, unfortunately, Kitty insisted on having all the bed and most +of the bedclothes, and in the morning accused me of taking it all. +When two people sleep together they always both sleep on the edge, and +a mysterious third person seems to come and sleep in the middle and to +take all the clothes. + +At 8-0 this morning we moved off again and arrived here at Eperlecques +at about 12-30, this being our final destination. We are in a big +farm, with a nice big mess-room and a nice little bedroom with a big +bed for Kitty and myself. To-night we had to go to Divisional +Headquarters in the rain, and returned home for a late dinner, and are +now sitting in pyjamas and coats with a big wood fire. Two of my men, +two corporals, are getting Divisional cards of merit for their work +and pluck in the strafe the other day. Well, good-night, little +Mother. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--Have received a week or two ago the three parcels you mentioned, +but absolutely no papers. Would you please send me another pair of +pyjamas and lots of handkerchiefs, no more tea or milk, but lots of +those Foster Clark's 2d. packets of soup, and cake any time. P.P.S.--I +am writing in duplicate to make a diary, and names are censored by me +in letters home, but you can see them later. P.P.P.S.--Life is very +pleasant. + + + + + April 15th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +We got up late this morning for breakfast in pyjamas at 9-0 a.m. and +dressed by degrees. This afternoon we had a parade for drill and after +we went a walk; the country round is very pretty, like England. Our +farm is a nice big white one with a nice orchard; the country is +wooded with rather nice little streams. We wandered into the grounds +of a chateau, where the A.S.C. were playing soccer against the +R.A.M.C., and so through a wood with primroses in it home again. + +I am afraid that I have been unable to continue this letter for +several days, as we have been busy early and late. + +On April 16th we packed up all our worldly goods and removed ourselves +to Divisional Headquarters at Tilques for a course in Stokes guns. All +the Batteries of the Division, nine in all, were assembled +together--three medium and six light batteries. The personelle as +follows:--Kitty you know. Brand, his second in command, from the 15th +Scots., quite a decent chap, known as the Band Box for obvious +reasons. Lloyd Barrow, Captain R.F.A., in charge of one of the medium +batteries, a strange fellow, was at Jesus, slightly fierce appearance +and manners, an authority on most things, but all right if not taken +seriously. Burlingham, in command of another medium battery, just a +baby grown up. Badderley, a monomaniac on mortars, who saves 3d. out +of every 2d. he receives. Wylie, 9th H.L.I., a Scotchman, and a +topping chap. Others: Sutcliffe, Laury, Lake, a decent kid, Bowquet +and two others, quite a jovial crowd in all. We all live in a large +brewery, all the batteries in barns, &c., and the officers in the +house--big, deserted bedrooms, with camp beds or bedsteads, and +thousands of doors, secret and otherwise. + +We breakfast at 8 and start work at 8-30, and with intervals on to 4 +or 5. Kitty has been teaching my battery the Stokes gun, firing dummy +shells, &c. Our Adjutant is an A.S.C. man, and James, the Divisional +Trench Mortar Officer, is in command. Parcel, with topping cake, +received; many thanks! All the parcels you mention in your last letter +have been received all right. + +We are having appallingly rainy days. Most evenings the men play +inter-battery soccer matches. + +The officers are going to play the men, but it is wet to-night. I am +afraid that there is little of interest in this letter. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, ALEC. + + + + + April 23rd. + +My darling Mother,-- + +We are all still together, with not much to do and plenty of time on +parade to do it in. I will give you one of my men's description of +their billet: "I am situated at present in country not unlike +Welphine. Our billet is pretty decent, on the first floor of a large +building, which bears a slight resemblance outwardly to a Workhouse. +What an existence! Look up 'Dante's Inferno,' and you will get some +idea of every soldier's environment." I am afraid that our mess is +none too quiet at times itself, though at present they are all quietly +playing cards and reading. To-day being Sunday Kitty and I had a +holiday and had breakfast in bed at 9-30. + +I am just recovering from rather a bad cold; we all have come in for +one, and it seems to make most of us rather argumentative on all +subjects relating to trench mortars, various regiments, &c., being a +motley collection of regulars, New Army and Special Reserve, and +Territorial officers drawn from all sorts of regiments and +representing every branch of the army except the R.E. We have R.F.A., +E.G.A., R.H.A., A.S.C. and Infantry. Rather a cosmopolitan crowd, and +we, most of us, all hold different views on every possible subject +that turns up, but we manage to agree on the whole. + +Last night Brand and I took our beds outside. It is topping weather at +present--very hot, but I like hot weather. Our mess-room leads out +into a sort of terrace with a wild garden all round. It must have been +very pretty before the war, even in its deserted state it is very +nice; forget-me-nots and bits of lake and stream everywhere. I feel as +fit as a fiddle and am as brown as a berry. + +And guess what time I was up this morning--6-0 a.m., and it will be +5-0 a.m. to-morrow for a field day. When you are in rest you do just +twice as much work as in the trenches. But the only think I dislike is +moving. + +I am waiting very impatiently for our gramophone to arrive, it is so +topping out in the open at night. I am afraid that I have been a long +time writing this letter, but, as you know, we are still in rest, and +I have little news. In addition, we have been kept very busy. To-day +(Sunday) we paraded at 4-15 a.m. (just think of me on parade at 4-15!) +and I wasn't late; we had a field day, lugging heavy guns about in the +heat, and firing dummy rounds. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it. +To-night Lake and I went for a bathe in the river. As I think I have +told you the country is very like Cambridge, or rather more like +Norfolk Broads, streams everywhere, wide rivers and small streams +intersecting all the fields, so that, unfortunately, wherever you take +a short cut you have to jump all sorts of ditches, and already three +of us, including myself, have bathed in our clothes. Leading off the +rivers are smaller rivers, and everywhere by the riverside are small +white farms, each owning two or three flat-bottomed boats like large +canoes, shaped like gondolas, and they go everywhere in them, and take +their horses too. + +I hope to come home for leave on the 1st of June, but leave may be +cancelled before then. We have an allotment of leave for the Battery, +but I cannot take the first leave myself. Thank you very much for the +pleasant parcel, with pyjamas and papers, received the other day. +Well, good-night, little mother, you can always know that the fewer +letters I write the more harmless time I am having, because I have +less to tell. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + May 7th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +The dates put at the top of each letter are the dates on which the +letter is commenced, and, as each letter is written bit by bit, it is +usually several days before it is sent off; as a rule I forget to put +the date at the end on which the letter is despatched. Father said +that one of my letters was heavily censored lately, but the censor was +myself. I think I explained that I write my letters in a book now, and +fill everything in the form of a diary and send the duplicate on to +you censored by myself. + +I received the parcel of socks all right, and thanked you for them in +a letter written in March. Socks are always welcome to the men. I keep +about 15 pairs for myself, and the men like as many as they can get. +At last we have got away from the Bomb School. We moved back to our +Brigade a few days ago (May 3rd) to the billet we were in before at +Eperlecques, only to move off again the next day in the afternoon. + +Kitty and I went into St. Omer for tea and to get our hair cut, to get +mess things, fruit, &c. We started to walk about seven or eight miles +on a scorchingly hot day, but fortunately managed to go almost all the +way in two ambulances we commandeered. + +We had a very pleasant time, and then went to the canteen and bought +stuff, which our servants took away in a handcart. Then we went and +had our hair cut, and I bought a new auto-strop safety razor as a +birthday present to myself. After we had done everything we wanted we +went down to the station to meet our batteries, who had marched in +with Brigade Headquarters, and for three hours we messed about, +shoving great lorries on to trucks by hand, and then while we had +dinner (an omelette) in quite an English buffet, our men brewed tea in +a large loading shed. And, finally, at 11-15 our men bundled into the +usual trucks, labelled Hommes 32-40 Chevaux (en long) 8 (1 horse--4 +men), while Kitty and I had a French second class carriage, in which +we slept fitfully, and ate chocolate biscuits and oranges +intermittently throughout the night. + +The next morning we arrived at a station near Amiens and proceeded to +unload g.s. waggons, &c., again. When that was finished we marched a +mile down the road and halted for breakfast. We had ours in an +estaminet--coffee, omelette, &c. After breakfast I went to the river +and had a topping bathe; no weeds or anything to trouble you, only two +garrulous old French soldiers, who stood on the bank and watched and +gave me encouragement. At about 11-0 we set off. A blazing hot, dusty +day, pushing handcarts about 12 miles, without any lunch, and arrived +at St. Gratien at about 5-0. Arrived there we found Wren, the Brigade +Signal Officer, absolutely at sea as to where our billets were, so we +foraged round for ourselves. After being kicked out once or twice we +finally settled our men and bagged a Battalion Headquarters for +ourselves. The Brigade lent us blankets as our valises had been left +behind with guns, ammunition, &c., for the Division to bring along. + +We moved off again the next afternoon about three miles to Rehencourt, +and there found a terrible muddle. A.S.C., two brigades R.F.A., our +Brigade Headquarters, all trying to billet in one small village. We +found a large billet marked up for our two batteries, and the machine +gun company, and, while we were trying to fit in, an A.S.C. Colonel, +who was town major, came bustling round looking into every barn and +calculating how many they would hold. He would go into each little +hencoop and chalk up about 100 men on the door, and, finally finished +up by looking round for a loft for 14 officers to sleep in, in which +he proposed to jumble up ten machine gun officers and four of +ourselves. When he had gone we put our men in (not according to his +scale). We bagged the house for ourselves and the machine gun officers +went out and discovered billets for themselves. + +We have a priceless little mess-room papered in yellow and white, old +oak-carved chairs, oak table, shaded lamp, &c., and a bedroom with one +bed in it. + +Madame was in tears at having so many soldiers all over the place, but +we soon pacified her, and did all she wanted, and now she cannot do +enough for us, especially as I send Fuller, my servant, who is a +gardener, to work in her garden every day. I will give you a rough +plan of the house, as it is typical of the farms we are in: + +[Illustration] + +We get a lot of food from Madame--Fowls, eggs, milk, lettuce, +asparagus, &c. We have very good meals. We seem to have the best +billet in the place. Brigade Headquarters, of course, spotted the best +billet, a chateau, and went there; unfortunately it is owned by a mad +French Countess, who ran about locking all the doors in front of them. +They could not get into the house at all at first and had to eat and +do everything in the garden. Finally, they got assistance from a +French General and got bedrooms, but they have their meals in the +passage, and their office in a stable. Madame came at 8-0 the first +night and ordered the general and all of them to bed. But they were +not obedient. + +Greig came in the other night and was very jealous of our billets, +seeing he had missed his chance and had judged by externals and had +caught a whited sepulchre. + +The second night an A.S.C. friend came to dinner and the menu was:-- + + Soup. Salmon croquettes. Asparagus. Stuffed chicken and sausages. + Fruit, custard and cream. Sardines on toast. Coffee. + +Not bad for active service. One of us sleeps in the bedroom, Brand, +Kitty, Carroll and I sleep on folding beds and big mattresses in the +mess-room. All borrowed from Madame when we had charmed her tears +away. + +Yesterday I had a very good birthday. Please thank everyone very much +for the parcels, especially yourself. They were topping and very +welcome. Who was it sent all the chocolates? I could not quite make +out. + +I was very pleased; my servant gave me a box of Abdulla cigarettes, +and the Battery, or rather the Sergeant for the Battery, presented me +with another box. + +In the afternoon, Brocklebank, my A.S.C. Captain, took me down to +Albert in his car. It is rather knocked about, and the church has a +huge figure of the Virgin Mary hanging down at right angles to the +church tower; it looks very curious, why it has not fallen I do not +know. + +Then, after finding the people we wanted, we went up on to a hill with +glasses to look at the trenches. Before, as you know, the trenches we +were in were breastworks, moulds of earth in perfectly flat country, +and we rarely saw the Bosche trenches except through a periscope. But +here, from the top of the hill, we saw on a hill a mile or two away +long lines on the hillside, where the chalk had been thrown up in +building the trenches, and opposite them other white and brown lines, +where the German trenches were, white lines in all directions--a sort +of maze upon the hillside our trenches and their's--and behind that +hill other hills in the distance, much like Salisbury Plain and +Aldershot. There is a very noticeable difference in the country here +in districts occupied by the English. Civilians here are in their +farms right up to the firing line. In fact, in one instance, an old +woman was known to live for ten days in her cottage, once a lonely +country spot in the open fields, but now with a boundary on each side, +one where the Germans held their front line and one where our front +line existed. Ten days in No Man's Land! But here all things are +different. One rarely sees a French civilian; even here, some twenty +miles back, one sees very few, and in Albert one sees none. The +trenches are also better. Miles and miles of wire and lines of +trenches extend behind Albert, whereas North there is rarely more than +one real line of trenches. The French are much more business-like and +more thorough. + +In the evening we returned to dinner, and again we had a very pleasant +one in celebration of my birthday. After dinner we played cut-throat +auction, and so to bed. + +To-day Carroll has gone on leave. If I am lucky I may come home in a +week or two. If so, I wonder if it would be possible for us to go up +to Lowood or somewhere of the sort for a week, as I am longing for +some decent country--tennis, &c. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +May 10th. + + + + + May 11th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +To-day we transported all our worldly belongings in handcarts from our +former billets to a village about six miles nearer the firing line. +The village is called Bresle. It is quite a nice little village in a +hollow, only it is crowded with troops--three Battalions and various +other units all billeted in it. Consequently, though the men still +have room for their usual billets in barns, &c., some have very little +spare room, whilst most of the officers are billeted in tents, hiding +from aeroplanes, under trees. When we arrived we had to get parties to +move our tents into a field under a hedge and some trees. We have +three tents--one we use as a mess--and the men looted wood and doors +and made a splendidly fine table round the tent pole, also a form to +sit on. Another tent we all three--Kitty, Brand and myself--sleep in, +and a third we have handed over to the servants. I myself have a +folding bed that Captain Brockbank, of the Divisional Supply Column, +had made for me, and I hope to be fairly comfortable. Our little camp +is in the corner of a cultivated field, behind the farms on the hills +rising from the village. When we had finished putting up our tents, we +lay down for a late lunch of bully-beef sandwiches and cake and +watched Mademoiselle and the family digging the field. Then at the +other's instigation I offered Mademoiselle a piece of the cake you +sent me as my "gateau de marriage," telling her I had been married +vingt-cinq anees. It is always well to conciliate the native. To-night +I went to tea with the Battalion, several spare officers have arrived +out from our depot Battalion. They all have tents in a sort of +orchard. + +To-night we dined off boiled eggs, tea, and soup, in that order, in +our mess-tent, and we are now going to bed. + +On Sunday I went away in a waggon to Railhead to Mericourt to catch a +train at 7-30 to go on another course at G.H.Q.--Hezdin, near Etaples. +On the train I met Bowkett, from the Tyneside Scottish, and we +travelled together. While we were waiting at Amiens to catch a +connection we met another man, who was going on the same course, and +whom we avoided, as he seemed a terrible person. We arrived at Hezdin +about 6-30, reported at G.H.Q., and then walked up to a chateau, where +we were billeted. There we saw the Adjutant, who gave us a room +together with two decent beds. The chateau is a topping big place in +pretty grounds and has most of the furniture left in it. We had a +large mess-room, with doors opening into the terrace, and an +ante-room. The next day, as our time was slow, we missed our breakfast +and only just came down in time for parade at 9-0. In the evening we +went down to Hezdin to the hotel to dinner, about four of us. The next +day we had breakfast in bed, and were in time for the lecture at 9-0. +In the morning, gun drill and firing. The other people in the course +were very interesting people, and an awfully nice lot. There was an +Australian whom, of course, we all called Anzac--a small +strongly-built man, with a military moustache, named Hart. He had a +very amusing manner of taking off old Army Colonels and 'varsity men, +from what he called Okker and Camer, and whom he described as always +going about with a towel round their necks, a blazer and pumps. He +would always talk to order. To set him off we had the man we saw on +Amiens station, and whom we all call George, for no known reason, and +whose real name was Arthur. Like Anzac, he had been all over the +world, and was very quiet and melancholy. He used to talk in a +pathetic high voice, and teach us Chinese, and tell us how he was +arrested as a spy in Armentières, and of his experiences. The other +chevalier, you knew at sight, came from Oxford. Bouchier, of the Royal +Scots, a small, dark Englishman, who was born in Tipperary, and was +known to our society as Arthur Bouchier, the passionate Scot from +Tipperary. Sutherland, Black Watch, a decadent specimen from the +Coldstreamers; Pinto Pike, and a Canadian Captain called Clarke. The +others were Lloyd (Cheshire), Robinson (King's Liverpool), Laying +(Gloucesters), Granville (Royal Fusiliers), who was in the same +Battalion as Wynn, who was chaplain of Jesus, and Cuthbertson, the +girl of the footlights; Steed, a pianist, Propert, and others. Our +instructor, Higgins, was a topping chap, with the Military Cross. We +had an awfully jolly time on the course. + +On Friday we again went into Hezdin for dinner, several of us. + +On Saturday morning we saw most of them off, and Bowkett, George +Bouchier and I remained. In the afternoon Bouchier and I went and had +a hot bath at an old nunnery by the river. Dinner at the hotel, where +we spent a comfortable night. + +On Sunday morning we set off at 6-0 to catch the 6-24 train, and we +arrived at Amiens about lunch-time. On the station I met half a dozen +officers from the 8th Suffolks, and talked to them about various +mutual acquaintances and of what the Battalion was doing. Then in the +town Bowkett and I met a man named Grey, who had come out from our +Reserve Battalion to the 8th Suffolks, and we went and had lunch in +the Hotel du Rhine with him and several other officers, two of whom I +had met at Cambridge. A topping dinner, including ices and +strawberries. + +When we returned to the station we discovered that the train we were +supposed to go on was a crowded leave train, full of people returning +from leave, so we waited till the next. Arriving at Mericourt I had to +walk to Bresle, but got the assistance of one motor waggon and a mess +cart, and arrived at Bresle only to find that the Battery was moving +in an hour to Albert, and was going in the trenches that night. I went +to have tea, and meanwhile the Batteries went on. Then, very luckily, +I found a friend and a car that whisked me past the Batteries trudging +with handcarts on into Albert. Arrived in Albert I went on to see +Rigby, whom we were taking over from, in a small billet, but found +that we were getting a big billet in the hospital--a huge, great +place, with large rooms built in 1904, and toppingly fitted up, but +now practically empty. All our men sleep in two big double rooms, and +Kitty and I in one room, the others in a room 100 feet by 25 feet. Our +mess-room is a large, clean, dry, tiled room, with one huge window; we +furnished it with tables and chairs, chiefly taken from the old +billet, which we are not using. Fuller keeps the room smart with wild +flowers. + +At 11-0 p.m. o'clock I went up to the trenches with Carroll and half +the Battery, who were going in for the night--the men in one big +dug-out and Carroll in one with two machine gunners. I returned home +and got to bed about 3-0 a.m. + +The next morning I was wakened before seven by the guns waking up for +their early morning hate just under my window. There are Batteries +dotted about all over the place here--18 pounders, howitzers of all +sizes, and naval guns. You almost trip over them wherever you go. +There are two 6in. howitzers hiding in our back garden. I went up to +the trenches to look round the next morning (Monday). + +The trenches here are very different from what we have been used +to--long narrow trenches, not breastworks, dug down in the chalk, a +veritable labrynth of trenches, going in all directions, up hill and +down dale. They are very deep, and very few rifle shots are fired. +Sniping is done with field guns and trench mortars. The line is very +curious, moving forward and backward. In one place in our line a +village runs out and there is a German salient. In front of the +salient lots of mines have been exploded and no trenches remain, +merely holes that bombers hide in, where the trench bulging again we +share our parapet with the Bosche. I don't go there often, as you have +to crawl, and you usually crawl into the wrong trench and find +yourselves wandering in the Bosche lines. The Germans send over a lot +of oil cans filled with old razor blades and rubbish, which do a good +deal of damage, and are rather unpleasant. However, we are educating +them not to send them over too often, as we send over two to their one +with our mortars, and in time we shall get them under our thumbs I +hope. We always have one man by each gun firing almost continuously. +We have dug-outs well back with wire beds in them, also rats! Here we +have big underground dug-outs 20 feet underground, some of them down +long stairways. The country is very hilly and wooded in parts; our +part of the line has two hills and one valley, it is rather like +Salisbury Plain, or a flat edition of Derbyshire. + +Carroll has been in, and I have gone up in the daytime. + +I am going to relieve him this afternoon; I shall only be in a few +days. I hope to come home on leave about June 4th. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--I have not got your letter, but I have received all the letters +and things sent, I think. + + + + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am writing this in my dug-out. It seems very comfortable at present. +We have one large dug-out in which Carroll slept with two machine +gunners. I was going to sleep there too, and as I have a new officer, +Ingle, with me he was going to sleep there. But by the greatest stroke +of good fortune I spotted this one just near. It is the best dug-out I +have ever had. The other dug-out is swarming with mice and rats, who +scratch earth into you all the time, and come and expire on you at +night. One fell down and died on the table while we were having tea. +But in this I have only seen one mouse so far, and it has got about +ten feet of solid earth over it. I sleep on a comfortable folding bed, +in my clothes, of course. It is well back six or seven hundred yards +from the firing line. The firing line is more unhealthy than other +trenches we have been in. They will keep sending the oil cans I told +you of over into the front line. If you manage to get away from them +round a traverse they come rolling round the corner after you; I don't +love them at all. I have got "Printer's Pie," and I am just going to +put up some pictures and am then going to bed. I relieved Carroll, and +have been messing around since. I went down to the firing line for an +hour or two to go to each emplacement and see how the men who were +firing the guns were getting on, and then came back and observed their +fire just outside my dug-out; there is our observation post from which +you can see our own lines and the Bosche lines for miles. I have just +been down to one of our ammunition dug-outs, seeing 100 rounds put in +that a fatigue party had brought up. Friday 10 to 12. Good-night, +Mother mine. + +Had a comfortable night, but, as it was rather cold, I have had my +sleeping bag brought up for to-night, so I shall be all right. Fuller +was late this morning, so I had to wait impatiently for my boots and +puttees to be cleaned before I could get up, consequently we did not +have breakfast till nearly 10-0 o'clock. After breakfast Ingle and I +went round all our emplacements. We had quite an interesting time, as +in one place where the trench is not occupied, and up which we have to +go to one emplacement, one of our field gun batteries put four shots +into the trench about 10 yards behind Ingle and knocked him over, then +a rifle grenade landed nearly at my feet and kindly failed to go off. +We returned in time for a late scrappy lunch at 2-30. When I was +intending to have a nap and a read when one of the Northumberland +Fusiliers officers, Bowkett, turned up with Kitty to see the line, as +he is probably taking it over from us in a few days, and I had to +wander right around all the emplacements again. After tea I went down +to see how our guns were getting on and found the infantry were very +pleased with them, as one gun had managed to destroy a Hun machine gun +emplacement, and the others must have done considerable damage, as +they so much raised the Hun's ire that he shelled them all +unsuccessfully. + +We had a pleasant dinner, and the rest of the evening I have spent +worrying over returns, new emplacements, trench maps, &c., and so to a +well-earned rest. + +I am beginning to find my way about a bit now, but there is a +veritable maze of nice white chalk trenches. We are in a sort of +valley, and in the middle of the valley is a slight rise on which the +village of La Boiselle once existed, and which now forms the German +salient. + +Sunday, 28th, 1-0 a.m. Wakened up by Parker, of the Lincolns to tell +me that gas cylinders have been seen being taken in La Boiselle, and +that, as the wind is in the right direction, there may be a gas +attack. I hope not; however put on boots and puttees. I warned the +men, putting one sentry on duty, as also the servants. I have a +beastly headache, and I am very tired; I wish people wouldn't see such +things. They are very quiet, too, to-night, which looks suspicious. + +May 29th. Awakened very tired about 8-0 o'clock, dressed by putting on +my boots, sponge bath, shaved while I had my breakfast in my dug-out. +Then I went with my sergeant to see about new emplacements. Started on +a new one with a corporal and four men working, also myself. In the +afternoon I received a scheme for construction of six new +emplacements, and I had to go to try and find positions. I managed +more or less to do so, and returned in time to start working out +ranges, compass bearing, angles, &c., only to find I had to go down to +two emplacements again to place them accurately by the map. Busy all +evening with indents, returns and chiefly with schemes for +emplacements. Bed at last--12 midnight. + +Yesterday we worked on emplacements till about 2-0, when I returned +for lunch, and was strafed by the Divisional General for having my +guns in the firing line; afterwards a disturbed lunch, during which we +were shelled and our men's dug-out pushed in with a 5.9 howitzer, +though 16 men in the dug-out were unhurt. The Bosche was busy all day +with 5.9's, blowing most things in. In the afternoon I went up to see +the Brigadier, who was very nice, and attempted to solve all my +difficulties. I then had dinner with Carroll and Brand, and returned +to the trenches, and so to bed. + +This morning I wakened at 7-30 Tempest came in, laying claims to my +dug-out, claiming it for Barker, but we said "No." Breakfast at 8-0. +At 9-0 I prospected with Wilson-Jones and found a topping place for a +new emplacement, which we set up forthwith, also making on the other +two new ones. Lake and another man came to lunch. This afternoon and +evening we have been doing more work on the emplacements. I am getting +a bit tired of these trenches; they are much too dangerous, and I hate +suddenly having to crouch against a traverse when a big shell comes +and crouches on the other side of it. I shall now retire to my little +couch. Good-night, Mother dear. + +June 1st. Working all day on emplacements, putting headcover on, &c. +This evening, about six o'clock, I was called upon to reply to German +trench mortars, but just as we had reached the bottom of the +communication, they opened gun fire on the communication trench, +wounding several men, while we lay at the bottom of the trench, while +they whizzed over in sort of sheets of shells. They soon quieted, but +one burst was enough. I went down to the front line about 10-0 to look +round, and coming back they were unpleasant again--big stuff too--but +to our left. The shells are something terrific here; I think it is one +of the hottest parts of the line. + +June 2nd. Working all day on emplacements. In the evening we were +called upon to retaliate for German mortars, and pumped hell into them +for a few minutes (excuse the word, it is the only one I can think +of), and soon shut them up. I was relieved by Carroll. + +June 3rd. Went up to the trenches, to see how the emplacements were +getting on, with Kitty. In the evening the Tyneside Scottish relieved +us, going up to the trenches at 2-0 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. We had an +awful crush of them in our mess for several hours, and I had great +difficulty in pushing them off up to the trenches. I took them there +just to be in time for a terrific bombardment on the trenches, whilst +the Germans tried unsuccessfully to raid our trenches. They used tear +gas on us, sent over in shells, and it makes you weep. When I returned +they were shelling near our billet, and we had to spend the whole of +the rest of the night in the cellars, and only got to our bed at about +6-0 in the morning. + +June 4th. Carroll and Brand went back to rest with the two new +batteries, and Kitty and I remained in reserve, as they wanted us to +take part in a raid that we were going to do, and, though our own +brigade was in rest, our batteries were selected as a compliment to +take part in the raid, which we learned was to come off on Monday, +June 5th, so we tried to go to bed early on Sunday after our troublous +Saturday night. However, we learnt that the division on our right was +doing a raid, and the Bosche started retaliating on Albert, the town +we were in, so we had to spend another night in the cellars. + +June 5th. We spent the day getting ammunition up, 400 rounds, +registering our guns, &c. We found our emplacements damaged by the +bombardment of the night before and had to make one new one. We meant +to return to our billet for lunch at 2-0, but we actually came back at +6-0--in time for high tea. At 8-30 we paraded, six men from each +battery to work four guns, and got to the trenches to find everything +quiet. We prepared our ammunition, &c., and were finished just before +11-0, at which time all our artillery suddenly burst forth into a +hundred thunderstorms, and absolutely rained shells on the German +lines like hail. At 11-20 we started, and put over about 70 rounds +from each gun, and finished at 11-35, and returned to the third line +as soon as possible to collect there to take our guns out. I quite +enjoyed it all; there was a huge row on, and you could not tell if any +German shells were coming at you, there was such a noise. It was quite +exciting. I was surprised to find that it is really not nearly half so +bad when both sides are hard at it and our own getting decidedly the +best of it, as when occasional shots keep arriving. + +We were glad to get out all right at 1-30 and back to our billet. The +next day (Tuesday) we moved back to Bresle, and arrived there in the +evening. Kitty and I had to go up to the trenches to collect some +things, then we had tea, and came along in motor wagons, &c. + +At present we are back where we were in tents; it rains fairly often, +and, as a rest, we have to parade at 6-45 for field days. I am going +to the Suffolks to-night. + +I am awfully sorry this letter has been so long, but I have been made +O.C. group of four batteries, and I have had to work all day and most +of the night. + +I am very fit and well, and hope to be home on June 15th. Old Wroxan, +who shared a room with me at Cambridge, was killed the other day--he +had only been out about a month. + +Socks, cake and all sorts of nice things received. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + B.E.F., 10th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +As I told you in my last letter we are now resting, and we are doing +it very vigorously indeed. There are two kinds of rest for Infantry in +the British Army, and they are (1) A good rest, and (2) a thoroughly +good rest. A good rest is when your brigade is in the trenches, and +your battalion or unit is out. Then between shells in the trenches you +rest. You begin the cure at 7-0 in the morning, if you are lucky, and +continue it all day and all night on working parties. + +When you are having a thoroughly good rest you rise at 6-0 a.m., +parade at 6-45 every day, and charge across country, practicing the +assault for the day that has always been coming (is always in a +fortnight) and never comes off--the great Spring Offensive. That's +what we have been doing the last few days, walking five or six miles +out, then walking two miles or so across country, and then marching +home. Every day we receive orders in the afternoon that the brigade +will go somewhere, to the trenches or to some other village, but they +are always cancelled in the evening. + +Fortunately, to-morrow is Sunday, and we are to have a day's rest. I +hope it will not be cancelled. + +Last night I had dinner with "C" Company, my old Company; we had a +wonderful dinner. This evening we went to our brigade theatre. It is +an old barn, and we all sit on the floor--Colonels, Majors, Subalterns +and privates. There are cinematograph films, songs, &c., and it is +very cheering; Kitty, Dougal and I went together to-night. The chief +talk is all about leave, everyone being in hopes of it, and all except +the staff being put off from week to week until you almost despair of +it. Dougal is just talking about hopping into a big hot bath and a +feather bed, but if we had never done without them we should not value +them quite as we do now. + +Wednesday, 14th. The Day of Days, the heaven of every British soldier. +Leave, that Will-o'-the-Wisp which everyone possesses, but which +evades all but the staff, and the very lucky. A long journey from +Mericourt, starting at 9-30 to Havre. Lunch off omelette and coffee +during an hour's halt in the dignified perambulations of a French +train at Bouchie. At Havre we rushed to get cabins, but found plenty, +and we soon went to bed--Payne and I (Bernard Thompson on the same +boat)--and we slept until wakened one hour out of Southampton. +Breakfast off a cup of coffee, and then train again. + +Winnie met me at Waterloo, or rather I met her, gazing forlornly at +streams of strange soldiers. All morning at Harold's offices and +shopping, lunching at the Criterion, &c. Then on to Win's to tea and +back in bare time to the Savoy to change for dinner. Then to +"To-night's the night"--topping seats and a good show. + + + * * * * * + + +The writer of these letters arrived in England June 15th, 1916, and +returned to France June 22nd. The Spring Offensive, of which he wrote, +was launched at 7-30 on July 1st, 1916, and on that day he was killed +near La Boiselle--"A corner of a foreign field that is for ever +England." + + +Writing of him a fellow Officer said:-- + + "The last time I saw him was on Friday afternoon, June 30th, in + the cellars of the Chateau. He was gaily talking to his Officers + and giving them one or two final instructions. 'Have some tea of + dog biscuits and bully beef' he said to me just as I had finished + a wash. I said 'Good-bye' to him, and then crept along the dark + passage to the Chateau. + + He was one of the real enthusiasts for war amongst us as a + regiment. Most people had joined because it was their duty--he + joined because he was a soldier by nature as well. If there was + to be a scrap he was sure to be in it. He wanted to go out before + the battalion on July 1st, but the C.O., of course, would not + hear of it. + + At Armentières I was told that when the Corner Fort was bombarded + he was hit on his helmet by a huge piece of shell, but just + carried on. I feel certain he died in the forefront of the + battle, for his pluck was proverbial. "Whoever else gets the wind + up--Mack won't" I heard an Officer of the regiment say one day + during a bad spell in the trenches. + + I do not believe he was afraid of death, and I am sure he fell as + far forward as the German leaden hail would let anyone get + alive." + +Another one wrote:-- + + "I saw a good deal of him during the last few days before July + 1st, as his battery was encamped with us. He was in the highest + spirits, though he knew he was to occupy a most exposed position + in the attack. + + He was as brave as any man I know, and his loss is tremendous. I, + as well as all his friends out here, sympathise most deeply with + his family, whose consolation must be that he died a gallant + soldier's death." + + + + + * * * * * + +"Daily Post" Printers, Wood Street, Liverpool. + + + * * * * * + + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | Typographical errors corrected in text: | + | | + | Page 12: Moher replaced with Mother | + | Page 37: fraid replaced with afraid | + | Page 44: Boches replaced with Bosches | + | Page 48: intersting replaced with interesting | + | Page 55: we we replaced with we | + | Page 64: Epeleque replaced with Eperlecques | + | Page 73: greatet replaced with greatest | + | | + | On Pages 78 and 79, the author uses a common British | + | phrasing "Breakfast off a cup of coffee" and "Lunch off | + | omelette". This is not a typo. | + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Letters from France, by Isaac Alexander Mack + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM FRANCE *** + +***** This file should be named 19521-8.txt or 19521-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/5/2/19521/ + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Letters from France + +Author: Isaac Alexander Mack + +Release Date: October 10, 2006 [EBook #19521] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM FRANCE *** + + + + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> + + +<div class="tr"> +<p class="cen" style="font-weight: bold;">Transcriber's Note:</p> +<br /> +<p class="noin">Inconsistent hyphenation and unusual spelling in the +original document has been preserved.</p> +<p class="noin">Note that the style used in this text to record times such a 6-0 is quite different from the modern 6:00.</p> +<p class="noin">A number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected in this text. +For a complete list, please see the <a href="#TN">end of this document</a>.</p> +</div> + +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> + +<h1> +LETTERS FROM<br /> +FRANCE</h1> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<h5>WRITTEN BY</h5> + +<h2 class="sc2" style="margin-bottom: -1px;">Isaac Alexander Mack</h2> +<h5 style="margin-top: -1px;">THE YOUNGER</h5> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4 class="sc2" style="margin-bottom: -1px;">Lieutenant of the</h4> +<h3 style="margin-top: -1px;"><span class="sc2" style="font-size: smaller;">11th</span> SUFFOLK REGIMENT</h3> + +<h6>AND LATER</h6> + +<h4 class="sc2" style="margin-bottom: -1px;">Captain of the</h4> +<h3 style="margin-top: -1px;"><span class="sc2" style="font-size: smaller;">101st</span> TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY</h3> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4>PRIVATELY PRINTED</h4> + +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h1>LETTERS FROM FRANCE.</h1> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,</p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Monday, January 10th, 1916.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>This will probably be a long letter; I hope you will not get bored +with it. Please keep this letter and any that follow it, so that at +the end of the war I may perhaps achieve fame as the author of +"Drivellings of a young Officer at the Front." As I have not got used +to the routine out here I will describe all the last few days as they +strike me, because probably, when I have been out here a little, +everything will become such a matter of course that it will be +difficult to give you any idea of what our life is like unless I begin +with a good chapter one.</p> + +<br /> + +<h3 class="sc2">Chapter I.</h3> + +<p class="cen">"The young soldier's last day in England."</p> + +<br /> + +<p>The last day or two was rather a rush. Thursday we frantically packed +valises and vainly attempted to reduce them to something near the +regulation 35lbs. At first one put in a wardrobe fit for Darius going +to conquer Greece, which, when put on the scale, gaily passed its +maximum of 55 pounds. Then out came slacks, shoes, scarves, all sorts +of things. The weighing was then repeated and further reductions +embarked upon, the final result being about 45 lbs. However, we packed +them up tight and they all passed all right. Friday was an awful day +spent in full marching field service order, inspections, and rumours +of absurd Divisional and Brigade operations, which were to take place +at night, although we were to rise at 4 a.m. to march to the station. +However, the operations were only for Company Commanders, and so we +were saved.