initial commit of ebook 24862HEADmain

1 files changed, 5766 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/24862.txt b/24862.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa90485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/24862.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5766 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie, by
+George Brenton Laurie
+
+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 of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie
+       (commanding 1st Battn Royal Irish Rifles) Dated November
+       4th, 1914-March 11th, 1915
+
+Author: George Brenton Laurie
+
+Editor: Florence Vere-Laurie
+
+Release Date: March 17, 2008 [EBook #24862]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS OF LT.-COL. GEORGE ***
+
+
+Produced by David Clarke, Jeannie Howse 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:                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For     |
+    | a complete list, please see the end of this document.     |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS
+
+OF
+
+LIEUT.-COLONEL GEORGE BRENTON LAURIE
+
+
+[Illustration: (signed) George Brenton Laurie]
+
+
+
+
+For Private Circulation
+
+
+LETTERS
+
+OF
+
+Lt.-Col. GEORGE BRENTON LAURIE
+
+(Commanding 1st Battn. Royal Irish Rifles)
+
+Dated NOVEMBER 4th, 1914-MARCH 11th, 1915
+
+EDITED BY FLORENCE VERE-LAURIE
+
+
+
+
+_Printed by_
+GALE & POLDEN, LTD
+Wellington Works, Aldershot
+1921
+
+
+
+
+TO HALIBURTON, BLANCHE, AND SYDNEY.
+
+
+MY DEAR CHILDREN,
+
+I dedicate this little volume to you in memory of your father, who, as
+you know, fell on March 12th, 1915, in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
+These Letters, which were written to me from France during the first
+winter of the World War, do not in any way pretend to literary
+attainment; they are just the simple letters of a soldier recording as
+a diary the daily doings of his regiment at the front.
+
+Often were they penned under great difficulties, and many a time under
+a rain of fire. The accounts of the awful loss of life and the
+discomforts experienced, both by officers and men unused to such
+severe climatic conditions, are sometimes heart-rending, and they make
+the reading sad.
+
+Touches, however, of his natural cheerfulness relieve the greyness of
+the situation, and at times one can almost hear the lightheartedness
+of a schoolboy speaking.
+
+Your father cared for his regiment as a father cares for his child,
+and was beloved by it. He obtained his commission in 1885 at 18 years
+of age, and was, curiously enough, the last officer to enter the
+British Army with the rank of a full Lieutenant. Had he lived till the
+following September, he would have been 30 years in the Royal Irish
+Rifles.
+
+A short sketch of his life and military career is given in this book,
+and reference is made to the pleasure he took in being chosen to write
+the History of his Regiment, completed in 1914. He was also devoted to
+all kinds of sport as a pastime; but I will not write of these things;
+rather would I speak of his great wish to win fresh laurels for his
+regiment, and of how proud he was when, after the long, dreary winter
+in the trenches, the Royal Irish Rifles were the first to enter the
+village of Neuve Chapelle. But above all would I counsel you to follow
+his example in his faithful attention to duty, fulfilling the French
+proverb, "Faites ce que doit advienne que pourra."
+
+He died as a true soldier, leading his men, and what better death
+could be desired? He now lies in the British military cemetery of Pont
+du Hem, midway between Neuve Chapelle and Estaires, not far from
+Bethune in Northern France, and a little wooden cross marks the spot.
+
+                                                  F. VERE-LAURIE.
+
+CARLTON HALL,
+  CARLTON-ON-TRENT, NOTTS.
+      _May 12th, 1921._
+
+
+
+
+FOREWORD
+
+BY LIEUT.-COLONEL SIR JOHN ROSS OF BLADENSBURG, K.C.B., K.C.V.O.
+(_late Coldstream Guards_).
+
+
+Colonel George Laurie came from a military family. His father a
+distinguished General, and his uncle both served in the Crimea and
+elsewhere, and many of his near relations joined the army, and were
+well-known zealous soldiers of their Sovereign. His elder brother fell
+in the Boer War in the beginning of this century, and he himself saw
+active service in the Sudan and in South Africa, before he landed in
+France to take his share in the great World War. On being promoted to
+the command of his battalion, he joined it at Kamptee in India, and
+this obliged him to leave his wife and family at home, for young
+children are not able to live in that tropical, very hot and unhealthy
+district. From that station, with scarcely any opportunity of seeing
+them again, he was launched into the severities of a cold and wet
+winter in a water-logged part of Flanders. His experiences are
+graphically told in his letters, and they will show how much our
+gallant troops had to endure when engaged in the terrible conflict
+which the ambition of Prussia had provoked, and with what fortitude
+and courage they defended the country from the serious dangers that
+then menaced it.
+
+All who have read these interesting letters will, I think, perceive
+that one dominant feature in Colonel Laurie's character was a keen and
+all-pervading sense of duty, and an earnest determination to discharge
+it in every circumstance as thoroughly and as completely as possible.
+Never did he spare himself. What he had to exact from others, that he
+sternly imposed upon himself; and he fully shared with his men all the
+dangers and all the hardships of the war, with serene good temper and
+with a cheerful spirit. This fine disposition, which he himself had
+trained by self-discipline, ensured the prompt and willing obedience
+of his subordinates, and endeared him to all who were committed to his
+charge; it also secured for him the respect and the confidence of his
+superiors, who were well aware that every order they gave him would be
+carried out to the letter with prudence and with strict fidelity.
+
+As he had married a beloved niece, I had many opportunities of
+observing his character, and I did not fail to recognize how devoted
+he was to his regiment and to the military career he had embraced and
+how thoroughly he was imbued with this great sense of duty. He had,
+moreover, considerable literary ability, and wrote a very excellent
+History of the Royal Irish Rifles; he also translated from the French
+an interesting account of the conquest of Algiers. In short, he took
+pains to learn the many details of his noble profession, and to make
+himself an efficient officer. Had he survived, my belief is that he
+would have advanced far as a soldier; for he combined with a studious
+earnest mind, much activity of body, and a sincere love for outdoor
+sport and manly exercise.
+
+His letters show his affectionate nature; his care for his family and
+for his officers and men; and his solicitude for all with whom he was
+brought in contact. His sympathies were quick and real; and he felt
+the responsibilities of his position, and what he owed to those who
+belonged to him, or who were placed under his command. And last, but
+by no means least, there are many short expressions in the letters to
+show the deep and all-absorbing feeling he entertained for Religion,
+and how his whole life was guided by the Faith that was in him. May
+his memory prove to be an incentive to his young family, so early and
+so cruelly deprived of the care of a loving father, to imitate his
+sterling qualities of head and heart!
+
+
+
+
+SKETCH OF LIEUT.-COLONEL LAURIE'S CAREER.
+
+(_From the "Bond of Sacrifice," reproduced by permission of the
+Editor._)
+
+
+George Brenton Laurie was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October
+13th, 1867. He was the eldest surviving son of the late Lieut.-General
+John Wimburn Laurie, C.B., M.P., of 47, Porchester Terrace, London,
+and of Mrs. Laurie, of Oakfield, Nova Scotia.
+
+He was grandson of the Hon. Enos Collins, M.L.C., of Gorse Brook,
+Halifax, and great-grandson of Sir Brenton Haliburton, Chief Justice
+of Nova Scotia. He was educated at Galt Collegiate Institute, Ontario,
+and at the Picton Academy, from whence he passed into the Royal
+Military College, Kingston, Canada, in 1883. He joined the Royal Irish
+Rifles as a Lieutenant in September, 1885, going with them to
+Gibraltar in 1886, and on to Egypt in 1888. He took part in the Nile
+Campaign in 1889, but, contracting smallpox at Assouan, he was sent
+home to recover, and spent two years at the Depot at Belfast,
+rejoining his battalion in Malta. He was promoted Captain in 1893, and
+when the Rifles came back to home service he obtained an Adjutancy of
+Volunteers in Devonshire in October, 1896, and from that date until
+March, 1901, by ceaseless energy he brought the battalion to full
+strength and high efficiency.
+
+In March, 1901, he was appointed a special service officer, including
+the command of a mounted infantry battalion for the South African War.
+He was present at operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony,
+and Cape Colony, between April, 1901, and May, 1902, having been
+Mentioned in Despatches for his services (London Gazette, July 29th,
+1902), also receiving the Queen's Medal with five clasps.
+
+After peace was signed he served in Ireland, and in October, 1904,
+obtained his majority. Afterwards he served in England till, becoming
+Lieut.-Colonel in 1912, he went out to India to take command of the
+1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. He was deeply engaged at this time
+in writing the History of his Regiment, a work soon officially
+accepted and highly praised. He had previously written a history of
+"The French in Morocco," compiled from many sources during his years
+in the Mediterranean.
+
+When the European War broke out in August, 1914, he was at Aden with
+his battalion, and until anxiety in Somaliland was allayed the Irish
+Rifles were detained there, only reaching France in November. They
+spent the winter in the trenches, taking their share in the fierce
+fighting in December.
+
+On March 10th, 1915, they took part in the attack on Neuve Chapelle,
+and were the first battalion to reach the village, but losses were
+heavy. A sergeant-major wrote: "Our Colonel was everywhere,
+encouraging his men, and seeming to bear a charmed life. He knew no
+fear, and walked quietly in front of us as if no bombardment were
+going on."
+
+On Friday evening, March 12th, a fresh assault was ordered.
+Lieut.-Colonel Laurie rallied his exhausted men, and, calling out
+"Follow me! I will lead you!" he sprang over the parapet, revolver in
+hand. A moment later he fell shot through the head. He was buried with
+his fallen officers and men in a garden near Neuve Chapelle.
+
+During this war he was twice Mentioned in Despatches (_Gazette_,
+January 14th, 1915; and after his death, May 31st, 1915).
+
+Lieut.-Colonel Laurie, who was a member of the Army and Navy and the
+United Service Clubs, was fond of hunting, and went out regularly with
+the Devon and Somerset hounds. He also hunted in Ireland, and in
+Nottinghamshire with the Rufford, and played polo.
+
+He married, in September, 1905, Florence Clementina Vere Skeffington,
+eldest daughter of the late Hon. Sydney William Skeffington, and left
+three children--George Haliburton, born August, 1906; Blanche, born
+1907; and Sydney Vere, born 1910.
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS OF NOVEMBER, 1914.
+
+
+_Telegram, November 4th, 1914_:
+
+"Get gun oiled."
+
+  [_Note._--This was a private code message sent to me in London
+  signifying that the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was ordered
+  to France with the 25th Brigade, 8th Division, on November 5th,
+  1914. Information of the day of departure was not permitted
+  beforehand.--F.V.L.]
+
+
+                                    HURSTLEY PARK CAMP,
+                                                 WINCHESTER.
+                                            _November 5th, 1914._
+
+MY DEAR F----.
+
+I telegraphed to you yesterday not to worry about any more equipment
+for me, as I should not be able to get the things, no matter how soon
+you sent them. We have had our arrangements put back twelve hours, but
+even that makes no difference; I shall rub along somehow.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The Camp is up to our necks in mud. Fortunately, the weather is mild,
+though we shall have it cold enough later on. Any warm clothes, etc.,
+for the Battalion are being sent to you to be distributed to us in a
+short time. Then the men will appreciate them more. I should forward
+them only as you get the funds.
+
+Capt. Cinnamond is still in bed with lumbago, whilst Major Weir is
+staying behind too. Capt. Allgood comes with me. I cannot give you any
+more news, as it might let things out. I had a lot to do yesterday,
+and dropped to sleep after dinner sitting in a high chair about 8.45
+p.m.!
+
+                                         Yours, etc....
+                                                      G----.
+
+
+                                      _Postcard from_--
+                                                SOUTHAMPTON,
+                                            _November 5th, 1914._
+
+We had a wet march to this place, and are now on a transport which
+ought to land us in France to-morrow. So far everything has gone most
+prosperously with us. Curious that the day you left Winchester I
+should have got the order to move! I believe the sea is fairly smooth;
+am getting the last few horses and wagons aboard. Heard to-day that
+the Remount have bought my chestnut horse "Goldfinch."
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+                                                 FRANCE,
+                                    ON ACTIVE SERVICE, B.E.F.
+                                             _November 7th, 1914._
+
+MY DEAR F----.
+
+We had a very smooth run across to ... and then lay out for about 20
+hours. Fortunately, it still remained perfectly calm, and we got in at
+2 a.m., having only a slight collision with another steamer. We left
+the ship this morning and went into a rest camp to get ourselves
+thoroughly fitted out. We were told that "French" wanted us badly, as
+he expected to have the Germans back on the Rhine shortly, which may
+or may not be! Anyhow, our "rest" will not last many hours! There is a
+thick fog at present, so I cannot tell you what the whole place is
+like; but the lanes as we came along reminded me of England, say Ore
+near Hastings. I saw that your cousin Herbert Stepney was killed,[1]
+and his mother will be wild about him....
+
+A Naval Embarkation Officer came up to me at our embarking
+post--Southampton--and asked where Laurie was! I told him, remarking:
+"I know your face!" He was Captain Perfect from Rostrevor. He said
+that poor Major Nugent of Bally Edmond died rather suddenly two days
+ago. Perfect then introduced me to the Captain of the ship, who
+rejoiced in the name of "Spratt," with the result that I was given
+half his cabin coming over. We had to feed ourselves, or, rather, we
+bought some cooked food by arrangement. Here we have secured bread
+and butter and condensed milk, and we are now waiting for our
+transport to come up from the harbour to get some warm tea.
+
+I will let you know as much as I can as we go along. Of course it is
+impossible to tell you where we are, etc.... If you want to know about
+German atrocities, read _Nash's Magazine_ for November. I just saw it.
+
+                                              Yours....
+                                                      G----.
+
+
+                                          ON ACTIVE SERVICE.