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we bought all the things we thought we had forgotten. +As everything was packed up a group of half-a-dozen of us assembled +round the anti-room fire to attempt to obtain a little sleep. I had a +chair and a great coat to go over me. The others slept on the floor +with table clothes and such like things. We kept a huge fire burning +all night, and, unfortunately, instead of going to sleep one could not +help looking into its red depths and seeing the pictures of men and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> +horses you always see in fires. Personally, I did not sleep at all, +only rested and dozed. At 3-0 a.m. a man came in and announced in a +stentorian voice, "The Corporal of the Guards' compliments to Captain +Seddon, and it is 3 o'clock." Appreciation of the fact from Captain +Seddon, who had been sleeping, in unprintable language which finally +resolved itself in a complaint that he had not been introduced to the +Corporal of the Guard and he failed to see why he should bear him a +grudge.</p> + +<div style="margin-left: 5%;"> +<p class="noin">At 3-30 we got up,<br /> +4-0 a hasty breakfast,<br /> +4-45 I began to go to the lines to fall in,<br /> +4-46 I came back for my glasses,<br /> +4-48 I return for my identity disc,<br /> +4-50 I return again for my day's rations,<br /> +5-0 I fall in a quarter of an hour late.</p> +</div> + +<p>At 5-15 we march off in the dark saying good-bye to those that remain +behind, and realising that at last our many months of training are +over, and we are soldiers at last, proud of the fact and beginning to +be proud of ourselves as we march down to the station. I was very much +struck by the great send-off given us by the women of the cottages we +passed who, despite the fact that they had seen thousands march out, +all turned out at that early hour, and from their doorsteps wished us +a very sincere and affecting God speed. At 7-0 we reach the station +and the train, uncertain from what port we sail, to what port we shall +go, and almost in entire ignorance of our destination, even the C.O. +knows nothing and our staff less.</p> + +<p>But in three or four hours we reach our port of embarkation and go +straight from train to boat, and are soon out in the Channel. Before +we sail all the men put on lifebelts, in accordance with orders, much +to the amusement of two or three blasé Canadian Officers returning to +the Front, who, however, are soon unable to take any further interest +in our proceedings, and seem from their earnest studies of the sea to +be trying indelibly to impress upon their brains a distinct +remembrance not of the ship but of the Channel itself. As soon as we +started we all went in to the cabin and lunched, I, attempting to fill +myself so full that the pitching of the ship in a choppy sea shall not +affect me. It was all of no avail. I paid three shillings for my +lunch, and discovered afterwards that I had not bought it, only hired +it for a short while. I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>was greatly relieved when the voyage was over +and we backed into our port of debarkation.</p> + +<p>There we had to fall in about half a mile from the landing place, and +Staff Colonels and Captains completely lost their heads trying to get +us to form up without telling us where to do so, or in what formation. +We did not know what we were to expect or what we should do for the +night. I expected to sleep on the ground and to eat cold +bully-beef—the remains of the rations we were carrying. It had been +impressed upon us by all the officers whom we had seen, who had +returned from the Front, that directly we arrived abroad all comfort +was gone, and that troops were rushed about here and there undergoing +frightful privations and fatigues, but not a bit of it. We marched up +about two miles to a rest camp, and arrived very tired to find a +beautiful dinner ready for us. Tents (two officers to a tent), beds, +spring mattresses, and as many blankets as we wanted. There we +received all sorts of orders and supplies. A day's ration, another gas +helmet (we already had one each), war rations (an emergency ration), +&c. The next day (Sunday) we marched down to the station to entrain, +marching off at 7-45. This was the only hard day we have had so far. +We had a tiring march to the station, carrying equipment weighing +about 60lbs.—an awful weight—we then waited at the station, and a +train came in with our transport on it, who had come over separately +by a different route, and spent four or five hours in the train, and +finally detrained at a very pretty village, where we could distinctly +hear the booming of the guns. There we waited for some time before +marching off, and were greeted with the sound of loud cheers from a +neighbouring field where the Artists were playing the H.A.C. at rugger +and were cheering their own sides. Then we set out, led by a French +guide, and marched about ten miles to reach our present abode. The +thing that struck me on the way was the flatness of the country, and +the roads, which were the typical roads one always sees in the +illustrated papers: long, straight and slightly raised, with avenues +of poplars along them all. The march was awful. The weight in my pack +almost dragged my shoulders off, and the men felt it terribly. +Finally, we arrived in the market place of the village near which we +are, and fell out on the grass immediately, only too glad to get our +packs off and rest, while the billeting officer led the Company +Commanders round and showed them where they were to be billeted.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>After an hour or so they returned and we marched off to our billets. +We are billeted in a sort of irregular ring round the village, with +Battalion Headquarters in a small chateau. We are in farms. Most farms +take anything from 50 to 100 men, and all the farms are similar. There +is a central square with a sort of depression in the centre, which is +covered with dirty straw and filthy water; all the rubbish is thrown +into it, and pigs, hens, and cows, wander at will all over it. I asked +the doctor this morning if it was not very unhealthy, but he said that +fortunately such places became septic filters. I think he said they +breed all sorts of bacteria and they have a squabble among themselves, +and by fighting against each other keep things all right. If the +Austrian and German bacteria would only do the same it would save a +lot of trouble. Round the cesspits are barns and pig-houses, &c. A lot +of barns. Instead of stacking hay and straw as we do they seem to put +it in barns. The men sleep in the barns; they snuggle down into the +straw and enjoy themselves thoroughly. They are just like kittens and +quite as happy, playing round and hiding themselves in the straw. We +set out for our billets, and were halted when we came to our farms. I +was in the rear when word was passed down that I was needed in front, +and I went up and found a small farm on the left and a big one on the +right. I was told my platoon would be in the little one and the rest +of the company in the big one, so I was sent in to tackle the owner, +who did not know a word of English, and to settle my men. I did my +best, my French is just good enough to make myself understood at a +pinch, and I am getting on. The farmer showed me round and I put the +men into two barns. Then I asked him "Avez-vous de l'eau a boire?" and +he replied "Mais oui." Then he showed me a pump. We then drew some +water to make tea in the company's travelling cooker. The +Quartermaster-Sergeant asked me to come and listen to it. About ten +yards off my nose told me where it was; it was filthy, so we had to +try elsewhere.</p> + +<p>The first night I slept very comfortably in an attic in the chateau +with Battalion Headquarters. Monsieur and his son and the old cook, +whose husband is a prisoner in Germany, still live in part of the +house, the other empty rooms we have, the Colonel having a toppingly +furnished room. Then we picniced quite happily the first night, +breakfasting off coffee and bully beef at about 10-0 the next morning. +The next day we spent in settling in and organising things. We are +about 24 <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>miles from the firing line and sometimes hear the big guns +and see plenty of aeroplanes. Two Taubes flew over yesterday, were +shelled in the air, and chased away by our aeroplanes.</p> + +<p>It was arranged that we would collect most of our company together, +and officers sleep together, so I came down to this farm. We have +three-quarters of the Company here, my platoon in the farm I told you +about, and the others in the big farm. The officers, the Company +Commander and three subalterns have a room in the house, with big +windows opening out into the yard of the big farm. The room is on the +second storey. We have a large bed with a feather mattress, two of us +have the mattress on the floor, and very comfortable it is. We +censored our men's letters and so to bed.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we went to the village and purchased eggs, candles, +bread, &c., and I scrambled the eggs for dinner and made chocolate, in +addition to our bully beef, which was stewed in the company's cooker +and made a very good stew. We then censored our men's letters and went +to bed.</p> + +<p>The letters seem most meagre affairs. All they said was that they were +writing to send their addresses. They were much as follows:—</p> + +<div class="block"><p class="half">My darling so and so,—</p> + +<p>Hoping this finds you well as it leaves me well. I am writing to +send you my address. (Then follows an address hopelessly wrong, +and most of which I had to censor). We travel first-class here—in +bullock carts. (The men were put in vans in the train—you have +probably seen pictures of them labelled: Hommes 40, Chevals 8. I +would rather be one of the chevals myself; we had second-class +carriages—the officers). Please send me some fags. The people +here don't speak English. I can't put as many crosses in as I +would like as the officers have to read them.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love, &c.</p> +</div> + +<br /> + +<p>This is not an actual letter, but a similar one to them all.</p> + +<p>Interruption. A knock came in "Monsieur il y a un soldat qui vous +demande" "Merci madame est-il dehas" "O oui Monsieur," Merci Madame. I +go and see. B Company Officers' valises have gone astray, &c.</p> + +<p>When we were finally in bed and almost asleep comes loud knocking. +Brown puts his head out of the window. "For the love of Heaven, come +and show us our billets." B and D Companies have just arrived a day +later than us and their guide <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>is deficient in common sense. We are +quite old soldiers now and past such excitement; we could billet +ourselves in China if necessary. However, Brown goes to help. To-day +we rose early and breakfasted at 10-0 off bacon and eggs (fried by +me), bread and jam. We have a company orderly officer, and it is my +turn to-day, so I had to get up and put trousers, coat and boots over +my pyjamas and to mount a guard at 8 a.m. and to dress properly +afterwards. We have cold baths out of a hand basin and shave. One is +very particular about shaving and all small details. The men have to +be kept as smart as possible, and it is laid down that shaving is most +important. If left to themselves they soon grow long beards, long hair +and dirty clothes. All the morning we spent in cleaning up. We swept +out the yard. They hardly know themselves now. The farm has never been +so clean before. We built an incinerator to burn all our rubbish; we +organised a Company Store, a cobbler's shop, and we have a qualified +cobbler to do all our repairs. We organised our rations, and collected +remains to make stews for the men. Constructed scrapers for boots +outside each barn to keep them clean. At about 12-0 a.m. the doctor +and C.O. came round with me and inspected our billets and praised them +as the cleanest and best organised in the Battalion.</p> + +<p>This afternoon ammunition drill, &c., to smarten the men up. At 4-30 I +mounted our guard. Each lot of billets has its own guard; and we mount +them with all the pomp and ceremony a guard should have, so that our +guard mounting is really as impressive as that at Buckingham Palace, +and it keeps the men smart. Tea time, visitors from other companies; +afterwards the others go shopping. I am cook and mess president of our +little lot, and I give them a housekeeping list of what to purchase. +Then having nothing else to do I sit down and write the largest and +most drivelling letter I have ever written in my life, I call it No. +35. The next ought to be No. 135. Please tell me if it is too long. If +it bores you, censor it and pass it on. I hope it does not; tell me if +it does. Now:—</p> + +<p>Cigarettes. Please give someone an order to send me 150 cigarettes a +week. I will send you a cheque for them any time. They may be either +Matinee, Abdulla No. 5 or No. 4. Sullivan, Savoy, Nestor, Pera, or any +similar brand. They might send vain attempts, but please get them to +send them regularly then and I will send a cheque. Letters will be +very welcome. Please give my love to all, and thank May again for her +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span>cigarette case, it is awfully useful and much admired. Please ask her +to excuse a letter. Give Amy my love and thank her for her letter I +received a little time ago. Also, if you could let Auntie Effie see +this bit, or tell her I will try and write, I should be very pleased. +I am very happy, as you may gather, and it is the first real holiday I +have had for 14 months. We have a theory out here similar to Miss —— +to wit, that there is no war. We have come to the conclusion that the +whole thing is engineered by Heath Robinson, Horatio Bottomley and the +Archbishop of Canterbury. Heath Robinson because he thinks humour is +decadent, Horatio Bottomley to advertise "John Bull," and the +Archbishop to cause a religious revival. How it is worked is as +follows:—Heath Robinson bought a chateau in Flanders and a Crimean +war gun. Then Churchill and the Kaiser came into the show. They bring +troops up to within 20 miles of Heath Robinson, who fires off his gun +every half hour. The troops are quite happy; if anyone grumbles they +are sent up to the trenches, where George Graves and Sarah Bernhardt +let off crackers. The battalion snipers are put in the opposite trench +and told to snipe the trench opposite them. Occasionally they hit a +man, and then there is a casualty list, and some General gets sent +home in disgrace. Gallipoli is another chateau near here.</p> + +<p>If you came out in pith helmets the corporation sand cart spreads sand +in front of you, and you are supposed to be in Egypt. To accomplish +The Great Practical Joke, Troops are trained to exercise their +imagination. They begin by being soldiers in blue, and imaginary +uniforms. Then they do arm drill and imagine they have rifles. Then +they do Brigade operations and have an imaginary enemy, get killed by +imaginary shells, shoot with imaginary rifles, fire imaginary +cartridges out of imaginary guns. In the end there is Heath Robinson +and his gun. I can't venture to read this letter over, and I am afraid +no one else will. But my imagination is now so good that I can almost +imagine my little Mother doing so, if no one else has the courage to +do so.</p> + +<p>Well the others have returned and common sense is returning, so I must +shut up.</p> + +<p>Good night, little Mother, and much love to all,</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—I shall soon be home on leave as a lunatic.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Wednesday, January 12th.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I am beginning letter No. 2, so that, although you will not get it for +a few days, I may add to it occasionally and despatch it to you when +it reaches a decent length, and before it reaches the colossal and +iniquitous verbosity of my former screed—a monologue on the Great +European War.</p> + +<p>I finished letter 35 last night. To-day we again spent in improving +our billets. The sailor is always known as the handy man, but I doubt +if he would have a look in even with amateur Tommies like ourselves. +We made scrapers for each barn door out of nothing, mats to scrape our +boots on out of straw, roadways over muddy places out of brushwood and +tins, &c., and incinerators out of mud. We could easily make bricks +without straw.</p> + +<p>The G.O.C. inspected our billets this morning and complimented our +arrangements, and seemed highly pleased with them. The men are +extremely smart at present; the easy time and change of circumstances +seems to have returned to them all the original keenness we had rather +lost during our rather boring time during the last few months.</p> + +<p>We had our first shot fired in anger yesterday. A Taube flew over a +mile or two up and a long distance away, and a sentry, to show his +appreciation of its attentions, loosed off his rifle, much to his own +surprise and his neighbours.</p> + +<p>To-night I invented a new dish—an omelette made of scrambled eggs and +minced bully beef. It was very good. To-day we route marched, and +inspected gas helmets and ammunition this afternoon. To-night we are +making a savoury—it is still in the making. Its ingredients +are:—Cheese, butter, eggs, mustard, pepper, and a little brandy to +act as vinegar. It is a recipe of our own and I hope it turns out +well.</p> + +<p>To-night is a time of great excitement. A post has arrived—a letter +from you written last Thursday to Sutton Veney and from Father and one +from Win. Your parcel has not arrived yet. I did not get a tin box, as +we are not in Egypt. I have no new uniform.</p> + +<p>I am keeping the knife, fork and spoon. I am enclosing a 10s. note to +pay for it and the knife (slight pause). The savoury was good. +(P.S.—Later, note not enclosed.) Please <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>tell Father he is very +generous, but I have plenty money, as Miss Jennie would say. I think I +must be awfully extravagant. I spend a lot of money, but I always seem +to have plenty. I generally buy good things and few.</p> + +<p>Can you send me a pound tin of solidified methylated spirits for +"Tommy's Cooker." (No substitutes.) Cost 1s. Yesterday I took a +fatigue party of 30 men over to a large town near here—(I wish I +could give you its name)—to unload stores for the division. We +marched there, and the men loaded and unloaded, while their officer +betook himself up to the town and purchased tinned fruit, potted meat, +&c., and executed all sorts of odd commissions for various people.</p> + +<p>I went and lunched at a French Cafe. I got a great shock, when I +entered, the outside, as it seemed a common eating house, but then I +went through the kitchen into another room, where there were two large +tables round which were seated English and French officers mixed, and +they brought us our food without one having to commit oneself too much +in French. We did not know what we were eating, but it was very good. +I had a Trinity Hall man on my right and a Caius man on my left, both +of whom knew several friends of mine. One of them was a captain, and +in his battalion was Kenneth Rudd, a great friend of mine at Jesus.</p> + +<p>We returned in waggons, big motor transport waggons. We finished +loading, and then I asked the A.S.C. officer which waggons to put my +men on, and he told us the empty ones in front. There were about seven +of them; they all go in a long train following each other, a few yards +between each one and the next. However, when we were nearly settled +the train moved off and left us behind, and I was then told that the +empty waggons were going in quite another direction. According I got +only one waggon and pushed the thirty men into it and rode in front +myself. We got stuck once or twice, and all had to help to pull it +out, and also had to help another waggon which was stuck; the road was +so narrow and muddy that we could not get it out, and so had to leave +it for the breakdown gang.</p> + +<p>At night we had a practice alarm and got all the men out with all +their kit packed, and the officers with their valises packed up, all +in 20 minutes. At 11-0 at night the men were all asleep, and it took +them completely by surprise, but I am afraid some of the officers +cheated and had most of their things <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>ready beforehand. My platoon was +the quickest in the battalion—14 minutes, though they were rather +hastily dressed and sleepy. To-day we route marched, and are now +awaiting a battalion alarm, time unknown, where I know of at least one +officer who has cheated again.</p> + +<p>A new major, a regular, has just come to us—he is to command our +company. Any food would always be acceptable, especially good solid +cakes.</p> + +<p>I am afraid this letter is almost as long and almost as boring as the +last. I will close it to-morrow. Tell me if they are too long, and +please tell everyone that the post is the real excitement of the day. +Good-night, little Mother, sleep tight and go to bed early and don't +get a headache. God bless you.</p> + +<p>The new major is to be second in command of the Battalion, and Major +Morton is coming back to us.</p> + +<p>To-day being Sunday we had very little work to do, only inspection of +men to see if they were clean and shaved, of rifles, ammunition, gas +helmets, emergency rations, &c.</p> + +<p>I must close now, as I must go to bed. I will try and write +continuously, and send each letter off when it begins to get too +bulky.</p> + +<p>Good-night, Mother, and love to all.</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Monday, January 17th, 1916.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>Chapter three now commences. It might be labelled "Reforms in the +Household." Major Morton, as I told you in the last letter, has +returned to our company. Before he returned we had one room for +officers, in which we slept, washed from one small basin, cooked, ate, +wrote and received our visitors. Now, we, Green, Parker and I sleep in +one room and Major Morton in another, and we eat in the family +kitchen, while two servants cook our food. To-day I arose with the +lark, which had unfortunately not been warned of my intentions, and so +failed to put in an appearance. Fuller, my servant, boiled me an egg +and made me some tea, which I ate at 7-0 o'clock, and then set out to +Divisional Headquarters to go on a one day's bombing course. We left +Headquarters in two motor 'buses and sailed along quite happily, as +peacefully as if we were in England, despite the fact that we were +some 15 miles or so from the firing line. On the way there we saw one +German aeroplane chased by four of our own, and I heard that they +finally had a battle near here, though I do not know the result. We +arrived there about 10 o'clock and spent the day bombing, throwing +live grenades, &c. We saw all the English bombs that are in use. I +knew most of what they told us before. They seemed a bit surprised at +what we knew; most divisions coming out have not done nearly as much +bombing—I have thrown about 20 live grenades myself already. Our +lunch we took with us. I had eggs, potted meat and marmalade +sandwiches I had made myself. We returned by 'bus, and had tea with D +Company on the way home. The men have just had tobacco served out to +them and are going to be paid to-day. It is very difficult to regulate +their pay, as they are paid in francs, and the rate of exchange makes +it difficult to pay them properly, especially as it changes from day +to day.</p> + +<p>I have just been conversing with Madame. I believe she thought I +understood her, as I tried to look intelligent and to make suitable +remarks at proper intervals. Really, I only understood a little of it. +To-day it is drizzling, and I must go and lecture my platoon on the +use of gas helmets. I have just received May's letter (Tuesday, +January 18th, to-day, I think). Please let me know when you receive +mine so that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>I can know how long they take to go. Some of the people +are very difficult to understand, as they talk half Flemish and half +French, at least many of the farmers do. We are about 24 miles from +where Arthur was in the firing line, and the big train, where I went +with a fatigue party, is the headquarters of my friend, the general, +whom I was with in 1912. I can't tell you more than that. It will be +an interesting little puzzle for you to solve. I will despatch this +letter now. It is rumoured that we shall see Joffre in a few days or +so, but it is probably not so.</p> + +<p>It seems very funny out here. We have no need to put our blinds down +at night, no trouble about lights on cars, while in London and +Cambridge one lives in inky blackness. The socks are very welcome.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—My letters are getting short, because they are sent off at short +intervals.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Wednesday, 19th.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I have just received a very welcome letter from you. I append a list +of things I want and would be very grateful for at times:—</p> + +<div style="margin-left: 5%;"> +<p class="noin">1. Powdered milk.<br /> +2. Tea cubes.<br /> +3. One tablet coal tar soap (Wright's).<br /> +4. Mixed soups.<br /> +5. A warm pair of bedroom slippers.</p> +</div> + +<p>I did not enclose a note in my last letter, as I have only French +money. I will do so as soon as possible!</p> + +<p>As a week has gone, I can tell you we crossed Folkestone to Boulogne +and passed through Calais on the way here. I don't think I can tell +you any more. Perhaps you can understand my reference in the last +letter, if you cannot no one else can.</p> + +<p>Could you not get Finlay's to send cigarettes out of bond to me. Try, +at least, with a small quantity, and I will let you know if I receive +them—it is so much cheaper. I must have cigarettes, and Seddon says +his brother always received his all right.</p> + +<p>The weather has been beautifully fine, if slightly cold, the last week +or so. I do hope Father is getting better now, I was awfully sorry to +hear he has been ill. Now that we live in more luxurious +circumstances, Graves, Major Morton's servant, does our cooking. +Foster came to dinner in order to play bridge afterwards, and we had a +pleasant meal, consisting of soup, roast beef, and apple fritters, and +had a rubber or two afterwards. To-day we have done a few parades and +practised for the inspection. I told you about it in my last letter +and it is coming off to-morrow (Thursday). We paid out this morning; +we each have to pay our own platoons in francs and to sign lots of +documents, and to get the men to sign is rather a job. We marched out +to-day and the whole division was drawn up along the road two deep, +and we had to wait two or three hours in a piercing wind, with squalls +of rain and sleet, to be inspected. Then we were inspected by General +Joffre and Sir Douglas Haigh, who went slowly past in a car, followed +by 13 other cars. You must remember that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>the division would stretch +for 12 or 15 miles along the road. We returned a little time ago to +our billets and have just had tea. Some of the French papers have a +German official communique in them saying that the 34th Division has +been badly cut up. Well, the 34th Division is ours, and we have not +even seen a German yet, nor even come within miles of one, so they +must have been very clever.</p> + +<p>P.S.—I am starving for cigarettes, please get some sent out of bond. +I am sorry to ask for so many things and to cause you trouble, but I +hope you don't mind. Please give my especial love to the Aunts and +Aunt Polly and Francis if you get any opportunity, also Uncle Ted. +There was rather an amusing paragraph in the Cambridge evening paper +of January 14th about our departure. I think it is the "Cambridge +Daily News." You might like to write for it. Watch the first letters +of each sentence in my next letter on page 3. Yesterday I was +unfortunately slightly unwell and stayed in bed in the morning and got +up in the afternoon, and in the evening we had a brigade alarm and +were out from 7 till 12. I had only had six biscuits and some milk, so +I did not feel very strong.</p> + +<p>To-day being Saturday we have done little, and we bicycled into the +same huge town to make some purchases. Don't send me cigarettes unless +I write again for them, as I find I can get them cheaper from the +Officers' Canteen out here. I must close now as we move to-morrow a +few miles nearer the firing line and billet again, but we shall still +be rather safer than we were in England. Well, write again as soon as +possible.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., January 23rd, 1916.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I have just received a parcel from you; I might almost say <i>the</i> +parcel. I never remembered ever having received a parcel which caused +me greater pleasure. I opened one end of it and took out each article +in turn and each article was simply delightful. It was really like an +unexpected Christmas, or a visit to the perfect grotto. There is only +one thing, mother, that you really must not do, it is simply spoiling +one as it is impossible to realise that one is supposed to be on +active service, when we are billeted in extremely comfortable billets, +and given all the luxuries one could possibly desire. I thought that +once we left England we should have to say good-bye to comfort, but +not a bit of it. I can say with perfect truth that nowhere in England +were we half so comfortable, or did have half so easy a time as here. +We sleep in absolute comfort and warmth, we are fed far better than in +any hotel outside London, and we are given just enough exercise to +keep us fit. Most people told us before we came out here that the +billets were not at all comfortable, and we expected to be in any old +cowshed. Our last billets were extremely comfortable and our new ones +are equally so. Rotten billets are usually only given to troops who +leave their billets untidy when they leave. Before we leave we are +always very careful to leave ours clean and so we get good ones. Early +this morning we moved our billets again and are now some 16 miles from +the firing line. Continuing from where I left off in my last letter. +Quite unexpectedly we had to move on Saturday night. Unfortunately +practice night alarms have been very frequent lately, and so we were +prepared to move quickly. Every other night last week, almost, we had +practices. We were warned that we were to be ready to move on Saturday +night any time after midnight, and, as a matter of fact, had two or +three hours to get our things ready. We went to bed and got the word +to move early this morning. We marched for about three hours and +arrived here in comfort in the morning, and found we only had one very +dirty and tumbledown farm for the company. Within about three hours we +had cleared every barn of old straw, clothes, boots, tins, &c., put +new straw in, and are now quite comfortable, the officers have a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>sort +of sitting room again, with one bed in it, two on the bed, two on the +mattress, and one on the floor, and I expect we shall be very +comfortable. As we did not seem to have any food for the officers the +farm people asked us if we would like some chickens. And we had soup, +the typical French pot-au-feu, which they keep on the fire and put all +scraps into it and which makes delicious soup, chickens, fruit salad, +and cafe noire, which all French people know how to make. To-morrow we +will spend in making the place like a palace. Don't send me any more +cigarettes. The ones I have just received will come in very handy as I +am short, but in future I can get them out here cheaper.</p> + +<p>Much love to all, and especially to you, Mother dear.</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., January 24th.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>To-day we were expecting to get up late, parade this morning 9-30, +but, unfortunately, we were wakened at 7-0 o'clock and told to parade +at 8-0 for inspection by our Corps Commander, and spent the whole +morning standing still while we were inspected. It is extremely tiring +to stand still for half an hour or more, more tiring than marching for +hours. The rest of the day we spent cleaning up everything. Now we are +sleeping in three different rooms. In here two sleep, and we all eat +in another room, six feet by eight feet, three of us have our mattress +on the floor and one more in a small room by himself. Most of the +rooms lead out of the kitchen. In the kitchen most of the servants and +a few other men hob-nob with Madame and her buxom daughter, who are +Belgian refugees, and who are very agreeable and don't seem to mind us +over-running the whole place, and soldiers coming in to their kitchen, +where they live, in all stages of dishabile, to buy huge bowls of +coffee at 1d. each. The General this morning was a cheery untidy old +soul, who reviewed the troops in an old mackintosh and gum boots and a +day's beard, or I should think the result of a bad razor. He addressed +us afterwards in an oration full of split infinitives and mixed +metaphors, welcoming us to France for a few month's holiday.</p> + +<p>I perpetrated quite one of my best efforts to-night. I went into a +shop, where I hoped to get potted meat, and asked for "pâté en +bottine," which being interpreted is meat in boots, which was +unfortunate. Parker then entered another shop and asked "Je desire un +larabeau si vous l'avez," which means "I want a basin, if you have +one." But, unfortunately, the good lady thought he meant not "si vous +l'avez" if you have it, but "si you lavez" if you wash. I am afraid +that No. 36 was delayed, and so it arrived at the same time as No. 37, +I suppose. Read both very carefully together and you will perchance be +interested. To-day I had an inspiration. We could not get anywhere for +the men to bathe for the last week or two and this morning I was +desperate. I believe a lot of the little friends which are said to +dwell with the soldiers are due to troops in the same conditions not +having an inspiration and so starting badly. The <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>idea was almost too +simple. I dug four holes in the ground and pegged a waterproof sheet +in it, and got four dixifuls of hot water, so that each section of my +platoon had a bath per platoon and water not quite cold. As there was +a gentle zephyr wind blowing and a nice warm sun it was very pleasing. +We have been having topping fine weather—hardly any rain so far.</p> + +<p class="right3">Good-night, Mother,</p> +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,</p> + +<p>I hope you got my last letters all right and understood them. Since +writing them I have moved, but the battalion has not. Two of us and 71 +men are on a course in trench mortars. We have moved some 12 miles +further, and are, I think, about three miles from where Arthur was. We +came right up here in 'busses, and arrived here no one seemed to know +anything about us, so we had to forage round and get billets for our +men and then for ourselves. When all was settled, an officer came and +told us he had orders from his brigade to have these billets for a +battalion just coming out of the trenches, so we started off again, +and finally fixed the men up and in the end ourselves in an estaminet +(whisper it softly—a pub.) in a wee room with one large bed. We both +then slept on the bed and used the rest of the room for storing our +clothes in. The men were roused up in the night by a false alarm from +the trenches, but they did not disturb us. To-day we breakfasted at +9-0 and were lectured to in the morning and afternoon by an officer, +who came out of the trenches yesterday afternoon. This evening we went +to a fairly large town near here and had tea and dinner. At tea we +found a large major leaving the cafe and vainly looking for his cap. +At length he got the services of a waitress. "I've lost my cap" ("ton +chapeau?") "Call it what you like as long as you find it." He was +rather amusing. Dinner we had in the usual French cafe I have +described before, and returned home to bed. The other man has gone to +another estaminet and so I am sleeping alone. The house is on a slight +rise, so from my window at night I can see a huge circle with lights +going up every minute here and there—star shells, they quite light up +the room, then flashes and a boom. They have just been quite bad +tempered a few miles north of us and have been making a dickens of a +row. I think it is a nuisance that ought to be stopped, it must be +quite annoying to the people round. Now they are getting distinctly +unfriendly to the south for a little. It looks like a fifth of +November show, rather long drawn-out.</p> + +<p>Please excuse this writing, as I am lying down in bed.</p> + +<p class="right3">Good-night, little Mother,</p> +<p class="right">Your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>I meant to send this letter off to-day, but I have not been able to. +This morning we breakfasted at the gentlemanly hour of 9-0 off +omelettes from the estaminet, bacon (a ration), coffee, marmalade and +bread and butter. We did a little work this morning, lunched off bread +and butter and marmalade and then a lecture, and then we went into the +town for tea and dinner. They have a very nice cafe place here—a +private house. Madam's husband is a prisoner, and her husband told her +to be "gaie," so she runs a cafe and enjoys herself. We had a very +good tea; they have some very nice cakes called gauffes (I don't quite +know how to spell it), like sweet pancakes, and afterwards a bath. The +division has some baths. There is a starch factory—I think it is—and +there are some large sort of square vats in it. They are used as baths +for officers; they have three big vats, one very big, and they are as +hot as you like, and are 8 feet by 4 by 4 feet deep, and you can have +a topping bath in them—you can just swim a stroke or two. Then +afterwards we had a cold plunge in a very big one. It was simply +delicious and cost us nothing. One of the best baths I have ever had. +I had one bath to myself and Bill Fiddian the other. Then we went to +dinner and enjoyed ourselves muchly. Soup, veal, chicken, coffee, all +for 3/9 or rather five francs—a franc equals about 9d now, as English +credit is very good—and then home to bed.</p> + +<p>To-night the machine guns seem rather busy. I have just heard one let +off a few hundred rounds, but I don't think one round in a thousand +hits a man. There is one busy popping off now. It is funny being a +sort of spectator. Things are pretty quiet really at present, as I saw +in a captured German letter from a German soldier to his mother. "In +the spring the curtain will rise"—I wonder who will pull the string. +They are noisy to-night, a lot of waste of ammunition, both rifle and +machine guns going on. It is a calm night so the noise carried.</p> + +<p>Well, good-night, Mother,</p> + +<p class="right3">Much love to all,</p> +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>There they go: rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat, a machine gun.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Saturday, January 29th.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>Do you send any of my letters on to Winnie? or anybody? After work +to-day we went into the town to have tea. After tea we met some of our +men and gave them some pay, pro. tem., as they have had no pay for two +weeks or so and were broke. Then I bought a Pearson's magazine (price +1s.) and we started for home and got a lift on a 3-ton A.S.C. lorry, +from which I dropped the magazine, unfortunately. I am billeted in an +estaminet by myself, and Bill Fiddian is with two other officers on +the same course in another estaminet in a large room with three beds, +out of which all the bedrooms open. Grandma groans in one small room, +Monsieur and Madame and about two dozen others in another small room +and two officers in two other small rooms. Grandma has just gone to +bed; she has attained to the small total of 97 years and seems able to +look after herself. We have just been having a long talk with Madame, +who brought us up our dinner, an omelette and coffee. We have been +reading and talking, and on Monday we shall return to the battalion. +The big candle you sent me is topping and is lasting for hours. The +guns are at it again—they have been busy all day. The Germans were +here once, but they are not here now. Since coming out here I have +come to be very proud of the battalion. I have seen no battalion with +their physique and few with their discipline. They sing a song about +the Suffolk boys being respected wherever they go, and I think they +are. In comparing them with other men, I have been struck, and so have +others, with how fair they are. Most of them have very fair hair, +often gold, and fair rosy cheeks. They seem a very Saxon type. I have +been wondering whether they are descendents of the Danes and Saxons, +who took refuge in the fens in Norman times, a memory of Hereward the +Wake. The fen men have always been a separate race; they must have +very little Norman blood in their veins. They have the Saxon stolidity +also. I am very glad I am not in a town battalion like the +Northumberlands and such regiments. They are not nearly so easy to +control or so well disciplined, and I am pleased to discern to-day +that our men seem much quicker in picking up new ideas, despite the +fact that they are not so educated. Well, I am afraid all this is very +boring. But, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>as I have suddenly developed into a writer of letters, I +must write either just what comes into my head or nothing at all. It +seems funny this long, stretching line of trenches, always busy even +in the quietest of times. By daytime guns and shells; by night, bombs, +flares, searchlights and machine guns. And a few miles behind it as we +are, perfectly safe as if there was no such thing as war, with only +the faint noises one notices, now faintly, now clearly, as the wind +varies to remind one of the struggle going on. It seems funny to lie +in a comfortable bed and watch it all through the window as on a +stage. Noises off.</p> + +<p>Please send me big candles when you send a parcel. This one is lasting +beautifully. Yesterday (Sunday) we fired off the mortar in the +morning, and in the afternoon went into the town for dinner. I wanted +to go to a Catholic Church in the evening to see what it is like, +because, of course, there are no Protestant Churches here.</p> + +<p>This afternoon we went to the Theatre of the Division we are attached +to. They have a cinematograph and a band, orchestra and concert party, +all composed of Tommies. They are at present in what I think must be +part of a disused factory, and it was a very good show. I went and one +of the other officers on the course, and two of the officers whose +battalion we are attached to. Then we had dinner with them in their +company mess, and a jolly good dinner, too, and after we talked. It +was very interesting, as they have been out over six months +continually, and not lost a single officer I think. They had some very +amusing yarns. I will tell you sometime.</p> + +<p>When I returned to my billet I had an awful business. It was one of +the blackest nights I have ever seen. I have never before remembered a +night, when you literally could not see your hand six inches before +your nose. Last night you could not—I tried. Also the darkness was +misty as well, it simply got up and hit you in the face. I started +back once—it quite seemed as if someone was striking a blow.