+                                            _November 8th, 1914._
+
+That was as far as I got in my descriptions to you when I had to rush
+off with my transport wagon and Quartermaster to complete the
+equipment which had not been given us in England. This lasted until
+11.30 p.m. in a strange country with thick fog, five miles to go, and
+none of us able to speak French! However, I came home about 7 o'clock
+in the morning to fix other urgent matters up. The night was not so
+very cold.
+
+Being an early bird, I varied matters this morning by calling my
+officers! Major Baker[2] is splendid.
+
+After Church parade, reading the service myself, I have been generally
+hustling things, and am going out for a route march at 2 p.m. to-day.
+The sun is finally dispersing the fog, so we shall get an opportunity
+of drilling together. We have practically never done so yet; and I am
+really appalled at what might be the consequences of going into action
+with the men unpractised. Few of them have been on active service
+before, and it will all have to be taught under fire.... Since I have
+managed to get a pair of boots for myself from the Ordnance, I now go
+dry-footed for a change! I shall probably send you home my good
+uniform ones to keep for me, as they were made rather too tight for
+this sort of work. If I live through it, I will be able to wear them
+all out. If not, it will not matter much to me....
+
+I expect you are having your shoot to-morrow and next day, and I hope
+it will be a success.
+
+                                              Yours....
+                                                      G----.
+
+
+                                            _November 9th, 1914._
+
+I may not have time to write to you again for some days, so first,
+please accept my thanks for the waterproof sheet, and all the other
+things you bought. Unfortunately I shall not be able to carry them
+with me, so the lot must be returned to the Army and Navy Stores....
+
+I think I told you that "Goldfinch," my chestnut horse, has been sold
+to the Government, and the roan "Khaki" I sent to Mrs. Clinton-Baker
+at Bayfordbury. One of my new horses rolled over me yesterday, but
+beyond bending my sword and tearing one of my leggings did me no
+damage, though Major Baker thought at first that my leg was broken! It
+is colder to-day. We were astonished to see a number of French
+soldiers about; one imagined they would be up at the Front fighting.
+Also there seemed to be a lot of young men who might have been out
+doing a little for their country. Many of the women are in mourning
+here. My servant told me that most of our men had now got gloves, and
+that it was surprising the care they took of them, as they were
+generally not so careful; but they knew that they would want them; so
+I am very glad that you have got extra ones, for they do not last
+long. The fog has settled down again, mercifully not quite so thick as
+before. It was odd the day before yesterday when I was down town on
+duty to see the crowds round some large windows which had news written
+up on huge placards.
+
+Personally, I have only seen a couple of French papers since I left
+England, and they contained simply a repetition of news from the
+_Daily Mail_ before we left England. I feel much better with dry feet;
+though the boots are coarse, they are strong and useful, but they make
+me walk like a ploughboy! Still, if the weather gets colder, I can put
+on a second pair of socks under them. We have been lucky enough to get
+some good butter and some tinned milk from a small cafe near here. Of
+course, we are in the district that is not invaded by the enemy at
+present. My men are very willing, but very troublesome. They lose
+themselves and fall out on every pretext.... A Colonel came up
+yesterday and said: "You back from Aden?"...
+
+I hear a rumour that John is off to India and my brother Kenrick a
+Major already. He is a lucky fellow! Glad you saw me off on Wednesday
+at Winchester. I looked up at your window, but could not see you....
+
+[_Note._--The position of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was, at
+this period of the war, about 20 miles from the town of Ypres, and the
+billets mentioned in the letters were mostly in and around the little
+town of Estaires.--F.V.L.]
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 11th, 1914._
+
+I wrote to you last Monday from our camp where we landed. We left
+that, being put into our train by an old gentleman of your uncle's
+(Sir John Ross) Brigade. Having told us everything he could, he then
+went to dinner. In the meantime, we had to put the loaded Army wagons
+from the ground on to the railway trucks. We finished in about four
+hours' time, and went off in a very cold train of nearly fifty
+carriages. Biscuits and tinned meat were distributed to us, and we ran
+on practically without a stop until 12.30 a.m. Wednesday morning. I
+say practically, for we halted nearly an hour at one station and got
+the men some tea. We had no means of washing, so you may imagine we
+looked like black men in a very short time! Next, we got out of the
+train and unloaded it in rain, went into some barns and slept until 5
+o'clock.... I was in a cart shed much like the one opposite the large
+barn belonging to the "Park Farm" at Carlton. I had some doubtfully
+clean straw and my coat and waterproof, but I found it cold all the
+same. However, as I was only allowed to remain in till 5 a.m., it was
+not as bad as one might have expected. Marching again at 9 a.m. I went
+into billets after passing a church badly knocked about by German
+shells, and a burnt-down house, which owed its departure to the French
+shells. Here I am in a building very much resembling Willoughby Farm.
+In the hay barn I have 50 men, 100 men and 11 horses in the stables,
+and 16 officers in the house, with all the remainder somewhere near
+me. It is colder and has been blowing a gale up to now, but I expect
+it will turn to rain again when the wind drops. I was inspected this
+morning by a superior General: am rather tired of inspections! From
+where we sit we can see the flash of the shells bursting in front of
+our position. We hear all sorts of reports as to what is happening. I
+fancy it is fairly even balanced fighting of a very hard sort. An old
+lady belonging to the farmer class had her home invaded by the Germans
+some time ago. They took everything in the house--food, clothes,
+etc.--and presented her with two francs on leaving, saying they always
+paid for things! The country is exactly the same as the ground on the
+opposite side of the Trent without the hedges. I have seen no chateaux
+or anything of that sort about here. It is evidently a peasant's
+country. Our men are very funny bargaining with the farmer's wife; now
+and then we have to come to their assistance over the money question.
+Rather a curious feature in these parts is that most of the farms
+have a large wheel for churning attached to the house. A dog is popped
+into this wheel, and he then has to run for his life, and so does the
+churning! I suppose such an invention would not be allowed in England
+on the ground of cruelty nowadays! I am glad to hear that the _Emden_
+and _Konigsberg_ have both been settled. I am only sorry about the
+ships off Chili. Poor Admiral Cradock! Do you remember him at Dover,
+when Lord Brassey gave an entertainment to the Fleet?
+
+Well, I think that is all my news. I can hardly keep awake as it is. A
+pretty cold night, but one just has to put up with it. I only wish
+that something would happen to end the war with honour to ourselves.
+
+Still it is a mercy to spend a night like this in the house instead of
+in the trenches. There is no fresh meat in the country, only tinned
+beef for us!...
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 13th, 1914._
+
+Well, I have not been able to write to you before this, as I try to do
+every day. Yesterday, for instance, I was up at 5 o'clock, and after
+an hour's parade, shivering in the dark, I then went off to another,
+and got back about 1 o'clock. I was instructing my men in the
+difference between English and French distances--_i.e._, what 600
+yards looked like in this country for rifle ranges, and where an enemy
+was likely to hide, etc. In the middle of this the Brigade Major
+dashed up in despair, as some order of his had gone astray. I was
+wanted to take ten officers at once and to jump into a motor lorry,
+and go with a party of 30 others to the trenches. I popped my ten
+officers in, and went off with the Brigade-Major's greatcoat in my
+hurry! We raced our lorry through country looking just like the Romney
+Marshes, Sussex. As we went we met refugees flying from a burning town
+which had been set on fire by German shells. We also passed immense
+amounts of transports; for troops must live even when they fight. On
+the way I suddenly saw the back of my last General at D----. You
+remember him--a very pleasant man. Well, he showed us round the
+trenches. The shells were bursting up along the forward line held by
+my brother Hal's[3] old regiment [4th King's Own]. You could see the
+shrapnel bursting on the ground, and perhaps setting fire to something
+or other. None of the shells were near us, so we were quite safe.
+Leaving the line about dark, we had to rattle home. Of course we lost
+our way, as our maps are on such a small scale, and the inhabitants of
+one little town told us the wrong direction, mistaking our French, I
+suppose! But we were not to be done, for we picked up an old lady
+trotting along in the dark, and, having satisfied her that we were
+_not_ Germans, she soon showed us the road, coming a couple of miles
+with us. I arrived home--or, rather, at my billet--shivering about
+7.30 p.m., having had heavy cold rain during a great part of the day.
+I turned out to an "Alarm" Parade at 9 o'clock, returning to my house
+again at 10 p.m. So, you see, I am not eating the bread of idleness!
+To-day we have all been out and got very wet. It is unpleasant, but
+one cannot help it in war. I have had very hard work with my returns,
+and my Quartermaster is getting old. However, I shall rub along now, I
+trust! To-morrow I am sending my R.C. soldiers to a church with holes
+in the roof from shells. Don't you think I really deserve well of my
+Catholic acquaintances, for I have had the priest down twice to see
+them. Our host tells me that the Germans came here; the people ran
+away, and that the Germans ran after them, caught eleven, made them
+dig a big hole in a field, and then shot them. I wonder if it is true.
+Certainly I have seen some few graves in the fields with no names,
+just little crosses of rough wood. They may be murdered inhabitants,
+or they may be simply skirmishers who fell in some inglorious scrap.
+Please send me a few more packets of plain envelopes; one bundle at a
+time is quite enough, as I write on this note-book paper; it reduces
+the amount I have to carry. Some men have been sent to me to be
+instructed in Machine Guns. What a curious nation we are, training our
+men quite happily within ten miles of the enemy! I think I told you
+about our billets in the last letter. The Germans emptied the wine
+cellar. Imagine an English farm having a wine cellar at all! We do not
+even burn the wood, and we have done a great trade for these people in
+milk and butter. Eggs there appear to be none. I expect we shall be
+moving shortly; but where to I cannot tell. I was glad to find that
+the French had not at all exhausted their reserves. For instance,
+there is in the house here a labourer who is a cavalry soldier. He is
+43 years of age, and his category is the next to go. Only your first
+letters have reached me up to now, but some more are expected in
+to-morrow evening. The General I met yesterday told me that the
+Prussian Guards, 15,000 strong, were formed up two nights ago, and
+were told that they must break through our lines, as their Infantry of
+the Line had made an attempt to do so and had failed. They tried hard;
+we heard the guns going. They did not get through, and they showed no
+disposition to try again yesterday morning, fortunately. It is
+probable that they suffered very severely. If this goes on, they must
+stop shortly. Possibly you know more about it all than I do, though,
+as I have seen no papers; in fact, I am absolutely isolated. It has
+been raining in torrents, but has now stopped for a minute, and the
+wind is getting up. Horrid in the trenches, I fancy. Our Protestant
+soldiers open their eyes at the crucifixes scattered all about the
+country. I have three in the tiny room which I share with Major B----.
+My doctor is ill, which is a nuisance. I have not yet heard what the
+Government gave me for my horse "Goldfinch."
+
+Hope you are not having a dull time. I am; but that cannot be helped.
+I shall be glad to get through this war with honour and return to
+England. I have had a dreadful knocking about during the last four
+months, coming from India and the horrid journey home, etc., etc.
+
+                                              Yours....
+                                                          G.
+
+Please send enclosed letters to your mother and to Aunt Helen. Love to
+the children. My two new horses I have called Patrick and Michael.
+
+
+                                           _November 18th, 1914._
+
+Still in my dug-out and just now under shrapnel fire. I have been out
+this morning, having at last got a doctor, and I have arranged with
+him to get a little morphia with a trained man, so that my poor fellow
+badly wounded may die in peace. I had a case of that yesterday, when a
+man died after 12 hours of great pain with both legs gone, and his was
+not the only one. I received your letters during the night up to
+November 9th. I am so glad that the shooting was a success. Tell
+Faulkner now to shoot the cock pheasants as he gets the
+opportunity.... I had not time to fill in the game book, so please
+keep it up for me.... Enclosed is a letter from my mother; it was good
+of her writing so soon.... She must have had a great deal of trouble
+and expense rebuilding "Oakfield" since the fire last summer.... I
+hear that my horse "Khaki" is quite a success and much appreciated at
+Bayfordbury. I have just had a man shot out of a tree where he was
+posted as a sentry, protected by sandbags, but our fellows got the man
+who wounded him, and there is general joy. I am also investigating the
+case of a civilian who was inside our lines with a pass, and who had a
+friend who ran away, whilst four German soldiers suddenly popped up
+and let drive at us. So you see I have my work cut out, what with
+holding my lines, directing our batteries of artillery where to shoot,
+arranging for hospitals, answering letters, making sketches, laying
+telephones, and sending messages to Headquarters, etc., etc.!
+
+In the middle of all this I was shelled, and my clerk fled before the
+storm as he was writing the returns. I am told to remain here for
+three days more, unwashed and unshaved! It was so cold last night; I
+was up most of the time doing business, but in between whiles got a
+little sleep. To-day I have been seeing to my hospital and the graves,
+and have a four-hour walk before me to-night with the Engineers. Such
+a cannonade has been going on in Ypres for the last three days. The
+roar of cannon is quite continuous. Your watch is keeping most
+excellent time, by-the-bye. I expect this battle will have a great
+effect on the war. One wonders how many are being killed in it--poor
+things!... Please send all you have now for the troops, as I imagine
+they will want anything and everything to keep out the cold if they
+can carry it. The Government gave me L70 for "Goldfinch," which was
+good, I think.
+
+
+                                           _November 20th, 1914._
+
+I am now in the trenches in the snow, and it was very cold indeed last
+night. Can you picture such conditions, lying out in it after dark?
+All my poor men feel the change very much, coming from the heat of
+Aden. However, it is business. We are supposed to go out to-morrow
+night for three days' rest after six nights in the trenches, during
+which I have not washed or shaved! Yesterday a bullet pierced our
+splinter-proof roof. Major W---- had his cap cut by one, greatly to
+his surprise! I was up half the night with orders, etc., coming in.
+Whilst I was going round quite a pretty little fight developed. Fifty
+Germans attacked a few of our men; I stood revolver in hand and
+watched it, as we gradually drove them back. This morning at daybreak
+our men are reported to have shot two men of a burying party, so there
+must have been casualties. Still, one is sorry for the burial party.
+Their guns are knocking things about here; big guns, too. Our
+Brigadier, General Lowry Cole, asked me if Mrs. L.C. might write to
+you about comforts for the troops, and I said certainly. If you have
+any gloves or waistcoats, send them along, please. We thought our
+friends had arranged to take away their guns, and for one day we did
+not see them; then they opened again this afternoon. I shall not be
+sorry to get relieved to-morrow, when we march all night and go into
+billets, taking our boots off, which will be a great relief. I have
+caught several local men inhabitants here and sent them off under
+escort, since which time "sniping" has gradually decreased. Well, I
+did not write to you yesterday; was too busy. I am inclined to think
+that Germany has shot her bolt.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _November 21st, 1914._
+
+Very cold, and more snow--I wonder how we can stand it! Fortunately,
+the Germans are equally badly off. I have had a chequered life. Last
+night, after a meagre dinner of tinned beef, I found an officer of the
+Royal Engineers waiting for me, who announced that he and a party of
+men had come to put my wire entanglements into order. Having done
+that, they were to go home. Passing along a deep drain, led by myself,
+we got to the end of a huge mound of earth. Three of my men popped
+over it in the dark, within 100 yards of some Germans who were lying
+down firing at us. Then over went the Sappers, whilst I flew off to
+see that our own men did not fire on them. Back again to my hole in
+the ground to put other things "in train." Up at 11.30 p.m. to repulse
+an attack. That driven off, I rolled up in blankets to shiver until 1
+a.m., when messages began to pour in from everywhere as to all sorts
+of things. Up again at 4, and at 5.30 for good, back to the trenches,
+followed by five officers who are relieving us. This procession was a
+walk with stooping heads, bullets raining in through the loopholes,
+and frantic runs along ditches beside hedges (just like the "shallows"
+at Carlton). I crawled completely doubled up. Suddenly a sniper would
+see some part of me showing, and would then let drive at me. I had to
+duck, and then run like a hare until I got to a bank which gave some
+protection. Needless to say, my coat and riding things are already in
+holes. Please send me another large packet of chocolate; the last was
+much appreciated; also some soup squares.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 23rd, 1914._
+
+We are back again in billets now. Such a business as it was getting
+out of the trenches. Of course, my men could not leave until the
+others were in their places; then they had to change back to their
+roads through the trenches, practically so narrow that they could not
+pass without stepping over each other, and these three miles long.
+Well, the result of all was that, moving off at 4.30 p.m., we
+collected at a road two miles back at 2 in the morning. Just think of
+it! There was snow and 15 degrees of frost, and we were awfully cold.
+We got to our billets about 3 a.m., and the General was in my room at
+5 o'clock to see me. I was very tired after my week's work, but I
+think it was successful. My casualties I am not allowed to state, but
+they were more than I like to count; also, alas! the number of men
+killed in action recently.... Well, following on from that, you will
+quite understand that I had much to think about; funerals, wounded
+men, rations and everything, shivering with cold the whole time. Then
+I had to go into my returns, and I was even asked to make up maps and
+sketches. I believe one of my officers had a bullet through his
+clothes whilst trying to sketch the enemy's position at night. Still,
+we did our work. One particular night, for instance, I had four
+officers--patrols--in the enemy's lines. It cost me one man killed and
+one man wounded, though I heard that Capt. Stevens died too the day
+after he was hit, poor fellow! Colonel Napier[4] was not wrong when he
+said it would be a terrible war, but Germany must surely be very
+nearly at the end of her tether. After all, I must return my boots, as
+the pair sent, though quite large enough in an ordinary way, are much
+too small now that I wear two pairs of socks and do not remove them
+for a week! Did it ever occur to you how difficult it is to feed 1,000
+men in a trench 3 miles long when you can only get in at the ends? It
+took from 5 p.m. to 10 o'clock to get and give them their teas, and
+then from 3 a.m. to half-past six to give them their breakfast and
+their food for the day, whilst all the time the enemy was fighting and
+shooting, and one had to judge to a nicety where to keep everyone
+until the rations were issued, so that in case the Germans should
+suddenly rush us we should have enough to repel them. I wonder where
+you are now--at Rostrevor or at Carlton--and whether I am fated to get
+home before Christmas or not. In any case, best of luck....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 24th, 1914._
+
+Off to the trenches again to-night, and please God we shall not lose
+so many men as before. I had the clergyman up to-day and Holy
+Communion administered for officers and men. Quite a lot of the former
+attended. You remember we were together last at Winchester. What a
+difference between that day and now!... Then, the most stately pile in
+the world; here a little room in a French farmer's house, with the
+table pushed into the corner and a few broken chairs to sit upon. An
+evil-looking bin stands in the corner containing our rations, a pistol
+on the mantelpiece, and some boots at the fireplace drying, which
+latter I hastily removed. However, the service was really just the
+same as at Winchester, excepting that you were not with me. If
+anything happens to me on this expedition, I should like that small
+window looking on our pew, representing the Bishop of York's figure,
+etc., etc., to be filled in to my memory; and, curiously enough, I
+think the Penitent Thief always one of the greatest heroes in the
+Bible; for he must have had enormous faith to believe when he was in
+such a bad way himself.
+
+The snow is fast melting, and, on the whole, it is much warmer than
+yesterday. Well, beyond this I have no news to give you, excepting
+that, of course, though Germany may put up a long fight, yet, in my
+opinion, she is being strained to death to keep herself going, and I
+believe that she cannot last long at this rate.
+
+
+                                           _November 25th, 1914._
+
+Back in the trenches, and very busy indeed, as apparently we intend to
+stay here for some time, and we are doing our best to make them
+habitable for the winter. Our own dug-out, which was 3 feet deep, we
+have deepened to 4 feet, but just at this moment the roof beams of
+Major Baker's half have been carried away, whilst a sniper prevents
+our getting on the top of the roof to shovel off the earth and renew
+the beams. Altogether a cheerful problem. However, like many others we
+shall gradually get this right. I was told that the Germans made a
+great attack in the afternoon two days ago on the Brigade to our
+right, but were beaten back. I have warned all my men to be ready for
+a rush at any time. We made an amusing attack two nights ago with 8
+men and one officer, all of whom were wrapped in sheets to avoid being
+seen in the snow. It took place from one of my trenches. The officer
+got to the German trench, where a man looked into his face. He fired
+his revolver at one yard, and his men following dashed forward and
+fired right and left down the trenches. A great scamper ensued, as you
+may imagine, and then from each German trench burst out a heavy rifle
+fire. Our guns were ready, and immediately opened on them in the
+darkness, and presumably caused the enemy many casualties. I must say
+that I should never be surprised at the war coming to a sudden
+conclusion, or for it to last a very long time; but I fancy that a
+great deal depends upon the result of this battle in Poland. The
+sniping gentleman is tremendously busy at present, but I hope he will
+not catch me on my way to luncheon. I have to go there very shortly.
+You see, I believe they have rifles fixed in clumps, and then they
+fire them by a sentry pulling a trigger. Of course, the shots are
+erratic to a certain extent, but they find out from spies where the
+general line of advance to our trenches is, scour them regularly, and
+now and then bag someone or other. Last night passed quietly enough;
+we had our scrap about one o'clock. I was out, but nothing serious
+happened, I am glad to say. The weather has turned to rain again, and
+the country is losing the snow, whilst the trenches accumulate the
+rain and mud badly. Please God this war will soon be over.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _November 26th, 1914._
+
+I thought I might have had a letter from you this mail; however, it
+has not arrived, worse luck! Last night, while talking with the
+General, a bullet struck near his head, glancing off a brick wall. You
+should have seen him jump! My nerves have grown stronger, as I've had
+a good baptism of them when going about. Our trenches were awful.
+Yesterday I went round them all, and found everything more or less
+right. Only my leggings were absolutely plastered above my knees with
+mud. I think I've hit on a good way, if original, of getting ahead of
+the mud now, by putting my feet into a bag as soon as I come into my
+dug-out. This is then drawn up nearly to my waist, and collects any
+mud that falls off, and saves the place. As one does not walk about
+in it, only crawls, the bag is better than you would have thought! It
+is turning cold again, and I suppose we shall have a bad night of it.
+Yesterday evening we discovered a fast machine gun had been brought up
+against us, so this afternoon I have been amusing myself and one of
+our batteries by shelling it, but with what result I cannot say. Great
+stories of Russian doings on the East of Prussia still come to us.
+About two months more should, I think, give Germany as much as she can
+do, with her few remaining soldiers, and they must run down fast in
+numbers. A man looked into one of my loopholes during the night, and
+told my men that he was an Engineer mending our wire, and the silly
+fellows thoroughly believed him. I am _certain_ he was a German.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _November 27th, 1914._
+
+I received your letter to-day of November 18th, also your mother's of
+the 21st, for which many thanks. Last night I was up at 1 a.m., turned
+out by heavy firing. Fortunately, after a time it died away, as I
+could not get my guns to work! I heard that the Rifle Brigade also
+tried the white sheet manoeuvre with an officer and 8 men lately, but
+they tell me the officer is missing. One of mine has been at the
+enemy's lines during the last two nights; I hope he will be all right.
+We made no fuss, only just lay and watched them, and heard them
+chattering and sitting round little fires in the trenches. A bullet
+came through the ruin which I was in close beside me, but as dozens
+are flying over and around one all the time, it merely attracted my
+attention by the fact that it passed through two brick walls and went
+on its way. This pointed German bullet does strange tricks. For
+instance, one of them yesterday must have struck something, turned at
+right angles, and gone on, killing an old soldier of mine by striking
+him on the left temple, poor fellow! Well, I must close. I expect to
+get out this evening, if alive. By the way, please send me several
+pounds of plum pudding--the richer, the better. We can stand it. Very
+greedy thinking about things to eat, but it takes one's mind off more
+serious affairs. Young McClintock's regiment (the Gordon Highlanders)
+has been sent in alongside myself. I went down to see it, but Stanley
+was not there.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 28th, 1914._
+
+It is very odd, but all your letters have not arrived. We moved out of
+trenches in the dark last night, and as we got well away were feeling
+ourselves safe. "Zip" came a bullet, and hit the ground beside me; it
+seemed rather unfair when one thought one was well out of range. We
+got in here at 8.30 p.m., and, having two cold pheasants sent by Major
+B.'s brother, we supped sumptuously. Please send me some more
+pheasants or partridges cooked as before, and sewn up in sacking. This
+house is a farm much like that one on the road to Newark before you
+reach Muskham Bridge. The owner is evidently a rich man, for
+everything is very nice, electric light laid on, but unfortunately not
+going! We had our rest rudely disturbed by the Germans trying to shell
+us. Whether we were betrayed by people pretending to be refugees or
+not I cannot say, but within an hour of sending two away the shelling
+commenced. Fortunately they missed us, though I heard that a couple of
+officers of another regiment were killed. A possible reason, however,
+which we have since found out is that some heavy guns of our own have
+placed themselves beside us, thus letting us in for all the shells
+that miss the enemy. We are rather irate at it. But to return to our
+house. It has six bedrooms on the first floor, and some attics; the
+rooms are quite middle-class looking, though the furniture in the
+dining-room is of nice walnut. The Germans looted the place and
+smashed the mirrors over the mantelpiece, whilst there is a bullet
+hole through the door. I sincerely hope that something will happen
+shortly to bring home to the German nation what a thing it is to
+invade another country's property. It is quite _pitiful_ to see the
+way everything is knocked about. The china in the house is in the
+pretty French style, the coffee pot particularly neat and nice. It is
+curious sitting here with shells having fallen all round us within 300
+yards, and yet to be so perfectly peaceful. Still, it is war. I said
+to one of my captains: "Where did you bury So-and-So yesterday?" and
+he replied: "Where he was shot, sir. He was a heavy man, and we could
+not take him to the place where we buried the others." So there the
+poor man lies in a ploughed field, and no more trace of him excepting
+that in his humble way he did his duty and gave his life for his
+country. I suppose the evening of November 30th will see us in the
+trenches again. By the way, please tell Miss P---- that I have found
+her handkerchief most useful in the trenches. Nothing smaller would
+have been any good at all. I am trying to get my chestnut horse back,
+and asking the Brigade Major to telegraph for him to the Remount. The
+Government has commenced to issue to the men goatskin coats of white
+and brown or black goats. Where such a goat lives I do not know;
+anyhow, here is his skin! I suspect I shall very soon have one too, if
+the weather gets colder.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 29th, 1914._
+
+You can see by this that your notepaper has duly arrived, for which I
+am much obliged. I was also glad to get your letter, and I am sure
+that you must be very pleased to be back in Rostrevor again. Curious
+how I have been kept away from you for three years, is it not, first
+by my promotion, and then this awful war.... Well, yesterday I think I
+told you that I saw a shell strike close beside one of my companies,
+so I ran and put the men into bomb-proof, or rather splinter-proofs.
+Having seen they were safe, I went on with my work, though it is not
+pleasant doing this sort of thing whilst shells are flying about!
+Anyhow, I started out afterwards to reconnoitre the road to a certain
+town, and passed two men of the Rifle Brigade making a coffin. I asked
+for whom it was intended, and found that this same shell had killed a
+very nice Major, called "Harman," of the Rifle Brigade, whilst another
+man was badly wounded, and a Captain also in the Rifle Brigade. It all
+happened just as far from me as Carlton Village is from the house, or
+a few yards more at farthest. Well, we buried the poor fellow after
+dark. This morning we had service both for our Catholic and Church of
+England men, and after that the General decided to inspect my
+regiment. As he approached, so did the shells, and in a few seconds
+everyone was flying for shelter to ditches and holes in the ground
+like rabbits to their burrows. Having knocked us about with 300-lb.