</p> + +<p>To-day we did one of the most curious and typical things of modern +warfare. At 10-30 we went out for a walk—five of us—and our +destination was the trenches, just for a few hours' joy ride. We +walked about five miles along the road, and then about a mile across +open fields. The last mile, of course, was within rifle range of the +German trenches, but they could not see you, except from observation +posts, and if they could <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>we were too far off to make the shot easy +enough to make it worth trying. The only disturbing thing was the +behaviour of our own artillery, who suddenly let off a gun, only a few +yards from the road on which we were walking, and made a horrid row. +The curious thing about this trench warfare is that a trench is such a +small thing to hit that the German and our own artillery have given up +trying to do any real damage, but they have come to a sort of +agreement to keep their faces up and to impress upon the infantry in +the trenches that there is some reason for an artilleryman being paid +more than the infantry. Accordingly, they plant their wretched guns +near a road, and when anyone goes along it they let off a round just +to see him jump. The shell probably falls in Holland or in our own +lines. Anyway, it does no damage, and the artillery enjoy their little +joke all right. It has become almost second nature with them. Of +course, the new batteries take some training—they lack humour. One +battery let one Brigadier-General, one Colonel and a transport mule go +past and each time forgot about loosing off a round. At the end of the +cross country jaunt we came across the beginning of the works of the +Cave-men. You may have seen some in England—they disguise themselves +as earth and then dig long narrow holes and live in them. The Cave-men +are strange creatures. We went up one of then funny long narrow +burrows, and occasionally they let off a funny toy which cracked +overhead. At length we came to the real caves where these men live. I +noticed that they were very vain men and were continually looking into +a sort of box thing, with a glass at the end, and admiring themselves +therein, and then so intoxicated were they with the sight that they +would put a stick to their shoulder and break forth into smoke and +flame. The name of this people is the Tribe of Tommizi.</p> + +<br /> + +<p>And I noticed their gods visited them. Speckless mortals, clothed in +fine linen, wearing turbans or caps, as they call them, trimmed with +red and gold, and so appalling was their aspect that the Cave-men +were, as it were, turned to stone, and stood with their hand to their +hats as if to guard against a blow, or to ward off the evil eye. And +behold, a terrible dragon screamed across the sky, shouting out with +hate and roaring as the thunder, and fell and burst itself asunder, +and I fled, and the Cave-men laughed, for their gods in red were there +and they feared not. I expect the above gives you a good picture of +trench life. It is as given me by a friend of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>mine who visited these +men—my own experiences were different.</p> + +<p>My own experiences I will call "An Idyll of Spring" in blank verse, +without the blanks and without the verse, and will be continued in our +next.</p> + +<p>We wandered up the communication trench and nosed all along the firing +line, only 50 yards from the German trench—I thought it was topping. +I had a good look, with a periscope, while a sniper vainly tried to +hit it, and its owner became nervous of losing it. I enjoyed my visit +very much. Wednesday: The Brigade Major came to see me, and told me +that I am to command the Brigade Trench Mortar Battery, so I am now +one of the working members of the Brigade Staff, though I don't wear a +red hat. I was very pleased. He took me back to Brigade Headquarters +for tea and dinner and I had a very good time. But, unfortunately, I +had to come home in the dark. All the roads round here have ditches on +either side. It was pitch dark, I did not know the road, and it was +too dark to see the turnings oft. I missed my way and went miles. I +hated it. I don't mind a German, but I don't like the dark. Thursday: +We amused ourselves, and at 3-0 I went to see the Brigade Major of the +Brigade, to which we were attached for instruction, and he sent us to +the reserve billets, within a mile or so from the firing line, which +they have a stupid habit of shelling. It keeps waking you up in the +night. Then this morning we marched off and got two 'busses back to +the place we were in two weeks ago, after our first move, well back +about ten miles or so, to train the battery. It is a topping little +village on a slight hill, and we have topping billets. Fiddian is with +me at present. We have a room each, a feather bed with clean sheets +and a nice little sitting room. The men are in a topping loft with +plenty of straw and seem very happy. We are going to dinner with the +Colonel of the 16th Royal Scots. I command the battery and have the +powers of a Battalion Commander. I am absolutely on my own, no Company +Commander, no Battalion Commander, only the Brigade can give me +orders. Fiddian is second in command. We have four gun detachments. I +hope the war goes on for ever as far as myself is concerned; at +present I like it all, even including the trenches.</p> + +<p>Much love to all, Mother dear,</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span>P.S.—I have just received your letter dated January 30th. The reason +some of my letters are dated differently inside from out is that I +begin writing a new letter directly the old one goes off and they take +some days to write, and also posting is often delayed. I am very busy +organising the battery at present, and have a lot of work to do. I +have just got my guns (4) to-night. The first place we were in was +near St. Omer, and it was there we went to shop. I am allowed to tell +you now—it is some time since we left there.</p> + +<p>Please send me my Sam Browne belt as soon as possible. I am awfully +sorry to hear that Father has been ill. Please give him my very best +love as always, and tell him I do not write to him separately as my +letters are always family affairs, and I cannot write more than one. +Does anyone else see my letters? If you see the Aunts please give them +my very best love too. Please thank Auntie Agnes for writing me such +an interesting letter. It was awfully nice of her to write, and I will +try to answer it. She asked if she could do anything for me—well, I +don't want to trouble her, but if she really would like to, a cake +sent any time she is making them would be very acceptable. You can get +no cakes out here. Also I should like you to take my letters to the +Aunts and Uncle Ted any time you go to see them, and read them any +bits that may interest them. You have no idea, but I know you have, +how I appreciate letters, especially the topping long one I have just +received from you. My letters are very much delayed at present as I am +detached from the battalion and being moved about. I have little time +to complete letters before there is more news to tell.</p> + +<p>Good-night, little Mother, give them all a good-night kiss from me. I +hope Charlie is fit and well.</p> + +<p class="right3">Much love to all,</p> +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Monday, February 7th.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I think my budget must be growing fast. Yesterday I spent in +organising my battery. I got some green and white paint from the +A.S.C. and painted all my guns, so that they look beautiful now. Most +of my time nowadays I spend in trying to get money for myself and for +my men, rifle oil, baths, boots mended, equipment for guns, and all +sorts of things. This morning I took the whole battery in battery +drill. Most of it's composed by myself, as there isn't a drill book +for trench mortar batteries. It is very interesting, as I have to +think out all my own tactics, and organisation. On every other, +infantry or cavalry or artillery, there are thousands of War Office +books, so that one needs to think very little for oneself.</p> + +<p>We are just having dinner, Fiddian, Carroll, who is my second in +command, and myself—quite a nice dinner—while our servants make +merry in the kitchen. The house where I am billeted is owned by a +topping old man. Whenever I pass through their kitchen they all get up +and monsieur says: "Bon jour Monsieur L'Officier." He is a time-served +French soldier, and works in a big wood just near here. We had a +Taube—A German aeroplane—over here this morning. It dropped one +bomb, which did not go off, a few hundred yards from here. I did not +hear about it till afterwards. The battalion has just returned to-day +from the trenches for a week or so before we return to them to take +over part of the line. Where we are going is, I believe, a fairly nice +peaceful spot. I shall try and stir them up if I have half a chance. +What happens in trenches is: that if the Germans get nasty and shell +us, or send a few bombs from trench mortars, we try to make ourselves +nastier still and send over twice as many. Then the Germans get +nastier still, till both sides have got thoroughly bad tempered at +having their parapets spoiled and trenches messed about. Then it +gradually wears out. And as the Germans are using bad ammunition at +present they go to bed or wander off to get a drink, and we soon do +the same. I have just seen Brown. He says he was going up to the +trenches in rather a nervous state of mind when the Officer Commanding +the trenches into which we were going for instruction met him, told +him his sergeant-major, would look <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>after our men and took him to have +a wash and then to have dinner in mess. They had soup, meat, sweet and +savoury, all to the strains of a gramophone. Not bad for the +much-abused trenches. The battalion was in about a week and lost +nobody. This morning we were to be inspected by our Divisional +General. But he spent so much time talking to the battalion that he +was unable to see us. He says he is going to save every life he can in +his division. He is going to improve any trenches we go into, to make +them absolutely safe, and so on. He is a fine man. He was in command +of a brigade at the beginning of the war, and saved his own brigade by +his calmness and bravery.</p> + +<p>Tell May there is nothing I like so much as long letters, otherwise I +should not write such appalling long screeds about nothing at all.</p> + +<p>I am going out to-night to mess with "D" Company of one of the Scots +Battalion. Now I am attached to Brigade Headquarters I see quite a lot +of Captain Creig, who is on it you know. He sometimes gives me news of +Uncle Fred.</p> + +<p>I have just received a letter from May and one from Father. They have +been delayed, as I am away from the battalion. Remember that you can +say anything you like in your letters, as they are not censored at +all. I very rarely see a paper, so any news is valuable, especially +about such things as the last Zeppelin raid, &c. Please send me also +my slacks and shoes, and the Sam Brown belt as soon as possible. I +will enclose a cheque for all I owe you in this letter; I hope it will +cover it all. One of the Scots, Kitton, a friend of mine, came in to +dinner last night with us, Carroll and myself, or rather it was Bill +Fiddian and myself. Carroll was out.</p> + +<p>Yesterday we spent in the usual way. I went to dinner in the evening +with "D" Company of the Scots, and had a very pleasant time. +Unfortunately, after dinner, I went to see Major Warden, of the Scots, +and, instead of going into his room, I stalked into Madame's bedroom, +and fled precipitately. This morning I took the men down, and we had a +bath in some temporary baths the R.E.'s have rigged up. I received a +very nice parcel from you to-day (Thursday) containing a cake, +powdered milk, tea, &c. It was very welcome. It had been delayed with +the battalion. I went along to the battalion and saw several of the +officers to-night. I was very glad to see them. Good-night, little +Mother, I am going to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>bed. Whenever it is raining you can be quite +certain that we are being inspected by some big General. It has been +pouring all this morning because we were being inspected by Lord +Kitchener. We have just returned and had lunch and changed, and I am +now spending a quiet afternoon, hoping that some of the battalion will +come in to tea with us.</p> + +<p>The Colonel is in command of the Brigade, as our new Brigadier is away +on leave. Our Brigadier, General Fitton, was, as you may have seen in +the casualty lists, the first casualty in the Division. He was killed +by a stray bullet during a visit to the trenches. We are all extremely +sorry to lose him; he was such a priceless old man, although he made +us work. It was extremely bad luck for him.</p> + +<p>I will finish this letter now, as I am just sending off a batch of my +men's letters, which I have just finished censoring.</p> + +<p>Much love to all—</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F., Sunday.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I have just returned from taking the men to have a hot bath in some +baths the Engineers have rigged up. You asked about our padré. He is +at present at the base; he has been very ill for a little time, and we +have no padré at present. Yesterday afternoon I went down to see "C" +Company, and, whilst I was in a farm talking to Gillson, a Fokker came +and dropped two bombs a few hundred yards away. They did no damage as +they exploded in the middle of a large field. I am sorry that I have +not sent this letter before, but I have been rather busy lately, not +only with work, but with social business. Last night I had dinner with +the A.S.C., and the night before with Major Warder, of the Scots, and +the Signalling Officer of the Brigade had dinner with us. You will be +surprised at the menu:—Soup, lobster, roast beef and fried potatoes, +chocolate blancmange, welsh rarebit, coffee. Quite good for France. +Fuller, my servant, cooks for us, and he is turning out a genius as a +cook; he cooks toppingly. We have rather to try and make ourselves +pleasant to other people, when we are an independent unit, they can do +so much for us. A captain of the A.S.C. took me into the town I have +often mentioned before—20 miles from here. I wanted to buy a +gramophone, a lot of people have them in the dug-out. I am thinking of +getting one. Will you ask May to get me two catalogues, one of Decca +gramophones and one of Master's Voice. If I go on like this I expect +you will all be coming out here for a holiday. We fired off our guns +the other night and the Colonel in command of the R.E.'s came to see +us fire. I asked him to dinner, but he could not come.</p> + +<p>I cannot write a long letter, but will write again soon. To-morrow we +go towards the trenches and will be in them in a day or so. Much love +to all,</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc" style="padding-right: 9em;">11th Suffolks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,</p> +<p class="right2">B.E.F.</p> + +<p>This letter is in two parts—this is No. 1.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I have another letter half written to you, but the tablet it was +written on is left at my billet, and, as I rather forgot where I left +off, I hope I will not leave a gap. To-day is Monday, 22nd. As you +know, or will know when I finish the other letter, Friday and Saturday +we moved, and rather marched up, billeting Friday night and on +Saturday night—I won't go into details. On the march we saw an +aeroplane being shelled—a very pretty sight—white puffs of smoke +bursting all round it; one bit of shrapnel fell quite near us and made +one of the brigade sergeants quite excited. I am writing this in +comfort in bed in my dug-out, though my eyes keep trying to close; I +am a bit tired, but I shall get a good night's sleep, I hope. It is +now nearly eleven. On Sunday morning I came up early to prospect round +the trenches, and to take over from the battery we were relieving. I +prospected and then returned back to bring the battery up.</p> + +<p>To get to the trenches we go first along the road up to a deserted +village the Germans shell when they have nothing better to do. They +were shelling it when I came out in the morning. I have often heard +shells described as sounding like express trains coming through the +air. They are almost as difficult to describe as the noise of the +bullet. It's a far quicker noise than an express train. It sounds like +a taxi going at about a hundred miles an hour and then bursting; a +bullet sounds like someone cracking a very loud whip just in your ear, +and a bit noisier than that when it is close to you. A machine +gun—there is one going now—sounds like a very noisy motor bike, +exactly like one, shells and bullets both whistle as well as they are +going on. Well, I must get on, I brought my men in in the afternoon. +After you get to the deserted village, you start up the communication +trench, twisting and turning for about 1,000 yards, you pass the +second line, and so on up to the firing line. The trenches we are in +are rather wet, but quite pleasant. Directly we arrived in I found +dug-outs for the men and myself, or rather pinched them, and put my +guns in position. I will carry on to-morrow, I hope; till then, +good-night. It's to-morrow now, and nearly <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span>the day after; in fact, it +is the day after. You will be glad to know that the trench mortar man +is the only one who gets a chance to sleep in the trenches; that is, +to have a decent sleep. This morning I got up at 11-0, when my servant +got me tea and a fire. Here is a plan of my dug-out:—</p> + +<div class="img"> +<a href="images/imagep033.png"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep033.png" width="85%" alt="Dug Out Plans" /></a> +</div> + +<p>It is quite a comfortable place, but rather cold now the brazier is +out. I will describe it. The whole is made of wood with a wooden +floor, just like our hut, only a smaller edition. It is about five +feet six inches high, and stands on the ground level in the firing +line, earth piled on top and all round it. The bed is made, I don't +quite know how, but it is wood with canvas stretched across it, like a +sort of hammock, and I have my valise, sleeping bag, blanket, fur +coat, &c. I sleep in everything except tunic and boots. The pictures +are post cards. It is lighted by your candle. It has been snowing the +last two days and everything is cased with snow. I mess with "D" +Company of the Scots—we have quite a nice dug-out.</p> + +<p>The first night I arrived I climbed over the parapet with another +officer to examine our wire. It has to be repaired every night. The +German trenches are about 70 yards away in some places and as much as +400 in others. It is rather exciting wandering about in front of the +line, as lights go up every now and then and show a bright white light +in the air for a minute or two like a rocket. When one goes up you +fall flat and pretend you are a sandbag or a milk-can or a rat. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span>You +may meet Fritz on the same job sometimes; I always have a bomb handy +to give him a brotherly welcome.</p> + +<p>Well, I arose at 11-0, washed myself, and messed about, sent down for +rations and sandbags, &c. The German artillery is just firing, or +perhaps it is our own. You hear a bang and then a buzz over your head +a long way up. They are probably firing at something a good way back. +Rather bad form to fire at night time, I think; I hope no one sends +for me to do a little straffing. Having arisen at the early hour I +mentioned I nosed round and noticed some of the wretched Germans were +having the cheek to work by day time, throwing earth out of their +trenches. You could see on the snow on the parapet, so I sent them +four rounds with my compliments and they then saw their mistake and +stopped. I then watched their return of compliments with a battery of +field guns; they were quite cruel to a small bush a hundred yards +behind our line. I thought it rather a funny object to vent their +spleen on. Yesterday I inspected the whole of the brigade trenches to +see where I could make myself unpleasant to Fritz, and to-day we +started making a beautiful emplacement in the salient. I messed as a +visitor with "B" Company to-night, and so to bed. To-day it is +Thursday, I think. Yesterday I had a very exciting day, rather too +exciting in parts. I got up at 8-30 in time for breakfast, and went +down to see the second in command of the Scots, and stayed at +headquarters for lunch. In the afternoon we worked on another +emplacement and got it nearly finished. We have to be continually +working on the trenches—that is, the Infantry have to. My men do some +work every day making emplacements, as those already in the trench do +not come up to my standard at all, and we need a lot more to move the +guns about. The life is either rather too exciting or ideal. It is +usually a sort of picnic; at least, for the battery. We can't do any +firing as I have not got my own ammunition at present. The men get up +at any old time, they brew tea most of the day. In the morning they +don't do much. Then they cook their dinner. In the afternoon they work +on emplacements and some go down for rations; they have to carry it +all a mile or two, and it takes a long time, mostly through trenches. +Then they brew tea again. At night one is always on duty as a sentry +over the guns. In the ordinary course of events their life and mine is +just a picnic. Well, yesterday after lunch we worked, and then I had +tea with the company I mess with, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>after which, at about 6-30, Kitton +and I started out. By the way, the men all have to stand to arms for +an hour or more at dawn and dusk. After stand-to in the morning, they +get rum. I think I am the only man in the trenches who does not +stand-to. Kitton and I went to see the Brigade Major, and they made us +stay for dinner; we did not want to, as headquarters mess are all nice +and clean and we were simply filthy, I had not shaved and was filthy +dirty. I will tell you what I wear. Starting at the extremities:—Long +pair of gum boots—they are an Army issue, and come up to the thighs, +one pair socks, trousers (more intimate details censored), sweater, +tunic, fur coat, what skin I don't know, it is something like squirrel +in colour, grey—also an Army issue; and either a waterproof cape, +coming down to the calves, Army issue (free) or my Thresher and +Glenny.</p> + +<p>After dinner, and a talk with the Brigade Major about instructions, +&c., for the battery, we set off down the road back to the trenches. +When we got to the village you can either go up the communication +trench or miss the first 500 yards or so of it and go up the road +taking your chance of machine guns. Being rather late we chose the +road. But, unfortunately, we had not gone 200 yards up it when +tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut (say that as fast as you can and then say it +faster and get father to sneeze it) a wretched machine gun got right +on to the road. With our usual politeness we gave the road up to +someone who seemed to want it more than ourselves, and dived into some +R.E. stores at the side, while the wretched gun went on for 2 minutes, +the bullets ricocheting off the road and ripping into the wood in +which we were hiding. The only thing you could see of me were: (1) +That upon which I sit down, and (2) my legs. I didn't mind about them, +as a wound in them would only have meant a few months leave. At last +the thing stopped, and we, strange to say, returned to the village and +went along to the communication trench when plop, bang, smash (four +sneezes from father, the new housemaid dropping the dinner tray and +the chapel-keeper dropping the plate, will give you some idea—get +them to try), four shells fell 50 yards away on our left. We were then +halted by a sentry, one of my own battalion. Meanwhile, I saw the +whole sky lit up as all our heavy guns were letting themselves go a +bit; I suppose they knew the machine guns had been unkind to us and +were trying to show their sympathy. The sentry challenged, I replied +with our names <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>and ranks. He glibly replied "Pass friends, all's +well." As we were passing him to go to the C.T. (communication trench) +I noticed something funny about his face, so I asked him what was the +matter with it. He answered that he was wearing a gas helmet. I asked +him if it was for amusement, or because he thought his face would +frighten the passers-by. He answered that there was a gas attack on. +Then an infernal din broke out, artillery, rifles, machine guns, &c., +Very lights. I can tell you we got our helmets on pretty slick. Of +course, Kitty (that's Kitton) had forgotten his (he's getting the +other battery in the brigade, a Scot—a topping chap), but as I had +two I lent him one of mine, keeping the prettiest, a blue and white +striped one, for myself. Then we proceeded up the C.T. Well, you have +never worn a gas helmet. It smells like ten hospitals and nearly +suffocates you. I could not breathe out of mine at first and the +windows got misty, but it got all right soon. You can imagine what it +was like, nearly suffocated, hardly able to see or hear, and +slithering about in army rubber boots on the ice in the bottom of the +C.T., catching my cloak in everything, never knowing who was coming +towards us, whether it was a fat, greasy Fritz or what it was, not +having the faintest idea what was happening in the front and the +firing line we were making for, unarmed except for the moral effect +our gas helmets would create by their hideousness.</p> + +<p>However, I soon managed to breathe out and to see a bit. Then I +noticed the position of the Very lights and saw we still held the +front line, so we felt reassured, especially as we could hear the +topping sound of our own shells whizzing over our heads, about the +most comforting sound I have ever heard. When we came to Battalion +Headquarters we found that the gas was off and gladly took off our +helmets and tried to push on to the firing line. But we had awful +difficulty, as about 800 men, who had been in working parties working +on the trenches, were coming down, and the whole way up the C.T. we +were sniped and shelled, the shells bursting all round us within a few +yards, but, thank goodness, none going into the trench. The men coming +down seemed to think the end of the world had come were almost on +their hands and knees. We tried to encourage them a bit, but they did +not like to stand up, though they were not likely to be hit unless a +shell came into the trench. At length we arrived at the safety of the +firing line; really it is quite the safest place unless you <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>are +several miles back. They practically never shell the trenches unless +there is an attack coming off, because they can do so little damage +without shooting off hundreds of rounds. In the firing line we found +things quieted down, no attack being made against us and things +generally normal. The alarm had come from our right. There was an +attack away up North, and probably the alarm had been passed right +down the line. I think we were successful in the attack I mention. At +about 3-0 a.m. I got to bed.</p> + +<p>I arose this morning at about 11-0. Fuller fried my breakfast on the +brazier and I had it in bed. Then I washed my feet, rubbed them with +anti-frost bite, had a good wash and shave, brushed my teeth and hair +and went to lunch feeling very fit.</p> + +<p>Had tea this afternoon at our Battalion Headquarters and am now going +to bed at 1-10 a.m., having been scrawling this rubbish for about an +hour; breakfast in bed in the morning, I think.</p> + +<p>I am afraid this letter has been a long time coming, but somehow I +always seem to have something to do. There are two noises I can hear +now, one the squeak of a rat, but I know he won't come in (at least, I +hope not), and two, the crack of a sniper's bullet, which I know has +no chance of coming in. As the papers would say, "Situation normal on +the Western Front." We get absolutely no news, you know more of what +is going on in France than I do. We heard that the division on our +right were in action the other night, but, although it was four nights +ago, we don't know whether it is true.</p> + +<p>Father's and May's letters to hand, for which many thanks. Father +gives me a lot of news. I had not heard of the fall of the place he +speaks of, I suppose the Russians took it—good work. I do hope Lovel +comes home, don't tell him too much of what I say about the artillery.</p> + +<p>There are two things of which we absolutely cannot get too much—1, +candles; 2, cake. I have about one and a half of ordinary candles a +day.</p> + +<p>Much love to all,</p> + +<p class="right">From your sleepy and loquacious Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—Don't believe all I say.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2 sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I received yesterday a letter from you and one from Win. I am sorry to +hear you had not heard from me for some time. How long was it? as I +have never been a week yet without sending off a letter. Only once has +there been more than five or six days between letters. My last was +sent off on Friday night and the previous one the Friday before. By +the time you receive this you will be glad to know that I am out of +the trenches (D.V.) for 16 days, and shall have a nice rest. Yesterday +we fired some ranging shots and were unsuccessful, as there was a +strong head wind. I was firing obliquely thus:</p> + +<div class="img"> +<a href="images/imagep038.png"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep038.png" width="85%" alt="Firing Directions" /></a> +</div> + +<p>and the first shot got blown right back into our wire and put me in a +fearful funk. To-day I had my usual breakfast at 10-0 in bed, washed, +shaved, and then went along to see "A" Company Commander to arrange +about firing. On the way to his headquarters I saw a captain of the +R.H.A., and found out he had come to be in command of a heavy trench +mortar battery in our brigade. While talking, he mentioned the name of +a man's father whom I knew at Jesus, and then I found out he had been +at Jesus; he was in his third year when I was in my first, I had met +him and knew his name well and he knew mine. I was extremely pleased +to have him in the brigade. This afternoon a major in command asked me +to get on to a dug-out in the German lines, the roof of which was +showing over the parapet and from where a sniper had killed one of his +men. I did so. We fired four shots, all landed in the trench, the +fourth blowing up the dug-out. That sniper snipes no more. The +infantry were awfully bucked and several men have spoken to me as I +wander along the trenches about our good shooting. It was a long-range +and there was a difficult wind. I was very pleased. The Germans +retaliated with mortars, but fell short of our front line. Then I went +and had tea, having done a good day's work. To-night <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>the company I +mess with kindly invited Lloyd-Barrow, the Jesus man, to dinner, and I +am just going to bed now. I will send this letter off to-morrow night +when we arrive in billets. I am afraid that it is rather short, but +one has very little time on one's hands in the trenches, I find.</p> + +<p>Yesterday we came out of the trenches. In the morning I got up early +and was cleaned for the fray at 10-0 o'clock when with his and I with +my guns we played havoc for an hour or so. The men were very pleased +when I removed what they declared to be a cookhouse. This war becomes +quite incomprehensible to you once you have seen the real thing; no +tactics, no strategy, just men turned moles. I believe in time we +should become sort of Cave-men; our eyes would have developed into +sorts of periscopes, our feet would have become web-footed to help us +to stand up on wet duck boards; there would be a new type of man. As +it is, it is quite haphazard and pointless. Just somebody makes +himself disagreeable when he has nothing better to do. It is so +difficult to hurt anyone actually in trenches; I think a mortar is the +only thing that can do so. With dozens of shells sent over in the last +ten days or so (40 yesterday morning) there has not been a single man +in the brigade wounded by shell fire, and rifles and machine guns are +the same. The casualties occur only in a push when one goes over the +parapet, and that is not war, only a big field day. I was talking to a +sergeant-major who had been through Neuve Chapelle, and said that it +was just like a field day in Salisbury Plain, men marching in fours in +all sorts of formations. His battalion halted after a little, ate its +lunch, and then went on, got a bit too far forward, returned and dug +themselves in, and trenches again. It is a hole and corner affair. We +were all very cheered yesterday morning by the official news of the +French successes at Verdun, and we all got obstreperous and terrorised +poor Fritz. The men say they infinitely prefer the front line trenches +to training at home. They have more comfortable sleeping +accommodation, better food and less work. I like it better myself. +Then what seems funny is to come out of the trenches and to be in +perfect safety two and three miles back. I went on a course to-day; +demonstration in mortars.</p> + +<p>We are billeted in a topping farm, and I have a huge great room with a +big bed and a fire. They are nice clean people in the farm. The men +have a loft, and use of kitchen <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>for sitting in. We are within +shelling distance, but the people in the farm have been living in the +farm, carrying-on their ordinary work, without the young men right +through everything, and the farm is absolutely undamaged. Well, I must +go to bed, little Mother. Did you receive my letters asking May to get +me gramophone catalogues of Decca and Master's Voice gramophones as +soon as possible? Parcel received. Slacks, shoes, candle, biscuits, +&c., very welcome indeed. Stir Ellen up to make another cake, larger; +I will write to her. Also can you send me Mars oil for boots.</p> + +<p>Much love to all,</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right3 sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> +<p class="right2">March 2nd.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>Please note address. Don't put in my battalion, if you like you can +put in O.C. before the name of the battery officer commanding, as a +bit of swank. This letter is a joint one to you and May. Many thanks, +May dear, for the simply topping parcel; it is ripping. Thank you, +Mother mine, also for the letter and the papers. The parcel had been +delayed a little by going to the battalion. The Aunts also sent me a +delightful parcel. I have been having a sort of little private +Christmas on my own, with a letter from Win also, and two free papers +from the King. At least, the Post Office gave us them, free to the +B.E.F. Consequently, I am very pleased to-night. I don't want my gum +boots, nor my Burberry, British warm or rug, as you know I have my +Thresher and Glenny and a fleece lining, also a fur coat, a mackintosh +cape, and a pair of thigh gum boots, all the last three presents from +the King, or rather from Father as a taxpayer. Please thank Father +very much for them. Also for the guns, which were bought out of the +taxes he pays. Several people have asked me where to get candles like +the ones you send me, and I tell them to see that when their father +marries he marries a wife with brains, as that is the only way. Then, +Mother, about the cheque: it is intended to pay for the cigarettes and +my knife, fork and spoon, and such things, I would much rather you +used it, as you are all practising war economy and I am living in +luxury; at least, do please me by buying a new hat with it, or +something as a little gift from me. I know it will not go far towards +a hat, but Father will give you the rest, and then it will be from the +two Alexanders. I am quite rich, I have nearly £30 in the bank, and I +am intending to be absolutely extravagant and buy a gramophone, and +even then I shall have a nice balance. I don't spend nearly all my +pay, and I am sure I don't earn my pay, because already I have +introduced economic reforms in Germany by cutting down the personnel +of their Army, and so saving them expense.</p> + +<p>I wish I had seen Norman Smith in St. Omer. At present in billets we +are doing little: we draw our rations and eat them, go for our letters +and read them, get new clothes and wear them, take rations up to the +dump for those in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span>trenches, and then go to bed. To-morrow is a +red-letter day. We are going to have a bath. I am getting quite good +at having a bath in a tin hand-basin, but to-morrow I shall soak in a +great vat, which was once used for washing clothes. You will be glad +to hear that we have had no single case in the brigade yet of a man +sharing his clothes with anything else of the type in the dog's diary: +"Bad attack of eczema, caught one."</p> + +<p>The rats in the trenches are delightful animals, about as large as an +overgrown horse, but you get quite friendly towards them in a little +while; after all, I suppose they are fighting for their country like +some of us. I expect the papers in ratland are like ours: "In the +western hole there is nothing to report, the situation was normal, in +Rotten Row Alley gnawing was heard, and it is thought that the enemy +are sapping towards us." Then they have articles about the bad +conditions of their trenches, and write home to say that the human +vermin simply swarm there, and are swollen to a huge size and have all +become furry.</p> + +<p>Much love to all,</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—We had an official message sent by the French line brigade to +say that the French had won back all ground lost at Verdun and taken +thousands of prisoners.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right3 sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> +<p class="right2">Monday.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I have not written for the last day or two; that is, my writing has +not been continuous as it usually is, because in billets we do little, +and have little we can do. All the guns are in the trenches, so we +have nothing to amuse ourselves with; half the battery is in with my +second in command. We have only had three killed in the battalion so +far, two men and one officer, and about half a dozen slightly wounded, +almost all on working parties, on which trench mortar batteries do not +go. If you are with the battalions you come out for four days rest, +but it is a very deceptive rest; you usually have to send large +working parties up at night-time to work on the trenches. Our rest, +fortunately, is really rest. The only things we have to do is to take +rations up to the dump for the rest of the battery, draw our own +rations, and get our mails from the Field Post Office. I have a fair +amount to do. There is a sort of Will o' the Wisp person called the +field cashier, from him a whole army corps draws the pay for its men, +and he goes to various places. His best game is to hide himself in a +wood miles away from anyone, and, then just before you succeed in +reaching him, he flits away to the other end of France; it takes about +a week to catch him, if you are lucky—I have been trying for six days +now. Another way I manage to fill up my time: Suppose I want some +rifle oil I send an indent in marked urgent. Then the indent goes to +the Practical Joke Department of the Division, and the indent is +returned to you, telling you to apply elsewhere. You apply elsewhere, +and are told to apply to the cheese department. If you are persevering +you get the right department at last, and your indent is returned to +you again with either a demand for the authority for the issue of what +you require—and by then you have forgotten what you wanted, and have +"borrowed" someone else's—or telling you that what you want is not +one trouser button, but button, trouser, one, and you let it go at +that. So the rest of my time is spent indenting and receiving indents, +and finally bearding some divisional authority in his den, and discern +him trying to find some way out of supplying you with the article. I +then smile in my most charming manner, and treat the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>matter firmly. +It's like answering Margaret's questions, or getting her to go to +sleep. The last "Tatler" you sent me has a large picture that will +cover a lot of boards in my dug-out. I am becoming very careful now. +When I first got in the trenches I used to get bored with a periscope, +and put my head and shoulders up and have a good look round. The +Bosches opposite us are rather sleepy. But now I am becoming quite +careful; No Man's Land isn't very interesting, so a periscope is good +enough. I take good care of myself nowadays since the little machine +episode on the road. I expected when I first went up to the trenches +to find them smelling of dead men, and to find No Man's Land a sort of +quagmire covered with dead bodies, but in front of us it is a nice +green field with no dead bodies on it; the only excitement is right on +the right of our line, where there is one dead German in the middle. I +believe a small charge is made for looking at him through the +periscope there.</p> + +<p>There's something I notice, and that is that there are certain +magnificent gentlemen, you will have seen, who wear red round their +hats—the Staff. In England you see the red about 60 miles off. Behind +the lines here there is no mistake about seeing it. But in the +trenches, the red is carefully covered over with a nice khaki band.</p> + +<p>The Aunts sent me a topping parcel the other night, a pair of socks, +worked by Auntie Lil, that I have on now, a cake, made by Auntie +Agnes, I have in me now, and a book and some chocolate, the last has +been censored and the other is being so. I wrote and thanked them. If +you see them please thank them again and give them my love. Fancy I +have been out here about nine weeks and I am still writing long +letters about nothing at all, and I see no chance of my falling off in +this respect, mother mine, because I know that you like to receive, +even the most ridiculous letters I send. I received letters this week +from David Smythe, who, after being rejected several times, has at +last managed to get into the Black Watch in the ranks. From Eric +Davies, who has now got a commission. From Jasper Holmes and Kenneth +Rudd. I was very pleased to receive them. Roly, I hear, has been +wounded. Pat I have not heard from for some time. I also had a letter +from Miss Crocker from Paris. Ask May to write to Miss Smyth some time +and give her my love, and ask her to write to me and send me her +address. I am thinking <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>of you all to-night, Father in the dining +room, Charlie not in yet; you and May having your supper before you go +to bed, and Amy, probably in bed already, at Ripon. I hope Arthur is +all right again, and Lovel is enjoying himself. Good-night, little +mother; God bless you. I should like to walk in and surprise you all; +perhaps in two or three months I may do so, and find you all out at a +meeting or some other thing.</p> + +<p>With much love to all,</p> + + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>March 7th (Tuesday).</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2 sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I have just received your letter and a parcel with a topping +waistcoat; I don't think I could ever be cold with it on. Thank you +very much indeed for it. I received the slacks, &c., in the trenches. +I have got enough clothes now to keep me warm at the North-Pole. I +would be very glad indeed of socks for my men—I have 23 men if you +can send for all. I got the papers last week; they are not due yet +this week. I have two Tommy's cookers. I have got rid of my camera; +they are very strict about not having them out here, so I got rid of +mine directly I came out, and, of course, had no opportunity to take +any photos. We all got rid of them the first day out here. Please tell +Ellen that I will never forgive her if she is not at home to welcome +me back when I come. I don't know where the Pals are. Winnie ought to +know exactly where I am. If not mention a few places S. of 5 if you +can remember. We got into rest a few miles behind the firing line. We +are also S. of 1 S of 2 and 3.