+shells, they then thought that we should be out of the house, and they
+let loose with shrapnel, which is a great man-killer. I watched the
+first burst coming, and had everyone under cover whilst they rained
+this around. I think they must have been in a bad humour. At all
+events, they wasted L500 worth of ammunition to no purpose. I expect
+they are told by spies which houses we occupy, as they appeared to
+follow us about steadily. It has become much milder, but still cold
+enough when we turn out at five o'clock in the morning. One certainly
+does not eat the bread of idleness in the British Army at present!
+Here comes our solitary lamp, borrowed from the absent farmer, but
+before it arrives we must close the blinds, as the light would
+certainly insure a shelling for us. I am glad you had a good run
+across to Ireland, and that Sydney was a good boy. I wonder how much
+longer we are going to stay here. Rumour has it that the enemy is
+moving back, but I cannot say.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _November 30th, 1914._
+
+We are still in billets and still under a heavy fire; a nasty cold
+rain is falling, and altogether it is very disagreeable, excepting
+that it would be worse in the trenches, as being _more_ cold and wet.
+Well, last night we discovered a pigeon loft in the ruined part of the
+town, and as we have orders to destroy all these birds we put a guard
+on it, and Major B---- and I walked down to the Brigade office and
+asked if we could kill the lot. We found, however, that it was
+supposed to belong to the French Army, so we returned sorrowfully
+home. On our way we had a near shave, for out of the darkness whizzed
+a shrapnel shell. I heard it coming, having very quick ears, and
+shouted "Down!" It was rather amusing to see what happened. The three
+men stood stock still, and gazed like owls solemnly into the dark.
+Major B ... walked rapidly forward in the direction he was then going,
+whilst I gave a flying jump and was face downward in orthodox style in
+a second and into a ditch. The shrapnel landed its contents within 20
+yards of us, but all escaped unhurt, I'm thankful to say. We managed
+to get under cover before the next one came. Such is our life here,
+though we are politely said to be resting! It is fairly raining
+shrapnel 200 yards up the road now, but what I am on the look-out for
+are high-explosives, as they are so much more dangerous to troops
+amongst buildings. The other day, on November 9th, we heard a
+tremendous burst of firing, and in _The Times_ of November 23rd I see
+it is thought that the British guns caught the German reserves forming
+up for an attack on us, and destroyed them in large numbers.
+Certainly, as Colonel Napier says, it is an awful war. However, I
+notice that a lot of German fuses do not explode their shells, which
+makes me think they have not got quite so good a supply of stuff as
+they try to make us believe! I want very much to go out, but, on the
+whole, I think it is safer to stay in at present. Sir John Ross will
+have his work cut out to write the history of the Coldstream Guards
+for this war. My mind is so full at present that I cannot say if I
+shall be able to write ours, even if I come through all right.
+However, I keep an official war diary, which will always help greatly.
+These brutes have now changed from shrapnel to high explosives, which
+are whirling over our heads and bursting in the town about 400 yards
+farther down. I hope they will not drop one short and put it in here,
+which would be good-bye to all of us....
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS OF DECEMBER, 1914.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _December 2nd, 1914._
+
+MY DEAR F----
+
+Am sitting in my dug-out scrawling this by the light of a signaller's
+lamp. I was awake at 4.30 a.m., working hard practically ever since,
+and it is now dark with a beautiful moon rising. I have been very busy
+trying to get ahead of a German trench which they had sapped up to us.
+We arranged to have it stormed by Capt. O'Sullivan and Mr. Graham, but
+as the Royal Engineers could not let me have an officer to put a mine
+in just then, it had to be postponed for one day; and that brings us
+out of our trenches, as we are supposed to go into rest billets
+to-morrow night. Well, I have now settled that a battery of Field
+Artillery is to fire on them at fixed hours during the night, and Mr.
+T---- has been sent down there with his machine gun, so it is quite on
+the cards that we shall have a merry evening! I hear the guns opening
+as I write, and wonder if our friends, who greatly outnumber us, will
+rush us to-night or not. If they knew how very weak we were, I expect
+they would try!
+
+I forgot to tell you that I was ordered to send away a Major, and
+consequently Major Alston had to go to the 2nd Battalion with two
+other officers. During my rounds this morning with the General he
+incautiously exposed himself, and he was instantly fired at, the
+bullet striking between us as we stood about a yard apart. Also, two
+minutes after I had finished shaving early in the day, a bullet came
+through the place breaking the pane of glass. Such is Providence, and
+you see that, so looked after, it is as safe here as in England, if it
+is our Lord's will.... Your Mother sent me a second paper to fill in.
+It is curious to be a Trustee and do such work in the trenches. The
+sniping that is going on now is perfectly deafening.
+
+                                              Yours....
+                                                      G----.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _December 3rd, 1914._
+
+We go out of the trenches to-night, and after marching six miles to
+try and avoid the German shells we shall all put up at a small town
+where for the first time since November 10th we shall not be under
+fire, and when we shall have the opportunity of taking off our boots
+and sleeping without them, also for the first time since we left our
+port of landing on November 7th. The poor Colonel I took this dug-out
+from was killed last week, as I saw by the papers. He was a nice
+sensible man. I shall not be sorry to get out to-night and into bed
+for a change. My sleep yesterday was from 12 midnight to 5 a.m., and I
+was awakened three times to answer messages. No chance of any more
+during the 24 hours before or after. By the way, a story that happened
+quite lately might amuse you. An old Frenchwoman came to a house
+occupied by our cooks, and asked whether she might get some clothes
+out; for all the houses are deserted by the inhabitants. She presented
+a recommendation, obviously written in English by a foreigner. We
+thought her suspicious, detained her, took the permit, and sent her
+away without allowing her in. We cannot arrest her, as the Staff will
+not let us do so. Well, she then came and found out where the
+observation station of the heavy artillery was, and was seen to go
+into the building opposite, take some clothes, and come out, shutting
+the door and fastening the shutters; this marked the house, and she
+had not been gone 20 minutes when four shells landed together and blew
+the place to pieces, just missing the observation post! Of course she
+was a spy for the Germans, who watched from a church some distance off
+through a telescope, and so were shown where the station was. Then the
+guns opened on our cooks, but passed them, knocking down a wall
+alongside. Curious that we are not allowed to intern these people; but
+the French authorities object. Probably many messages are sent to the
+Germans by underground wires.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+_P.S._--The last of this note is rather disjointed, but that is
+because I have been giving a learned dissertation on the best means of
+circumventing a German sap approaching us.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _December 4th, 1914._
+
+We left our trenches yesterday without regret, and retired some six
+miles way to a little country town about the size of Newry, where we
+are quartered, or rather billeted, for a couple of days before we go
+back again to our diggings. The exchange had to be done in the dark,
+and I got the regiment away without casualties, which was better than
+the night we went in, when I lost two men killed. It is strange being
+out of fire for the first time for three weeks, and nobody being
+killed or wounded beside one at present! Also it seems funny to see
+people walking again in the streets, and to hear children's voices,
+instead of only soldiers dodging from house to house whilst these
+latter are falling to pieces about their ears and all around them.
+Your things duly arrived, and are at this moment being distributed to
+the men, and are much appreciated by them, excepting the chest
+protectors, which I suspect they will not wear! I am glad you have
+done so well with the plum-pudding fund for the Regiment. Your
+Mother's offering was _most_ generous, and Aunt E----'s too. We came
+out of the trenches by creeping down ditches, and then assembled at a
+place a mile away in the moonlight, and we stole cautiously along,
+leaving gaps between us, so that if we were shelled we should only
+lose a certain number. Many of the men could hardly stand, their feet
+were so numbed with the cold of the trenches, but we got them safely
+in about 10 p.m., and they are sleeping in all sorts of queer places.
+One lot are in a granary four stories high. There is only one ladder,
+so it will take nearly half an hour to get four hundred men out of the
+building. By-the-bye, you might tell Sir John Ross of a feat done by a
+Russian bullet which I would not have believed possible. The bullet
+struck one of our rifle barrels. Of course the distance was only 400
+yards, but it cut clean through the massive steel barrel as if it had
+been butter! I know that it always takes four feet of earth to stop
+it. I have to go over now to dine with our Divisional Commander,
+General Davis. It seems so odd getting a night off like this. Khaki
+dress, of course. It was not my Brigade which did the bayonet charge;
+when that occurs, you will see the casualty list will be full of
+killed and wounded officers of this Regiment, I am afraid. It was my
+old Battalion, the 2nd R.I.R.
+
+_P.S._--I hear that my old friend Capt. Kennedy was amongst them, and
+died from his wounds. I am so sorry.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _December 5th, 1914._
+
+No letters to-day. Report says that the Germans have blown the railway
+up, but I do not think so. It is much more probable that one of the
+bridges has broken through overwork. As a matter of fact, they did
+blow up some bridges at the beginning of the war, and the French had
+to put in temporary ones, and these are most likely giving way now. It
+is very cold, with hail and sleet. I should think the trenches will be
+worth seeing when we go back to them to-morrow. I only wish the war
+was over, but one has to put up with these things. I see from your
+letter that you are sending us a plum pudding from Rostrevor House. If
+this is so, please thank your aunt for her kindness. It will be well
+received. As to the comforts for the men, those you sent by post have
+arrived, but not all coming through the forwarding officer. In any
+case, they are amply supplied now, and only require things which are
+not given by Government, such as gloves, cigarettes and matches, and
+the two latter they often get from friends. I had a gigantic
+consignment from the York Street Linen Mills in Belfast, and wrote to
+thank the directors. Please send me a cake of Toilet Soap, Pears or
+any sort will do--not too big--if it will go in my soap box. I had a
+pleasant little dinner last night on Ration Beef at the General's. He
+told me, with regard to the shooting of General Delarey in S. Africa,
+that it was now said the Government out there meant to shoot Beyers as
+well, as they were both supposed to be in the swim to raise a
+rebellion, but I cannot believe it. The other guest was Col.
+Wedderburn, who is the Hereditary Standard Bearer of Scotland, and is
+in charge of a Militia Battalion out here. He is a very nice fellow
+too. I am off to try to see General Keir of the 6th Division.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _December 6th, 1914._
+
+I have had the Regiment at church, and now I am dashing off a note to
+you before I change and get into my old clothes. You will be glad to
+hear that Sir John's chamois leather waistcoat fits me quite well. I
+tried it on here, because it is "unhealthy" to stand up in the
+trenches. I went over yesterday and saw Gen. Keir, whom I served under
+in South Africa. He commands a Division in this war, and is another
+old friend of mine, like General Inglefield. The road I took was
+paved with cobble stones in the middle, and on each side was a sea of
+mud, a specimen of what they are like about here, as there is no stone
+in the country, only clay. It was very nice getting out on horseback
+again for ten or twelve miles, even along such a road as that. All the
+French farmhouses have more artistic fronts than ours; smart shutters,
+etc., give them an imposing appearance, but it begins and ends there
+fairly well, I think! The town in which we are is the same as a poor
+part of Belfast might be--a long paved street; mean houses, and shops
+on either side, with dirty little slums running off to the right and
+left. Then here and there you come to a better class of house looking
+rather out of proportion. I suppose these are the remains of the old
+ones, when it was a village occupied by some prosperous doctor or
+tradesman. However, I have not been able to find out if there are any
+gentry in the place. Our hostess is the widow of a French officer, but
+she appears to live in the kitchen! I asked the Mess sergeant whether
+the French people did anything curious in their cooking, and he at
+once said, "Yes; they never eat any meat, only vegetables and pork!"
+Our Divisional General, a Guardsman who is a great stickler for
+everything being quite right, was horrified the other day when
+crossing a bridge to see a Special Reserve sentry of the "Black Watch"
+with his rifle between his knees and his face buried in a bowl of
+soap. Of course, his job was to watch the bridge and to present arms
+to the General. So the latter sternly asked him if he was the sentry,
+and he received the affable reply: "I am; and I am vera cold." History
+does not relate any more! Well, I must give you my best wishes with my
+present for Christmas. It seems a long time off yet, but you know how
+slowly the post goes. I really think I have had no letters from anyone
+since I arrived here excepting yourself.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _December 7th, 1914._
+
+I am sorry to tell you that on the way to the trenches we lost poor
+Captain Allgood, whom you will remember. I had ordered everyone to
+return, wished them good luck, and was waiting to see that they were
+all in whilst the Germans were sniping us, when someone came and
+reported to me that a man had been shot through the shoulder by the
+same bullet which I afterwards heard was believed to have killed Capt.
+Allgood. The stretcher-bearers brought the latter in, and I sent for
+the doctor at once, but he could only pronounce him to be dead also!
+He was shot through the heart, and fell down remarking: "I am hit, but
+I am all right," and never spoke or moved again. He leaves one little
+daughter and his young wife. I did not like taking him out here on
+account of his being married, and now he really has been killed. I
+have just written to his wife, though I have never seen her. Still,
+that is part of a Colonel's business. Poor Capt. Allgood! He looked so
+peaceful lying on the stretcher. We are rather miserable in the
+trenches, as we have to live in a sea of mud. I think it is worse this
+time than ever. I have been busy getting it shovelled out and trying
+to cheer everyone up. Yesterday when we were coming in, the Germans
+started shelling the village we had to go through. I moved round it by
+another road and saved my men, and sent a message to the G.O.C. saying
+that I had been obliged to do this. Last night I received a telegram
+from Sir Henry Rawlinson that the Germans were expected to attack.
+They did not, fortunately, but they are now playing on us with their
+machine guns. So we are very busy! A cheerful life!
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _December 9th, 1914._
+
+Just a line to try and keep up my regular custom of writing to you
+every day whenever I can! A shell descended yesterday in the cottage I
+run across to for my meals. I had just left, but I fancy there were
+still enough people on the spot to be badly frightened. The Guard over
+me from the Lincoln Regiment all fell or were blown down by the
+explosion. Little Mr. Wright also was surprised. However, only Major
+Baker's servant was hurt by a blow from a broken tile which cut his
+chest, and another man was hit by a flying brick. After that I was
+showing the General and other celebrities round the trenches. In one
+place they really had a most amusing time, running down a very muddy
+ditch crouched up double, whilst stray bullets flew about, and the
+shell burst fortunately just 200 yards beyond us. Nasty stuff, too; a
+tree about 50 feet high was caught by the explosion and cut off just
+half way up. We go back to our shell-swept area for 3 days, though
+whether we are much safer there I do not know, but we certainly are
+more comfortable. Here with the rain there has been a steady drip into
+the dug-out, and added to this the trenches have fallen in, and they,
+of course, are ankle deep in mud. Mud is everywhere; on my face, on my
+coat, and up nearly to my waist. I hear that the hostess of our last
+billets turned rusty with the next people, and refused to let them
+into her house, so had to come under the correction of the Provost
+Marshal. I thought she would get into trouble. Your postcard was very
+amusing. I heard from General Macready[5] two days ago. The guns are
+booming away, but the sniping has decreased to-day.
+
+I have to stop for duty now....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _December 10th, 1914._
+
+We marched away from our trenches last night, and no one was hit,
+fortunately. A machine gun opened on us just before we started, and
+gave three bursts of fire, and of course the sniping went on steadily
+as usual. I soon found out that this gun fire was drawn by a foolish
+corporal of the Lincolnshire Regiment, who, in cooking his guards'
+suppers, had a fire with flames four feet high. A few biting words
+relieved my feelings and put the fire down! Still bullets did fly
+around us, over our heads and beside us, while we passed along in the
+black night. Mr. Wright, my Adjutant, saw one strike in a puddle
+between him and myself as we marched at the head of the Regiment. You
+will be interested to know what our 72 hours in the trenches cost us.
+Of course I cannot tell you our casualties for fear this letter should
+be read by the enemy, but if you remember the number of our house in
+Victoria Park, Dover, and General H----'s combined, that was the
+amount of my killed and twice that of my wounded;[6] so you see what a
+business it all is. Please God the Germans will shortly have had
+enough. I used to say that they were losing a quarter of a million men
+every fortnight. Now, however, it has turned out that mine was an
+under-estimate, and that they are really losing 300,000 a fortnight,
+more than I gave them credit for. People thought me over-sanguine, but
+now they say I am rather a good judge. We have just heard the news of
+the naval battle off the Falkland Islands this morning, and we are
+very elated. My idea is that Germany's frantic attacks on the Russians
+and on ourselves here will wear her out faster even than if we
+attacked; and "it will arrive," as the French say, that she will be so
+done that she will have to surrender at discretion, because her
+population will fight no longer. I wonder whether Sir John agrees with
+my views. Personally, I think it surprising that Bavaria has gone on
+as long as she has. I fancy that she will be the first of the German
+Federals to jib. Your letter of the 1st arrived whilst I was writing
+this, also a joint letter from Hal and Blanche; I was so glad to get
+all three. As to clothes, I keep an old suit for the trenches; when I
+get out and have to go anywhere, I turn out quite smartly, excepting
+that my boots and leggings are "dubbed" with grease instead of being
+polished. When my old suit is done, my form will be encased in
+Government khaki garments with my badges of rank transferred, and that
+will keep me going to the end of the war.
+
+I hope you thanked Mrs. Horsborgh[7] for the donation to the Regiment
+on my behalf. It was very little I was able to do for her husband
+beyond burying him, but it was a kind thought of hers. The chamois
+leather waistcoat is the comfort of my life, thanks to Sir John, and
+the idea of another plum pudding from Aunt Blanche is already making
+us feel better. I had my first tub since I came across to-day. I think
+it was a pig-tub, but I had it cleaned out and washed.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _December 11th, 1914._
+
+I received three letters from you yesterday. Two of December 4th, and
+one of the 1st inst. Likewise to-day a cake from Rostrevor House, for
+which many thanks from all of us, not forgetting to thank the cook! We
+wolfed half of it at luncheon, and the remainder is to grace our
+tea-table, when we have asked the two staff officers of the Brigade to
+come. I have just been out on a circuitous route to see my transport,
+which lies about 2-1/2 miles behind the town where I am billeted at
+present, just out of the range of any shells. I took a ride round to
+see how the country lay, riding hard with my heart in my mouth where
+there was any chance of fire, and sauntering along whenever it
+appeared to be safe. As a matter of fact, one hardly knows where to
+expect a shell. Three miles from this battery the other day shrapnel
+burst within 20 yards of me. Ten yards nearer, and I would, humanly
+speaking, have been done. Well, now as to your kind gift of a
+sheepskin coat and gloves, I am afraid I cannot keep them, for there
+are no means of carrying them, unfortunately. As a matter of fact,
+much as I should like them, all these things mean so many pounds extra
+kit. I am only allowed 50 lbs. in weight, so when you have taken into
+account a heavy pair of boots, one's blankets and valise, second coat,
+and riding breeches, there is really no room for more. I have to see
+that everyone does not exceed 35 lbs. (I, being the Colonel, am
+allowed 15 lbs. more kit), but I cannot in honour exceed my weight. I
+keep wondering whether we are likely to move forward shortly. I fancy
+that our German friends are being shaken up by Russia, whilst I am
+sure it is a question of time when Hungary goes for Austria. In great
+haste.
+
+
+                                           _December 12th, 1914._
+
+Last night was a red-letter day, for two plum puddings arrived from
+Rostrevor House, and also the refill for my battery before the old one
+ran out, so I am quite happy as to that point now. I have also written
+to Aunt B----. Many thanks for the figs. Isn't it strange how one
+always becomes a child again when one gets on a campaign and requires
+food of all sorts like a schoolboy, though the Government gives quite
+enough, and good solid food too. I had a parcel from Aunt
+H----yesterday, with one of her usual kind letters; I seized the
+woollen cap for myself, and I am quite sure it is much better for
+sleeping in in the trenches than the muffler you knitted for me, as
+the ends always get entangled in the mud of that rather dreadful
+place. By the way, when you have time, please send me a piece of
+shaving soap. I have stuck to shaving steadily, and propose doing so
+unless you want me to grow a beard! I was very much surprised when,
+after seven days without being able to shave, to see my face come out
+perfectly black all over! I thought I was fair, so apparently my
+moustache is a fraud! Is it not funny?
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 13th, 1914._
+
+We marched out to the trenches with very little firing, and found that
+the whole of them were more or less full of water. While visiting one
+company last night about 5.45 a.m. I had to wade through water just
+below the top of my leggings. What that means by remaining afterwards
+in wet boots I leave you to judge. I managed to get mine changed at 11
+a.m., as I had a dry pair of socks in my holsters, and put my feet
+back into the wet boots. In one place which I have not yet walked
+through, the water is actually up to the waist. One sergeant of the
+Lincoln Regiment was left for us to dig out, as he was hopelessly
+bogged when his regiment had to march away; whilst another man was
+pulled out by main force and left his boots behind him, and after
+walking a mile in bare feet was put into a cart. The enemy have had
+the audacity to open on us with a machine gun, and spent last night
+with it trying to shoot down my principal communication trench, so, as
+I have more or less placed the gun, I am asking the artillery to fire
+on it without delay. A curious way of spending the third Sunday in
+Advent, shivering with cold in a dug-out, with lots of bullets humming
+overhead, but not so many shells just at present. The men and officers
+are having a bad time, but war is never pleasant.
+
+_P.S._--The sequel to the maxim gun fire is that one of my men has
+been knocked down and hit in the leg, in the arm, and back of the
+head. The fact being that he was going for water, and finding the
+ditch very dirty, foolishly jumped out, and was promptly knocked over
+at once. The enemy is now shelling over our heads most cheerfully. One
+wonders when all this will stop....
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 14th, 1914._
+
+Here I am in my dripping dug-out, even more so than usual. The water
+is up to my waist in some places. Things are moving, I think, and
+perhaps our friends the Germans may shortly move also. We have been
+pouring shells on the poor dears all day. This morning I was lucky in
+getting hold of a German helmet. The Divisional General has been
+screaming for one for days, as we wish to find out what troops are in
+front of us. I have had patrols prowling about everywhere at nights
+trying to catch a prisoner. Yesterday morning, for a wonder, we found
+some Germans patrolling outside their trenches, and fired upon them,
+but they got away. This was just at daybreak; but, going very
+carefully over the ground as soon as we could in the dark, we came
+upon a helmet, either dropped in flight, or else one of the men had
+been hit. However, we carried it off in triumph, and so found out for
+the General what he wanted to know. Thanks for your news. As to poor
+Mr. Innes Cross of our regiment, who is missing, I know nothing. The
+other or 2nd Battalion might tell you something. A machine gun has
+been going hard at my trench for some time, off and on....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 15th, 1914._
+
+It was our evening to go off to the town six miles away for the three
+days in every twelve, which we get to steady our nerves, I suppose.
+Unfortunately, some other operations had to be carried out, so we were
+not able to leave, after all, and we are still here, worse luck! I was
+summoned this morning to go up a road to meet the General. I found him
+in a farm, having been obliged to take cover from rifle fire. After
+the business was settled, I saw him off to comparative safety, and
+then trudged back to our trenches, meeting a stretcher with one of our
+men shot through the chest below the heart when he was on the road,
+also on duty. I will say this for the men, that whilst I go off duty
+with my heart in my mouth and hurry through it, they saunter about,
+and no amount of checking will make them understand that it is
+dangerous to idle about in the open. Afterwards they are hit--if not
+seriously wounded. They are very like little children, rather annoyed,
+but in their hearts, I am sure, secretly glad that they have escaped
+from the awful squalor of the trenches to the comparative comfort of a
+wounded man in hospital. It is turning a little colder now, which will
+be really a great improvement over the sloppy weather we have been
+having. My headquarters are being moved from my awful dug-out to a
+house, or rather cottage, where I shall not feel the cold quite so
+much; but I sincerely hope that the enemy will not find out where I
+am, as they will then shell me out of existence! I must close now to
+get ready to move....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 16th, 1914._
+
+As I told you in yesterday's letter, I have moved my headquarters back
+400 yards, so now I am about 700 yards behind the firing line, and
+something like 1,100 yards from the Germans. We are in a house of
+sorts which has mysteriously escaped being destroyed. It is protected
+by a barn more or less ruined, and so the bullets miss it, and also
+the shells, though they burned a building within four yards of us.
+This is the house near by which I saw five shells burst the first day
+I came up here. It was most weird last night as I was lying on the
+floor to hear bullet after bullet strike the wall; one has come
+through the window, but that was unusual. When the native troops were
+in here, they lost three men killed at the front door, but I think we
+have polished off that sniper since then. Sometimes the bullets glance
+off the brickwork with a shower of sparks. It is very unhealthy to go
+out on either side of the farmhouse. I went my rounds yesterday in the
+evening. Such a time I have never had! Imagine going along a trench
+just wide enough for your shoulders; your head up to the original
+level of the ground, and the earth piled up on either side for two or
+three feet; the bottom was soft mud with water well above the knees.
+One sank into this whilst one struggled on, carrying revolver or
+rifle. In my case, revolver strapped on, and holding up my cloak to
+prevent it getting under my feet in my dreadful flounders. Several
+times I nearly stuck for good, but just managed to get through. I
+succeeded in putting on dry things afterwards, but the men, I am sorry
+to say, could not do so. I asked the doctor to go and inspect this
+morning, and see if there was anything he could suggest. He went off
+cheerfully enough, but came back two hours later a dirtier, if a
+wiser, man, and his only remark to me was: "Well, it will not last. No
+men could stand that very long!" I replied that we _must_ do so longer
+than the Germans. The pheasants duly arrived, and we are grateful as
+ever. I have written to your Mother.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+There is a big fight going on to our left about fifteen miles away.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 17th, 1914._
+
+You are safely in Carlton, I trust, by now. I am afraid I wish I was
+there, too, in one sense, though certainly not in another. The war was
+none of our seeking, but it has got to be seen through by anything
+that calls itself a soldier! What I feel is the constant discomfort,
+not to mention the danger; of the latter there is no doubt, and our
+trenches are right to the fore. We had quite enough of it yesterday
+with rifle bullets. To-day they varied the entertainment by putting
+big shells about us, fortunately not on us, so our battery had to
+change its position. Of course, we, the infantry, must hold our
+ground, and cannot move.... Enclosed is the Special Order of the
+Day[8]; perhaps you would like to keep it. I am having a luncheon
+party to-day to eat the pheasants and plum pudding. It consists of
+Col. MacAndrew and one of his officers who have come up the road from
+the headquarters of the Lincoln Regiment, which is on our right. The
+guns are shooting cheerfully again over our heads, but I am feeling
+very fit, having just had a hot tub--the first for some time. Your
+French postcard was returned to me by the stupid post, so I shall try
+and send it to you in an envelope, as you want to keep it for a
+curiosity. Many thanks for the turkey. I do not see why you should
+worry so much to send me things, ... but it is most good of you.
+Thanks for mittens; I think everyone here is now more or less
+supplied; but mine made by you will be much esteemed. I am sorry that
+your cousin, Sir Standish Roche, has gone and that S---- will now be a
+widow. I must close.
+
+I do not think any of us can get away on leave at present, and if we
+could, I hardly like leaving the men in the trenches.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 18th, 1914._
+
+We are at present apparently preparing for some adventure or other!