</p> + +<p>I am going into the trenches to-night for two or three nights and then +for about a week's rest. I have just had a week's rest. I cannot tell +you the exact number of days, as I should have to censor it myself if +I did.</p> + +<p>I must stop now.</p> + + +<p class="right">Much love to all, From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2 sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>It is Sunday afternoon, 2-30, and I am just finishing dressing. We +came out of the trenches yesterday; we were only in three or four +days, as the brigade has to hold these trenches for longer than was +first intended—my second in command is in now. I shall have about 11 +days rest now. We arrived at our billet at about 11 o'clock last night +tired and hungry, and found everyone in bed; however, one of the girls +got up and made me an omelette, consisting of five eggs, and some +coffee, and the men had beer and coffee. Then I read some letters from +Father, Amy and Roly Wait, and then to bed. I have got an awfully +comfortable bed. I will write later; this is only to let you know that +I am safe and happy.</p> + +<p>Much love to all. In haste,</p> + + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right3 sc">A/101 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> +<p class="right2">Sunday.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>My letter this morning was interrupted by a message from the War +Office, brought per Second-Lieutenant Lake, of the gunners, that I had +to go to get some tea at the officer's tea room at ——. Now for +enlightenment. You have one son younger than myself, take the first +two letters of his name. Then think of the opposite of a woman crying. +If you cannot understand this take it to Uncle Ted, or some detective, +and you will find out something you are very anxious to know. It is a +good conundrum. Tell me if you get it. To resume. At about 10-0 this +morning Fuller came in and started lighting fires, cleaning up the +room, and cooking my breakfast. At 10-45 five officers came to see +me—I was where? Two guesses allowed. Still in bed. 10-46 message from +Brigade Headquarters asking for a return. I daresay you have seen a +picture taken from the "Bystander" of a scene at Loos during the +September offensive. Colonel Fitz Shrapnel in his dug-out with a +telephone at Battalion Headquarters, his dug-out being blown to +pieces, a shell bursting on the top of it. He received an urgent +message from G.H.Q. "Hello, hello! Please let us know, as soon as +possible, the number of tins of raspberry jam issued to you last +Friday." Just like the staff. They will stand up in the middle of an +attack to know when your return of trained farriers will be in. I am +afraid I forgot most of my returns. I should get, if I were you, +"Fragments from France," by Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather, price 1s.; it is +very interesting and amusing and very true. To continue:—From 11-0 +till about 12-30 I ate my breakfast and talked to these two, and then +shaved, washed, &c., and other such details, dressed and lunched off +some potatoes at 2-0, being all I wanted when Lake called for me. We +had a pleasant tea in a farm about one mile from here (see riddle), +and bought some books and things and so back home. I went out to +dinner immediately with another battery in another brigade in our +division, and we were just enjoying our coffee when we were disturbed +by a divisional test alarm. I rushed back, but was thankful to find we +were not included in the amusement. To-day the papers would describe +as "Artillery active on the Western front." They have been putting a +lot <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>of shrapnel over into the front trenches, and did some damage +with one shell to my battalion, who are in at present. They always +seem to shell when I am out (touch wood). I am beginning to hope I am +a safe mascot against shells. I will write about the last few days in +the trenches to-morrow. We had one awful attack on my dug-out—by +mice—I hated it. I can sleep through machine gun fire (I mean the +noise of it) and shells as long as they are not too close, but mice, +ugh! they wake me up at once and I hurl the nearest thing I have at +the noise. Fuller came in the other morning to find my dug-out strewn +with Very pistol cartridges; I found they were useful not only for +sending up lights but also for frightening mice. The rats are more +gentlemanly, so far, they keep themselves to themselves, they have +their own dug-out and have left mine alone so far.</p> + +<p>By the way, the "Tatler" and "Punch" have not arrived this week, or +rather last week; I have only had one copy of each so far. It must be +the fault of the bookseller who is sending them, as if posted they +would come through all right. I have just had three days in, and I did +not enjoy the first two, as I had a sort of chill, and only ate a +plate of porridge each day, and, added to that, there was one of our +battalions of our brigade in which I do not like. The last day I was +all right, and the Scots were in, so I enjoyed myself. I usually +attach myself to the nearest company mess, as I have told you, and +mess with them, but with the battalion that I was in with for two of +the three days I preferred to mess alone, and it is not nearly so +nice. To-morrow we go into Divisional Reserve for about a week or a +little more. I shall have a topping billet in the town just close to +here; a nice mess-room with a piano, and a good bedroom. I am thinking +of turning Presbyterian (not seriously) because the padré—Black—is +such an absolutely tophole chap, I see a good deal of him. He is +attached to the 16th Scots, of whom also I see a lot. Padre Black was +offered R.J. Campbell's Church after Campbell, but refused it. His +brother, Hugh Black, is rather famous I think. Anyway, the Padre's a +topper. He is like a ray of sunshine in the trenches. He come striding +along, head up, not stooping as all those who don't live in the +trenches (and some of those who do) do, with a cheery word for +everyone, and a memory for anyone he knows. A curious thing is that, +as you may know, dotted all over the roads in France, are crosses and +<i>prie dieu</i>, and I have seen scarcely one touched; you can see +villages in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>ruins and in the middle of it all a shrine untouched, not +a flower, not a piece of tinsel, not a bit of gold paint damaged. You +become sort of superstitious sometimes out here, and when there are +shells I always try to get behind the nearest one, and I know I am +safe. I have seen no Wesleyan Padres out here at all. We have in our +brigade one Church of England, one Catholic, and a Presbyterian for +the Scots.</p> + +<p>To-day I had company, one Northumberland Fusilier and one 15th Scots, +to lunch, three men to tea, and I have just had dinner with our +quartermaster and our interpreter, a Frenchman—roast duck. <i>Bon.</i></p> + +<p>This is rather a mixture of a letter. The next time I am in the +trenches I will describe it in detail if you like, but it is all just +the same, sometimes you long to get out and over the parapet and have +a go at the blighters and settle the matter, instead of potting at +each other from behind mud heaps, especially when you see a man killed +by a stray bullet; we have only had a few, thank goodness. Well, I +must to bed.</p> + +<p>Much love to all,</p> + +<p class="right">From your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—We are now changed to 101/1 T.M.B. not A/101 any longer.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right sc">101/1 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> +<p class="right2 sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>As you see, the name of our battery is changed. We are in billets at +present, in divisional rest, none of the Brigade is in the trenches. +We do not do very much. This afternoon we fired about 30 rounds for +practice. Rest is chiefly a social and bathing time. We had a good +wash yesterday. Two visitors came to lunch to-day and two are coming +to dinner. Will you look in the papers every day at the "Gazette" and +tell me when I become a First Lieutenant; my name went in a month ago. +I never see the papers. Again this week, I have not received "Punch" +or the "Tatler." I am afraid this will be a short letter, as I have +little news, and I don't want to write just for the sake of filling +pages; when I have news it is easy to write, and to you is, I know, +interesting reading. But, as you know, the happy and the righteous are +generally uninteresting, and we are very contented at present. We fire +most of the day for practice, and, as I say, entertain a lot of +officers, and go out to meals. I know almost all the officers in three +Battalions in the Brigade now. It's been beautiful and warm this last +week. If things go on as they are doing at present I should not like +the war to stop. It is very nice being out, and I really enjoy the +trenches.</p> + +<p>We went into —— (do you know where now?) the day before yesterday, +and went to the Divisional Pierrot Troupe, a sort of Follies. They are +quite good, and have a sort of theatre, in a disused college—College +des beaux Arts. It is always crowded with officers and men.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right3 sc">101/1 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> +<p class="right2">Sunday.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I am afraid that I have rather fallen off in the writing line lately, +but we have been leading a very pleasant but humdrum life, and the +evenings have been rather busy; at present, five rowdy young +subalterns profane the air with discordant music and facetious +witticisms, so it is difficult to write ("Mack, you will never write a +letter," "Do lend me a hundred sandbags," "Orders from Brigade," &c.).</p> + +<p>We are at present in a very pleasant billet just a few miles south of +where we were before; we ought to be in the trenches, but as there are +no dug-outs for us yet we are building them before we go in, or rather +we are talking of making them at present. For eight days or so we were +in divisional rest, during which time we fired for practice most days, +entertained people to meals, and went in to the town near to see the +divisional pierrot show. Two or three days ago we suddenly had orders +to move to the section on our right, so Greig, Uncle Fred's friend, +told me to ride his second horse, and to come and look round with him +at the billets, &c. We had a very pleasant ride. The next day we came +along, bringing our things on handcarts, and one big horse waggon; we +came to take over this billet—it is a huge, big farm, square with a +long courtyard, and a long tower at the gateway. The men sleep in huts +round and in barns; we have a large mess-room, with a sort of camp +beds on which we sleep. We have a huge fire, which we keep going, and +we have piles of crockery and tableclothes, &c., which we have +"borrowed." The first night there was an officer of the Company we +relieved who had apparently a little too much to drink, and, +unfortunately, got thrown from his horse three times and was found +unconscious in a ditch, and has quite wrongly been charged with being +drunk, and is going to be court martialled. I am a witness for the +defence; we have with us at present two officers of his company who +have to stay behind for the court martial. The first day we were in we +slept in huts, but it was so terribly cold that the night after we +shifted our beds into the mess-room. The first day, Carroll and I went +a tour of the trenches; they are topping trenches, we sought and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>found many things to devour and destroy. Finally, we came to a road, +where we asked the way, and were directed to go up it. We went up it +until we came to a low barricade, and looking over it, to find our +trenches just below and the Bosche trenches about 200 yards peeping at +us. Crack, crack; we returned to try again, only to find ourselves up +in the firing line. Finally, we succeeded in getting home all right +rather tired. We had a pleasant dinner, and got a large wood fire made +with ammunition boxes. The next day being Sunday we had breakfast at +10-0 in pyjamas and fur coats, and went a walk in the afternoon.</p> + +<p>To-day we went up to the trenches and worked hard (?) all day +emplacing guns, and making dug-outs, &c. I lunched and tea'd with the +Scots, and returned in the pouring rain.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right3 sc">101/1 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> +<p class="right2">Sunday, April 2nd.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I am afraid that in the last week or two I have not been writing so +well, but as you know when you become used to a life, and nothing +exciting is happening, there is little news, and there is not much +that strikes me as interesting to tell. When you begin to accept +things in the ordinary course of things, it is difficult to feel that +trivial occurrences of every day will be of interest to others. One +consolation you can have is that the more uninteresting and the fewer +my letters are the more harmless my life. If there was anything doing +I should become as verbose again as ever. However, I will try to give +you what news I have.</p> + +<p>In the first place the weather is beautifully hot. I got up this +morning, much to my disgust, to see the Brigade Major at 9-30, and +since then I have been sitting in the large yard in the sun reading "A +Knight on Wheels," by Ian Hay, with only two interruptions—to inspect +my men, and to pull our ambulance, which had broken down, back to the +billet. It is glorious weather; you can hear the birds and the faint +hum of an aeroplane, with occasionally the noise of anti-aircraft +shells bursting round one, just a faint crump and tiny little fleecy +white clouds clustering round a black speck in the sky. It is a +perfect almost summer day. There is one point about shell fire that +may interest you. A battery of guns fires on a target, say a farm +house. The guns are a long way back, and, of course, cannot see their +target. An officer or some observer will be well forward up a big +tree, in a church steeple, or a ruined farm house, or, perhaps, in an +aeroplane, and will direct the battery. Consequently, once a battery +gets on to a point, that point alone is the dangerous one; you can +stand on a road, about 200 yards away and watch the whole show quite +safely. The other afternoon we were coming down the road and the +Bosche was shelling a point about 200 yards beyond. His shells came +over the road and always sounded to be going to drop on the road. Of +course, they never did. A shell is awfully deceptive; you see a large +black cloud of smoke arise from the ground and bits fly, while you +still hear the shell in the air, so often you try to get out of the +way of a shell that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>has already burst somewhere else, until you know +what happens. It is rather funny to see the explosion of a shell, +while you apparently hear the shell just going over your head. Our +mess at present, commonly known as the Anarchists, consists of those +who take and those who give life—three Trench Mortar Batteries and +one Field Ambulance. We have a very pleasant mess. Although the +Brigade is in the trenches at present we are not sleeping in the front +line. There are no dug-outs for us, and we have a lot of work to do, +so we go up every day and make emplacements and sleep in comfort at +our billet; we have a pleasant life, because we get pleasant sleep in +pyjamas, and plenty of exercise to keep us fit. We have just had +lunch, and are lying out in the field in the sun—it is rather +pleasant. There are only about two things we want, and they are a +gramophone, which Winnie is getting for us, and a tennis court, which +does not seem probable at present. We are very impatient for the +gramophone to arrive. Kitton is with me at present; he is a topping +chap, and is in command of the other battery in the Brigade.</p> + +<p>Last night I had to take some ammunition (200 rounds) up to the +trenches, also two dug-out frames and 2,000 sandbags; we get through +in the battery about 500 sandbags a day. They are brought up to the +dump, and from there we push them up tramway lines on trucks, +across the open up to the firing line, and then along it in the open +behind to the place where they are wanted. Stray bullets and machine +guns make it rather exciting; we had one man wounded—the bullet went +right through his calf just about half an inch under the skin, a tiny +little wound, but he will only be a few days. I hope Amy is quite +better again.</p> + +<p>I was made a First Lieutenant on March 1st. It is possible that I may +be made a Captain sometime in the future. There is talk of making all +Battery Commanders Captains. I am afraid that soon we will be moving +further south; we are very comfortable here, and I am enjoying myself +greatly. I am not feeling up to writing much; I am going to read or +sleep.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right3 sc">101/1 Trench Mortar Battery,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> +<p class="right sc">101st Brigade, B.E.F.</p> +<p class="right">Wednesday.</p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I did not quite know what was the meaning of the telegram the other +day. It was dated April 1st, which made me rather suspicious, and it +did not arrive here till April 4th. I wired immediately, but it is +difficult to do so; I wrote last Sunday and once the week before; I +hope you have received them all right. You can be quite happy about me +now, as after this afternoon I shall be quite safe for some time. This +afternoon I had my first real taste of heavy shell fire, and I was +glad to find that I did not object to it half as much as I thought I +should. We were doing a pre-arranged strafe into a German salient—two +trench mortar batteries and all our artillery on to their first and +second lines, &c. We put over about 4,000 lbs. of shells from the two +mortar batteries in ten minutes and absolutely crumpled about 150 +yards of their trenches. There is no trench there now—just a mass of +earth, great girders, pointing jauntily skywards, timbers drooping +over where the parapet was, and the front of the trench, where any +remains, leaning in a tired fashion against the back of it. Of course, +directly we started the Germans got going with all their artillery at +us. "Jack Johnsons," so-called howitzers—I have never heard such a +noise. I was observing in our salient; they had cleared all the +infantry out except the machine guns. I had my eyes glued to a +periscope, and never noticed most of the stuff coming over till I had +to go along a deserted trench to give orders to my guns, and they put +over in one place four shells from big howitzers into the stream +within 10 yards of me. I enjoyed it; it was topping to see the Bosche +parapet crumpling away, lighted every half second or so with a weird +flash, covered with smoke, and the earth rocking with the concussion. +They must have lost a lot of men; we lost only about three killed and +a dozen or so wounded, none in my battery I am glad to say. In about +half an hour all was quiet again, and I was observing the damage +through a topping periscope, which magnifies ten times, when I saw +four German officers crawling among the debris and distinctly saw them +from the waist upwards. I had no rifle worse luck, and when I found a +sniper they had gone. Fancy <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>missing four German officers. They had +grey uniforms and grey caps on and Sam Browne belts. That is what we +have been working for, for the last week making emplacements to guard +against their shells. At present we are rather being messed about; we +are supposed to be going back for about a month's rest, which no one +wants—a rest means twice as much work as you do in the trenches, and +no excitement. After that we shall probably go to somewhere +unpleasant. We are being relieved here by men who were in the same +place as Lovel.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>(<i>After this date the names of places are inserted from a diary which +was sent home later.</i>)</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right2">April 14th.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>I am afraid I have not written to you for several days, but I have not +been able to do so as we have been marching every day. We were +relieved in the trenches by the Australians from Anzac. They are a +very casual lot and did all manner of absurd things in daytime, +thinking it so much safer than Gallipoli, but I hope they have learnt +wisdom now. The first day we moved only about five miles independently +to a new billet; we had two rooms with a big bed in each, and we slept +two on each bed. That was Monday.</p> + +<br /> + +<p>On Tuesday we moved again, about 15 miles, to Havesoskirk. It was +raining all day, but we managed to put our packs into our waggon, and +so marched the whole five days in Sam Brownes only. That night we had +a farm house, with the usual arrangements, and went a few miles into +St. Vement for dinner, where we went over the school of mortars and +saw several interesting guns, especially the 9.4. Major Dodgson was +very interesting and pleasant to us. We had dinner at an +estaminet—quite a good dinner, but a mad female served us. On +Wednesday we again wended our way farther on our flat feet marching +again; also rain again and a very cold wind. When we march it looks +rather funny, as we have a long train of handcarts, which are our +transport, packed with all sorts of things, including a lot of wood, +chiefly composed of ammunition boxes. We had an hour's halt for lunch +and tried to get some lunch, but were pushed out of one estaminet by a +fat madam who was bustling round, and evidently did not trust us near +her very unattractive daughter. Then we went to get some lunch at an +hotel piloted by a major, but discovered we only had sovereigns and +halfpennies, and so bought chocolate instead. That night we had a +topping billet—a house in a lane at Roquetoire standing by itself, +which belonged to a French doctor; we had a dining room, the use of +the drawing room, and three topping bedrooms with big double beds in +each. Kitty and I shared one, Carol and Brand another, and Seddon and +Douse, the Brigade Signalling Officer, another. We had a topping time, +but, unfortunately, had to wait till 9-30 for dinner, as our servants +seem to have fallen on evil days. After dinner we made our confessions +in a book of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>Madame's, such questions as "Who is the greatest author +of the day," "Describe the girl of the period," &c. Afterwards we went +in with Madam, a topping old dame, who spoke English very well, and +Madamoiselle, who was rather charming but "triste" because so many of +her friends had been killed, so "triste" that she never plays the +piano now. We had to justify and explain our opinions and confessions, +and so to bed, only to get up at 7-0 the next morning so as to get +everything packed up to move off at 9-20 a.m. This day (Thursday) +fortunately it was not raining, and the Trench Mortar Batteries and +Brigade Headquarters moved off independently of the Battalion; we went +only about ten miles and arrived at Blendeque for lunch, where we were +billeted with the brewer, a most topping and hospitable old man, who +offered us drinks before lunch, and attended to us in a most courtly +manner. After lunch Kitty and I borrowed two signallers' bikes and +biked into St. Omer to get pay—it is rather nice country round here, +not flat like it is further forward, but rolling downs and quite a lot +of wood, and lanes, rather like Salisbury Plain. You will be relieved +to know that the Bosches could not shell us here if he tried, and we +are here in army rest for a week or two. In St. Omer we went for money +for ourselves and men, and then went to the canteen to get cigarettes, +&c.; after that we went to a tea shop to tea. While we were there a +lot of the 16th Scots came in, and we had a jolly tea altogether. We +then biked back again. I paid my men, and then we had a jolly good +dinner. After dinner we went in to enjoy ourselves with our host; he +offered us all sorts of drinks, cigarettes, cigars, &c., in a very +hospitable manner, and his daughter played the piano and we all sang +all sorts of English songs. Madamoiselle sang "Where my caravan has +rested," "Chocolate soldier," &c., with a perfect English accent. Then +she and Monsieur sang from various operas in French; they both have +very good voices, and have been well trained. When we went to bed I +said to Madamoiselle "Bon soir," &c., of course, in a hopelessly +English accent, and she replied with "Good-night" in perfect English. +In bed, unfortunately, Kitty insisted on having all the bed and most +of the bedclothes, and in the morning accused me of taking it all. +When two people sleep together they always both sleep on the edge, and +a mysterious third person seems to come and sleep in the middle and to +take all the clothes.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span>At 8-0 this morning we moved off again and arrived here at Eperlecques +at about 12-30, this being our final destination. We are in a big +farm, with a nice big mess-room and a nice little bedroom with a big +bed for Kitty and myself. To-night we had to go to Divisional +Headquarters in the rain, and returned home for a late dinner, and are +now sitting in pyjamas and coats with a big wood fire. Two of my men, +two corporals, are getting Divisional cards of merit for their work +and pluck in the strafe the other day. Well, good-night, little +Mother.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—Have received a week or two ago the three parcels you mentioned, +but absolutely no papers. Would you please send me another pair of +pyjamas and lots of handkerchiefs, no more tea or milk, but lots of +those Foster Clark's 2d. packets of soup, and cake any time. P.P.S.—I +am writing in duplicate to make a diary, and names are censored by me +in letters home, but you can see them later. P.P.P.S.—Life is very +pleasant.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right2">April 15th.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>We got up late this morning for breakfast in pyjamas at 9-0 a.m. and +dressed by degrees. This afternoon we had a parade for drill and after +we went a walk; the country round is very pretty, like England. Our +farm is a nice big white one with a nice orchard; the country is +wooded with rather nice little streams. We wandered into the grounds +of a chateau, where the A.S.C. were playing soccer against the +R.A.M.C., and so through a wood with primroses in it home again.</p> + +<p>I am afraid that I have been unable to continue this letter for +several days, as we have been busy early and late.</p> + +<p>On April 16th we packed up all our worldly goods and removed ourselves +to Divisional Headquarters at Tilques for a course in Stokes guns. All +the Batteries of the Division, nine in all, were assembled +together—three medium and six light batteries. The personelle as +follows:—Kitty you know. Brand, his second in command, from the 15th +Scots., quite a decent chap, known as the Band Box for obvious +reasons. Lloyd Barrow, Captain R.F.A., in charge of one of the medium +batteries, a strange fellow, was at Jesus, slightly fierce appearance +and manners, an authority on most things, but all right if not taken +seriously. Burlingham, in command of another medium battery, just a +baby grown up. Badderley, a monomaniac on mortars, who saves 3d. out +of every 2d. he receives. Wylie, 9th H.L.I., a Scotchman, and a +topping chap. Others: Sutcliffe, Laury, Lake, a decent kid, Bowquet +and two others, quite a jovial crowd in all. We all live in a large +brewery, all the batteries in barns, &c., and the officers in the +house—big, deserted bedrooms, with camp beds or bedsteads, and +thousands of doors, secret and otherwise.</p> + +<p>We breakfast at 8 and start work at 8-30, and with intervals on to 4 +or 5. Kitty has been teaching my battery the Stokes gun, firing dummy +shells, &c. Our Adjutant is an A.S.C. man, and James, the Divisional +Trench Mortar Officer, is in command. Parcel, with topping cake, +received; many thanks! All the parcels you mention in your last letter +have been received all right.</p> + +<p>We are having appallingly rainy days. Most evenings the men play +inter-battery soccer matches.</p> + +<p>The officers are going to play the men, but it is wet to-night. I am +afraid that there is little of interest in this letter.</p> + +<p class="right2">Much love to all, from your loving Son, ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right2">April 23rd.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>We are all still together, with not much to do and plenty of time on +parade to do it in. I will give you one of my men's description of +their billet: "I am situated at present in country not unlike +Welphine. Our billet is pretty decent, on the first floor of a large +building, which bears a slight resemblance outwardly to a Workhouse. +What an existence! Look up 'Dante's Inferno,' and you will get some +idea of every soldier's environment." I am afraid that our mess is +none too quiet at times itself, though at present they are all quietly +playing cards and reading. To-day being Sunday Kitty and I had a +holiday and had breakfast in bed at 9-30.</p> + +<p>I am just recovering from rather a bad cold; we all have come in for +one, and it seems to make most of us rather argumentative on all +subjects relating to trench mortars, various regiments, &c., being a +motley collection of regulars, New Army and Special Reserve, and +Territorial officers drawn from all sorts of regiments and +representing every branch of the army except the R.E. We have R.F.A., +E.G.A., R.H.A., A.S.C. and Infantry. Rather a cosmopolitan crowd, and +we, most of us, all hold different views on every possible subject +that turns up, but we manage to agree on the whole.</p> + +<p>Last night Brand and I took our beds outside. It is topping weather at +present—very hot, but I like hot weather. Our mess-room leads out +into a sort of terrace with a wild garden all round. It must have been +very pretty before the war, even in its deserted state it is very +nice; forget-me-nots and bits of lake and stream everywhere. I feel as +fit as a fiddle and am as brown as a berry.</p> + +<p>And guess what time I was up this morning—6-0 a.m., and it will be +5-0 a.m. to-morrow for a field day. When you are in rest you do just +twice as much work as in the trenches. But the only think I dislike is +moving.</p> + +<p>I am waiting very impatiently for our gramophone to arrive, it is so +topping out in the open at night. I am afraid that I have been a long +time writing this letter, but, as you know, we are still in rest, and +I have little news. In addition, we have been kept very busy. To-day +(Sunday) we paraded at 4-15 a.m. (just think of me on parade at 4-15!) +and I wasn't late; we had a field day, lugging heavy guns about in the +heat, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span>and firing dummy rounds. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it. +To-night Lake and I went for a bathe in the river. As I think I have +told you the country is very like Cambridge, or rather more like +Norfolk Broads, streams everywhere, wide rivers and small streams +intersecting all the fields, so that, unfortunately, wherever you take +a short cut you have to jump all sorts of ditches, and already three +of us, including myself, have bathed in our clothes. Leading off the +rivers are smaller rivers, and everywhere by the riverside are small +white farms, each owning two or three flat-bottomed boats like large +canoes, shaped like gondolas, and they go everywhere in them, and take +their horses too.</p> + +<p>I hope to come home for leave on the 1st of June, but leave may be +cancelled before then. We have an allotment of leave for the Battery, +but I cannot take the first leave myself. Thank you very much for the +pleasant parcel, with pyjamas and papers, received the other day. +Well, good-night, little mother, you can always know that the fewer +letters I write the more harmless time I am having, because I have +less to tell.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right2">May 7th.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>The dates put at the top of each letter are the dates on which the +letter is commenced, and, as each letter is written bit by bit, it is +usually several days before it is sent off; as a rule I forget to put +the date at the end on which the letter is despatched. Father said +that one of my letters was heavily censored lately, but the censor was +myself. I think I explained that I write my letters in a book now, and +fill everything in the form of a diary and send the duplicate on to +you censored by myself.</p> + +<p>I received the parcel of socks all right, and thanked you for them in +a letter written in March. Socks are always welcome to the men. I keep +about 15 pairs for myself, and the men like as many as they can get. +At last we have got away from the Bomb School. We moved back to our +Brigade a few days ago (May 3rd) to the billet we were in before at +Eperlecques, only to move off again the next day in the afternoon.</p> + +<p>Kitty and I went into St. Omer for tea and to get our hair cut, to get +mess things, fruit, &c. We started to walk about seven or eight miles +on a scorchingly hot day, but fortunately managed to go almost all the +way in two ambulances we commandeered.</p> + +<p>We had a very pleasant time, and then went to the canteen and bought +stuff, which our servants took away in a handcart. Then we went and +had our hair cut, and I bought a new auto-strop safety razor as a +birthday present to myself. After we had done everything we wanted we +went down to the station to meet our batteries, who had marched in +with Brigade Headquarters, and for three hours we messed about, +shoving great lorries on to trucks by hand, and then while we had +dinner (an omelette) in quite an English buffet, our men brewed tea in +a large loading shed. And, finally, at 11-15 our men bundled into the +usual trucks, labelled Hommes 32-40 Chevaux (en long) 8 (1 horse—4 +men), while Kitty and I had a French second class carriage, in which +we slept fitfully, and ate chocolate biscuits and oranges +intermittently throughout the night.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>The next morning we arrived at a station near Amiens and proceeded to +unload g.s. waggons, &c., again. When that was finished we marched a +mile down the road and halted for breakfast. We had ours in an +estaminet—coffee, omelette, &c. After breakfast I went to the river +and had a topping bathe; no weeds or anything to trouble you, only two +garrulous old French soldiers, who stood on the bank and watched and +gave me encouragement. At about 11-0 we set off. A blazing hot, dusty +day, pushing handcarts about 12 miles, without any lunch, and arrived +at St. Gratien at about 5-0. Arrived there we found Wren, the Brigade +Signal Officer, absolutely at sea as to where our billets were, so we +foraged round for ourselves. After being kicked out once or twice we +finally settled our men and bagged a Battalion Headquarters for +ourselves. The Brigade lent us blankets as our valises had been left +behind with guns, ammunition, &c., for the Division to bring along.</p> + +<p>We moved off again the next afternoon about three miles to Rehencourt, +and there found a terrible muddle. A.S.C., two brigades R.F.A., our +Brigade Headquarters, all trying to billet in one small village. We +found a large billet marked up for our two batteries, and the machine +gun company, and, while we were trying to fit in, an A.S.C. Colonel, +who was town major, came bustling round looking into every barn and +calculating how many they would hold. He would go into each little +hencoop and chalk up about 100 men on the door, and, finally finished +up by looking round for a loft for 14 officers to sleep in, in which +he proposed to jumble up ten machine gun officers and four of +ourselves. When he had gone we put our men in (not according to his +scale). We bagged the house for ourselves and the machine gun officers +went out and discovered billets for themselves.</p> + +<p>We have a priceless little mess-room papered in yellow and white, old +oak-carved chairs, oak table, shaded lamp, &c., and a bedroom with one +bed in it.</p> + +<p>Madame was in tears at having so many soldiers all over the place, but +we soon pacified her, and did all she wanted, and now she cannot do +enough for us, especially as I send Fuller, my servant, who is a +gardener, to work in her garden <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>every day. I will give you a rough +plan of the house, as it is typical of the farms we are in:</p> + +<div class="img"> +<a href="images/imagep066.png"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep066.png" width="85%" alt="Typical Farm" /></a> +</div> + +<p>We get a lot of food from Madame—Fowls, eggs, milk, lettuce, +asparagus, &c. We have very good meals. We seem to have the best +billet in the place. Brigade Headquarters, of course, spotted the best +billet, a chateau, and went there; unfortunately it is owned by a mad +French Countess, who ran about locking all the doors in front of them. +They could not get into the house at all at first and had to eat and +do everything in the garden. Finally, they got assistance from a +French General and got bedrooms, but they have their meals in the +passage, and their office in a stable. Madame came at 8-0 the first +night and ordered the general and all of them to bed. But they were +not obedient.</p> + +<p>Greig came in the other night and was very jealous of our billets, +seeing he had missed his chance and had judged by externals and had +caught a whited sepulchre.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span>The second night an A.S.C. friend came to dinner and the menu was:—</p> + +<div class="block2"><p class="hang">Soup. Salmon croquettes. Asparagus. Stuffed chicken and sausages. +Fruit, custard and cream. Sardines on toast. Coffee.</p> +</div> + +<p>Not bad for active service. One of us sleeps in the bedroom, Brand, +Kitty, Carroll and I sleep on folding beds and big mattresses in the +mess-room. All borrowed from Madame when we had charmed her tears +away.</p> + +<p>Yesterday I had a very good birthday. Please thank everyone very much +for the parcels, especially yourself. They were topping and very +welcome. Who was it sent all the chocolates? I could not quite make +out.</p> + +<p>I was very pleased; my servant gave me a box of Abdulla cigarettes, +and the Battery, or rather the Sergeant for the Battery, presented me +with another box.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon, Brocklebank, my A.S.C. Captain, took me down to +Albert in his car. It is rather knocked about, and the church has a +huge figure of the Virgin Mary hanging down at right angles to the +church tower; it looks very curious, why it has not fallen I do not +know.</p> + +<p>Then, after finding the people we wanted, we went up on to a hill with +glasses to look at the trenches. Before, as you know, the trenches we +were in were breastworks, moulds of earth in perfectly flat country, +and we rarely saw the Bosche trenches except through a periscope. But +here, from the top of the hill, we saw on a hill a mile or two away +long lines on the hillside, where the chalk had been thrown up in +building the trenches, and opposite them other white and brown lines, +where the German trenches were, white lines in all directions—a sort +of maze upon the hillside our trenches and their's—and behind that +hill other hills in the distance, much like Salisbury Plain and +Aldershot. There is a very noticeable difference in the country here +in districts occupied by the English. Civilians here are in their +farms right up to the firing line. In fact, in one instance, an old +woman was known to live for ten days in her cottage, once a lonely +country spot in the open fields, but now with a boundary on each side, +one where the Germans held their front line and one where our front +line existed. Ten days in No Man's Land! But here all things are +different. One rarely sees a French civilian; even here, some twenty +miles back, one sees very few, and in Albert one sees none. The +trenches are also better. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span>Miles and miles of wire and lines of +trenches extend behind Albert, whereas North there is rarely more than +one real line of trenches. The French are much more business-like and +more thorough.</p> + +<p>In the evening we returned to dinner, and again we had a very pleasant +one in celebration of my birthday. After dinner we played cut-throat +auction, and so to bed.</p> + +<p>To-day Carroll has gone on leave. If I am lucky I may come home in a +week or two. If so, I wonder if it would be possible for us to go up +to Lowood or somewhere of the sort for a week, as I am longing for +some decent country—tennis, &c.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>May 10th.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right2">May 11th.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>To-day we transported all our worldly belongings in handcarts from our +former billets to a village about six miles nearer the firing line. +The village is called Bresle. It is quite a nice little village in a +hollow, only it is crowded with troops—three Battalions and various +other units all billeted in it. Consequently, though the men still +have room for their usual billets in barns, &c., some have very little +spare room, whilst most of the officers are billeted in tents, hiding +from aeroplanes, under trees. When we arrived we had to get parties to +move our tents into a field under a hedge and some trees. We have +three tents—one we use as a mess—and the men looted wood and doors +and made a splendidly fine table round the tent pole, also a form to +sit on. Another tent we all three—Kitty, Brand and myself—sleep in, +and a third we have handed over to the servants. I myself have a +folding bed that Captain Brockbank, of the Divisional Supply Column, +had made for me, and I hope to be fairly comfortable. Our little camp +is in the corner of a cultivated field, behind the farms on the hills +rising from the village. When we had finished putting up our tents, we +lay down for a late lunch of bully-beef sandwiches and cake and +watched Mademoiselle and the family digging the field. Then at the +other's instigation I offered Mademoiselle a piece of the cake you +sent me as my "gateau de marriage," telling her I had been married +vingt-cinq anees. It is always well to conciliate the native. To-night +I went to tea with the Battalion, several spare officers have arrived +out from our depot Battalion. They all have tents in a sort of +orchard.</p> + +<p>To-night we dined off boiled eggs, tea, and soup, in that order, in +our mess-tent, and we are now going to bed.</p> + +<p>On Sunday I went away in a waggon to Railhead to Mericourt to catch a +train at 7-30 to go on another course at G.H.Q.