+One never knows how these affairs will turn out. This is indeed the
+most trying of wars; our life is one of incessant fighting. My
+experience of last night will illustrate the sort of thing that goes
+on. I wanted to go round my trenches, but a party of recruits came in
+just at that time; one was hit on the road half a mile back. He, poor
+fellow! was taken to hospital, and will probably be in England within
+ten days of leaving it. So I saw them away, and started to follow them
+up. I then dived down into a ditch and staggered along, my boots
+covered with foul mud and water, whilst a sniper commenced to try and
+take the trench I was in; enfilade it, they call it. Well, I went
+farther on up the ditch, getting worse and worse into the mire right
+over my knees. The mud actually worked its way through my leggings to
+my skin. I wandered on, heavy sniping hissing over my head or into the
+parapet, covering me with clay occasionally. Of course, everyone who
+lives in these particular trenches has wet feet day and night. Having
+been round and talked to everybody and done my best to cheer them up,
+I met and had a word with Capt. Rodney. He remarked: "Do not stay
+where you are, sir, I beg of you, for my servant was shot and killed
+just on that spot, and another man was wounded by the same bullet." It
+went clean through a book that the unfortunate man was reading. So I
+discreetly toddled, or rather waded, home about midnight. This morning
+one of my men was shot through the lungs, not far from our room, and
+he died at once. This just shows you what a time we go through here,
+always having to keep our eyes open! Poor Capt. Whelan was killed, I
+saw in yesterday's paper. He had been lent to the Royal Irish
+Regiment. Well, good-bye....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 19th, 1914._
+
+This morning your kind present of ginger cake, plum pudding, and
+mittens, also soap, arrived, for all of which many thanks. You will be
+interested to hear what was going on last night, which I did not like
+to tell you at the time I was writing. We had been summoned in the
+morning to receive the General's order for an attack on a trench by
+the Rifle Brigade. The real attack, however, was to be made by someone
+else on quite another part of the line. We were to demonstrate. Well,
+if you ever heard Hell let loose, it was whilst I was writing that
+letter. Probably over fifty guns took part in it, and the firing was
+quite close overhead. It may have been 100 guns really--some very
+heavy ones. Then about 10 miles of trenches were blazing away at the
+Germans, and they were blazing back at us. Bullets were racing through
+our roof, and there I sat in a little room, shivering with cold for we
+could light no fire. I was not allowed to go into my firing line, but
+sat near the two telephones connecting me with the Artillery and with
+my own Regiment. A reinforcement of some Territorials was sent to help
+us. We finished up by capturing the trenches and also some prisoners,
+while the Rifle Brigade then went off to the trench that they visit
+occasionally, and there found a German who had been dead for about a
+fortnight. This was the net result of the little engagement; but it
+was very long drawn out at the time. In the morning, when the troops
+returned, the Germans caught the company moving with shell, and only
+that Major Baker and myself flew for our lives and hurried people
+about, we should have lost a lot. I have seldom used worse language!
+It had its comic side, too, for several of the men got so frightened
+that they fell into a cesspit in trying to take cover, and two were
+knocked over and wounded. It is very nasty having shell whistling over
+your head and bursting all around. At the present moment our batteries
+have opened again, but nothing like the business of last night. Two
+more of my fellows were badly hit at the same time, and I had to send
+a man to give them morphia while awaiting the doctor. Another near
+squeak was a bullet striking beside me from a glancing shot where I
+was standing, as I thought, in absolute safety. I am enclosing you a
+letter from Mrs. Allgood; she is a plucky woman. I had a very nice
+letter from Sir J---- R---- The bombardment of Scarborough was a cruel
+affair. Now the country will have to see it through....
+
+
+[Illustration: The C.O's House at.... 19.12.14]
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+I have made a great effort, as I cannot draw, to produce a Christmas
+card for you; it is the house (?) that the Colonel and I live in! Very
+old, and much knocked about by a shell in part of the roof, and bullet
+holes through it and both the windows, as I have endeavoured to show.
+In times of peace it is a very small public house, 3 rooms and a
+garret in which I live. The Colonel is very well, and seems to enjoy
+plodding knee-deep through the mud in the trenches. The Germans roused
+us this morning by dropping pieces of shell on our little house. We
+have just lunched off a most excellent turkey which you sent; it was
+splendid.
+
+I hope men do not get mud fever like horses; if so, we ought to do
+so!
+
+I trust that the war will have come to an honourable end before many
+months, and that we may all meet again.
+
+With very best wishes for 1915.
+
+                                  Yours very sincerely,
+                                           W. CLINTON BAKER.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 20th, 1914._
+
+I heard that our people of the 2nd Battalion were driven out of the
+trenches by bombs from the Germans, with a loss of 8 officers and 200
+men, but that may be one of the many yarns always spread about this
+sort of show. We have just this moment received a report that an
+attack is expected on us towards 4 p.m. It is now after 3 o'clock, and
+we have had to hurry indeed to get things ready. This morning, after
+our standing to arms, which always takes place at five o'clock, the
+Germans opened on us with heavy and moderate guns. The first shell
+sent the fuse through my roof, the next knocked a brick in at the side
+of the wall, and then I jumped out and started putting the men into
+covered ditches. We had between 50 and 100 shells thrown at us within
+three-quarters of an hour, but fortunately no one was hit. All the
+time, of course, rifle fire went on as usual. Such was our Advent
+Sunday's amusement, and the shelling continued intermittently during
+the whole of the morning. Our trenches are a perfect bog; I shall find
+some difficulty in getting round them to-night even if we are not
+driven out of them. As to the shelling of the East Coast, you should
+see what these places look like after the enemy gets through with
+them, for their guns (howitzers) fire nearly as large shells as
+warships do from their guns. The man who brought the message to me was
+blown off his bicycle as he came along by four shells bursting and
+knocking down two or three houses beside him, two miles to the rear of
+us. Life is too awful for description out here now, and the men feel
+desperate at times. Whether the Germans are equally badly off I do not
+know, but there is little doubt that they must be; still, they are
+such a disciplined nation that it is difficult to see where the first
+break will come, excepting that as Germany consists in reality of
+several nations put together, the smaller ones may think it worth
+while to break off from the Empire and to make terms for themselves.
+My opinion is that Hungary will shortly do this. By the way, what we
+thought was another plum pudding turned out to be your turkey, and it
+was voted the best one we ever tasted! Many thanks for it and the
+pheasants, which also arrived this morning....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 21st, 1914._
+
+Your letter of December 15th, in which you said that you had got back to
+Carlton, arrived last night. I wish I could run across and see you, but
+it will be hard for me to get a fortnight just now like your cousin
+Massereene. You see, he is Cavalry, and attached to the Staff
+Headquarters of the Division; so also is Percy Laurie. Major S.
+McClintock got leave, so I hope mine will come in due course, but even
+then I am not sure I can leave my men. I think I told you in my letter
+last night that we received a frantic message from our Brigadier-General
+to expect an attack at 4 p.m. As a matter of fact, there was less
+fighting than usual, and I lost fewer men. My night's experiences were
+almost humdrum! Leaving my ruin at 9.15 p.m., accompanied by my bugler
+and clad in my old waterproof, I sallied out and ran the gauntlet of
+some snipers from the German lines, then dived into my ditch, floundered
+up it in mud for about a quarter of a mile, perhaps more, secured some
+Engineers I have at last got hold of to improve the place, went on, saw
+Major Wright and Capt. Tee, both as deaf as possible from cold, etc. The
+water was steadily rising in their trenches, and had already flooded
+their dug-out; another one had fallen in, whilst their third was leaking
+badly; so, on the whole, they were not in a good way. Then I struggled
+on through the mud round the trenches, seeing that men were awake, that
+necessary digging was being carried out, that lights were not showing,
+that sentries were posted at proper points, and that officers visited
+them regularly; for all have to keep to their particular business in
+this horrible time. I got back to my ruins about 12.30 a.m., having sent
+a message to the gunners that some of their shells were pleasantly going
+into my trenches in the darkness, and not into the enemy's. By twenty
+minutes to 1 o'clock I had dry boots and garments on, and, wrapping
+myself in blankets, was fast asleep, despite artillery fire and infantry
+fighting on my right. I awoke at 3 o'clock, went round again, saw
+everything was right, then to sleep once more until 5.15 a.m., when I
+was up for good. It is a hard life. To-night we take two companies back
+to just outside rifle fire, the first time for ten days, though well
+within shell fire. We have only been out of that for three days since we
+came into trenches on November 15th. I have had various family letters
+which I hope to answer in time. Heard, or rather Major B---- did, from
+Lord Grenfell. I had sent him some message. He says that he thinks the
+Turks will not invade Egypt; but the great question in Russia which
+alone prevents this nation from crushing the German Army at once is the
+single line of railway that brings up their ammunition. Very
+unfortunate; for it will take us a little longer to beat these people.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _December 22nd, 1914._
+
+Your cake duly arrived. As, however, Major Baker also received one, we
+decided to eat his first, so mine is safely in its box, having escaped
+manifold dangers! Really one does have a complicated life of it at the
+front! To-day all my work was before me ready to do, when we received
+a frightened order to fall in at once, and did so. We were three hours
+at that game, and have not left the billets since. Various sorts of
+rumours reached us, the two most probable ones being that there were
+6,000 Germans drawn up about two miles behind their lines, and the
+other that there was a fierce fight proceeding to the right of us.
+What those fights result in is the loss of anything up to 350 men and
+14 or 15 officers, and we probably inflict twice that damage on the
+enemy. Well, this afternoon we have been covered with six-inch shells.
+Fortunately none have hit the house; but it is a constant strain.
+Yesterday we left our ruin and went back to these billets in the dark.
+We had to form up at certain cross roads, as a fight was raging, and I
+was afraid of spent bullets; I moved my men, who were waiting, under a
+house. No doubt they thought me rather a "funk," but appreciated my
+forethought when a few moments later two companies of another regiment
+were caught in the fire; one man had his head grazed, and another was
+hit through the back, narrowly missing his heart. Luckily, my doctor
+was with me, so that I was able to look after both of them at once. I
+saw in _The Times_ that Austria had already been sounding Russia as to
+peace terms, but that she considered the terms proposed by Russia too
+hard. Of course she must make her choice, but she forgets that Hungary
+has nothing to lose by Russia's proposals and everything to gain, not
+only Peace. Russia's suggestion that Austria should make all her
+states, including Bohemia, into Federal States--viz., give them Home
+Rule--is exactly what Hungary wants, for she will then be head state
+of the Empire; not number two, as she is at present. Nothing would
+please her more than to see Austria broken up into a number of little
+States and Hungary ruling the roost. Well, these are my political
+remarks! It is a great blessing getting out of rifle fire, even for a
+minute. The constant strike of the bullets whirling round, or its
+scream as it ricochets over one's head, is very trying. I suppose
+there never has been a war in which one has required such staying
+power, excepting perhaps the Crimean expedition. It is late, so I must
+wish you good-bye.
+
+Please send me more envelopes and writing paper.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _Christmas Eve, 1914._
+
+I did not write to you yesterday, being extra busy. In the morning I
+had gone over on regimental business to see the Divisional Staff, and
+then on to inspect my transport, some miles back, out of shell fire.
+The unfortunate men are not so lucky as the horses, you see! Well,
+then I returned to luncheon with my General. Major B---- was with me,
+and we met there some officers of the Naval Brigade who defended
+Antwerp--or, rather, did not arrive in time to do so. Afterwards I
+hurried to my billet and hastily packed up all my kit, and marched the
+regiment down to the trenches. We had a new place to go to, somewhere
+nearer to the danger point of the line, I fancy. Well, one or two
+bullets came a bit too close as we were marching, and I was very
+thankful to get under cover. I am now in the ruins of a house. A shell
+had penetrated through it, but we stuffed up the hole with a bag of
+straw. The shattered windows are covered with boards in front; then we
+piled up bricks and nailed other boards behind. Between us and the
+enemy is a burnt-out house, which rings with the smack of the enemy's
+bullets as they hurtle against the wall or against the tiles. Opposite
+that, again, are our trenches, 400 yards away, and practically 400
+yards from us also is the enemy's trench, as the line takes a bend
+there. I lie at nights ready armed, for one never knows what a minute
+may bring forth! I have told my people not to fire on Christmas Day if
+the enemy does not do so, but to trust him--_not at all!_ So here I am
+spending Christmas Eve in the trenches--like my father did exactly 60
+years ago in the Crimea.[9] Only I think I am a good bit more
+comfortable than he was at that time. I used to be up at cockcrow
+when a small child on Christmas Day, to see what Santa Claus had
+brought me, and I shall be up early enough to-morrow in all conscience
+too, but for a different reason--standing to arms--so that I shall not
+get my throat cut. The news of troubles in Berlin looks encouraging.
+However, one must not build too much on that, but I have great hopes
+of Hungary and Austria coming out of the war. To-day I have been round
+my new trenches; only half of them are new, though, and, as usual, are
+swimming in liquid mud. One of the men there had to be carried away
+with his eye knocked out by a bullet which had come through the
+parapet. Again my casualties for killed and wounded you can find by
+multiplying the number of your uncle's house in Dublin by three, and
+then subtracting ten from the total. [This number would be 98.] I
+suppose our sick are more than twice that amount. Best of love to you
+for Christmas. Whilst you are in church I shall be in the trenches,
+but both doing our rightful duty, I trust.
+
+                                            Yours ever,
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+As to school for Hal, you have done quite rightly. Mrs. Napier has a
+pet school for boys, kept by a cousin of hers, I fancy, that ought to
+be a fairly useful one.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+
+
+"CHRISTMAS IN THE CRIMEA.
+
+"HOW IT WAS CELEBRATED NEAR BALACLAVA IN 1854.
+
+"BY LIEUT.-GENERAL LAURIE, C.B., M.P.
+
+
+"In some of his Christmas annuals Charles Dickens delighted to portray
+the misanthropic grumbler who hated to see others enjoy themselves,
+and always laid himself out to be especially miserable at Christmas
+time, exaggerating the effects of the season by assuming a frozen
+aspect, and like an iceberg, chilling all around him; yet as the same
+iceberg when swept into the Gulf Stream finds the surrounding air and
+water by which it is enveloped will not admit its retaining its frigid
+isolation, it gradually melts and mixes with the warmer current, so
+Dickens brought his surly and crabbed man in contact with those who
+had set themselves to see everything under its brightest aspect, and
+under these softening influences he gradually thaws out and becomes
+the merriest amongst the merry, carried away by the joyous influences
+that are associated with the keeping of Christmas. And in all
+English-speaking countries, and especially in our old home, England,
+it is looked upon as a season to be given up entirely to pleasure in
+the present and bright hopes for the future. Memory takes me back to a
+Christmas which hardly came up to the ideal, and the contrast of then
+and now, of trials and miseries endured then, as compared with present
+comforts, may make us more satisfied with, and thankful for what we
+now enjoy. Twenty-nine years ago England had contributed as her share
+of the Crimean invading force over 35,000 men, of whom a scanty 8,000
+were on Christmas Day, 1854, available for duty; many of the remainder
+had helped to fill the huge trenches hastily dug for graves on the
+fields of Alma and Inkerman, or slept below the innumerable little
+mounds which surrounded our camp hospitals, and inside the canvas
+walls of these the number of sick exceeded the total of those who
+still stood in the ranks, although none were received into hospital as
+long as they were able to carry themselves and their rifles. During
+the greater part of December we had been reduced to half rations, and
+sometimes to no meat at all; half a pound of biscuit; one blanket, and
+threadbare suit of uniform contributed but small support and
+protection to meet a climate not unlike that of Nova Scotia. And we
+were entirely without fuel, other than the roots of small alder
+bushes, which were grubbed up with pickaxes carried off from the
+trenches, and sometimes the pickaxe handles were used to warm a
+canteen of water for tea. But soon these became so scarce that we were
+without a single fire in the camp of my regiment for three days. In
+spite of all, however, Christmas was at hand, and we all set ourselves
+to be jolly. Even the celebrated Mark Tapley would have considered the
+circumstances were fairly creditable. The authorities also considered
+it incumbent on them to make an extra effort, and it was announced
+with great pride that the commissariat had secured some live cattle in
+honour of the season, and we were to receive an issue of fresh meat.
+But this was the extent of their ambition, and their pride met with a
+fall, for, after waiting till after three o'clock, our pioneers, who
+drew the rations, returned with the melancholy intelligence that there
+was nothing for us that day. 'The Zouaves,' so said the commissariat
+officers, 'had stolen the bullocks.' It is often mentioned as one of
+the advantages of live cattle as food for an army that they require no
+transport, but carry themselves. But we learnt that there is another
+side to this quality--they sometimes carry themselves away, as they
+did on this occasion. Whether our gallant allies really ate our dinner
+as well as their own that Christmas Day I know not, but African
+warfare had taught them to take care of No. 1, and they formed a
+convenient and not unlikely peg on which to hang the deficiency; and
+deficiency there was, for our supply department, relying upon their
+fresh meat, had not brought up any salt meat from Balaclava, and we
+were left with only our ration biscuit for our Christmas dinner. Just
+as we received this pleasant intelligence the orderly sergeant handed
+me the order book warning me I was for guard duty in the trenches that
+night. Our regiment, which had gone out from Edinburgh in the spring
+over 1,000 strong, and had received a reinforcement of nearly 100 men,
+was at this time reduced to 68 men available for duty. So but one
+captain and one lieutenant (myself) were detailed to take charge of
+this poor remnant of what had been, three months before, a magnificent
+battalion. Captain Patrick Robertson, well known to Haligonians as
+Colonel Robertson-Ross, Adjutant-General of Canadian Militia, was to
+be my companion. A new colonel had just been sent to us from a West
+Indian regiment, who took as much interest in his new command as if he
+had served all his life with us, and employed his chargers and his
+grooms to transport any possible comforts for his men. Six months
+afterwards he was struck down when directing the fire of his men on
+the Russian gunners to keep down their fire and cover our attack on
+the Redan. By chance he heard us warned for guard, and at once went to
+his tent and returned with a ham knuckle. 'It is all I have,' he said,
+'but those going on duty must have the first chance of some food on
+Christmas Day. Sit down on your rug and make the best of it.' He was
+in earnest, so we ate up his dinner and polished the ham bone; but I
+had determined to keep Christmas as an Englishman should with a real
+plum pudding. I had collected the ingredients in the course of a
+couple of trips among the Maltese and Greek settlers at Balaclava and
+from the stewards of some of the transports; a few raisins, a little
+sugar, some butter (so called by courtesy); and of course my ration
+rum came into play. I could not get any flour, so purchased some
+biscuit at Balaclava. It was mouldy and full of weevils, and had been
+condemned as ship's stores and sold to some camp followers, but to us
+at half a crown a pound it was a treasure. I pounded a quantity of
+this as fine as possible, and mixed the material in my tin shako
+case, which did duty as bucket, etc., and tied them up in one of my
+two towels, and, having secured a tent bag full of freshly dug alder
+roots, the pudding was put on to boil. As we were going on guard,
+dinner was early, perhaps too early for the pudding. We had no holly,
+and could not spare spirits enough to make a blaze, but my servant
+brought in the pudding quite as triumphantly as if we had been in
+baronial mansion in old England. It was reserved for me to open the
+towel, which I did with no little pride at having the only plum
+pudding in camp. I had buttered the towel so that it should not stick
+to it; it did not, but it did not stick together either. It would not
+stand up, but fell apart like very stiff porridge. I believe it wasn't
+bad to eat, but it wasn't exactly what we understand to be plum
+pudding. My vanity was cruelly mortified after all my efforts to
+excel. I have never attempted to make another plum pudding. The
+Russians were considerate that night. They gave us very little
+annoyance, and Robertson and I walked up and down in rear of the
+trenches where our weary and worn-out men were lying quiet, getting a
+welcome rest in a half-wet, half-frozen ditch. We talked of home and
+how we had spent other Christmases, but I do not think we either
+expressed or held any other thought for the future than when we should
+bring our discomforts to an end and wind up the siege by a determined
+attack on Sebastopol. Little we expected that after long separation
+our paths would again come together in America, serving the Canadian
+Government in the organization of its militia. And amongst the sad
+memories which intertwine with the pleasures of this present Christmas
+is that of my poor comrade, a brilliant out-post officer and a gallant
+man, who, after facing every form of danger as a soldier should, died
+a few months since from violent seasickness, brought on in crossing
+the English Channel. Memory conjures up the past at this season.
+Friends who have left us are present in spirit. We associate the past
+with the present more at Christmas than at any other time of year. It
+colours our thoughts and influences our acts unknown to us, and brings
+out kindly feelings and hope, as much in 1883 as my reminiscences show
+it did in 1854."
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL LAURIE AND HIS THREE SONS IN 1901.]
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _Christmas Day, 1914._
+
+Here we are, on Christmas Day! We have had a curious time of it. Last
+night, about eleven o'clock, the enemy (100 yards only from us) put
+lanterns up on the parapet and called out: "Do not shoot after twelve
+o'clock, and we will not do so either." One of our men ventured
+across; he was not fired upon, and was given a cigar and told to go
+back. A German officer came out next, and asked for two days' truce
+from firing, but we said, "Only one day." Then we saw both sides,
+English and German, begin to swarm out to meet each other; we thought
+it wiser to keep our men in, because we did not trust the Germans, so
+I rang up the General to tell him this. We had to station sentries on
+the trenches to keep the men back; they were so eager to talk to the
+Germans. Then I offered to go across myself and learn what I could,
+and finally the German General asked me to send one of our officers
+over to them. This I did, and gave the latter as an ostensible reason
+the _Daily Telegraph_ of December 22nd, which I had got hold of, and
+which contained a very fair account of the troubles in Austria-Hungary
+and Berlin. He went out with this paper, met some German officers, and
+discovered a certain amount. They were very anxious to know if the
+Canadian Division had arrived, whether our trenches were very muddy,
+and told him that our rifle fire was good. We said that our rifle fire
+in general was our weak point, etc., etc. So now this is the queer
+position of affairs: we fire a pistol shot off at 12 midnight to-night
+by arrangement, and they reply with some shots over our heads, after
+which things continue to hum as before. You have no idea how pleasant
+everything seems with no rifle bullets or shells flying about. I need
+hardly tell you that we have kept our men ready in the trenches all
+the same, as we do not trust our friends further than we can see them.
+As to other matters. (1) The pheasants and the partridges arrived in
+time, and we lunched off them sumptuously to-day; many thanks. (2) The
+chocolate arrived, and was distributed this afternoon to the men. (3)
+I enclose three Christmas cards. They are very hard to get, and you
+had better keep them as mementoes of this war. I am sending one to my
+Mother. (4) Only 500 lbs. of plum pudding arrived for our men this
+afternoon. If more does not turn up to-morrow, I will write to the
+A.D.C. of General Rawlinson to find out what has happened to the
+remainder. Whilst we are peaceable, the guns are booming out now and
+then some miles away on our left and right where the French are
+fighting. I suppose we all thought from the Germans' behaviour that
+they had something up their sleeves and are looking out for squalls.
+They said that their army was in Moscow, and that the Russians were
+beaten, and, moreover, that the war would be over in two, or at most
+three weeks, so we are expecting a push....
+
+
+                                          STILL IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 26th, 1914._
+
+Your letters came last night. Many thanks for sending mincepies, which
+have not yet appeared, but which will have justice done to them when
+they do turn up. As to your large bales of clothing, I believe they
+have arrived. I must say "believe" because my duties are so many that
+I have had to tell off one of my officers to look after these affairs;
+he then reports their arrival to me, bringing in the card enclosed in
+the bundle, etc. Sometimes they do not all come in one body, but
+perhaps one bundle to-day and another two days later. I think,
+however, that practically the whole five have now arrived. There are
+so many things that we are actually storing, some in a hired building
+behind the lines, for the men can neither wear nor carry them. I hear
+that poor Mr. Aitchison has lost his son; he was in the fourth King's
+Own, my father's as well as my brother H.'s old corps. The Kaiser has
+come to this part of the world, it is said, so I expect we shall hear
+of some strong fighting soon. Our "friends" fired one shot at 12
+midnight as arranged, but have been quiet ever since. Perhaps they are
+tired of the war, and want to get home. I expect you are very busy
+about Christmas things. Do not overtire yourself. How very kind of my
+Mother to send L25 to our Funds! I must write and thank her. In the
+meantime, we do not really require anything; will let you know when we
+do. I am told that all regiments are much the same. Matches are an
+exception, and are always welcome, but they must be _safety_ ones to
+go through the post. Frost this morning, though nothing very cold as
+yet; still the sheepskin will probably be most useful if I can wear
+and carry it, but it has its difficulties. Thank the children for
+their cards, please....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _December 27th, 1914._
+
+Our strange sort of armistice continued throughout yesterday. The
+Germans told us they were all Landwehr men, and therefore not obliged
+to fight outside Germany except as volunteers, and that they did not
+intend to fight at present. Sure enough, though we shelled them and
+fired at them with rifles, they paid not the slightest attention.
+Whilst the shelling was on, they dodged down in their trenches, and
+popped up again when it was over. We hit one with a rifle, but as they
+would not reply, we felt rather mean and fired over their heads. The
+relieving regiment [Lincolnshire], of which Mr. Brown of South
+Collingham is a member, said they would not go on like this. Curiously
+enough, they have done so. Leaving our trenches, we marched away
+gaily, getting in here about eight o'clock, or a little later. Had
+something to eat; then I crawled between my blankets, having, as
+usual, been up just before 5 o'clock the previous night. At 10.30 p.m.
+we were waked by a message: "The Germans are attacking at midnight. A
+deserter has just come in to say so." Out we turned immediately, and
+marched in very cold weather to a certain point. There we halted; our
+guns had already opened a dreadful fire on the ground where the enemy
+must have been assembling his assaulting columns. Apparently this took
+the heart out of him, for the attack did not come off. I very much
+thought that this night would probably be my last. However, about 2.30
+a.m. we decided to put the men into any ruins near us, and after
+stopping for some time in a blacksmith's shop seated on a sheaf of
+straw, I managed to get into a room with a concrete floor, and went to
+sleep there, having borrowed a sort of thin wrap from a Frenchman and
+put a sack over my feet to keep them from freezing. About 6.15 a.m.
+the Frenchman gave us some warm milk, and I was able to give him in
+return some of your excellent chocolate, whilst we also partook of it
+too. By 8 o'clock we were back in our billets. I had luncheon with my
+own General (Brigadier-General Lowry Cole). I hear that the enemy are
+walking about again on their parapets--refusing to fight. Church this
+morning in the unruined chapel of a small convent which has escaped
+the attention of the Huns! Apparently the people do not mind our using
+it. The central light of the east window represents a figure of the
+Blessed Virgin Mary, but a lot of my Presbyterians come all the
+same....
+
+
+                                             _Later on 27.12.14._
+
+I am still in my hole in the earth. Very horrid. Have not washed nor
+shaved for two days, and am covered with mud from head to foot in
+thick layers. If I raise my head to stand up straight, a bullet skips
+about my ears. I went round my trenches last night from 7 p.m. till
+12.5 a.m. Such a walk! For some four hours I was travelling as hard as
+I could in the mud, slipping down in filthy ditches, entering in
+narrow cuttings in the earth made to protect one from sniping, and
+called concentration trenches. Still, we got round and held the line
+afterwards, despite the miseries of the situation. Sometimes I had to
+crawl on hands and knees through tiny places. I fancy that a pig is a
+happier creature than I am at present! When I arrived home at my
+particular burrow, I found a bundle of correspondence waiting for me
+to be answered to the Brigadier, so that had to be done in my ruin.