—Hezdin, near Etaples. +On the train I met Bowkett, from the Tyneside Scottish, and we +travelled together. While we were waiting at Amiens to catch a +connection we met another man, who was going on the same course, and +whom we avoided, as he seemed a terrible person. We arrived at Hezdin +about 6-30, reported at G.H.Q., and then walked up to a chateau, where +we were billeted. There we saw the Adjutant, who gave us a room +together with two decent beds. The <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>chateau is a topping big place in +pretty grounds and has most of the furniture left in it. We had a +large mess-room, with doors opening into the terrace, and an +ante-room. The next day, as our time was slow, we missed our breakfast +and only just came down in time for parade at 9-0. In the evening we +went down to Hezdin to the hotel to dinner, about four of us. The next +day we had breakfast in bed, and were in time for the lecture at 9-0. +In the morning, gun drill and firing. The other people in the course +were very interesting people, and an awfully nice lot. There was an +Australian whom, of course, we all called Anzac—a small +strongly-built man, with a military moustache, named Hart. He had a +very amusing manner of taking off old Army Colonels and 'varsity men, +from what he called Okker and Camer, and whom he described as always +going about with a towel round their necks, a blazer and pumps. He +would always talk to order. To set him off we had the man we saw on +Amiens station, and whom we all call George, for no known reason, and +whose real name was Arthur. Like Anzac, he had been all over the +world, and was very quiet and melancholy. He used to talk in a +pathetic high voice, and teach us Chinese, and tell us how he was +arrested as a spy in Armentières, and of his experiences. The other +chevalier, you knew at sight, came from Oxford. Bouchier, of the Royal +Scots, a small, dark Englishman, who was born in Tipperary, and was +known to our society as Arthur Bouchier, the passionate Scot from +Tipperary. Sutherland, Black Watch, a decadent specimen from the +Coldstreamers; Pinto Pike, and a Canadian Captain called Clarke. The +others were Lloyd (Cheshire), Robinson (King's Liverpool), Laying +(Gloucesters), Granville (Royal Fusiliers), who was in the same +Battalion as Wynn, who was chaplain of Jesus, and Cuthbertson, the +girl of the footlights; Steed, a pianist, Propert, and others. Our +instructor, Higgins, was a topping chap, with the Military Cross. We +had an awfully jolly time on the course.</p> + +<p>On Friday we again went into Hezdin for dinner, several of us.</p> + +<p>On Saturday morning we saw most of them off, and Bowkett, George +Bouchier and I remained. In the afternoon Bouchier and I went and had +a hot bath at an old nunnery by the river. Dinner at the hotel, where +we spent a comfortable night.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>On Sunday morning we set off at 6-0 to catch the 6-24 train, and we +arrived at Amiens about lunch-time. On the station I met half a dozen +officers from the 8th Suffolks, and talked to them about various +mutual acquaintances and of what the Battalion was doing. Then in the +town Bowkett and I met a man named Grey, who had come out from our +Reserve Battalion to the 8th Suffolks, and we went and had lunch in +the Hotel du Rhine with him and several other officers, two of whom I +had met at Cambridge. A topping dinner, including ices and +strawberries.</p> + +<p>When we returned to the station we discovered that the train we were +supposed to go on was a crowded leave train, full of people returning +from leave, so we waited till the next. Arriving at Mericourt I had to +walk to Bresle, but got the assistance of one motor waggon and a mess +cart, and arrived at Bresle only to find that the Battery was moving +in an hour to Albert, and was going in the trenches that night. I went +to have tea, and meanwhile the Batteries went on. Then, very luckily, +I found a friend and a car that whisked me past the Batteries trudging +with handcarts on into Albert. Arrived in Albert I went on to see +Rigby, whom we were taking over from, in a small billet, but found +that we were getting a big billet in the hospital—a huge, great +place, with large rooms built in 1904, and toppingly fitted up, but +now practically empty. All our men sleep in two big double rooms, and +Kitty and I in one room, the others in a room 100 feet by 25 feet. Our +mess-room is a large, clean, dry, tiled room, with one huge window; we +furnished it with tables and chairs, chiefly taken from the old +billet, which we are not using. Fuller keeps the room smart with wild +flowers.</p> + +<p>At 11-0 p.m. o'clock I went up to the trenches with Carroll and half +the Battery, who were going in for the night—the men in one big +dug-out and Carroll in one with two machine gunners. I returned home +and got to bed about 3-0 a.m.</p> + +<p>The next morning I was wakened before seven by the guns waking up for +their early morning hate just under my window. There are Batteries +dotted about all over the place here—18 pounders, howitzers of all +sizes, and naval guns. You almost trip over them wherever you go. +There are two 6in. howitzers hiding in our back garden. I went up to +the trenches to look round the next morning (Monday).</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>The trenches here are very different from what we have been used +to—long narrow trenches, not breastworks, dug down in the chalk, a +veritable labrynth of trenches, going in all directions, up hill and +down dale. They are very deep, and very few rifle shots are fired. +Sniping is done with field guns and trench mortars. The line is very +curious, moving forward and backward. In one place in our line a +village runs out and there is a German salient. In front of the +salient lots of mines have been exploded and no trenches remain, +merely holes that bombers hide in, where the trench bulging again we +share our parapet with the Bosche. I don't go there often, as you have +to crawl, and you usually crawl into the wrong trench and find +yourselves wandering in the Bosche lines. The Germans send over a lot +of oil cans filled with old razor blades and rubbish, which do a good +deal of damage, and are rather unpleasant. However, we are educating +them not to send them over too often, as we send over two to their one +with our mortars, and in time we shall get them under our thumbs I +hope. We always have one man by each gun firing almost continuously. +We have dug-outs well back with wire beds in them, also rats! Here we +have big underground dug-outs 20 feet underground, some of them down +long stairways. The country is very hilly and wooded in parts; our +part of the line has two hills and one valley, it is rather like +Salisbury Plain, or a flat edition of Derbyshire.</p> + +<p>Carroll has been in, and I have gone up in the daytime.</p> + +<p>I am going to relieve him this afternoon; I shall only be in a few +days. I hope to come home on leave about June 4th.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<p>P.S.—I have not got your letter, but I have received all the letters +and things sent, I think.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> + +<p>I am writing this in my dug-out. It seems very comfortable at present. +We have one large dug-out in which Carroll slept with two machine +gunners. I was going to sleep there too, and as I have a new officer, +Ingle, with me he was going to sleep there. But by the greatest stroke +of good fortune I spotted this one just near. It is the best dug-out I +have ever had. The other dug-out is swarming with mice and rats, who +scratch earth into you all the time, and come and expire on you at +night. One fell down and died on the table while we were having tea. +But in this I have only seen one mouse so far, and it has got about +ten feet of solid earth over it. I sleep on a comfortable folding bed, +in my clothes, of course. It is well back six or seven hundred yards +from the firing line. The firing line is more unhealthy than other +trenches we have been in. They will keep sending the oil cans I told +you of over into the front line. If you manage to get away from them +round a traverse they come rolling round the corner after you; I don't +love them at all. I have got "Printer's Pie," and I am just going to +put up some pictures and am then going to bed. I relieved Carroll, and +have been messing around since. I went down to the firing line for an +hour or two to go to each emplacement and see how the men who were +firing the guns were getting on, and then came back and observed their +fire just outside my dug-out; there is our observation post from which +you can see our own lines and the Bosche lines for miles. I have just +been down to one of our ammunition dug-outs, seeing 100 rounds put in +that a fatigue party had brought up. Friday 10 to 12. Good-night, +Mother mine.</p> + +<p>Had a comfortable night, but, as it was rather cold, I have had my +sleeping bag brought up for to-night, so I shall be all right. Fuller +was late this morning, so I had to wait impatiently for my boots and +puttees to be cleaned before I could get up, consequently we did not +have breakfast till nearly 10-0 o'clock. After breakfast Ingle and I +went round all our emplacements. We had quite an interesting time, as +in one place where the trench is not occupied, and up which we have to +go to one emplacement, one of our field gun batteries put four shots +into the trench about 10 yards behind Ingle and knocked him over, then +a rifle grenade landed nearly at my feet and kindly failed to go off. +We returned in time for a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>late scrappy lunch at 2-30. When I was +intending to have a nap and a read when one of the Northumberland +Fusiliers officers, Bowkett, turned up with Kitty to see the line, as +he is probably taking it over from us in a few days, and I had to +wander right around all the emplacements again. After tea I went down +to see how our guns were getting on and found the infantry were very +pleased with them, as one gun had managed to destroy a Hun machine gun +emplacement, and the others must have done considerable damage, as +they so much raised the Hun's ire that he shelled them all +unsuccessfully.</p> + +<p>We had a pleasant dinner, and the rest of the evening I have spent +worrying over returns, new emplacements, trench maps, &c., and so to a +well-earned rest.</p> + +<p>I am beginning to find my way about a bit now, but there is a +veritable maze of nice white chalk trenches. We are in a sort of +valley, and in the middle of the valley is a slight rise on which the +village of La Boiselle once existed, and which now forms the German +salient.</p> + +<p>Sunday, 28th, 1-0 a.m. Wakened up by Parker, of the Lincolns to tell +me that gas cylinders have been seen being taken in La Boiselle, and +that, as the wind is in the right direction, there may be a gas +attack. I hope not; however put on boots and puttees. I warned the +men, putting one sentry on duty, as also the servants. I have a +beastly headache, and I am very tired; I wish people wouldn't see such +things. They are very quiet, too, to-night, which looks suspicious.</p> + +<p>May 29th. Awakened very tired about 8-0 o'clock, dressed by putting on +my boots, sponge bath, shaved while I had my breakfast in my dug-out. +Then I went with my sergeant to see about new emplacements. Started on +a new one with a corporal and four men working, also myself. In the +afternoon I received a scheme for construction of six new +emplacements, and I had to go to try and find positions. I managed +more or less to do so, and returned in time to start working out +ranges, compass bearing, angles, &c., only to find I had to go down to +two emplacements again to place them accurately by the map. Busy all +evening with indents, returns and chiefly with schemes for +emplacements. Bed at last—12 midnight.</p> + +<p>Yesterday we worked on emplacements till about 2-0, when I returned +for lunch, and was strafed by the Divisional <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span>General for having my +guns in the firing line; afterwards a disturbed lunch, during which we +were shelled and our men's dug-out pushed in with a 5.9 howitzer, +though 16 men in the dug-out were unhurt. The Bosche was busy all day +with 5.9's, blowing most things in. In the afternoon I went up to see +the Brigadier, who was very nice, and attempted to solve all my +difficulties. I then had dinner with Carroll and Brand, and returned +to the trenches, and so to bed.</p> + +<p>This morning I wakened at 7-30 Tempest came in, laying claims to my +dug-out, claiming it for Barker, but we said "No." Breakfast at 8-0. +At 9-0 I prospected with Wilson-Jones and found a topping place for a +new emplacement, which we set up forthwith, also making on the other +two new ones. Lake and another man came to lunch. This afternoon and +evening we have been doing more work on the emplacements. I am getting +a bit tired of these trenches; they are much too dangerous, and I hate +suddenly having to crouch against a traverse when a big shell comes +and crouches on the other side of it. I shall now retire to my little +couch. Good-night, Mother dear.</p> + +<p>June 1st. Working all day on emplacements, putting headcover on, &c. +This evening, about six o'clock, I was called upon to reply to German +trench mortars, but just as we had reached the bottom of the +communication, they opened gun fire on the communication trench, +wounding several men, while we lay at the bottom of the trench, while +they whizzed over in sort of sheets of shells. They soon quieted, but +one burst was enough. I went down to the front line about 10-0 to look +round, and coming back they were unpleasant again—big stuff too—but +to our left. The shells are something terrific here; I think it is one +of the hottest parts of the line.</p> + +<p>June 2nd. Working all day on emplacements. In the evening we were +called upon to retaliate for German mortars, and pumped hell into them +for a few minutes (excuse the word, it is the only one I can think +of), and soon shut them up. I was relieved by Carroll.</p> + +<p>June 3rd. Went up to the trenches, to see how the emplacements were +getting on, with Kitty. In the evening the Tyneside Scottish relieved +us, going up to the trenches at 2-0 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. We had an +awful crush of them in our mess for several hours, and I had great +difficulty in pushing <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>them off up to the trenches. I took them there +just to be in time for a terrific bombardment on the trenches, whilst +the Germans tried unsuccessfully to raid our trenches. They used tear +gas on us, sent over in shells, and it makes you weep. When I returned +they were shelling near our billet, and we had to spend the whole of +the rest of the night in the cellars, and only got to our bed at about +6-0 in the morning.</p> + +<p>June 4th. Carroll and Brand went back to rest with the two new +batteries, and Kitty and I remained in reserve, as they wanted us to +take part in a raid that we were going to do, and, though our own +brigade was in rest, our batteries were selected as a compliment to +take part in the raid, which we learned was to come off on Monday, +June 5th, so we tried to go to bed early on Sunday after our troublous +Saturday night. However, we learnt that the division on our right was +doing a raid, and the Bosche started retaliating on Albert, the town +we were in, so we had to spend another night in the cellars.</p> + +<p>June 5th. We spent the day getting ammunition up, 400 rounds, +registering our guns, &c. We found our emplacements damaged by the +bombardment of the night before and had to make one new one. We meant +to return to our billet for lunch at 2-0, but we actually came back at +6-0—in time for high tea. At 8-30 we paraded, six men from each +battery to work four guns, and got to the trenches to find everything +quiet. We prepared our ammunition, &c., and were finished just before +11-0, at which time all our artillery suddenly burst forth into a +hundred thunderstorms, and absolutely rained shells on the German +lines like hail. At 11-20 we started, and put over about 70 rounds +from each gun, and finished at 11-35, and returned to the third line +as soon as possible to collect there to take our guns out. I quite +enjoyed it all; there was a huge row on, and you could not tell if any +German shells were coming at you, there was such a noise. It was quite +exciting. I was surprised to find that it is really not nearly half so +bad when both sides are hard at it and our own getting decidedly the +best of it, as when occasional shots keep arriving.</p> + +<p>We were glad to get out all right at 1-30 and back to our billet. The +next day (Tuesday) we moved back to Bresle, and arrived there in the +evening. Kitty and I had to go up to the trenches to collect some +things, then we had tea, and came along in motor wagons, &c.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span>At present we are back where we were in tents; it rains fairly often, +and, as a rest, we have to parade at 6-45 for field days. I am going +to the Suffolks to-night.</p> + +<p>I am awfully sorry this letter has been so long, but I have been made +O.C. group of four batteries, and I have had to work all day and most +of the night.</p> + +<p>I am very fit and well, and hope to be home on June 15th. Old Wroxan, +who shared a room with me at Cambridge, was killed the other day—he +had only been out about a month.</p> + +<p>Socks, cake and all sorts of nice things received.</p> + +<p class="right">Much love to all, from your loving Son,</p> +<p class="right2">ALEC.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style="width: 10%;" /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="right2">B.E.F., 10th.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> + +<p class="half">My darling Mother,—</p> + +<p>As I told you in my last letter we are now resting, and we are doing +it very vigorously indeed. There are two kinds of rest for Infantry in +the British Army, and they are (1) A good rest, and (2) a thoroughly +good rest. A good rest is when your brigade is in the trenches, and +your battalion or unit is out. Then between shells in the trenches you +rest. You begin the cure at 7-0 in the morning, if you are lucky, and +continue it all day and all night on working parties.</p> + +<p>When you are having a thoroughly good rest you rise at 6-0 a.m., +parade at 6-45 every day, and charge across country, practicing the +assault for the day that has always been coming (is always in a +fortnight) and never comes off—the great Spring Offensive. That's +what we have been doing the last few days, walking five or six miles +out, then walking two miles or so across country, and then marching +home. Every day we receive orders in the afternoon that the brigade +will go somewhere, to the trenches or to some other village, but they +are always cancelled in the evening.</p> + +<p>Fortunately, to-morrow is Sunday, and we are to have a day's rest. I +hope it will not be cancelled.</p> + +<p>Last night I had dinner with "C" Company, my old Company; we had a +wonderful dinner. This evening we went to our brigade theatre. It is +an old barn, and we all sit on the floor—Colonels, Majors, Subalterns +and privates. There are cinematograph films, songs, &c., and it is +very cheering; Kitty, Dougal and I went together to-night. The chief +talk is all about leave, everyone being in hopes of it, and all except +the staff being put off from week to week until you almost despair of +it. Dougal is just talking about hopping into a big hot bath and a +feather bed, but if we had never done without them we should not value +them quite as we do now.</p> + +<p>Wednesday, 14th. The Day of Days, the heaven of every British soldier. +Leave, that Will-o'-the-Wisp which everyone possesses, but which +evades all but the staff, and the very lucky. A long journey from +Mericourt, starting at 9-30 to Havre. Lunch off omelette and coffee +during an hour's halt in the dignified perambulations of a French +train at Bouchie. At Havre we rushed to get cabins, but found plenty, +and we soon went to bed—Payne and I (Bernard Thompson on the same +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>boat)—and we slept until wakened one hour out of Southampton. +Breakfast off a cup of coffee, and then train again.</p> + +<p>Winnie met me at Waterloo, or rather I met her, gazing forlornly at +streams of strange soldiers. All morning at Harold's offices and +shopping, lunching at the Criterion, &c. Then on to Win's to tea and +back in bare time to the Savoy to change for dinner. Then to +"To-night's the night"—topping seats and a good show.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr style='width: 15%;' /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p>The writer of these letters arrived in England June 15th, 1916, and +returned to France June 22nd. The Spring Offensive, of which he wrote, +was launched at 7-30 on July 1st, 1916, and on that day he was killed +near La Boiselle—"A corner of a foreign field that is for ever +England."</p> + + +<p>Writing of him a fellow Officer said:—</p> + +<div class="block"><p>"The last time I saw him was on Friday afternoon, June 30th, in +the cellars of the Chateau. He was gaily talking to his Officers +and giving them one or two final instructions. 'Have some tea of +dog biscuits and bully beef' he said to me just as I had finished +a wash. I said 'Good-bye' to him, and then crept along the dark +passage to the Chateau.</p> + +<p>He was one of the real enthusiasts for war amongst us as a +regiment. Most people had joined because it was their duty—he +joined because he was a soldier by nature as well. If there was +to be a scrap he was sure to be in it. He wanted to go out before +the battalion on July 1st, but the C.O., of course, would not +hear of it.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span>At Armentières I was told that when the Corner Fort was bombarded +he was hit on his helmet by a huge piece of shell, but just +carried on. I feel certain he died in the forefront of the +battle, for his pluck was proverbial. "Whoever else gets the wind +up—Mack won't" I heard an Officer of the regiment say one day +during a bad spell in the trenches.</p> + +<p>I do not believe he was afraid of death, and I am sure he fell as +far forward as the German leaden hail would let anyone get +alive."</p></div> + +<p>Another one wrote:—</p> + +<div class="block"><p>"I saw a good deal of him during the last few days before July +1st, as his battery was encamped with us. He was in the highest +spirits, though he knew he was to occupy a most exposed position +in the attack.</p> + +<p>He was as brave as any man I know, and his loss is tremendous. I, +as well as all his friends out here, sympathise most deeply with +his family, whose consolation must be that he died a gallant +soldier's death."</p></div> + + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4>"Daily Post" Printers, Wood Street, Liverpool.</h4> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> + +<div class="tr"> +<p class="cen"><a name="TN" id="TN"></a>Typographical errors corrected in text:</p> +<br /> +Page 12: Moher replaced with Mother<br /> +Page 37: fraid replaced with afraid<br /> +Page 44: Boches replaced with Bosches<br /> +Page 48: intersting replaced with interesting<br /> +Page 55: we we replaced with we<br /> +Page 64: Epeleque replaced with Eperlecques<br /> +Page 73: greatet replaced with greatest<br /> + +<p class="noin">On Pages 78 and 79, the author uses a common British +phrasing "Breakfast off a cup of coffee" and "Lunch off +omelette". This is not a typo.</p> +</div> + +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Letters from France, by Isaac Alexander Mack + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM FRANCE *** + +***** This file should be named 19521-h.htm or 19521-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/5/2/19521/ + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Letters from France + +Author: Isaac Alexander Mack + +Release Date: October 10, 2006 [EBook #19521] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM FRANCE *** + + + + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + + + * * * * * + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + | Inconsistent hyphenation and unusual spelling in the | + | original document has been preserved. The style used by the | + | author to record time is 6-0, rather than the modern 6:00. | + | | + | A number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected | + | in this text. For a complete list, please see the end of | + | this document. | + | | + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + +LETTERS FROM +FRANCE + + +WRITTEN BY + + +ISAAC ALEXANDER MACK +THE YOUNGER + + +LIEUTENANT OF THE +11TH SUFFOLK REGIMENT + +AND LATER + +CAPTAIN OF THE +101ST TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY + + +PRIVATELY PRINTED + + + + +LETTERS FROM FRANCE. + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Monday, January 10th, 1916. + +My darling Mother,-- + +This will probably be a long letter; I hope you will not get bored +with it. Please keep this letter and any that follow it, so that at +the end of the war I may perhaps achieve fame as the author of +"Drivellings of a young Officer at the Front." As I have not got used +to the routine out here I will describe all the last few days as they +strike me, because probably, when I have been out here a little, +everything will become such a matter of course that it will be +difficult to give you any idea of what our life is like unless I begin +with a good chapter one. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +"The young soldier's last day in England." + + +The last day or two was rather a rush. Thursday we frantically packed +valises and vainly attempted to reduce them to something near the +regulation 35lbs. At first one put in a wardrobe fit for Darius going +to conquer Greece, which, when put on the scale, gaily passed its +maximum of 55 pounds. Then out came slacks, shoes, scarves, all sorts +of things. The weighing was then repeated and further reductions +embarked upon, the final result being about 45 lbs. However, we packed +them up tight and they all passed all right. Friday was an awful day +spent in full marching field service order, inspections, and rumours +of absurd Divisional and Brigade operations, which were to take place +at night, although we were to rise at 4 a.m. to march to the station. +However, the operations were only for Company Commanders, and so we +were saved. + +In the afternoon we bought all the things we thought we had forgotten. +As everything was packed up a group of half-a-dozen of us assembled +round the anti-room fire to attempt to obtain a little sleep. I had a +chair and a great coat to go over me. The others slept on the floor +with table clothes and such like things. We kept a huge fire burning +all night, and, unfortunately, instead of going to sleep one could not +help looking into its red depths and seeing the pictures of men and +horses you always see in fires. Personally, I did not sleep at all, +only rested and dozed. At 3-0 a.m. a man came in and announced in a +stentorian voice, "The Corporal of the Guards' compliments to Captain +Seddon, and it is 3 o'clock." Appreciation of the fact from Captain +Seddon, who had been sleeping, in unprintable language which finally +resolved itself in a complaint that he had not been introduced to the +Corporal of the Guard and he failed to see why he should bear him a +grudge. + + At 3-30 we got up, + 4-0 a hasty breakfast, + 4-45 I began to go to the lines to fall in, + 4-46 I came back for my glasses, + 4-48 I return for my identity disc, + 4-50 I return again for my day's rations, + 5-0 I fall in a quarter of an hour late. + +At 5-15 we march off in the dark saying good-bye to those that remain +behind, and realising that at last our many months of training are +over, and we are soldiers at last, proud of the fact and beginning to +be proud of ourselves as we march down to the station. I was very much +struck by the great send-off given us by the women of the cottages we +passed who, despite the fact that they had seen thousands march out, +all turned out at that early hour, and from their doorsteps wished us +a very sincere and affecting God speed. At 7-0 we reach the station +and the train, uncertain from what port we sail, to what port we shall +go, and almost in entire ignorance of our destination, even the C.O. +knows nothing and our staff less. + +But in three or four hours we reach our port of embarkation and go +straight from train to boat, and are soon out in the Channel. Before +we sail all the men put on lifebelts, in accordance with orders, much +to the amusement of two or three blase Canadian Officers returning to +the Front, who, however, are soon unable to take any further interest +in our proceedings, and seem from their earnest studies of the sea to +be trying indelibly to impress upon their brains a distinct +remembrance not of the ship but of the Channel itself. As soon as we +started we all went in to the cabin and lunched, I, attempting to fill +myself so full that the pitching of the ship in a choppy sea shall not +affect me. It was all of no avail. I paid three shillings for my +lunch, and discovered afterwards that I had not bought it, only hired +it for a short while. I was greatly relieved when the voyage was over +and we backed into our port of debarkation. + +There we had to fall in about half a mile from the landing place, and +Staff Colonels and Captains completely lost their heads trying to get +us to form up without telling us where to do so, or in what formation. +We did not know what we were to expect or what we should do for the +night. I expected to sleep on the ground and to eat cold +bully-beef--the remains of the rations we were carrying. It had been +impressed upon us by all the officers whom we had seen, who had +returned from the Front, that directly we arrived abroad all comfort +was gone, and that troops were rushed about here and there undergoing +frightful privations and fatigues, but not a bit of it. We marched up +about two miles to a rest camp, and arrived very tired to find a +beautiful dinner ready for us. Tents (two officers to a tent), beds, +spring mattresses, and as many blankets as we wanted. There we +received all sorts of orders and supplies. A day's ration, another gas +helmet (we already had one each), war rations (an emergency ration), +&c. The next day (Sunday) we marched down to the station to entrain, +marching off at 7-45. This was the only hard day we have had so far. +We had a tiring march to the station, carrying equipment weighing +about 60lbs.--an awful weight--we then waited at the station, and a +train came in with our transport on it, who had come over separately +by a different route, and spent four or five hours in the train, and +finally detrained at a very pretty village, where we could distinctly +hear the booming of the guns. There we waited for some time before +marching off, and were greeted with the sound of loud cheers from a +neighbouring field where the Artists were playing the H.A.C. at rugger +and were cheering their own sides. Then we set out, led by a French +guide, and marched about ten miles to reach our present abode. The +thing that struck me on the way was the flatness of the country, and +the roads, which were the typical roads one always sees in the +illustrated papers: long, straight and slightly raised, with avenues +of poplars along them all. The march was awful. The weight in my pack +almost dragged my shoulders off, and the men felt it terribly. +Finally, we arrived in the market place of the village near which we +are, and fell out on the grass immediately, only too glad to get our +packs off and rest, while the billeting officer led the Company +Commanders round and showed them where they were to be billeted. + +After an hour or so they returned and we marched off to our billets. +We are billeted in a sort of irregular ring round the village, with +Battalion Headquarters in a small chateau. We are in farms. Most farms +take anything from 50 to 100 men, and all the farms are similar. There +is a central square with a sort of depression in the centre, which is +covered with dirty straw and filthy water; all the rubbish is thrown +into it, and pigs, hens, and cows, wander at will all over it. I asked +the doctor this morning if it was not very unhealthy, but he said that +fortunately such places became septic filters. I think he said they +breed all sorts of bacteria and they have a squabble among themselves, +and by fighting against each other keep things all right. If the +Austrian and German bacteria would only do the same it would save a +lot of trouble. Round the cesspits are barns and pig-houses, &c. A lot +of barns. Instead of stacking hay and straw as we do they seem to put +it in barns. The men sleep in the barns; they snuggle down into the +straw and enjoy themselves thoroughly. They are just like kittens and +quite as happy, playing round and hiding themselves in the straw. We +set out for our billets, and were halted when we came to our farms. I +was in the rear when word was passed down that I was needed in front, +and I went up and found a small farm on the left and a big one on the +right. I was told my platoon would be in the little one and the rest +of the company in the big one, so I was sent in to tackle the owner, +who did not know a word of English, and to settle my men. I did my +best, my French is just good enough to make myself understood at a +pinch, and I am getting on. The farmer showed me round and I put the +men into two barns. Then I asked him "Avez-vous de l'eau a boire?" and +he replied "Mais oui." Then he showed me a pump. We then drew some +water to make tea in the company's travelling cooker. The +Quartermaster-Sergeant asked me to come and listen to it. About ten +yards off my nose told me where it was; it was filthy, so we had to +try elsewhere. + +The first night I slept very comfortably in an attic in the chateau +with Battalion Headquarters. Monsieur and his son and the old cook, +whose husband is a prisoner in Germany, still live in part of the +house, the other empty rooms we have, the Colonel having a toppingly +furnished room. Then we picniced quite happily the first night, +breakfasting off coffee and bully beef at about 10-0 the next morning. +The next day we spent in settling in and organising things. We are +about 24 miles from the firing line and sometimes hear the big guns +and see plenty of aeroplanes. Two Taubes flew over yesterday, were +shelled in the air, and chased away by our aeroplanes. + +It was arranged that we would collect most of our company together, +and officers sleep together, so I came down to this farm. We have +three-quarters of the Company here, my platoon in the farm I told you +about, and the others in the big farm. The officers, the Company +Commander and three subalterns have a room in the house, with big +windows opening out into the yard of the big farm. The room is on the +second storey. We have a large bed with a feather mattress, two of us +have the mattress on the floor, and very comfortable it is. We +censored our men's letters and so to bed. + +In the afternoon we went to the village and purchased eggs, candles, +bread, &c., and I scrambled the eggs for dinner and made chocolate, in +addition to our bully beef, which was stewed in the company's cooker +and made a very good stew. We then censored our men's letters and went +to bed. + +The letters seem most meagre affairs. All they said was that they were +writing to send their addresses. They were much as follows:-- + + My darling so and so,-- + + Hoping this finds you well as it leaves me well. I am writing to + send you my address. (Then follows an address hopelessly wrong, + and most of which I had to censor). We travel first-class here--in + bullock carts. (The men were put in vans in the train--you have + probably seen pictures of them labelled: Hommes 40, Chevals 8. I + would rather be one of the chevals myself; we had second-class + carriages--the officers). Please send me some fags. The people + here don't speak English. I can't put as many crosses in as I + would like as the officers have to read them. + + Much love, &c. + +This is not an actual letter, but a similar one to them all. + +Interruption. A knock came in "Monsieur il y a un soldat qui vous +demande" "Merci madame est-il dehas" "O oui Monsieur," Merci Madame. I +go and see. B Company Officers' valises have gone astray, &c. + +When we were finally in bed and almost asleep comes loud knocking. +Brown puts his head out of the window. "For the love of Heaven, come +and show us our billets." B and D Companies have just arrived a day +later than us and their guide is deficient in common sense. We are +quite old soldiers now and past such excitement; we could billet +ourselves in China if necessary. However, Brown goes to help. To-day +we rose early and breakfasted at 10-0 off bacon and eggs (fried by +me), bread and jam. We have a company orderly officer, and it is my +turn to-day, so I had to get up and put trousers, coat and boots over +my pyjamas and to mount a guard at 8 a.m. and to dress properly +afterwards. We have cold baths out of a hand basin and shave. One is +very particular about shaving and all small details. The men have to +be kept as smart as possible, and it is laid down that shaving is most +important. If left to themselves they soon grow long beards, long hair +and dirty clothes. All the morning we spent in cleaning up. We swept +out the yard. They hardly know themselves now. The farm has never been +so clean before. We built an incinerator to burn all our rubbish; we +organised a Company Store, a cobbler's shop, and we have a qualified +cobbler to do all our repairs. We organised our rations, and collected +remains to make stews for the men. Constructed scrapers for boots +outside each barn to keep them clean. At about 12-0 a.m. the doctor +and C.O. came round with me and inspected our billets and praised them +as the cleanest and best organised in the Battalion. + +This afternoon ammunition drill, &c., to smarten the men up. At 4-30 I +mounted our guard. Each lot of billets has its own guard; and we mount +them with all the pomp and ceremony a guard should have, so that our +guard mounting is really as impressive as that at Buckingham Palace, +and it keeps the men smart. Tea time, visitors from other companies; +afterwards the others go shopping. I am cook and mess president of our +little lot, and I give them a housekeeping list of what to purchase. +Then having nothing else to do I sit down and write the largest and +most drivelling letter I have ever written in my life, I call it No. +35. The next ought to be No. 135. Please tell me if it is too long. If +it bores you, censor it and pass it on. I hope it does not; tell me if +it does. Now:-- + +Cigarettes. Please give someone an order to send me 150 cigarettes a +week. I will send you a cheque for them any time. They may be either +Matinee, Abdulla No. 5 or No. 4. Sullivan, Savoy, Nestor, Pera, or any +similar brand. They might send vain attempts, but please get them to +send them regularly then and I will send a cheque. Letters will be +very welcome. Please give my love to all, and thank May again for her +cigarette case, it is awfully useful and much admired. Please ask her +to excuse a letter. Give Amy my love and thank her for her letter I +received a little time ago. Also, if you could let Auntie Effie see +this bit, or tell her I will try and write, I should be very pleased. +I am very happy, as you may gather, and it is the first real holiday I +have had for 14 months. We have a theory out here similar to Miss +----to wit, that there is no war. We have come to the conclusion that +the whole thing is engineered by Heath Robinson, Horatio Bottomley and +the Archbishop of Canterbury. Heath Robinson because he thinks humour +is decadent, Horatio Bottomley to advertise "John Bull," and the +Archbishop to cause a religious revival. How it is worked is as +follows:--Heath Robinson bought a chateau in Flanders and a Crimean +war gun. Then Churchill and the Kaiser came into the show. They bring +troops up to within 20 miles of Heath Robinson, who fires off his gun +every half hour. The troops are quite happy; if anyone grumbles they +are sent up to the trenches, where George Graves and Sarah Bernhardt +let off crackers. The battalion snipers are put in the opposite trench +and told to snipe the trench opposite them. Occasionally they hit a +man, and then there is a casualty list, and some General gets sent +home in disgrace. Gallipoli is another chateau near here. + +If you came out in pith helmets the corporation sand cart spreads sand +in front of you, and you are supposed to be in Egypt. To accomplish +The Great Practical Joke, Troops are trained to exercise their +imagination. They begin by being soldiers in blue, and imaginary +uniforms. Then they do arm drill and imagine they have rifles. Then +they do Brigade operations and have an imaginary enemy, get killed by +imaginary shells, shoot with imaginary rifles, fire imaginary +cartridges out of imaginary guns. In the end there is Heath Robinson +and his gun. I can't venture to read this letter over, and I am afraid +no one else will. But my imagination is now so good that I can almost +imagine my little Mother doing so, if no one else has the courage to +do so. + +Well the others have returned and common sense is returning, so I must +shut up. + +Good night, little Mother, and much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--I shall soon be home on leave as a lunatic. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Wednesday, January 12th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am beginning letter No. 2, so that, although you will not get it for +a few days, I may add to it occasionally and despatch it to you when +it reaches a decent length, and before it reaches the colossal and +iniquitous verbosity of my former screed--a monologue on the Great +European War. + +I finished letter 35 last night. To-day we again spent in improving +our billets. The sailor is always known as the handy man, but I doubt +if he would have a look in even with amateur Tommies like ourselves. +We made scrapers for each barn door out of nothing, mats to scrape our +boots on out of straw, roadways over muddy places out of brushwood and +tins, &c., and incinerators out of mud. We could easily make bricks +without straw. + +The G.O.C. inspected our billets this morning and complimented our +arrangements, and seemed highly pleased with them. The men are +extremely smart at present; the easy time and change of circumstances +seems to have returned to them all the original keenness we had rather +lost during our rather boring time during the last few months. + +We had our first shot fired in anger yesterday. A Taube flew over a +mile or two up and a long distance away, and a sentry, to show his +appreciation of its attentions, loosed off his rifle, much to his own +surprise and his neighbours. + +To-night I invented a new dish--an omelette made of scrambled eggs and +minced bully beef. It was very good. To-day we route marched, and +inspected gas helmets and ammunition this afternoon. To-night we are +making a savoury--it is still in the making. Its ingredients +are:--Cheese, butter, eggs, mustard, pepper, and a little brandy to +act as vinegar. It is a recipe of our own and I hope it turns out +well. + +To-night is a time of great excitement. A post has arrived--a letter +from you written last Thursday to Sutton Veney and from Father and one +from Win. Your parcel has not arrived yet. I did not get a tin box, as +we are not in Egypt. I have no new uniform. + +I am keeping the knife, fork and spoon. I am enclosing a 10s. note to +pay for it and the knife (slight pause). The savoury was good. +(P.S.--Later, note not enclosed.) Please tell Father he is very +generous, but I have plenty money, as Miss Jennie would say. I think I +must be awfully extravagant. I spend a lot of money, but I always seem +to have plenty. I generally buy good things and few. + +Can you send me a pound tin of solidified methylated spirits for +"Tommy's Cooker." (No substitutes.) Cost 1s. Yesterday I took a +fatigue party of 30 men over to a large town near here--(I wish I +could give you its name)--to unload stores for the division. We +marched there, and the men loaded and unloaded, while their officer +betook himself up to the town and purchased tinned fruit, potted meat, +&c., and executed all sorts of odd commissions for various people. + +I went and lunched at a French Cafe. I got a great shock, when I +entered, the outside, as it seemed a common eating house, but then I +went through the kitchen into another room, where there were two large +tables round which were seated English and French officers mixed, and +they brought us our food without one having to commit oneself too much +in French. We did not know what we were eating, but it was very good. +I had a Trinity Hall man on my right and a Caius man on my left, both +of whom knew several friends of mine. One of them was a captain, and +in his battalion was Kenneth Rudd, a great friend of mine at Jesus. + +We returned in waggons, big motor transport waggons. We finished +loading, and then I asked the A.S.C. officer which waggons to put my +men on, and he told us the empty ones in front. There were about seven +of them; they all go in a long train following each other, a few yards +between each one and the next. However, when we were nearly settled +the train moved off and left us behind, and I was then told that the +empty waggons were going in quite another direction. According I got +only one waggon and pushed the thirty men into it and rode in front +myself. We got stuck once or twice, and all had to help to pull it +out, and also had to help another waggon which was stuck; the road was +so narrow and muddy that we could not get it out, and so had to leave +it for the breakdown gang. + +At night we had a practice alarm and got all the men out with all +their kit packed, and the officers with their valises packed up, all +in 20 minutes. At 11-0 at night the men were all asleep, and it took +them completely by surprise, but I am afraid some of the officers +cheated and had most of their things ready beforehand. My platoon was +the quickest in the battalion--14 minutes, though they were rather +hastily dressed and sleepy. To-day we route marched, and are now +awaiting a battalion alarm, time unknown, where I know of at least one +officer who has cheated again. + +A new major, a regular, has just come to us--he is to command our +company. Any food would always be acceptable, especially good solid +cakes. + +I am afraid this letter is almost as long and almost as boring as the +last. I will close it to-morrow. Tell me if they are too long, and +please tell everyone that the post is the real excitement of the day. +Good-night, little Mother, sleep tight and go to bed early and don't +get a headache. God bless you. + +The new major is to be second in command of the Battalion, and Major +Morton is coming back to us. + +To-day being Sunday we had very little work to do, only inspection of +men to see if they were clean and shaved, of rifles, ammunition, gas +helmets, emergency rations, &c. + +I must close now, as I must go to bed. I will try and write +continuously, and send each letter off when it begins to get too +bulky. + +Good-night, Mother, and love to all. + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Monday, January 17th, 1916. + +My darling Mother,-- + +Chapter three now commences. It might be labelled "Reforms in the +Household." Major Morton, as I told you in the last letter, has +returned to our company. Before he returned we had one room for +officers, in which we slept, washed from one small basin, cooked, ate, +wrote and received our visitors. Now, we, Green, Parker and I sleep in +one room and Major Morton in another, and we eat in the family +kitchen, while two servants cook our food. To-day I arose with the +lark, which had unfortunately not been warned of my intentions, and so +failed to put in an appearance. Fuller, my servant, boiled me an egg +and made me some tea, which I ate at 7-0 o'clock, and then set out to +Divisional Headquarters to go on a one day's bombing course. We left +Headquarters in two motor 'buses and sailed along quite happily, as +peacefully as if we were in England, despite the fact that we were +some 15 miles or so from the firing line. On the way there we saw one +German aeroplane chased by four of our own, and I heard that they +finally had a battle near here, though I do not know the result. We +arrived there about 10 o'clock and spent the day bombing, throwing +live grenades, &c. We saw all the English bombs that are in use. I +knew most of what they told us before. They seemed a bit surprised at +what we knew; most divisions coming out have not done nearly as much +bombing--I have thrown about 20 live grenades myself already. Our +lunch we took with us. I had eggs, potted meat and marmalade +sandwiches I had made myself. We returned by 'bus, and had tea with D +Company on the way home. The men have just had tobacco served out to +them and are going to be paid to-day. It is very difficult to regulate +their pay, as they are paid in francs, and the rate of exchange makes +it difficult to pay them properly, especially as it changes from day +to day. + +I have just been conversing with Madame. I believe she thought I +understood her, as I tried to look intelligent and to make suitable +remarks at proper intervals. Really, I only understood a little of it. +To-day it is drizzling, and I must go and lecture my platoon on the +use of gas helmets. I have just received May's letter (Tuesday, +January 18th, to-day, I think). Please let me know when you receive +mine so that I can know how long they take to go. Some of the people +are very difficult to understand, as they talk half Flemish and half +French, at least many of the farmers do. We are about 24 miles from +where Arthur was in the firing line, and the big train, where I went +with a fatigue party, is the headquarters of my friend, the general, +whom I was with in 1912. I can't tell you more than that. It will be +an interesting little puzzle for you to solve. I will despatch this +letter now. It is rumoured that we shall see Joffre in a few days or +so, but it is probably not so. + +It seems very funny out here. We have no need to put our blinds down +at night, no trouble about lights on cars, while in London and +Cambridge one lives in inky blackness. The socks are very welcome. + + Much love, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--My letters are getting short, because they are sent off at short +intervals. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Wednesday, 19th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just received a very welcome letter from you. I append a list +of things I want and would be very grateful for at times:-- + + 1. Powdered milk. + 2. Tea cubes. + 3. One tablet coal tar soap (Wright's). + 4. Mixed soups. + 5. A warm pair of bedroom slippers. + +I did not enclose a note in my last letter, as I have only French +money. I will do so as soon as possible! + +As a week has gone, I can tell you we crossed Folkestone to Boulogne +and passed through Calais on the way here. I don't think I can tell +you any more. Perhaps you can understand my reference in the last +letter, if you cannot no one else can. + +Could you not get Finlay's to send cigarettes out of bond to me. Try, +at least, with a small quantity, and I will let you know if I receive +them--it is so much cheaper. I must have cigarettes, and Seddon says +his brother always received his all right. + +The weather has been beautifully fine, if slightly cold, the last week +or so. I do hope Father is getting better now, I was awfully sorry to +hear he has been ill. Now that we live in more luxurious +circumstances, Graves, Major Morton's servant, does our cooking. +Foster came to dinner in order to play bridge afterwards, and we had a +pleasant meal, consisting of soup, roast beef, and apple fritters, and +had a rubber or two afterwards. To-day we have done a few parades and +practised for the inspection. I told you about it in my last letter +and it is coming off to-morrow (Thursday). We paid out this morning; +we each have to pay our own platoons in francs and to sign lots of +documents, and to get the men to sign is rather a job. We marched out +to-day and the whole division was drawn up along the road two deep, +and we had to wait two or three hours in a piercing wind, with squalls +of rain and sleet, to be inspected. Then we were inspected by General +Joffre and Sir Douglas Haigh, who went slowly past in a car, followed +by 13 other cars. You must remember that the division would stretch +for 12 or 15 miles along the road. We returned a little time ago to +our billets and have just had tea. Some of the French papers have a +German official communique in them saying that the 34th Division has +been badly cut up. Well, the 34th Division is ours, and we have not +even seen a German yet, nor even come within miles of one, so they +must have been very clever. + +P.S.--I am starving for cigarettes, please get some sent out of bond. +I am sorry to ask for so many things and to cause you trouble, but I +hope you don't mind. Please give my especial love to the Aunts and +Aunt Polly and Francis if you get any opportunity, also Uncle Ted. +There was rather an amusing paragraph in the Cambridge evening paper +of January 14th about our departure. I think it is the "Cambridge +Daily News." You might like to write for it. Watch the first letters +of each sentence in my next letter on page 3. Yesterday I was +unfortunately slightly unwell and stayed in bed in the morning and got +up in the afternoon, and in the evening we had a brigade alarm and +were out from 7 till 12. I had only had six biscuits and some milk, so +I did not feel very strong. + +To-day being Saturday we have done little, and we bicycled into the +same huge town to make some purchases. Don't send me cigarettes unless +I write again for them, as I find I can get them cheaper from the +Officers' Canteen out here. I must close now as we move to-morrow a +few miles nearer the firing line and billet again, but we shall still +be rather safer than we were in England. Well, write again as soon as +possible. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., January 23rd, 1916. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just received a parcel from you; I might almost say _the_ +parcel. I never remembered ever having received a parcel which caused +me greater pleasure. I opened one end of it and took out each article +in turn and each article was simply delightful. It was really like an +unexpected Christmas, or a visit to the perfect grotto. There is only +one thing, mother, that you really must not do, it is simply spoiling +one as it is impossible to realise that one is supposed to be on +active service, when we are billeted in extremely comfortable billets, +and given all the luxuries one could possibly desire. I thought that +once we left England we should have to say good-bye to comfort, but +not a bit of it. I can say with perfect truth that nowhere in England +were we half so comfortable, or did have half so easy a time as here. +We sleep in absolute comfort and warmth, we are fed far better than in +any hotel outside London, and we are given just enough exercise to +keep us fit. Most people told us before we came out here that the +billets were not at all comfortable, and we expected to be in any old +cowshed. Our last billets were extremely comfortable and our new ones +are equally so. Rotten billets are usually only given to troops who +leave their billets untidy when they leave. Before we leave we are +always very careful to leave ours clean and so we get good ones. Early +this morning we moved our billets again and are now some 16 miles from +the firing line. Continuing from where I left off in my last letter. +Quite unexpectedly we had to move on Saturday night. Unfortunately +practice night alarms have been very frequent lately, and so we were +prepared to move quickly. Every other night last week, almost, we had +practices. We were warned that we were to be ready to move on Saturday +night any time after midnight, and, as a matter of fact, had two or +three hours to get our things ready. We went to bed and got the word +to move early this morning. We marched for about three hours and +arrived here in comfort in the morning, and found we only had one very +dirty and tumbledown farm for the company. Within about three hours we +had cleared every barn of old straw, clothes, boots, tins, &c., put +new straw in, and are now quite comfortable, the officers have a sort +of sitting room again, with one bed in it, two on the bed, two on the +mattress, and one on the floor, and I expect we shall be very +comfortable. As we did not seem to have any food for the officers the +farm people asked us if we would like some chickens. And we had soup, +the typical French pot-au-feu, which they keep on the fire and put all +scraps into it and which makes delicious soup, chickens, fruit salad, +and cafe noire, which all French people know how to make. To-morrow we +will spend in making the place like a palace. Don't send me any more +cigarettes. The ones I have just received will come in very handy as I +am short, but in future I can get them out here cheaper. + +Much love to all, and especially to you, Mother dear. + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., January 24th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +To-day we were expecting to get up late, parade this morning 9-30, +but, unfortunately, we were wakened at 7-0 o'clock and told to parade +at 8-0 for inspection by our Corps Commander, and spent the whole +morning standing still while we were inspected. It is extremely tiring +to stand still for half an hour or more, more tiring than marching for +hours. The rest of the day we spent cleaning up everything. Now we are +sleeping in three different rooms. In here two sleep, and we all eat +in another room, six feet by eight feet, three of us have our mattress +on the floor and one more in a small room by himself. Most of the +rooms lead out of the kitchen. In the kitchen most of the servants and +a few other men hob-nob with Madame and her buxom daughter, who are +Belgian refugees, and who are very agreeable and don't seem to mind us +over-running the whole place, and soldiers coming in to their kitchen, +where they live, in all stages of dishabile, to buy huge bowls of +coffee at 1d. each. The General this morning was a cheery untidy old +soul, who reviewed the troops in an old mackintosh and gum boots and a +day's beard, or I should think the result of a bad razor. He addressed +us afterwards in an oration full of split infinitives and mixed +metaphors, welcoming us to France for a few month's holiday. + +I perpetrated quite one of my best efforts to-night. I went into a +shop, where I hoped to get potted meat, and asked for "pate en +bottine," which being interpreted is meat in boots, which was +unfortunate. Parker then entered another shop and asked "Je desire un +larabeau si vous l'avez," which means "I want a basin, if you have +one." But, unfortunately, the good lady thought he meant not "si vous +l'avez" if you have it, but "si you lavez" if you wash. I am afraid +that No. 36 was delayed, and so it arrived at the same time as No. 37, +I suppose. Read both very carefully together and you will perchance be +interested. To-day I had an inspiration. We could not get anywhere for +the men to bathe for the last week or two and this morning I was +desperate. I believe a lot of the little friends which are said to +dwell with the soldiers are due to troops in the same conditions not +having an inspiration and so starting badly. The idea was almost too +simple. I dug four holes in the ground and pegged a waterproof sheet +in it, and got four dixifuls of hot water, so that each section of my +platoon had a bath per platoon and water not quite cold. As there was +a gentle zephyr wind blowing and a nice warm sun it was very pleasing. +We have been having topping fine weather--hardly any rain so far. + + Good-night, Mother, + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F. + +My darling Mother, + +I hope you got my last letters all right and understood them. Since +writing them I have moved, but the battalion has not. Two of us and 71 +men are on a course in trench mortars. We have moved some 12 miles +further, and are, I think, about three miles from where Arthur was. We +came right up here in 'busses, and arrived here no one seemed to know +anything about us, so we had to forage round and get billets for our +men and then for ourselves. When all was settled, an officer came and +told us he had orders from his brigade to have these billets for a +battalion just coming out of the trenches, so we started off again, +and finally fixed the men up and in the end ourselves in an estaminet +(whisper it softly--a pub.) in a wee room with one large bed. We both +then slept on the bed and used the rest of the room for storing our +clothes in. The men were roused up in the night by a false alarm from +the trenches, but they did not disturb us. To-day we breakfasted at +9-0 and were lectured to in the morning and afternoon by an officer, +who came out of the trenches yesterday afternoon. This evening we went +to a fairly large town near here and had tea and dinner. At tea we +found a large major leaving the cafe and vainly looking for his cap. +At length he got the services of a waitress. "I've lost my cap" ("ton +chapeau?") "Call it what you like as long as you find it." He was +rather amusing. Dinner we had in the usual French cafe I have +described before, and returned home to bed. The other man has gone to +another estaminet and so I am sleeping alone. The house is on a slight +rise, so from my window at night I can see a huge circle with lights +going up every minute here and there--star shells, they quite light up +the room, then flashes and a boom. They have just been quite bad +tempered a few miles north of us and have been making a dickens of a +row. I think it is a nuisance that ought to be stopped, it must be +quite annoying to the people round. Now they are getting distinctly +unfriendly to the south for a little. It looks like a fifth of +November show, rather long drawn-out. + +Please excuse this writing, as I am lying down in bed. + + Good-night, little Mother, + Your loving Son, + ALEC. + + +I meant to send this letter off to-day, but I have not been able to. +This morning we breakfasted at the gentlemanly hour of 9-0 off +omelettes from the estaminet, bacon (a ration), coffee, marmalade and +bread and butter. We did a little work this morning, lunched off bread +and butter and marmalade and then a lecture, and then we went into the +town for tea and dinner. They have a very nice cafe place here--a +private house. Madam's husband is a prisoner, and her husband told her +to be "gaie," so she runs a cafe and enjoys herself. We had a very +good tea; they have some very nice cakes called gauffes (I don't quite +know how to spell it), like sweet pancakes, and afterwards a bath. The +division has some baths. There is a starch factory--I think it is--and +there are some large sort of square vats in it. They are used as baths +for officers; they have three big vats, one very big, and they are as +hot as you like, and are 8 feet by 4 by 4 feet deep, and you can have +a topping bath in them--you can just swim a stroke or two. Then +afterwards we had a cold plunge in a very big one. It was simply +delicious and cost us nothing. One of the best baths I have ever had. +I had one bath to myself and Bill Fiddian the other. Then we went to +dinner and enjoyed ourselves muchly. Soup, veal, chicken, coffee, all +for 3/9 or rather five francs--a franc equals about 9d now, as English +credit is very good--and then home to bed. + +To-night the machine guns seem rather busy. I have just heard one let +off a few hundred rounds, but I don't think one round in a thousand +hits a man. There is one busy popping off now. It is funny being a +sort of spectator. Things are pretty quiet really at present, as I saw +in a captured German letter from a German soldier to his mother. "In +the spring the curtain will rise"--I wonder who will pull the string. +They are noisy to-night, a lot of waste of ammunition, both rifle and +machine guns going on. It is a calm night so the noise carried. + +Well, good-night, Mother, + + Much love to all, + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +There they go: rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat, a machine gun. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Saturday, January 29th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +Do you send any of my letters on to Winnie? or anybody? After work +to-day we went into the town to have tea. After tea we met some of our +men and gave them some pay, pro. tem., as they have had no pay for two +weeks or so and were broke. Then I bought a Pearson's magazine (price +1s.) and we started for home and got a lift on a 3-ton A.S.C. lorry, +from which I dropped the magazine, unfortunately. I am billeted in an +estaminet by myself, and Bill Fiddian is with two other officers on +the same course in another estaminet in a large room with three beds, +out of which all the bedrooms open. Grandma groans in one small room, +Monsieur and Madame and about two dozen others in another small room +and two officers in two other small rooms. Grandma has just gone to +bed; she has attained to the small total of 97 years and seems able to +look after herself. We have just been having a long talk with Madame, +who brought us up our dinner, an omelette and coffee. We have been +reading and talking, and on Monday we shall return to the battalion. +The big candle you sent me is topping and is lasting for hours. The +guns are at it again--they have been busy all day. The Germans were +here once, but they are not here now. Since coming out here I have +come to be very proud of the battalion. I have seen no battalion with +their physique and few with their discipline. They sing a song about +the Suffolk boys being respected wherever they go, and I think they +are. In comparing them with other men, I have been struck, and so have +others, with how fair they are. Most of them have very fair hair, +often gold, and fair rosy cheeks. They seem a very Saxon type. I have +been wondering whether they are descendents of the Danes and Saxons, +who took refuge in the fens in Norman times, a memory of Hereward the +Wake. The fen men have always been a separate race; they must have +very little Norman blood in their veins. They have the Saxon stolidity +also. I am very glad I am not in a town battalion like the +Northumberlands and such regiments. They are not nearly so easy to +control or so well disciplined, and I am pleased to discern to-day +that our men seem much quicker in picking up new ideas, despite the +fact that they are not so educated. Well, I am afraid all this is very +boring. But, as I have suddenly developed into a writer of letters, I +must write either just what comes into my head or nothing at all. It +seems funny this long, stretching line of trenches, always busy even +in the quietest of times. By daytime guns and shells; by night, bombs, +flares, searchlights and machine guns. And a few miles behind it as we +are, perfectly safe as if there was no such thing as war, with only +the faint noises one notices, now faintly, now clearly, as the wind +varies to remind one of the struggle going on. It seems funny to lie +in a comfortable bed and watch it all through the window as on a +stage. Noises off. + +Please send me big candles when you send a parcel. This one is lasting +beautifully. Yesterday (Sunday) we fired off the mortar in the +morning, and in the afternoon went into the town for dinner. I wanted +to go to a Catholic Church in the evening to see what it is like, +because, of course, there are no Protestant Churches here. + +This afternoon we went to the Theatre of the Division we are attached +to. They have a cinematograph and a band, orchestra and concert party, +all composed of Tommies. They are at present in what I think must be +part of a disused factory, and it was a very good show. I went and one +of the other officers on the course, and two of the officers whose +battalion we are attached to. Then we had dinner with them in their +company mess, and a jolly good dinner, too, and after we talked. It +was very interesting, as they have been out over six months +continually, and not lost a single officer I think. They had some very +amusing yarns. I will tell you sometime. + +When I returned to my billet I had an awful business. It was one of +the blackest nights I have ever seen. I have never before remembered a +night, when you literally could not see your hand six inches before +your nose. Last night you could not--I tried. Also the darkness was +misty as well, it simply got up and hit you in the face. I started +back once--it quite seemed as if someone was striking a blow. + +To-day we did one of the most curious and typical things of modern +warfare. At 10-30 we went out for a walk--five of us--and our +destination was the trenches, just for a few hours' joy ride. We +walked about five miles along the road, and then about a mile across +open fields. The last mile, of course, was within rifle range of the +German trenches, but they could not see you, except from observation +posts, and if they could we were too far off to make the shot easy +enough to make it worth trying. The only disturbing thing was the +behaviour of our own artillery, who suddenly let off a gun, only a few +yards from the road on which we were walking, and made a horrid row. +The curious thing about this trench warfare is that a trench is such a +small thing to hit that the German and our own artillery have given up +trying to do any real damage, but they have come to a sort of +agreement to keep their faces up and to impress upon the infantry in +the trenches that there is some reason for an artilleryman being paid +more than the infantry. Accordingly, they plant their wretched guns +near a road, and when anyone goes along it they let off a round just +to see him jump. The shell probably falls in Holland or in our own +lines. Anyway, it does no damage, and the artillery enjoy their little +joke all right. It has become almost second nature with them. Of +course, the new batteries take some training--they lack humour. One +battery let one Brigadier-General, one Colonel and a transport mule go +past and each time forgot about loosing off a round. At the end of the +cross country jaunt we came across the beginning of the works of the +Cave-men. You may have seen some in England--they disguise themselves +as earth and then dig long narrow holes and live in them. The Cave-men +are strange creatures. We went up one of then funny long narrow +burrows, and occasionally they let off a funny toy which cracked +overhead. At length we came to the real caves where these men live. I +noticed that they were very vain men and were continually looking into +a sort of box thing, with a glass at the end, and admiring themselves +therein, and then so intoxicated were they with the sight that they +would put a stick to their shoulder and break forth into smoke and +flame. The name of this people is the Tribe of Tommizi. + + +And I noticed their gods visited them. Speckless mortals, clothed in +fine linen, wearing turbans or caps, as they call them, trimmed with +red and gold, and so appalling was their aspect that the Cave-men +were, as it were, turned to stone, and stood with their hand to their +hats as if to guard against a blow, or to ward off the evil eye. And +behold, a terrible dragon screamed across the sky, shouting out with +hate and roaring as the thunder, and fell and burst itself asunder, +and I fled, and the Cave-men laughed, for their gods in red were there +and they feared not. I expect the above gives you a good picture of +trench life. It is as given me by a friend of mine who visited these +men--my own experiences were different. + +My own experiences I will call "An Idyll of Spring" in blank verse, +without the blanks and without the verse, and will be continued in our +next. + +We wandered up the communication trench and nosed all along the firing +line, only 50 yards from the German trench--I thought it was topping. +I had a good look, with a periscope, while a sniper vainly tried to +hit it, and its owner became nervous of losing it. I enjoyed my visit +very much. Wednesday: The Brigade Major came to see me, and told me +that I am to command the Brigade Trench Mortar Battery, so I am now +one of the working members of the Brigade Staff, though I don't wear a +red hat. I was very pleased. He took me back to Brigade Headquarters +for tea and dinner and I had a very good time. But, unfortunately, I +had to come home in the dark. All the roads round here have ditches on +either side. It was pitch dark, I did not know the road, and it was +too dark to see the turnings oft. I missed my way and went miles. I +hated it. I don't mind a German, but I don't like the dark. Thursday: +We amused ourselves, and at 3-0 I went to see the Brigade Major of the +Brigade, to which we were attached for instruction, and he sent us to +the reserve billets, within a mile or so from the firing line, which +they have a stupid habit of shelling. It keeps waking you up in the +night. Then this morning we marched off and got two 'busses back to +the place we were in two weeks ago, after our first move, well back +about ten miles or so, to train the battery. It is a topping little +village on a slight hill, and we have topping billets. Fiddian is with +me at present. We have a room each, a feather bed with clean sheets +and a nice little sitting room. The men are in a topping loft with +plenty of straw and seem very happy. We are going to dinner with the +Colonel of the 16th Royal Scots. I command the battery and have the +powers of a Battalion Commander. I am absolutely on my own, no Company +Commander, no Battalion Commander, only the Brigade can give me +orders. Fiddian is second in command. We have four gun detachments. I +hope the war goes on for ever as far as myself is concerned; at +present I like it all, even including the trenches. + +Much love to all, Mother dear, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + +P.S.--I have just received your letter dated January 30th. The reason +some of my letters are dated differently inside from out is that I +begin writing a new letter directly the old one goes off and they take +some days to write, and also posting is often delayed. I am very busy +organising the battery at present, and have a lot of work to do. I +have just got my guns (4) to-night. The first place we were in was +near St. Omer, and it was there we went to shop. I am allowed to tell +you now--it is some time since we left there. + +Please send me my Sam Browne belt as soon as possible. I am awfully +sorry to hear that Father has been ill. Please give him my very best +love as always, and tell him I do not write to him separately as my +letters are always family affairs, and I cannot write more than one. +Does anyone else see my letters? If you see the Aunts please give them +my very best love too. Please thank Auntie Agnes for writing me such +an interesting letter. It was awfully nice of her to write, and I will +try to answer it. She asked if she could do anything for me--well, I +don't want to trouble her, but if she really would like to, a cake +sent any time she is making them would be very acceptable. You can get +no cakes out here. Also I should like you to take my letters to the +Aunts and Uncle Ted any time you go to see them, and read them any +bits that may interest them. You have no idea, but I know you have, +how I appreciate letters, especially the topping long one I have just +received from you. My letters are very much delayed at present as I am +detached from the battalion and being moved about. I have little time +to complete letters before there is more news to tell. + +Good-night, little Mother, give them all a good-night kiss from me. I +hope Charlie is fit and well. + + Much love to all, + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Monday, February 7th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I think my budget must be growing fast. Yesterday I spent in +organising my battery. I got some green and white paint from the +A.S.C. and painted all my guns, so that they look beautiful now. Most +of my time nowadays I spend in trying to get money for myself and for +my men, rifle oil, baths, boots mended, equipment for guns, and all +sorts of things. This morning I took the whole battery in battery +drill. Most of it's composed by myself, as there isn't a drill book +for trench mortar batteries. It is very interesting, as I have to +think out all my own tactics, and organisation. On every other, +infantry or cavalry or artillery, there are thousands of War Office +books, so that one needs to think very little for oneself. + +We are just having dinner, Fiddian, Carroll, who is my second in +command, and myself--quite a nice dinner--while our servants make +merry in the kitchen. The house where I am billeted is owned by a +topping old man. Whenever I pass through their kitchen they all get up +and monsieur says: "Bon jour Monsieur L'Officier." He is a time-served +French soldier, and works in a big wood just near here. We had a +Taube--A German aeroplane--over here this morning. It dropped one +bomb, which did not go off, a few hundred yards from here. I did not +hear about it till afterwards. The battalion has just returned to-day +from the trenches for a week or so before we return to them to take +over part of the line. Where we are going is, I believe, a fairly nice +peaceful spot. I shall try and stir them up if I have half a chance. +What happens in trenches is: that if the Germans get nasty and shell +us, or send a few bombs from trench mortars, we try to make ourselves +nastier still and send over twice as many. Then the Germans get +nastier still, till both sides have got thoroughly bad tempered at +having their parapets spoiled and trenches messed about. Then it +gradually wears out. And as the Germans are using bad ammunition at +present they go to bed or wander off to get a drink, and we soon do +the same. I have just seen Brown. He says he was going up to the +trenches in rather a nervous state of mind when the Officer Commanding +the trenches into which we were going for instruction met him, told +him his sergeant-major, would look after our men and took him to have +a wash and then to have dinner in mess. They had soup, meat, sweet and +savoury, all to the strains of a gramophone. Not bad for the +much-abused trenches. The battalion was in about a week and lost +nobody. This morning we were to be inspected by our Divisional +General. But he spent so much time talking to the battalion that he +was unable to see us. He says he is going to save every life he can in +his division. He is going to improve any trenches we go into, to make +them absolutely safe, and so on. He is a fine man. He was in command +of a brigade at the beginning of the war, and saved his own brigade by +his calmness and bravery. + +Tell May there is nothing I like so much as long letters, otherwise I +should not write such appalling long screeds about nothing at all. + +I am going out to-night to mess with "D" Company of one of the Scots +Battalion. Now I am attached to Brigade Headquarters I see quite a lot +of Captain Creig, who is on it you know. He sometimes gives me news of +Uncle Fred. + +I have just received a letter from May and one from Father. They have +been delayed, as I am away from the battalion. Remember that you can +say anything you like in your letters, as they are not censored at +all. I very rarely see a paper, so any news is valuable, especially +about such things as the last Zeppelin raid, &c. Please send me also +my slacks and shoes, and the Sam Brown belt as soon as possible. I +will enclose a cheque for all I owe you in this letter; I hope it will +cover it all. One of the Scots, Kitton, a friend of mine, came in to +dinner last night with us, Carroll and myself, or rather it was Bill +Fiddian and myself. Carroll was out. + +Yesterday we spent in the usual way. I went to dinner in the evening +with "D" Company of the Scots, and had a very pleasant time. +Unfortunately, after dinner, I went to see Major Warden, of the Scots, +and, instead of going into his room, I stalked into Madame's bedroom, +and fled precipitately. This morning I took the men down, and we had a +bath in some temporary baths the R.E.'s have rigged up. I received a +very nice parcel from you to-day (Thursday) containing a cake, +powdered milk, tea, &c. It was very welcome. It had been delayed with +the battalion. I went along to the battalion and saw several of the +officers to-night. I was very glad to see them. Good-night, little +Mother, I am going to bed. Whenever it is raining you can be quite +certain that we are being inspected by some big General. It has been +pouring all this morning because we were being inspected by Lord +Kitchener. We have just returned and had lunch and changed, and I am +now spending a quiet afternoon, hoping that some of the battalion will +come in to tea with us. + +The Colonel is in command of the Brigade, as our new Brigadier is away +on leave. Our Brigadier, General Fitton, was, as you may have seen in +the casualty lists, the first casualty in the Division. He was killed +by a stray bullet during a visit to the trenches. We are all extremely +sorry to lose him; he was such a priceless old man, although he made +us work. It was extremely bad luck for him. + +I will finish this letter now, as I am just sending off a batch of my +men's letters, which I have just finished censoring. + +Much love to all-- + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + B.E.F., Sunday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just returned from taking the men to have a hot bath in some +baths the Engineers have rigged up. You asked about our padre. He is +at present at the base; he has been very ill for a little time, and we +have no padre at present. Yesterday afternoon I went down to see "C" +Company, and, whilst I was in a farm talking to Gillson, a Fokker came +and dropped two bombs a few hundred yards away. They did no damage as +they exploded in the middle of a large field. I am sorry that I have +not sent this letter before, but I have been rather busy lately, not +only with work, but with social business. Last night I had dinner with +the A.S.C., and the night before with Major Warder, of the Scots, and +the Signalling Officer of the Brigade had dinner with us. You will be +surprised at the menu:--Soup, lobster, roast beef and fried potatoes, +chocolate blancmange, welsh rarebit, coffee. Quite good for France. +Fuller, my servant, cooks for us, and he is turning out a genius as a +cook; he cooks toppingly. We have rather to try and make ourselves +pleasant to other people, when we are an independent unit, they can do +so much for us. A captain of the A.S.C. took me into the town I have +often mentioned before--20 miles from here. I wanted to buy a +gramophone, a lot of people have them in the dug-out. I am thinking of +getting one. Will you ask May to get me two catalogues, one of Decca +gramophones and one of Master's Voice. If I go on like this I expect +you will all be coming out here for a holiday. We fired off our guns +the other night and the Colonel in command of the R.E.'s came to see +us fire. I asked him to dinner, but he could not come. + +I cannot write a long letter, but will write again soon. To-morrow we +go towards the trenches and will be in them in a day or so. Much love +to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 11TH SUFFOLKS, + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + B.E.F. + +This letter is in two parts--this is No. 1. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have another letter half written to you, but the tablet it was +written on is left at my billet, and, as I rather forgot where I left +off, I hope I will not leave a gap. To-day is Monday, 22nd. As you +know, or will know when I finish the other letter, Friday and Saturday +we moved, and rather marched up, billeting Friday night and on +Saturday night--I won't go into details. On the march we saw an +aeroplane being shelled--a very pretty sight--white puffs of smoke +bursting all round it; one bit of shrapnel fell quite near us and made +one of the brigade sergeants quite excited. I am writing this in +comfort in bed in my dug-out, though my eyes keep trying to close; I +am a bit tired, but I shall get a good night's sleep, I hope. It is +now nearly eleven. On Sunday morning I came up early to prospect round +the trenches, and to take over from the battery we were relieving. I +prospected and then returned back to bring the battery up. + +To get to the trenches we go first along the road up to a deserted +village the Germans shell when they have nothing better to do. They +were shelling it when I came out in the morning. I have often heard +shells described as sounding like express trains coming through the +air. They are almost as difficult to describe as the noise of the +bullet. It's a far quicker noise than an express train. It sounds like +a taxi going at about a hundred miles an hour and then bursting; a +bullet sounds like someone cracking a very loud whip just in your ear, +and a bit noisier than that when it is close to you. A machine +gun--there is one going now--sounds like a very noisy motor bike, +exactly like one, shells and bullets both whistle as well as they are +going on. Well, I must get on, I brought my men in in the afternoon. +After you get to the deserted village, you start up the communication +trench, twisting and turning for about 1,000 yards, you pass the +second line, and so on up to the firing line. The trenches we are in +are rather wet, but quite pleasant. Directly we arrived in I found +dug-outs for the men and myself, or rather pinched them, and put my +guns in position. I will carry on to-morrow, I hope; till then, +good-night. It's to-morrow now, and nearly the day after; in fact, it +is the day after. You will be glad to know that the trench mortar man +is the only one who gets a chance to sleep in the trenches; that is, +to have a decent sleep. This morning I got up at 11-0, when my servant +got me tea and a fire. Here is a plan of my dug-out:-- + +[Illustration] + +It is quite a comfortable place, but rather cold now the brazier is +out. I will describe it. The whole is made of wood with a wooden +floor, just like our hut, only a smaller edition. It is about five +feet six inches high, and stands on the ground level in the firing +line, earth piled on top and all round it. The bed is made, I don't +quite know how, but it is wood with canvas stretched across it, like a +sort of hammock, and I have my valise, sleeping bag, blanket, fur +coat, &c. I sleep in everything except tunic and boots. The pictures +are post cards. It is lighted by your candle. It has been snowing the +last two days and everything is cased with snow. I mess with "D" +Company of the Scots--we have quite a nice dug-out. + +The first night I arrived I climbed over the parapet with another +officer to examine our wire. It has to be repaired every night. The +German trenches are about 70 yards away in some places and as much as +400 in others. It is rather exciting wandering about in front of the +line, as lights go up every now and then and show a bright white light +in the air for a minute or two like a rocket. When one goes up you +fall flat and pretend you are a sandbag or a milk-can or a rat. You +may meet Fritz on the same job sometimes; I always have a bomb handy +to give him a brotherly welcome. + +Well, I arose at 11-0, washed myself, and messed about, sent down for +rations and sandbags, &c. The German artillery is just firing, or +perhaps it is our own. You hear a bang and then a buzz over your head +a long way up. They are probably firing at something a good way back. +Rather bad form to fire at night time, I think; I hope no one sends +for me to do a little straffing. Having arisen at the early hour I +mentioned I nosed round and noticed some of the wretched Germans were +having the cheek to work by day time, throwing earth out of their +trenches. You could see on the snow on the parapet, so I sent them +four rounds with my compliments and they then saw their mistake and +stopped. I then watched their return of compliments with a battery of +field guns; they were quite cruel to a small bush a hundred yards +behind our line. I thought it rather a funny object to vent their +spleen on. Yesterday I inspected the whole of the brigade trenches to +see where I could make myself unpleasant to Fritz, and to-day we +started making a beautiful emplacement in the salient. I messed as a +visitor with "B" Company to-night, and so to bed. To-day it is +Thursday, I think. Yesterday I had a very exciting day, rather too +exciting in parts. I got up at 8-30 in time for breakfast, and went +down to see the second in command of the Scots, and stayed at +headquarters for lunch. In the afternoon we worked on another +emplacement and got it nearly finished. We have to be continually +working on the trenches--that is, the Infantry have to. My men do some +work every day making emplacements, as those already in the trench do +not come up to my standard at all, and we need a lot more to move the +guns about. The life is either rather too exciting or ideal. It is +usually a sort of picnic; at least, for the battery. We can't do any +firing as I have not got my own ammunition at present. The men get up +at any old time, they brew tea most of the day. In the morning they +don't do much. Then they cook their dinner. In the afternoon they work +on emplacements and some go down for rations; they have to carry it +all a mile or two, and it takes a long time, mostly through trenches. +Then they brew tea again. At night one is always on duty as a sentry +over the guns. In the ordinary course of events their life and mine is +just a picnic. Well, yesterday after lunch we worked, and then I had +tea with the company I mess with, after which, at about 6-30, Kitton +and I started out. By the way, the men all have to stand to arms for +an hour or more at dawn and dusk. After stand-to in the morning, they +get rum. I think I am the only man in the trenches who does not +stand-to. Kitton and I went to see the Brigade Major, and they made us +stay for dinner; we did not want to, as headquarters mess are all nice +and clean and we were simply filthy, I had not shaved and was filthy +dirty. I will tell you what I wear. Starting at the extremities:--Long +pair of gum boots--they are an Army issue, and come up to the thighs, +one pair socks, trousers (more intimate details censored), sweater, +tunic, fur coat, what skin I don't know, it is something like squirrel +in colour, grey--also an Army issue; and either a waterproof cape, +coming down to the calves, Army issue (free) or my Thresher and +Glenny. + +After dinner, and a talk with the Brigade Major about instructions, +&c., for the battery, we set off down the road back to the trenches. +When we got to the village you can either go up the communication +trench or miss the first 500 yards or so of it and go up the road +taking your chance of machine guns. Being rather late we chose the +road. But, unfortunately, we had not gone 200 yards up it when +tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut (say that as fast as you can and then say it +faster and get father to sneeze it) a wretched machine gun got right +on to the road. With our usual politeness we gave the road up to +someone who seemed to want it more than ourselves, and dived into some +R.E. stores at the side, while the wretched gun went on for 2 minutes, +the bullets ricocheting off the road and ripping into the wood in +which we were hiding. The only thing you could see of me were: (1) +That upon which I sit down, and (2) my legs. I didn't mind about them, +as a wound in them would only have meant a few months leave. At last +the thing stopped, and we, strange to say, returned to the village and +went along to the communication trench when plop, bang, smash (four +sneezes from father, the new housemaid dropping the dinner tray and +the chapel-keeper dropping the plate, will give you some idea--get +them to try), four shells fell 50 yards away on our left. We were then +halted by a sentry, one of my own battalion. Meanwhile, I saw the +whole sky lit up as all our heavy guns were letting themselves go a +bit; I suppose they knew the machine guns had been unkind to us and +were trying to show their sympathy. The sentry challenged, I replied +with our names and ranks. He glibly replied "Pass friends, all's +well." As we were passing him to go to the C.T. (communication trench) +I noticed something funny about his face, so I asked him what was the +matter with it. He answered that he was wearing a gas helmet. I asked +him if it was for amusement, or because he thought his face would +frighten the passers-by. He answered that there was a gas attack on. +Then an infernal din broke out, artillery, rifles, machine guns, &c., +Very lights. I can tell you we got our helmets on pretty slick. Of +course, Kitty (that's Kitton) had forgotten his (he's getting the +other battery in the brigade, a Scot--a topping chap), but as I had +two I lent him one of mine, keeping the prettiest, a blue and white +striped one, for myself. Then we proceeded up the C.T. Well, you have +never worn a gas helmet. It smells like ten hospitals and nearly +suffocates you. I could not breathe out of mine at first and the +windows got misty, but it got all right soon. You can imagine what it +was like, nearly suffocated, hardly able to see or hear, and +slithering about in army rubber boots on the ice in the bottom of the +C.T., catching my cloak in everything, never knowing who was coming +towards us, whether it was a fat, greasy Fritz or what it was, not +having the faintest idea what was happening in the front and the +firing line we were making for, unarmed except for the moral effect +our gas helmets would create by their hideousness. + +However, I soon managed to breathe out and to see a bit. Then I +noticed the position of the Very lights and saw we still held the +front line, so we felt reassured, especially as we could hear the +topping sound of our own shells whizzing over our heads, about the +most comforting sound I have ever heard. When we came to Battalion +Headquarters we found that the gas was off and gladly took off our +helmets and tried to push on to the firing line. But we had awful +difficulty, as about 800 men, who had been in working parties working +on the trenches, were coming down, and the whole way up the C.T. we +were sniped and shelled, the shells bursting all round us within a few +yards, but, thank goodness, none going into the trench. The men coming +down seemed to think the end of the world had come were almost on +their hands and knees. We tried to encourage them a bit, but they did +not like to stand up, though they were not likely to be hit unless a +shell came into the trench. At length we arrived at the safety of the +firing line; really it is quite the safest place unless you are +several miles back. They practically never shell the trenches unless +there is an attack coming off, because they can do so little damage +without shooting off hundreds of rounds. In the firing line we found +things quieted down, no attack being made against us and things +generally normal. The alarm had come from our right. There was an +attack away up North, and probably the alarm had been passed right +down the line. I think we were successful in the attack I mention. At +about 3-0 a.m. I got to bed. + +I arose this morning at about 11-0. Fuller fried my breakfast on the +brazier and I had it in bed. Then I washed my feet, rubbed them with +anti-frost bite, had a good wash and shave, brushed my teeth and hair +and went to lunch feeling very fit. + +Had tea this afternoon at our Battalion Headquarters and am now going +to bed at 1-10 a.m., having been scrawling this rubbish for about an +hour; breakfast in bed in the morning, I think. + +I am afraid this letter has been a long time coming, but somehow I +always seem to have something to do. There are two noises I can hear +now, one the squeak of a rat, but I know he won't come in (at least, I +hope not), and two, the crack of a sniper's bullet, which I know has +no chance of coming in. As the papers would say, "Situation normal on +the Western Front." We get absolutely no news, you know more of what +is going on in France than I do. We heard that the division on our +right were in action the other night, but, although it was four nights +ago, we don't know whether it is true. + +Father's and May's letters to hand, for which many thanks. Father +gives me a lot of news. I had not heard of the fall of the place he +speaks of, I suppose the Russians took it--good work. I do hope Lovel +comes home, don't tell him too much of what I say about the artillery. + +There are two things of which we absolutely cannot get too much--1, +candles; 2, cake. I have about one and a half of ordinary candles a +day. + +Much love to all, + + From your sleepy and loquacious Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--Don't believe all I say. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I received yesterday a letter from you and one from Win. I am sorry to +hear you had not heard from me for some time. How long was it? as I +have never been a week yet without sending off a letter. Only once has +there been more than five or six days between letters. My last was +sent off on Friday night and the previous one the Friday before. By +the time you receive this you will be glad to know that I am out of +the trenches (D.V.) for 16 days, and shall have a nice rest. Yesterday +we fired some ranging shots and were unsuccessful, as there was a +strong head wind. I was firing obliquely thus: + +[Illustration] + +and the first shot got blown right back into our wire and put me in a +fearful funk. To-day I had my usual breakfast at 10-0 in bed, washed, +shaved, and then went along to see "A" Company Commander to arrange +about firing. On the way to his headquarters I saw a captain of the +R.H.A., and found out he had come to be in command of a heavy trench +mortar battery in our brigade. While talking, he mentioned the name of +a man's father whom I knew at Jesus, and then I found out he had been +at Jesus; he was in his third year when I was in my first, I had met +him and knew his name well and he knew mine. I was extremely pleased +to have him in the brigade. This afternoon a major in command asked me +to get on to a dug-out in the German lines, the roof of which was +showing over the parapet and from where a sniper had killed one of his +men. I did so. We fired four shots, all landed in the trench, the +fourth blowing up the dug-out. That sniper snipes no more. The +infantry were awfully bucked and several men have spoken to me as I +wander along the trenches about our good shooting. It was a long-range +and there was a difficult wind. I was very pleased. The Germans +retaliated with mortars, but fell short of our front line. Then I went +and had tea, having done a good day's work. To-night the company I +mess with kindly invited Lloyd-Barrow, the Jesus man, to dinner, and I +am just going to bed now. I will send this letter off to-morrow night +when we arrive in billets. I am afraid that it is rather short, but +one has very little time on one's hands in the trenches, I find. + +Yesterday we came out of the trenches. In the morning I got up early +and was cleaned for the fray at 10-0 o'clock when with his and I with +my guns we played havoc for an hour or so. The men were very pleased +when I removed what they declared to be a cookhouse. This war becomes +quite incomprehensible to you once you have seen the real thing; no +tactics, no strategy, just men turned moles. I believe in time we +should become sort of Cave-men; our eyes would have developed into +sorts of periscopes, our feet would have become web-footed to help us +to stand up on wet duck boards; there would be a new type of man. As +it is, it is quite haphazard and pointless. Just somebody makes +himself disagreeable when he has nothing better to do. It is so +difficult to hurt anyone actually in trenches; I think a mortar is the +only thing that can do so. With dozens of shells sent over in the last +ten days or so (40 yesterday morning) there has not been a single man +in the brigade wounded by shell fire, and rifles and machine guns are +the same. The casualties occur only in a push when one goes over the +parapet, and that is not war, only a big field day. I was talking to a +sergeant-major who had been through Neuve Chapelle, and said that it +was just like a field day in Salisbury Plain, men marching in fours in +all sorts of formations. His battalion halted after a little, ate its +lunch, and then went on, got a bit too far forward, returned and dug +themselves in, and trenches again. It is a hole and corner affair. We +were all very cheered yesterday morning by the official news of the +French successes at Verdun, and we all got obstreperous and terrorised +poor Fritz. The men say they infinitely prefer the front line trenches +to training at home. They have more comfortable sleeping +accommodation, better food and less work. I like it better myself. +Then what seems funny is to come out of the trenches and to be in +perfect safety two and three miles back. I went on a course to-day; +demonstration in mortars. + +We are billeted in a topping farm, and I have a huge great room with a +big bed and a fire. They are nice clean people in the farm. The men +have a loft, and use of kitchen for sitting in. We are within +shelling distance, but the people in the farm have been living in the +farm, carrying-on their ordinary work, without the young men right +through everything, and the farm is absolutely undamaged. Well, I must +go to bed, little Mother. Did you receive my letters asking May to get +me gramophone catalogues of Decca and Master's Voice gramophones as +soon as possible? Parcel received. Slacks, shoes, candle, biscuits, +&c., very welcome indeed. Stir Ellen up to make another cake, larger; +I will write to her. Also can you send me Mars oil for boots. + +Much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + March 2nd. + +My darling Mother,-- + +Please note address. Don't put in my battalion, if you like you can +put in O.C. before the name of the battery officer commanding, as a +bit of swank. This letter is a joint one to you and May. Many thanks, +May dear, for the simply topping parcel; it is ripping. Thank you, +Mother mine, also for the letter and the papers. The parcel had been +delayed a little by going to the battalion. The Aunts also sent me a +delightful parcel. I have been having a sort of little private +Christmas on my own, with a letter from Win also, and two free papers +from the King. At least, the Post Office gave us them, free to the +B.E.F. Consequently, I am very pleased to-night. I don't want my gum +boots, nor my Burberry, British warm or rug, as you know I have my +Thresher and Glenny and a fleece lining, also a fur coat, a mackintosh +cape, and a pair of thigh gum boots, all the last three presents from +the King, or rather from Father as a taxpayer. Please thank Father +very much for them. Also for the guns, which were bought out of the +taxes he pays. Several people have asked me where to get candles like +the ones you send me, and I tell them to see that when their father +marries he marries a wife with brains, as that is the only way. Then, +Mother, about the cheque: it is intended to pay for the cigarettes and +my knife, fork and spoon, and such things, I would much rather you +used it, as you are all practising war economy and I am living in +luxury; at least, do please me by buying a new hat with it, or +something as a little gift from me. I know it will not go far towards +a hat, but Father will give you the rest, and then it will be from the +two Alexanders. I am quite rich, I have nearly L30 in the bank, and I +am intending to be absolutely extravagant and buy a gramophone, and +even then I shall have a nice balance. I don't spend nearly all my +pay, and I am sure I don't earn my pay, because already I have +introduced economic reforms in Germany by cutting down the personnel +of their Army, and so saving them expense. + +I wish I had seen Norman Smith in St. Omer. At present in billets we +are doing little: we draw our rations and eat them, go for our letters +and read them, get new clothes and wear them, take rations up to the +dump for those in the trenches, and then go to bed. To-morrow is a +red-letter day. We are going to have a bath. I am getting quite good +at having a bath in a tin hand-basin, but to-morrow I shall soak in a +great vat, which was once used for washing clothes. You will be glad +to hear that we have had no single case in the brigade yet of a man +sharing his clothes with anything else of the type in the dog's diary: +"Bad attack of eczema, caught one." + +The rats in the trenches are delightful animals, about as large as an +overgrown horse, but you get quite friendly towards them in a little +while; after all, I suppose they are fighting for their country like +some of us. I expect the papers in ratland are like ours: "In the +western hole there is nothing to report, the situation was normal, in +Rotten Row Alley gnawing was heard, and it is thought that the enemy +are sapping towards us." Then they have articles about the bad +conditions of their trenches, and write home to say that the human +vermin simply swarm there, and are swollen to a huge size and have all +become furry. + +Much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--We had an official message sent by the French line brigade to +say that the French had won back all ground lost at Verdun and taken +thousands of prisoners. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Monday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have not written for the last day or two; that is, my writing has +not been continuous as it usually is, because in billets we do little, +and have little we can do. All the guns are in the trenches, so we +have nothing to amuse ourselves with; half the battery is in with my +second in command. We have only had three killed in the battalion so +far, two men and one officer, and about half a dozen slightly wounded, +almost all on working parties, on which trench mortar batteries do not +go. If you are with the battalions you come out for four days rest, +but it is a very deceptive rest; you usually have to send large +working parties up at night-time to work on the trenches. Our rest, +fortunately, is really rest. The only things we have to do is to take +rations up to the dump for the rest of the battery, draw our own +rations, and get our mails from the Field Post Office. I have a fair +amount to do. There is a sort of Will o' the Wisp person called the +field cashier, from him a whole army corps draws the pay for its men, +and he goes to various places. His best game is to hide himself in a +wood miles away from anyone, and, then just before you succeed in +reaching him, he flits away to the other end of France; it takes about +a week to catch him, if you are lucky--I have been trying for six days +now. Another way I manage to fill up my time: Suppose I want some +rifle oil I send an indent in marked urgent. Then the indent goes to +the Practical Joke Department of the Division, and the indent is +returned to you, telling you to apply elsewhere. You apply elsewhere, +and are told to apply to the cheese department. If you are persevering +you get the right department at last, and your indent is returned to +you again with either a demand for the authority for the issue of what +you require--and by then you have forgotten what you wanted, and have +"borrowed" someone else's--or telling you that what you want is not +one trouser button, but button, trouser, one, and you let it go at +that. So the rest of my time is spent indenting and receiving indents, +and finally bearding some divisional authority in his den, and discern +him trying to find some way out of supplying you with the article. I +then smile in my most charming manner, and treat the matter firmly. +It's like answering Margaret's questions, or getting her to go to +sleep. The last "Tatler" you sent me has a large picture that will +cover a lot of boards in my dug-out. I am becoming very careful now. +When I first got in the trenches I used to get bored with a periscope, +and put my head and shoulders up and have a good look round. The +Bosches opposite us are rather sleepy. But now I am becoming quite +careful; No Man's Land isn't very interesting, so a periscope is good +enough. I take good care of myself nowadays since the little machine +episode on the road. I expected when I first went up to the trenches +to find them smelling of dead men, and to find No Man's Land a sort of +quagmire covered with dead bodies, but in front of us it is a nice +green field with no dead bodies on it; the only excitement is right on +the right of our line, where there is one dead German in the middle. I +believe a small charge is made for looking at him through the +periscope there. + +There's something I notice, and that is that there are certain +magnificent gentlemen, you will have seen, who wear red round their +hats--the Staff. In England you see the red about 60 miles off. Behind +the lines here there is no mistake about seeing it. But in the +trenches, the red is carefully covered over with a nice khaki band. + +The Aunts sent me a topping parcel the other night, a pair of socks, +worked by Auntie Lil, that I have on now, a cake, made by Auntie +Agnes, I have in me now, and a book and some chocolate, the last has +been censored and the other is being so. I wrote and thanked them. If +you see them please thank them again and give them my love. Fancy I +have been out here about nine weeks and I am still writing long +letters about nothing at all, and I see no chance of my falling off in +this respect, mother mine, because I know that you like to receive, +even the most ridiculous letters I send. I received letters this week +from David Smythe, who, after being rejected several times, has at +last managed to get into the Black Watch in the ranks. From Eric +Davies, who has now got a commission. From Jasper Holmes and Kenneth +Rudd. I was very pleased to receive them. Roly, I hear, has been +wounded. Pat I have not heard from for some time. I also had a letter +from Miss Crocker from Paris. Ask May to write to Miss Smyth some time +and give her my love, and ask her to write to me and send me her +address. I am thinking of you all to-night, Father in the dining +room, Charlie not in yet; you and May having your supper before you go +to bed, and Amy, probably in bed already, at Ripon. I hope Arthur is +all right again, and Lovel is enjoying himself. Good-night, little +mother; God bless you. I should like to walk in and surprise you all; +perhaps in two or three months I may do so, and find you all out at a +meeting or some other thing. + +With much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +March 7th (Tuesday). + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I have just received your letter and a parcel with a topping +waistcoat; I don't think I could ever be cold with it on. Thank you +very much indeed for it. I received the slacks, &c., in the trenches. +I have got enough clothes now to keep me warm at the North-Pole. I +would be very glad indeed of socks for my men--I have 23 men if you +can send for all. I got the papers last week; they are not due yet +this week. I have two Tommy's cookers. I have got rid of my camera; +they are very strict about not having them out here, so I got rid of +mine directly I came out, and, of course, had no opportunity to take +any photos. We all got rid of them the first day out here. Please tell +Ellen that I will never forgive her if she is not at home to welcome +me back when I come. I don't know where the Pals are. Winnie ought to +know exactly where I am. If not mention a few places S. of 5 if you +can remember. We got into rest a few miles behind the firing line. We +are also S. of 1 S of 2 and 3. + +I am going into the trenches to-night for two or three nights and then +for about a week's rest. I have just had a week's rest. I cannot tell +you the exact number of days, as I should have to censor it myself if +I did. + +I must stop now. + + Much love to all, From your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +It is Sunday afternoon, 2-30, and I am just finishing dressing. We +came out of the trenches yesterday; we were only in three or four +days, as the brigade has to hold these trenches for longer than was +first intended--my second in command is in now. I shall have about 11 +days rest now. We arrived at our billet at about 11 o'clock last night +tired and hungry, and found everyone in bed; however, one of the girls +got up and made me an omelette, consisting of five eggs, and some +coffee, and the men had beer and coffee. Then I read some letters from +Father, Amy and Roly Wait, and then to bed. I have got an awfully +comfortable bed. I will write later; this is only to let you know that +I am safe and happy. + +Much love to all. In haste, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC + + + + + A/101 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Sunday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +My letter this morning was interrupted by a message from the War +Office, brought per Second-Lieutenant Lake, of the gunners, that I had +to go to get some tea at the officer's tea room at ----. Now for +enlightenment. You have one son younger than myself, take the first +two letters of his name. Then think of the opposite of a woman crying. +If you cannot understand this take it to Uncle Ted, or some detective, +and you will find out something you are very anxious to know. It is a +good conundrum. Tell me if you get it. To resume. At about 10-0 this +morning Fuller came in and started lighting fires, cleaning up the +room, and cooking my breakfast. At 10-45 five officers came to see +me--I was where? Two guesses allowed. Still in bed. 10-46 message from +Brigade Headquarters asking for a return. I daresay you have seen a +picture taken from the "Bystander" of a scene at Loos during the +September offensive. Colonel Fitz Shrapnel in his dug-out with a +telephone at Battalion Headquarters, his dug-out being blown to +pieces, a shell bursting on the top of it. He received an urgent +message from G.H.Q. "Hello, hello! Please let us know, as soon as +possible, the number of tins of raspberry jam issued to you last +Friday." Just like the staff. They will stand up in the middle of an +attack to know when your return of trained farriers will be in. I am +afraid I forgot most of my returns. I should get, if I were you, +"Fragments from France," by Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather, price 1s.; it is +very interesting and amusing and very true. To continue:--From 11-0 +till about 12-30 I ate my breakfast and talked to these two, and then +shaved, washed, &c., and other such details, dressed and lunched off +some potatoes at 2-0, being all I wanted when Lake called for me. We +had a pleasant tea in a farm about one mile from here (see riddle), +and bought some books and things and so back home. I went out to +dinner immediately with another battery in another brigade in our +division, and we were just enjoying our coffee when we were disturbed +by a divisional test alarm. I rushed back, but was thankful to find we +were not included in the amusement. To-day the papers would describe +as "Artillery active on the Western front." They have been putting a +lot of shrapnel over into the front trenches, and did some damage +with one shell to my battalion, who are in at present. They always +seem to shell when I am out (touch wood). I am beginning to hope I am +a safe mascot against shells. I will write about the last few days in +the trenches to-morrow. We had one awful attack on my dug-out--by +mice--I hated it. I can sleep through machine gun fire (I mean the +noise of it) and shells as long as they are not too close, but mice, +ugh! they wake me up at once and I hurl the nearest thing I have at +the noise. Fuller came in the other morning to find my dug-out strewn +with Very pistol cartridges; I found they were useful not only for +sending up lights but also for frightening mice. The rats are more +gentlemanly, so far, they keep themselves to themselves, they have +their own dug-out and have left mine alone so far. + +By the way, the "Tatler" and "Punch" have not arrived this week, or +rather last week; I have only had one copy of each so far. It must be +the fault of the bookseller who is sending them, as if posted they +would come through all right. I have just had three days in, and I did +not enjoy the first two, as I had a sort of chill, and only ate a +plate of porridge each day, and, added to that, there was one of our +battalions of our brigade in which I do not like. The last day I was +all right, and the Scots were in, so I enjoyed myself. I usually +attach myself to the nearest company mess, as I have told you, and +mess with them, but with the battalion that I was in with for two of +the three days I preferred to mess alone, and it is not nearly so +nice. To-morrow we go into Divisional Reserve for about a week or a +little more. I shall have a topping billet in the town just close to +here; a nice mess-room with a piano, and a good bedroom. I am thinking +of turning Presbyterian (not seriously) because the padre--Black--is +such an absolutely tophole chap, I see a good deal of him. He is +attached to the 16th Scots, of whom also I see a lot. Padre Black was +offered R.J. Campbell's Church after Campbell, but refused it. His +brother, Hugh Black, is rather famous I think. Anyway, the Padre's a +topper. He is like a ray of sunshine in the trenches. He come striding +along, head up, not stooping as all those who don't live in the +trenches (and some of those who do) do, with a cheery word for +everyone, and a memory for anyone he knows. A curious thing is that, +as you may know, dotted all over the roads in France, are crosses and +_prie dieu_, and I have seen scarcely one touched; you can see +villages in ruins and in the middle of it all a shrine untouched, not +a flower, not a piece of tinsel, not a bit of gold paint damaged. You +become sort of superstitious sometimes out here, and when there are +shells I always try to get behind the nearest one, and I know I am +safe. I have seen no Wesleyan Padres out here at all. We have in our +brigade one Church of England, one Catholic, and a Presbyterian for +the Scots. + +To-day I had company, one Northumberland Fusilier and one 15th Scots, +to lunch, three men to tea, and I have just had dinner with our +quartermaster and our interpreter, a Frenchman--roast duck. _Bon._ + +This is rather a mixture of a letter. The next time I am in the +trenches I will describe it in detail if you like, but it is all just +the same, sometimes you long to get out and over the parapet and have +a go at the blighters and settle the matter, instead of potting at +each other from behind mud heaps, especially when you see a man killed +by a stray bullet; we have only had a few, thank goodness. Well, I +must to bed. + +Much love to all, + + From your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--We are now changed to 101/1 T.M.B. not A/101 any longer. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + +My darling Mother,-- + +As you see, the name of our battery is changed. We are in billets at +present, in divisional rest, none of the Brigade is in the trenches. +We do not do very much. This afternoon we fired about 30 rounds for +practice. Rest is chiefly a social and bathing time. We had a good +wash yesterday. Two visitors came to lunch to-day and two are coming +to dinner. Will you look in the papers every day at the "Gazette" and +tell me when I become a First Lieutenant; my name went in a month ago. +I never see the papers. Again this week, I have not received "Punch" +or the "Tatler." I am afraid this will be a short letter, as I have +little news, and I don't want to write just for the sake of filling +pages; when I have news it is easy to write, and to you is, I know, +interesting reading. But, as you know, the happy and the righteous are +generally uninteresting, and we are very contented at present. We fire +most of the day for practice, and, as I say, entertain a lot of +officers, and go out to meals. I know almost all the officers in three +Battalions in the Brigade now. It's been beautiful and warm this last +week. If things go on as they are doing at present I should not like +the war to stop. It is very nice being out, and I really enjoy the +trenches. + +We went into ---- (do you know where now?) the day before yesterday, +and went to the Divisional Pierrot Troupe, a sort of Follies. They are +quite good, and have a sort of theatre, in a disused college--College +des beaux Arts. It is always crowded with officers and men. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Sunday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am afraid that I have rather fallen off in the writing line lately, +but we have been leading a very pleasant but humdrum life, and the +evenings have been rather busy; at present, five rowdy young +subalterns profane the air with discordant music and facetious +witticisms, so it is difficult to write ("Mack, you will never write a +letter," "Do lend me a hundred sandbags," "Orders from Brigade," &c.). + +We are at present in a very pleasant billet just a few miles south of +where we were before; we ought to be in the trenches, but as there are +no dug-outs for us yet we are building them before we go in, or rather +we are talking of making them at present. For eight days or so we were +in divisional rest, during which time we fired for practice most days, +entertained people to meals, and went in to the town near to see the +divisional pierrot show. Two or three days ago we suddenly had orders +to move to the section on our right, so Greig, Uncle Fred's friend, +told me to ride his second horse, and to come and look round with him +at the billets, &c. We had a very pleasant ride. The next day we came +along, bringing our things on handcarts, and one big horse waggon; we +came to take over this billet--it is a huge, big farm, square with a +long courtyard, and a long tower at the gateway. The men sleep in huts +round and in barns; we have a large mess-room, with a sort of camp +beds on which we sleep. We have a huge fire, which we keep going, and +we have piles of crockery and tableclothes, &c., which we have +"borrowed." The first night there was an officer of the Company we +relieved who had apparently a little too much to drink, and, +unfortunately, got thrown from his horse three times and was found +unconscious in a ditch, and has quite wrongly been charged with being +drunk, and is going to be court martialled. I am a witness for the +defence; we have with us at present two officers of his company who +have to stay behind for the court martial. The first day we were in we +slept in huts, but it was so terribly cold that the night after we +shifted our beds into the mess-room. The first day, Carroll and I went +a tour of the trenches; they are topping trenches, we sought and +found many things to devour and destroy. Finally, we came to a road, +where we asked the way, and were directed to go up it. We went up it +until we came to a low barricade, and looking over it, to find our +trenches just below and the Bosche trenches about 200 yards peeping at +us. Crack, crack; we returned to try again, only to find ourselves up +in the firing line. Finally, we succeeded in getting home all right +rather tired. We had a pleasant dinner, and got a large wood fire made +with ammunition boxes. The next day being Sunday we had breakfast at +10-0 in pyjamas and fur coats, and went a walk in the afternoon. + +To-day we went up to the trenches and worked hard (?) all day +emplacing guns, and making dug-outs, &c. I lunched and tea'd with the +Scots, and returned in the pouring rain. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Sunday, April 2nd. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am afraid that in the last week or two I have not been writing so +well, but as you know when you become used to a life, and nothing +exciting is happening, there is little news, and there is not much +that strikes me as interesting to tell. When you begin to accept +things in the ordinary course of things, it is difficult to feel that +trivial occurrences of every day will be of interest to others. One +consolation you can have is that the more uninteresting and the fewer +my letters are the more harmless my life. If there was anything doing +I should become as verbose again as ever. However, I will try to give +you what news I have. + +In the first place the weather is beautifully hot. I got up this +morning, much to my disgust, to see the Brigade Major at 9-30, and +since then I have been sitting in the large yard in the sun reading "A +Knight on Wheels," by Ian Hay, with only two interruptions--to inspect +my men, and to pull our ambulance, which had broken down, back to the +billet. It is glorious weather; you can hear the birds and the faint +hum of an aeroplane, with occasionally the noise of anti-aircraft +shells bursting round one, just a faint crump and tiny little fleecy +white clouds clustering round a black speck in the sky. It is a +perfect almost summer day. There is one point about shell fire that +may interest you. A battery of guns fires on a target, say a farm +house. The guns are a long way back, and, of course, cannot see their +target. An officer or some observer will be well forward up a big +tree, in a church steeple, or a ruined farm house, or, perhaps, in an +aeroplane, and will direct the battery. Consequently, once a battery +gets on to a point, that point alone is the dangerous one; you can +stand on a road, about 200 yards away and watch the whole show quite +safely. The other afternoon we were coming down the road and the +Bosche was shelling a point about 200 yards beyond. His shells came +over the road and always sounded to be going to drop on the road. Of +course, they never did. A shell is awfully deceptive; you see a large +black cloud of smoke arise from the ground and bits fly, while you +still hear the shell in the air, so often you try to get out of the +way of a shell that has already burst somewhere else, until you know +what happens. It is rather funny to see the explosion of a shell, +while you apparently hear the shell just going over your head. Our +mess at present, commonly known as the Anarchists, consists of those +who take and those who give life--three Trench Mortar Batteries and +one Field Ambulance. We have a very pleasant mess. Although the +Brigade is in the trenches at present we are not sleeping in the front +line. There are no dug-outs for us, and we have a lot of work to do, +so we go up every day and make emplacements and sleep in comfort at +our billet; we have a pleasant life, because we get pleasant sleep in +pyjamas, and plenty of exercise to keep us fit. We have just had +lunch, and are lying out in the field in the sun--it is rather +pleasant. There are only about two things we want, and they are a +gramophone, which Winnie is getting for us, and a tennis court, which +does not seem probable at present. We are very impatient for the +gramophone to arrive. Kitton is with me at present; he is a topping +chap, and is in command of the other battery in the Brigade. + +Last night I had to take some ammunition (200 rounds) up to the +trenches, also two dug-out frames and 2,000 sandbags; we get through +in the battery about 500 sandbags a day. They are brought up to the +dump, and from there we push them up tramway lines on trucks, +across the open up to the firing line, and then along it in the open +behind to the place where they are wanted. Stray bullets and machine +guns make it rather exciting; we had one man wounded--the bullet went +right through his calf just about half an inch under the skin, a tiny +little wound, but he will only be a few days. I hope Amy is quite +better again. + +I was made a First Lieutenant on March 1st. It is possible that I may +be made a Captain sometime in the future. There is talk of making all +Battery Commanders Captains. I am afraid that soon we will be moving +further south; we are very comfortable here, and I am enjoying myself +greatly. I am not feeling up to writing much; I am going to read or +sleep. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + 101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY, + 101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F. + Wednesday. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I did not quite know what was the meaning of the telegram the other +day. It was dated April 1st, which made me rather suspicious, and it +did not arrive here till April 4th. I wired immediately, but it is +difficult to do so; I wrote last Sunday and once the week before; I +hope you have received them all right. You can be quite happy about me +now, as after this afternoon I shall be quite safe for some time. This +afternoon I had my first real taste of heavy shell fire, and I was +glad to find that I did not object to it half as much as I thought I +should. We were doing a pre-arranged strafe into a German salient--two +trench mortar batteries and all our artillery on to their first and +second lines, &c. We put over about 4,000 lbs. of shells from the two +mortar batteries in ten minutes and absolutely crumpled about 150 +yards of their trenches. There is no trench there now--just a mass of +earth, great girders, pointing jauntily skywards, timbers drooping +over where the parapet was, and the front of the trench, where any +remains, leaning in a tired fashion against the back of it. Of course, +directly we started the Germans got going with all their artillery at +us. "Jack Johnsons," so-called howitzers--I have never heard such a +noise. I was observing in our salient; they had cleared all the +infantry out except the machine guns. I had my eyes glued to a +periscope, and never noticed most of the stuff coming over till I had +to go along a deserted trench to give orders to my guns, and they put +over in one place four shells from big howitzers into the stream +within 10 yards of me. I enjoyed it; it was topping to see the Bosche +parapet crumpling away, lighted every half second or so with a weird +flash, covered with smoke, and the earth rocking with the concussion. +They must have lost a lot of men; we lost only about three killed and +a dozen or so wounded, none in my battery I am glad to say. In about +half an hour all was quiet again, and I was observing the damage +through a topping periscope, which magnifies ten times, when I saw +four German officers crawling among the debris and distinctly saw them +from the waist upwards. I had no rifle worse luck, and when I found a +sniper they had gone. Fancy missing four German officers. They had +grey uniforms and grey caps on and Sam Browne belts. That is what we +have been working for, for the last week making emplacements to guard +against their shells. At present we are rather being messed about; we +are supposed to be going back for about a month's rest, which no one +wants--a rest means twice as much work as you do in the trenches, and +no excitement. After that we shall probably go to somewhere +unpleasant. We are being relieved here by men who were in the same +place as Lovel. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +(_After this date the names of places are inserted from a diary which +was sent home later._) + + + + + April 14th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am afraid I have not written to you for several days, but I have not +been able to do so as we have been marching every day. We were +relieved in the trenches by the Australians from Anzac. They are a +very casual lot and did all manner of absurd things in daytime, +thinking it so much safer than Gallipoli, but I hope they have learnt +wisdom now. The first day we moved only about five miles independently +to a new billet; we had two rooms with a big bed in each, and we slept +two on each bed. That was Monday. + +On Tuesday we moved again, about 15 miles, to Havesoskirk. It was +raining all day, but we managed to put our packs into our waggon, and +so marched the whole five days in Sam Brownes only. That night we had +a farm house, with the usual arrangements, and went a few miles into +St. Vement for dinner, where we went over the school of mortars and +saw several interesting guns, especially the 9.4. Major Dodgson was +very interesting and pleasant to us. We had dinner at an +estaminet--quite a good dinner, but a mad female served us. On +Wednesday we again wended our way farther on our flat feet marching +again; also rain again and a very cold wind. When we march it looks +rather funny, as we have a long train of handcarts, which are our +transport, packed with all sorts of things, including a lot of wood, +chiefly composed of ammunition boxes. We had an hour's halt for lunch +and tried to get some lunch, but were pushed out of one estaminet by a +fat madam who was bustling round, and evidently did not trust us near +her very unattractive daughter. Then we went to get some lunch at an +hotel piloted by a major, but discovered we only had sovereigns and +halfpennies, and so bought chocolate instead. That night we had a +topping billet--a house in a lane at Roquetoire standing by itself, +which belonged to a French doctor; we had a dining room, the use of +the drawing room, and three topping bedrooms with big double beds in +each. Kitty and I shared one, Carol and Brand another, and Seddon and +Douse, the Brigade Signalling Officer, another. We had a topping time, +but, unfortunately, had to wait till 9-30 for dinner, as our servants +seem to have fallen on evil days. After dinner we made our confessions +in a book of Madame's, such questions as "Who is the greatest author +of the day," "Describe the girl of the period," &c. Afterwards we went +in with Madam, a topping old dame, who spoke English very well, and +Madamoiselle, who was rather charming but "triste" because so many of +her friends had been killed, so "triste" that she never plays the +piano now. We had to justify and explain our opinions and confessions, +and so to bed, only to get up at 7-0 the next morning so as to get +everything packed up to move off at 9-20 a.m. This day (Thursday) +fortunately it was not raining, and the Trench Mortar Batteries and +Brigade Headquarters moved off independently of the Battalion; we went +only about ten miles and arrived at Blendeque for lunch, where we were +billeted with the brewer, a most topping and hospitable old man, who +offered us drinks before lunch, and attended to us in a most courtly +manner. After lunch Kitty and I borrowed two signallers' bikes and +biked into St. Omer to get pay--it is rather nice country round here, +not flat like it is further forward, but rolling downs and quite a lot +of wood, and lanes, rather like Salisbury Plain. You will be relieved +to know that the Bosches could not shell us here if he tried, and we +are here in army rest for a week or two. In St. Omer we went for money +for ourselves and men, and then went to the canteen to get cigarettes, +&c.; after that we went to a tea shop to tea. While we were there a +lot of the 16th Scots came in, and we had a jolly tea altogether. We +then biked back again. I paid my men, and then we had a jolly good +dinner. After dinner we went in to enjoy ourselves with our host; he +offered us all sorts of drinks, cigarettes, cigars, &c., in a very +hospitable manner, and his daughter played the piano and we all sang +all sorts of English songs. Madamoiselle sang "Where my caravan has +rested," "Chocolate soldier," &c., with a perfect English accent. Then +she and Monsieur sang from various operas in French; they both have +very good voices, and have been well trained. When we went to bed I +said to Madamoiselle "Bon soir," &c., of course, in a hopelessly +English accent, and she replied with "Good-night" in perfect English. +In bed, unfortunately, Kitty insisted on having all the bed and most +of the bedclothes, and in the morning accused me of taking it all. +When two people sleep together they always both sleep on the edge, and +a mysterious third person seems to come and sleep in the middle and to +take all the clothes. + +At 8-0 this morning we moved off again and arrived here at Eperlecques +at about 12-30, this being our final destination. We are in a big +farm, with a nice big mess-room and a nice little bedroom with a big +bed for Kitty and myself. To-night we had to go to Divisional +Headquarters in the rain, and returned home for a late dinner, and are +now sitting in pyjamas and coats with a big wood fire. Two of my men, +two corporals, are getting Divisional cards of merit for their work +and pluck in the strafe the other day. Well, good-night, little +Mother. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--Have received a week or two ago the three parcels you mentioned, +but absolutely no papers. Would you please send me another pair of +pyjamas and lots of handkerchiefs, no more tea or milk, but lots of +those Foster Clark's 2d. packets of soup, and cake any time. P.P.S.--I +am writing in duplicate to make a diary, and names are censored by me +in letters home, but you can see them later. P.P.P.S.--Life is very +pleasant. + + + + + April 15th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +We got up late this morning for breakfast in pyjamas at 9-0 a.m. and +dressed by degrees. This afternoon we had a parade for drill and after +we went a walk; the country round is very pretty, like England. Our +farm is a nice big white one with a nice orchard; the country is +wooded with rather nice little streams. We wandered into the grounds +of a chateau, where the A.S.C. were playing soccer against the +R.A.M.C., and so through a wood with primroses in it home again. + +I am afraid that I have been unable to continue this letter for +several days, as we have been busy early and late. + +On April 16th we packed up all our worldly goods and removed ourselves +to Divisional Headquarters at Tilques for a course in Stokes guns. All +the Batteries of the Division, nine in all, were assembled +together--three medium and six light batteries. The personelle as +follows:--Kitty you know. Brand, his second in command, from the 15th +Scots., quite a decent chap, known as the Band Box for obvious +reasons. Lloyd Barrow, Captain R.F.A., in charge of one of the medium +batteries, a strange fellow, was at Jesus, slightly fierce appearance +and manners, an authority on most things, but all right if not taken +seriously. Burlingham, in command of another medium battery, just a +baby grown up. Badderley, a monomaniac on mortars, who saves 3d. out +of every 2d. he receives. Wylie, 9th H.L.I., a Scotchman, and a +topping chap. Others: Sutcliffe, Laury, Lake, a decent kid, Bowquet +and two others, quite a jovial crowd in all. We all live in a large +brewery, all the batteries in barns, &c., and the officers in the +house--big, deserted bedrooms, with camp beds or bedsteads, and +thousands of doors, secret and otherwise. + +We breakfast at 8 and start work at 8-30, and with intervals on to 4 +or 5. Kitty has been teaching my battery the Stokes gun, firing dummy +shells, &c. Our Adjutant is an A.S.C. man, and James, the Divisional +Trench Mortar Officer, is in command. Parcel, with topping cake, +received; many thanks! All the parcels you mention in your last letter +have been received all right. + +We are having appallingly rainy days. Most evenings the men play +inter-battery soccer matches. + +The officers are going to play the men, but it is wet to-night. I am +afraid that there is little of interest in this letter. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, ALEC. + + + + + April 23rd. + +My darling Mother,-- + +We are all still together, with not much to do and plenty of time on +parade to do it in. I will give you one of my men's description of +their billet: "I am situated at present in country not unlike +Welphine. Our billet is pretty decent, on the first floor of a large +building, which bears a slight resemblance outwardly to a Workhouse. +What an existence! Look up 'Dante's Inferno,' and you will get some +idea of every soldier's environment." I am afraid that our mess is +none too quiet at times itself, though at present they are all quietly +playing cards and reading. To-day being Sunday Kitty and I had a +holiday and had breakfast in bed at 9-30. + +I am just recovering from rather a bad cold; we all have come in for +one, and it seems to make most of us rather argumentative on all +subjects relating to trench mortars, various regiments, &c., being a +motley collection of regulars, New Army and Special Reserve, and +Territorial officers drawn from all sorts of regiments and +representing every branch of the army except the R.E. We have R.F.A., +E.G.A., R.H.A., A.S.C. and Infantry. Rather a cosmopolitan crowd, and +we, most of us, all hold different views on every possible subject +that turns up, but we manage to agree on the whole. + +Last night Brand and I took our beds outside. It is topping weather at +present--very hot, but I like hot weather. Our mess-room leads out +into a sort of terrace with a wild garden all round. It must have been +very pretty before the war, even in its deserted state it is very +nice; forget-me-nots and bits of lake and stream everywhere. I feel as +fit as a fiddle and am as brown as a berry. + +And guess what time I was up this morning--6-0 a.m., and it will be +5-0 a.m. to-morrow for a field day. When you are in rest you do just +twice as much work as in the trenches. But the only think I dislike is +moving. + +I am waiting very impatiently for our gramophone to arrive, it is so +topping out in the open at night. I am afraid that I have been a long +time writing this letter, but, as you know, we are still in rest, and +I have little news. In addition, we have been kept very busy. To-day +(Sunday) we paraded at 4-15 a.m. (just think of me on parade at 4-15!) +and I wasn't late; we had a field day, lugging heavy guns about in the +heat, and firing dummy rounds. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it. +To-night Lake and I went for a bathe in the river. As I think I have +told you the country is very like Cambridge, or rather more like +Norfolk Broads, streams everywhere, wide rivers and small streams +intersecting all the fields, so that, unfortunately, wherever you take +a short cut you have to jump all sorts of ditches, and already three +of us, including myself, have bathed in our clothes. Leading off the +rivers are smaller rivers, and everywhere by the riverside are small +white farms, each owning two or three flat-bottomed boats like large +canoes, shaped like gondolas, and they go everywhere in them, and take +their horses too. + +I hope to come home for leave on the 1st of June, but leave may be +cancelled before then. We have an allotment of leave for the Battery, +but I cannot take the first leave myself. Thank you very much for the +pleasant parcel, with pyjamas and papers, received the other day. +Well, good-night, little mother, you can always know that the fewer +letters I write the more harmless time I am having, because I have +less to tell. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + May 7th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +The dates put at the top of each letter are the dates on which the +letter is commenced, and, as each letter is written bit by bit, it is +usually several days before it is sent off; as a rule I forget to put +the date at the end on which the letter is despatched. Father said +that one of my letters was heavily censored lately, but the censor was +myself. I think I explained that I write my letters in a book now, and +fill everything in the form of a diary and send the duplicate on to +you censored by myself. + +I received the parcel of socks all right, and thanked you for them in +a letter written in March. Socks are always welcome to the men. I keep +about 15 pairs for myself, and the men like as many as they can get. +At last we have got away from the Bomb School. We moved back to our +Brigade a few days ago (May 3rd) to the billet we were in before at +Eperlecques, only to move off again the next day in the afternoon. + +Kitty and I went into St. Omer for tea and to get our hair cut, to get +mess things, fruit, &c. We started to walk about seven or eight miles +on a scorchingly hot day, but fortunately managed to go almost all the +way in two ambulances we commandeered. + +We had a very pleasant time, and then went to the canteen and bought +stuff, which our servants took away in a handcart. Then we went and +had our hair cut, and I bought a new auto-strop safety razor as a +birthday present to myself. After we had done everything we wanted we +went down to the station to meet our batteries, who had marched in +with Brigade Headquarters, and for three hours we messed about, +shoving great lorries on to trucks by hand, and then while we had +dinner (an omelette) in quite an English buffet, our men brewed tea in +a large loading shed. And, finally, at 11-15 our men bundled into the +usual trucks, labelled Hommes 32-40 Chevaux (en long) 8 (1 horse--4 +men), while Kitty and I had a French second class carriage, in which +we slept fitfully, and ate chocolate biscuits and oranges +intermittently throughout the night. + +The next morning we arrived at a station near Amiens and proceeded to +unload g.s. waggons, &c., again. When that was finished we marched a +mile down the road and halted for breakfast. We had ours in an +estaminet--coffee, omelette, &c. After breakfast I went to the river +and had a topping bathe; no weeds or anything to trouble you, only two +garrulous old French soldiers, who stood on the bank and watched and +gave me encouragement. At about 11-0 we set off. A blazing hot, dusty +day, pushing handcarts about 12 miles, without any lunch, and arrived +at St. Gratien at about 5-0. Arrived there we found Wren, the Brigade +Signal Officer, absolutely at sea as to where our billets were, so we +foraged round for ourselves. After being kicked out once or twice we +finally settled our men and bagged a Battalion Headquarters for +ourselves. The Brigade lent us blankets as our valises had been left +behind with guns, ammunition, &c., for the Division to bring along. + +We moved off again the next afternoon about three miles to Rehencourt, +and there found a terrible muddle. A.S.C., two brigades R.F.A., our +Brigade Headquarters, all trying to billet in one small village. We +found a large billet marked up for our two batteries, and the machine +gun company, and, while we were trying to fit in, an A.S.C. Colonel, +who was town major, came bustling round looking into every barn and +calculating how many they would hold. He would go into each little +hencoop and chalk up about 100 men on the door, and, finally finished +up by looking round for a loft for 14 officers to sleep in, in which +he proposed to jumble up ten machine gun officers and four of +ourselves. When he had gone we put our men in (not according to his +scale). We bagged the house for ourselves and the machine gun officers +went out and discovered billets for themselves. + +We have a priceless little mess-room papered in yellow and white, old +oak-carved chairs, oak table, shaded lamp, &c., and a bedroom with one +bed in it. + +Madame was in tears at having so many soldiers all over the place, but +we soon pacified her, and did all she wanted, and now she cannot do +enough for us, especially as I send Fuller, my servant, who is a +gardener, to work in her garden every day. I will give you a rough +plan of the house, as it is typical of the farms we are in: + +[Illustration] + +We get a lot of food from Madame--Fowls, eggs, milk, lettuce, +asparagus, &c. We have very good meals. We seem to have the best +billet in the place. Brigade Headquarters, of course, spotted the best +billet, a chateau, and went there; unfortunately it is owned by a mad +French Countess, who ran about locking all the doors in front of them. +They could not get into the house at all at first and had to eat and +do everything in the garden. Finally, they got assistance from a +French General and got bedrooms, but they have their meals in the +passage, and their office in a stable. Madame came at 8-0 the first +night and ordered the general and all of them to bed. But they were +not obedient. + +Greig came in the other night and was very jealous of our billets, +seeing he had missed his chance and had judged by externals and had +caught a whited sepulchre. + +The second night an A.S.C. friend came to dinner and the menu was:-- + + Soup. Salmon croquettes. Asparagus. Stuffed chicken and sausages. + Fruit, custard and cream. Sardines on toast. Coffee. + +Not bad for active service. One of us sleeps in the bedroom, Brand, +Kitty, Carroll and I sleep on folding beds and big mattresses in the +mess-room. All borrowed from Madame when we had charmed her tears +away. + +Yesterday I had a very good birthday. Please thank everyone very much +for the parcels, especially yourself. They were topping and very +welcome. Who was it sent all the chocolates? I could not quite make +out. + +I was very pleased; my servant gave me a box of Abdulla cigarettes, +and the Battery, or rather the Sergeant for the Battery, presented me +with another box. + +In the afternoon, Brocklebank, my A.S.C. Captain, took me down to +Albert in his car. It is rather knocked about, and the church has a +huge figure of the Virgin Mary hanging down at right angles to the +church tower; it looks very curious, why it has not fallen I do not +know. + +Then, after finding the people we wanted, we went up on to a hill with +glasses to look at the trenches. Before, as you know, the trenches we +were in were breastworks, moulds of earth in perfectly flat country, +and we rarely saw the Bosche trenches except through a periscope. But +here, from the top of the hill, we saw on a hill a mile or two away +long lines on the hillside, where the chalk had been thrown up in +building the trenches, and opposite them other white and brown lines, +where the German trenches were, white lines in all directions--a sort +of maze upon the hillside our trenches and their's--and behind that +hill other hills in the distance, much like Salisbury Plain and +Aldershot. There is a very noticeable difference in the country here +in districts occupied by the English. Civilians here are in their +farms right up to the firing line. In fact, in one instance, an old +woman was known to live for ten days in her cottage, once a lonely +country spot in the open fields, but now with a boundary on each side, +one where the Germans held their front line and one where our front +line existed. Ten days in No Man's Land! But here all things are +different. One rarely sees a French civilian; even here, some twenty +miles back, one sees very few, and in Albert one sees none. The +trenches are also better. Miles and miles of wire and lines of +trenches extend behind Albert, whereas North there is rarely more than +one real line of trenches. The French are much more business-like and +more thorough. + +In the evening we returned to dinner, and again we had a very pleasant +one in celebration of my birthday. After dinner we played cut-throat +auction, and so to bed. + +To-day Carroll has gone on leave. If I am lucky I may come home in a +week or two. If so, I wonder if it would be possible for us to go up +to Lowood or somewhere of the sort for a week, as I am longing for +some decent country--tennis, &c. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +May 10th. + + + + + May 11th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +To-day we transported all our worldly belongings in handcarts from our +former billets to a village about six miles nearer the firing line. +The village is called Bresle. It is quite a nice little village in a +hollow, only it is crowded with troops--three Battalions and various +other units all billeted in it. Consequently, though the men still +have room for their usual billets in barns, &c., some have very little +spare room, whilst most of the officers are billeted in tents, hiding +from aeroplanes, under trees. When we arrived we had to get parties to +move our tents into a field under a hedge and some trees. We have +three tents--one we use as a mess--and the men looted wood and doors +and made a splendidly fine table round the tent pole, also a form to +sit on. Another tent we all three--Kitty, Brand and myself--sleep in, +and a third we have handed over to the servants. I myself have a +folding bed that Captain Brockbank, of the Divisional Supply Column, +had made for me, and I hope to be fairly comfortable. Our little camp +is in the corner of a cultivated field, behind the farms on the hills +rising from the village. When we had finished putting up our tents, we +lay down for a late lunch of bully-beef sandwiches and cake and +watched Mademoiselle and the family digging the field. Then at the +other's instigation I offered Mademoiselle a piece of the cake you +sent me as my "gateau de marriage," telling her I had been married +vingt-cinq anees. It is always well to conciliate the native. To-night +I went to tea with the Battalion, several spare officers have arrived +out from our depot Battalion. They all have tents in a sort of +orchard. + +To-night we dined off boiled eggs, tea, and soup, in that order, in +our mess-tent, and we are now going to bed. + +On Sunday I went away in a waggon to Railhead to Mericourt to catch a +train at 7-30 to go on another course at G.H.Q.--Hezdin, near Etaples. +On the train I met Bowkett, from the Tyneside Scottish, and we +travelled together. While we were waiting at Amiens to catch a +connection we met another man, who was going on the same course, and +whom we avoided, as he seemed a terrible person. We arrived at Hezdin +about 6-30, reported at G.H.Q., and then walked up to a chateau, where +we were billeted. There we saw the Adjutant, who gave us a room +together with two decent beds. The chateau is a topping big place in +pretty grounds and has most of the furniture left in it. We had a +large mess-room, with doors opening into the terrace, and an +ante-room. The next day, as our time was slow, we missed our breakfast +and only just came down in time for parade at 9-0. In the evening we +went down to Hezdin to the hotel to dinner, about four of us. The next +day we had breakfast in bed, and were in time for the lecture at 9-0. +In the morning, gun drill and firing. The other people in the course +were very interesting people, and an awfully nice lot. There was an +Australian whom, of course, we all called Anzac--a small +strongly-built man, with a military moustache, named Hart. He had a +very amusing manner of taking off old Army Colonels and 'varsity men, +from what he called Okker and Camer, and whom he described as always +going about with a towel round their necks, a blazer and pumps. He +would always talk to order. To set him off we had the man we saw on +Amiens station, and whom we all call George, for no known reason, and +whose real name was Arthur. Like Anzac, he had been all over the +world, and was very quiet and melancholy. He used to talk in a +pathetic high voice, and teach us Chinese, and tell us how he was +arrested as a spy in Armentieres, and of his experiences. The other +chevalier, you knew at sight, came from Oxford. Bouchier, of the Royal +Scots, a small, dark Englishman, who was born in Tipperary, and was +known to our society as Arthur Bouchier, the passionate Scot from +Tipperary. Sutherland, Black Watch, a decadent specimen from the +Coldstreamers; Pinto Pike, and a Canadian Captain called Clarke. The +others were Lloyd (Cheshire), Robinson (King's Liverpool), Laying +(Gloucesters), Granville (Royal Fusiliers), who was in the same +Battalion as Wynn, who was chaplain of Jesus, and Cuthbertson, the +girl of the footlights; Steed, a pianist, Propert, and others. Our +instructor, Higgins, was a topping chap, with the Military Cross. We +had an awfully jolly time on the course. + +On Friday we again went into Hezdin for dinner, several of us. + +On Saturday morning we saw most of them off, and Bowkett, George +Bouchier and I remained. In the afternoon Bouchier and I went and had +a hot bath at an old nunnery by the river. Dinner at the hotel, where +we spent a comfortable night. + +On Sunday morning we set off at 6-0 to catch the 6-24 train, and we +arrived at Amiens about lunch-time. On the station I met half a dozen +officers from the 8th Suffolks, and talked to them about various +mutual acquaintances and of what the Battalion was doing. Then in the +town Bowkett and I met a man named Grey, who had come out from our +Reserve Battalion to the 8th Suffolks, and we went and had lunch in +the Hotel du Rhine with him and several other officers, two of whom I +had met at Cambridge. A topping dinner, including ices and +strawberries. + +When we returned to the station we discovered that the train we were +supposed to go on was a crowded leave train, full of people returning +from leave, so we waited till the next. Arriving at Mericourt I had to +walk to Bresle, but got the assistance of one motor waggon and a mess +cart, and arrived at Bresle only to find that the Battery was moving +in an hour to Albert, and was going in the trenches that night. I went +to have tea, and meanwhile the Batteries went on. Then, very luckily, +I found a friend and a car that whisked me past the Batteries trudging +with handcarts on into Albert. Arrived in Albert I went on to see +Rigby, whom we were taking over from, in a small billet, but found +that we were getting a big billet in the hospital--a huge, great +place, with large rooms built in 1904, and toppingly fitted up, but +now practically empty. All our men sleep in two big double rooms, and +Kitty and I in one room, the others in a room 100 feet by 25 feet. Our +mess-room is a large, clean, dry, tiled room, with one huge window; we +furnished it with tables and chairs, chiefly taken from the old +billet, which we are not using. Fuller keeps the room smart with wild +flowers. + +At 11-0 p.m. o'clock I went up to the trenches with Carroll and half +the Battery, who were going in for the night--the men in one big +dug-out and Carroll in one with two machine gunners. I returned home +and got to bed about 3-0 a.m. + +The next morning I was wakened before seven by the guns waking up for +their early morning hate just under my window. There are Batteries +dotted about all over the place here--18 pounders, howitzers of all +sizes, and naval guns. You almost trip over them wherever you go. +There are two 6in. howitzers hiding in our back garden. I went up to +the trenches to look round the next morning (Monday). + +The trenches here are very different from what we have been used +to--long narrow trenches, not breastworks, dug down in the chalk, a +veritable labrynth of trenches, going in all directions, up hill and +down dale. They are very deep, and very few rifle shots are fired. +Sniping is done with field guns and trench mortars. The line is very +curious, moving forward and backward. In one place in our line a +village runs out and there is a German salient. In front of the +salient lots of mines have been exploded and no trenches remain, +merely holes that bombers hide in, where the trench bulging again we +share our parapet with the Bosche. I don't go there often, as you have +to crawl, and you usually crawl into the wrong trench and find +yourselves wandering in the Bosche lines. The Germans send over a lot +of oil cans filled with old razor blades and rubbish, which do a good +deal of damage, and are rather unpleasant. However, we are educating +them not to send them over too often, as we send over two to their one +with our mortars, and in time we shall get them under our thumbs I +hope. We always have one man by each gun firing almost continuously. +We have dug-outs well back with wire beds in them, also rats! Here we +have big underground dug-outs 20 feet underground, some of them down +long stairways. The country is very hilly and wooded in parts; our +part of the line has two hills and one valley, it is rather like +Salisbury Plain, or a flat edition of Derbyshire. + +Carroll has been in, and I have gone up in the daytime. + +I am going to relieve him this afternoon; I shall only be in a few +days. I hope to come home on leave about June 4th. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + +P.S.--I have not got your letter, but I have received all the letters +and things sent, I think. + + + + +My darling Mother,-- + +I am writing this in my dug-out. It seems very comfortable at present. +We have one large dug-out in which Carroll slept with two machine +gunners. I was going to sleep there too, and as I have a new officer, +Ingle, with me he was going to sleep there. But by the greatest stroke +of good fortune I spotted this one just near. It is the best dug-out I +have ever had. The other dug-out is swarming with mice and rats, who +scratch earth into you all the time, and come and expire on you at +night. One fell down and died on the table while we were having tea. +But in this I have only seen one mouse so far, and it has got about +ten feet of solid earth over it. I sleep on a comfortable folding bed, +in my clothes, of course. It is well back six or seven hundred yards +from the firing line. The firing line is more unhealthy than other +trenches we have been in. They will keep sending the oil cans I told +you of over into the front line. If you manage to get away from them +round a traverse they come rolling round the corner after you; I don't +love them at all. I have got "Printer's Pie," and I am just going to +put up some pictures and am then going to bed. I relieved Carroll, and +have been messing around since. I went down to the firing line for an +hour or two to go to each emplacement and see how the men who were +firing the guns were getting on, and then came back and observed their +fire just outside my dug-out; there is our observation post from which +you can see our own lines and the Bosche lines for miles. I have just +been down to one of our ammunition dug-outs, seeing 100 rounds put in +that a fatigue party had brought up. Friday 10 to 12. Good-night, +Mother mine. + +Had a comfortable night, but, as it was rather cold, I have had my +sleeping bag brought up for to-night, so I shall be all right. Fuller +was late this morning, so I had to wait impatiently for my boots and +puttees to be cleaned before I could get up, consequently we did not +have breakfast till nearly 10-0 o'clock. After breakfast Ingle and I +went round all our emplacements. We had quite an interesting time, as +in one place where the trench is not occupied, and up which we have to +go to one emplacement, one of our field gun batteries put four shots +into the trench about 10 yards behind Ingle and knocked him over, then +a rifle grenade landed nearly at my feet and kindly failed to go off. +We returned in time for a late scrappy lunch at 2-30. When I was +intending to have a nap and a read when one of the Northumberland +Fusiliers officers, Bowkett, turned up with Kitty to see the line, as +he is probably taking it over from us in a few days, and I had to +wander right around all the emplacements again. After tea I went down +to see how our guns were getting on and found the infantry were very +pleased with them, as one gun had managed to destroy a Hun machine gun +emplacement, and the others must have done considerable damage, as +they so much raised the Hun's ire that he shelled them all +unsuccessfully. + +We had a pleasant dinner, and the rest of the evening I have spent +worrying over returns, new emplacements, trench maps, &c., and so to a +well-earned rest. + +I am beginning to find my way about a bit now, but there is a +veritable maze of nice white chalk trenches. We are in a sort of +valley, and in the middle of the valley is a slight rise on which the +village of La Boiselle once existed, and which now forms the German +salient. + +Sunday, 28th, 1-0 a.m. Wakened up by Parker, of the Lincolns to tell +me that gas cylinders have been seen being taken in La Boiselle, and +that, as the wind is in the right direction, there may be a gas +attack. I hope not; however put on boots and puttees. I warned the +men, putting one sentry on duty, as also the servants. I have a +beastly headache, and I am very tired; I wish people wouldn't see such +things. They are very quiet, too, to-night, which looks suspicious. + +May 29th. Awakened very tired about 8-0 o'clock, dressed by putting on +my boots, sponge bath, shaved while I had my breakfast in my dug-out. +Then I went with my sergeant to see about new emplacements. Started on +a new one with a corporal and four men working, also myself. In the +afternoon I received a scheme for construction of six new +emplacements, and I had to go to try and find positions. I managed +more or less to do so, and returned in time to start working out +ranges, compass bearing, angles, &c., only to find I had to go down to +two emplacements again to place them accurately by the map. Busy all +evening with indents, returns and chiefly with schemes for +emplacements. Bed at last--12 midnight. + +Yesterday we worked on emplacements till about 2-0, when I returned +for lunch, and was strafed by the Divisional General for having my +guns in the firing line; afterwards a disturbed lunch, during which we +were shelled and our men's dug-out pushed in with a 5.9 howitzer, +though 16 men in the dug-out were unhurt. The Bosche was busy all day +with 5.9's, blowing most things in. In the afternoon I went up to see +the Brigadier, who was very nice, and attempted to solve all my +difficulties. I then had dinner with Carroll and Brand, and returned +to the trenches, and so to bed. + +This morning I wakened at 7-30 Tempest came in, laying claims to my +dug-out, claiming it for Barker, but we said "No." Breakfast at 8-0. +At 9-0 I prospected with Wilson-Jones and found a topping place for a +new emplacement, which we set up forthwith, also making on the other +two new ones. Lake and another man came to lunch. This afternoon and +evening we have been doing more work on the emplacements. I am getting +a bit tired of these trenches; they are much too dangerous, and I hate +suddenly having to crouch against a traverse when a big shell comes +and crouches on the other side of it. I shall now retire to my little +couch. Good-night, Mother dear. + +June 1st. Working all day on emplacements, putting headcover on, &c. +This evening, about six o'clock, I was called upon to reply to German +trench mortars, but just as we had reached the bottom of the +communication, they opened gun fire on the communication trench, +wounding several men, while we lay at the bottom of the trench, while +they whizzed over in sort of sheets of shells. They soon quieted, but +one burst was enough. I went down to the front line about 10-0 to look +round, and coming back they were unpleasant again--big stuff too--but +to our left. The shells are something terrific here; I think it is one +of the hottest parts of the line. + +June 2nd. Working all day on emplacements. In the evening we were +called upon to retaliate for German mortars, and pumped hell into them +for a few minutes (excuse the word, it is the only one I can think +of), and soon shut them up. I was relieved by Carroll. + +June 3rd. Went up to the trenches, to see how the emplacements were +getting on, with Kitty. In the evening the Tyneside Scottish relieved +us, going up to the trenches at 2-0 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. We had an +awful crush of them in our mess for several hours, and I had great +difficulty in pushing them off up to the trenches. I took them there +just to be in time for a terrific bombardment on the trenches, whilst +the Germans tried unsuccessfully to raid our trenches. They used tear +gas on us, sent over in shells, and it makes you weep. When I returned +they were shelling near our billet, and we had to spend the whole of +the rest of the night in the cellars, and only got to our bed at about +6-0 in the morning. + +June 4th. Carroll and Brand went back to rest with the two new +batteries, and Kitty and I remained in reserve, as they wanted us to +take part in a raid that we were going to do, and, though our own +brigade was in rest, our batteries were selected as a compliment to +take part in the raid, which we learned was to come off on Monday, +June 5th, so we tried to go to bed early on Sunday after our troublous +Saturday night. However, we learnt that the division on our right was +doing a raid, and the Bosche started retaliating on Albert, the town +we were in, so we had to spend another night in the cellars. + +June 5th. We spent the day getting ammunition up, 400 rounds, +registering our guns, &c. We found our emplacements damaged by the +bombardment of the night before and had to make one new one. We meant +to return to our billet for lunch at 2-0, but we actually came back at +6-0--in time for high tea. At 8-30 we paraded, six men from each +battery to work four guns, and got to the trenches to find everything +quiet. We prepared our ammunition, &c., and were finished just before +11-0, at which time all our artillery suddenly burst forth into a +hundred thunderstorms, and absolutely rained shells on the German +lines like hail. At 11-20 we started, and put over about 70 rounds +from each gun, and finished at 11-35, and returned to the third line +as soon as possible to collect there to take our guns out. I quite +enjoyed it all; there was a huge row on, and you could not tell if any +German shells were coming at you, there was such a noise. It was quite +exciting. I was surprised to find that it is really not nearly half so +bad when both sides are hard at it and our own getting decidedly the +best of it, as when occasional shots keep arriving. + +We were glad to get out all right at 1-30 and back to our billet. The +next day (Tuesday) we moved back to Bresle, and arrived there in the +evening. Kitty and I had to go up to the trenches to collect some +things, then we had tea, and came along in motor wagons, &c. + +At present we are back where we were in tents; it rains fairly often, +and, as a rest, we have to parade at 6-45 for field days. I am going +to the Suffolks to-night. + +I am awfully sorry this letter has been so long, but I have been made +O.C. group of four batteries, and I have had to work all day and most +of the night. + +I am very fit and well, and hope to be home on June 15th. Old Wroxan, +who shared a room with me at Cambridge, was killed the other day--he +had only been out about a month. + +Socks, cake and all sorts of nice things received. + + Much love to all, from your loving Son, + ALEC. + + + + + B.E.F., 10th. + +My darling Mother,-- + +As I told you in my last letter we are now resting, and we are doing +it very vigorously indeed. There are two kinds of rest for Infantry in +the British Army, and they are (1) A good rest, and (2) a thoroughly +good rest. A good rest is when your brigade is in the trenches, and +your battalion or unit is out. Then between shells in the trenches you +rest. You begin the cure at 7-0 in the morning, if you are lucky, and +continue it all day and all night on working parties. + +When you are having a thoroughly good rest you rise at 6-0 a.m., +parade at 6-45 every day, and charge across country, practicing the +assault for the day that has always been coming (is always in a +fortnight) and never comes off--the great Spring Offensive. That's +what we have been doing the last few days, walking five or six miles +out, then walking two miles or so across country, and then marching +home. Every day we receive orders in the afternoon that the brigade +will go somewhere, to the trenches or to some other village, but they +are always cancelled in the evening. + +Fortunately, to-morrow is Sunday, and we are to have a day's rest. I +hope it will not be cancelled. + +Last night I had dinner with "C" Company, my old Company; we had a +wonderful dinner. This evening we went to our brigade theatre. It is +an old barn, and we all sit on the floor--Colonels, Majors, Subalterns +and privates. There are cinematograph films, songs, &c., and it is +very cheering; Kitty, Dougal and I went together to-night. The chief +talk is all about leave, everyone being in hopes of it, and all except +the staff being put off from week to week until you almost despair of +it. Dougal is just talking about hopping into a big hot bath and a +feather bed, but if we had never done without them we should not value +them quite as we do now. + +Wednesday, 14th. The Day of Days, the heaven of every British soldier. +Leave, that Will-o'-the-Wisp which everyone possesses, but which +evades all but the staff, and the very lucky. A long journey from +Mericourt, starting at 9-30 to Havre. Lunch off omelette and coffee +during an hour's halt in the dignified perambulations of a French +train at Bouchie. At Havre we rushed to get cabins, but found plenty, +and we soon went to bed--Payne and I (Bernard Thompson on the same +boat)--and we slept until wakened one hour out of Southampton. +Breakfast off a cup of coffee, and then train again. + +Winnie met me at Waterloo, or rather I met her, gazing forlornly at +streams of strange soldiers. All morning at Harold's offices and +shopping, lunching at the Criterion, &c. Then on to Win's to tea and +back in bare time to the Savoy to change for dinner. Then to +"To-night's the night"--topping seats and a good show. + + + * * * * * + + +The writer of these letters arrived in England June 15th, 1916, and +returned to France June 22nd. The Spring Offensive, of which he wrote, +was launched at 7-30 on July 1st, 1916, and on that day he was killed +near La Boiselle--"A corner of a foreign field that is for ever +England." + + +Writing of him a fellow Officer said:-- + + "The last time I saw him was on Friday afternoon, June 30th, in + the cellars of the Chateau. He was gaily talking to his Officers + and giving them one or two final instructions. 'Have some tea of + dog biscuits and bully beef' he said to me just as I had finished + a wash. I said 'Good-bye' to him, and then crept along the dark + passage to the Chateau. + + He was one of the real enthusiasts for war amongst us as a + regiment. Most people had joined because it was their duty--he + joined because he was a soldier by nature as well. If there was + to be a scrap he was sure to be in it. He wanted to go out before + the battalion on July 1st, but the C.O., of course, would not + hear of it. + + At Armentieres I was told that when the Corner Fort was bombarded + he was hit on his helmet by a huge piece of shell, but just + carried on. I feel certain he died in the forefront of the + battle, for his pluck was proverbial. "Whoever else gets the wind + up--Mack won't" I heard an Officer of the regiment say one day + during a bad spell in the trenches. + + I do not believe he was afraid of death, and I am sure he fell as + far forward as the German leaden hail would let anyone get + alive." + +Another one wrote:-- + + "I saw a good deal of him during the last few days before July + 1st, as his battery was encamped with us. He was in the highest + spirits, though he knew he was to occupy a most exposed position + in the attack. + + He was as brave as any man I know, and his loss is tremendous. I, + as well as all his friends out here, sympathise most deeply with + his family, whose consolation must be that he died a gallant + soldier's death." + + + + + * * * * * + +"Daily Post" Printers, Wood Street, Liverpool. + + + * * * * * + + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | Typographical errors corrected in text: | + | | + | Page 12: Moher replaced with Mother | + | Page 37: fraid replaced with afraid | + | Page 44: Boches replaced with Bosches | + | Page 48: intersting replaced with interesting | + | Page 55: we we replaced with we | + | Page 64: Epeleque replaced with Eperlecques | + | Page 73: greatet replaced with greatest | + | | + | On Pages 78 and 79, the author uses a common British | + | phrasing "Breakfast off a cup of coffee" and "Lunch off | + | omelette". This is not a typo. | + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + + * * * * * + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Letters from France, by Isaac Alexander Mack + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS FROM FRANCE *** + +***** This file should be named 19521.txt or 19521.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/5/2/19521/ + +Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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