+Was up at 4.30 a.m. to try to see about the men's food and teas for
+the coming day, and filling of water-bottles, all of which has to be
+accomplished in the dark. I have had a very trying time working night
+and day lately. No sleep the day before, and none excepting three
+hours last night. This makes 72 hours up to 5 o'clock to-day, with
+only three hours' rest. As I sit here I can hear the shells booming
+near us, and very heavy fighting on the left, whilst a solitary sniper
+keeps pouring bullets over my head, hitting all round the houses some
+four hundred yards behind me. I ask no questions, but think that we
+cannot possibly be relieved under four more days, and that we shall be
+very, very dirty at the end!
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _December 28th, 1914._
+
+Two private plum puddings arrived last night; many thanks. I turned in
+at 8.30 p.m., and slept peacefully and heavily till 7.30 a.m., and
+would have slept longer, only an orderly from the Brigade Office woke
+me with his gentle tread on carpetless boards! I had one other
+interval during the night listening to our guns all blazing away
+together for quite a long time. Presumably they are trying to catch
+the Germans forming up somewhere for an attack. You ought to be near a
+six-inch shell when it bursts to hear the sort of "scruntling" wrench
+that it gives as it breaks up the tough outer steel. To-day I have
+been arranging to have my men and their clothes washed, for such
+things have to go on in war as well as in peace time, only I am
+obliged to have the clothes fumigated as well now. My own hair has not
+been cut since I left Winchester, but I will try to see to that this
+afternoon! The weather has broken from frost into a heavy drizzle,
+which ought to make the trenches a sight, with the mud that is in them
+already, when we go back. I have written to my Mother thanking her for
+her generous gift to the Regiment. I fear she is alarmed at my being
+out here.... I am going for a walk this afternoon to try to get some
+life into my toes; they have been quite dead since we went into the
+trenches for the first time. Probably they are really all right,
+though I cannot feel anything as yet in them. Gen. Davis tells me
+that we are shooting away at the enemy to-day, but still they will not
+fight. Our last hostess was the daughter of a gamekeeper; that was
+where we had some milk yesterday morning. She said that her father
+escaped the Germans by jumping on a horse and riding 20 miles. I think
+I could have walked that distance easily for the same reason. Col.
+Napier told me that his boy Charlie was captured by the Germans at
+school at Hanover, "which," he added, "doesn't make me love my enemies
+any more."...
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _December 29th, 1914._
+
+We are off to-night for the trenches again. I hear that the Germans
+spent their time shelling our particular ones. It is to be hoped that
+they have used up their ammunition for the present, as I believe they
+are rather short. Such a night as it was; blowing a raging gale; but
+one gets very selfish, and we only remarked: "What an awful night in
+the trenches! Please God the Germans do not attack! Thank God we are
+not in them to-night!" and that was all. I wonder how long this war
+will go on. It never seems to come to an end, does it? I walked
+yesterday afternoon to a small town beyond shell fire and had my hair
+cut at last. I also had tea with a Capt. Sherlock, whose wife, I
+think, was a friend of yours, one of Sir Francis Cruise's daughters,
+"Gussie." I heard from Major Alston, of the 2nd Bat., how Capt. Whelan
+was killed. He showed great courage, and stood up on a parapet to
+demonstrate to his men where he wanted some digging done, only 250
+yds. from the Germans. Of course he was seen at once, and was hit in
+the lungs. Major A---- also said that he was commanding that
+Battalion, and it was full of strange officers, but I expect they are
+doing all right. I fancy our German friends are finding the war longer
+than they thought. A curious coincidence is that we are opposed to the
+25th German Infantry Brigade, that, of course, being our own number.
+So far we have not received Princess Mary's boxes. We shall get them
+in time, and I shall let you know later on about the plum puddings
+when I hear from the A.D.C. I did not get a letter from you last
+night, no doubt owing to Christmas Day and delayed posts....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _December 30th, 1914._
+
+Just returned to my ruin from my trenches. They are up nearly to the
+waist in water, with little islands here and there for the men. I am
+absolutely trembling with cold, though I have changed my garments.
+Whilst I was there poor Capt. Miles, attached to me, was shot through
+the head. Being close by, I waded to him, but it was hopeless from the
+first. Such a place to die in!--but Heaven will be Heaven after that.
+His poor wife, too. I must write to her. He was a very nice man. I had
+plenty of morphia given to him, and he is now dying without any pain
+quite peacefully. Coming away from him, the German snipers spotted me,
+and twice I was covered with mud from their bullets; a near shave! It
+is a good thing to be able to look forward to Heaven as a home. I only
+wish I could realize it even more than I do. I will write you again as
+soon as we get into billets when I can find my valise. I think at
+Carlton you are fairly safe from air raids....
+
+_P.S._--Mincepies tried to-day are excellent. I have heard from Capt.
+Boscawen about the plum pudding. It seems that a portion had to go to
+other regiments of the Brigade, but I should like you to send over
+some more for my Regiment only as soon as you can conveniently order
+it. Princess Mary's present has arrived, and I have sent it across to
+you for safe custody. The keeper might like the pipe and tobacco. I am
+sure you will appreciate the brass box as a memento, for we have both
+won it very hardly.... I have just been to see poor Capt. Miles
+carried out on a stretcher dead. I wonder how much of this war and the
+deaths caused by it will rest on the Kaiser's shoulders. I must now
+write a further letter to go to his wife. He was a talented man, and
+used to write for papers. When the war broke out he was running a
+cinematograph film-collecting expedition in German East Africa, and
+just managed to get away. Poor fellow!
+
+                                            G.B.L. 30.12.14.
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS OF JANUARY, 1915.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                             _January 2nd, 1915._
+
+MY DEAR F----
+
+I am not asking you to do anything to-day for me, as I hope to come in
+person, leaving here on Monday morning. The hour of my arrival at
+Carlton depends on whether I can get through quickly or not, and
+whether the Kaiser tries to sink the Boulogne to Folkestone boat.
+Knowing his peculiarities, I think he would probably wait until he
+found an emigrant ship well laden with women and children. What brutes
+the Germans have proved themselves! After heavy rain, the day has
+turned out bright and cold. The ditches are nearly full of water,
+which means that all communication trenches will be worse than ever,
+and Heaven knows they are bad enough already! Yes, I sent some of my
+private affairs to Carlton to await my return after this war, when I
+can attend to them, if I really do come back.... There are moments I
+wonder if anyone will!... _The Times_ of December 28th gave the names
+of 45 officers killed and 66 wounded between December 21st and 24th.
+We were fighting fairly hard all the while, but still, if we are as
+one to nine of the French, this shows that our combined losses would
+be roughly 1,100 officers for four days, before you come to the men.
+How matters stand with the Germans can only be conjectured. We learnt
+from a prisoner the other day that we had inflicted such terrible
+losses that they had been obliged to change their hour of relieving
+trenches. As a matter of fact, it had not occurred to us that we had
+given them any losses at all to speak of at those particular times.
+Anyhow, if Germany is losing as it is said she is in proportion of
+three to one of our men, the war cannot continue indefinitely. I hear
+the fight on my right and on my left at Ypres and La Bassee, both
+places being hard fought for by the opposing sides, and the row is
+sometimes deafening. As to your inquiries about Major Abadie, there is
+nothing to be said. If alive, he ought to have been heard of before
+now. Probably the poor fellow is dead, and was buried by the Germans
+or by the Belgian peasants, and no one will ever know what has become
+of him. A lot of Christmas cards have been sent to me ... but of
+course I cannot carry them about ... I am afraid mine is very much a
+soldier's faith. It seems to me one's duty is placed in front of one
+by Providence, and that if one carries it out faithfully and honestly,
+whate'er befalls, it is well, ... and this, I am sure, is the creed of
+all good soldiers. The shelling is making the house shake, but nothing
+very serious, I think, at present.
+
+Yours....
+G----.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                             _January 3rd, 1915._
+
+Just across the farmyard under my windows is the barn where my
+Catholic men are having High Mass, and where in half an hour, if
+alive, we shall have our service too. There was a good precedent for
+stables, I believe, 1915 years ago, so we do not view it as
+incongruous, but I understand that High Mass is unusual, and no doubt
+a great honour to the Regiment. I hear that our leave does not come
+off till January 6th. That puts me into the trenches to-morrow night
+again, for a short time. Last night, about 10.30 o'clock, I was
+snuggled in my blankets, not very well, for ice-cold water has a way
+of making you feel it after you are forty-four! However, I was
+awakened by a tremendous bombardment, all our guns going around us. It
+broke out twice again: I knew then what it was by putting two and two
+together. We had found out from a prisoner that the Germans were
+changing their trench troops about that time, and if we managed to
+catch them, we must have done them much harm. Rode over to inspect my
+transport yesterday. Incidentally, Major Baker and I bought 1-1/2 doz.
+eggs at four for a franc. Famine price, of course, but I have only
+seen two since I came over here! As to the discomfort of this work, it
+is not very pleasant, but I do not trouble greatly about it. As an
+unmarried man, I should not mind the danger either very much, having
+had a certain amount of experience in Egypt and South Africa, but as a
+married man, I hate it, because I think it would probably make a great
+difference to our young people when they grow up if I get killed.
+Sybil R---- wrote to me yesterday. You know I am her trustee. As to
+matches, etc., for the troops, keep all waiting now till I get over,
+and then it will be easy to help you about these things. Well, I must
+stop to go to church, and there is a good deal also for me to see to
+afterwards....
+
+
+                                             _January 4th, 1915._
+
+No letter from you last night. So far, no further news of my leave
+either, but I believe it is due on January 6th all right. Slight
+rheumatism, that is only to be expected. It has been raining hard, and
+we are off to the trenches to-night, and I should think they will be
+worth seeing. It is said that the ground our trenches now occupy will
+soon be turned into a lake, and we shall have to go boating there. I
+warned the General the other day in fun that he would require boats
+ere long to bring up our rations, and it is really coming true! Such a
+cold, bleak day as it is! I am going over to the Cashier to try to get
+some money to bring me home; this is the only way one has of obtaining
+funds in this part of the world. Sad thing about that man-of-war being
+sunk. What beasts the Germans are with their mines, to be sure! Up to
+now the lambskin coat has not yet appeared, but I received a note
+saying that it was sent off on December 30th, so it ought to turn up
+some time or other, and then one can see. I suppose, if I get through
+this war, it would always come in as a lining for a motoring coat.
+Well, I must close this epistle and dash off, as I have to see to many
+other things before luncheon. We march to the trenches this afternoon.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+I shall telegraph from Folkestone, if I can; probably I shall come by
+the 8.30 p.m. train on the 6th, but I am only guessing. It may be
+January 7th.
+
+[_Note._--An interval occurs from the date of this letter, when
+Colonel Laurie obtained ten days' leave and returned to England.]
+
+
+                                          IN TRENCHES AGAIN.
+                                            _January 13th, 1915._
+
+MY DEAR F----
+
+After leaving C.-on-T. I met Mrs. Foley in London, and gave her a note
+to post to you. As you know, I spent the night at 24, Harrington
+Gardens. I was up at 6 a.m., and Aunt M---- (Mrs. Cowell) had a lovely
+breakfast for me. I was away by 7.30, catching my train all right at
+Victoria. It was run in two parts. We had a rough crossing to
+Boulogne, but I was not ill. We reached railhead at 8 p.m., and I then
+mounted my horse and rode along the quiet country road in the dark.
+The others travelled in wagons; I preferred riding to driving in
+farm-carts. On arriving at my transport lines, I changed and came on
+here, getting in about 12.30 a.m. My people had left their house,
+having had a shell in the room we lived in, which had blown it even
+more to bits than before. I went to our new abode, and then on to the
+trenches to see how everything was doing, and got wet half way to the
+knees in the driest parts; but I am glad to say they are steadily
+improving things for us Regimental officers. I was in bed between 2
+and 3 a.m., rose again at 3.30, and finally, of course, just about 5
+a.m. for good. My feet were rather numbed after the cold water, as we
+had to break the ice at every step. This morning the Frenchwoman
+visited us. Each time she comes we are shelled, and Major Baker is
+sure that she is a spy. To-day was no exception; we were well slated,
+and two shrapnel hit the roof. Fortunately the firing has now stopped.
+These Germans are malicious brutes, and would be glad to do one an
+injury. Mincepies arrived the worse for travelling, though much
+appreciated all the same. I want to find out more about your
+suggestion for khaki flannel shirts. So far, everyone thinks they
+would be most useful, but I must ask all the others. I believe they
+would be gladly accepted, as the matches were this morning, with joy.
+It is nice to think I managed to get over to see you.... Heard
+yesterday that the authorities are still hopeful as to Germany running
+short of ammunition, but, of course, the more we can get out of her
+the better. Some big shells are falling near us now, whether theirs or
+ours I have not ascertained....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 14th, 1915._
+
+So far, of course, no letter from England, though one may arrive
+to-night. I beat the post by a little, you see! I heard from Lord
+Grenfell yesterday on some business matters. He tells me that the
+Russians were in a critical state three weeks ago with their
+ammunition used up. I imagine, as he says, that they have now got it,
+and their reinforcements, etc., are quite right again. I also heard
+from Sir Charles Burnett, our Colonel. Enclosed is Mrs. Miles's
+letter, a most broken-hearted one. I am writing to her, poor lady,
+again to assure her that her husband's sword will be sent home. We
+came peacefully out of the trenches yesterday, though Major Baker, who
+marches before me, had plenty of bullets round him. To-day I have been
+examining my new draft of men, quite a useful lot, and in the
+afternoon rode over to inspect my transport. You see I have got the
+pad you sent me, and am using it at once. About H---- I approve of his
+going to Stanmore Park in a year's time. He will then be 9-1/2.
+
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+_P.S._--The sheepskin has at last arrived. Thank you for your kind
+present, but I am almost afraid that it will not work. It is much too
+bulky! Even Major B---- looked queerly at it! By the way, the cake
+also came; it was beautifully fresh. We do enjoy these things. Many
+thanks for both. The sheepskin is very short for me, and closely
+cropped, and looks like a worn-out mat!!
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 15th, 1915._
+
+Two letters arrived from you to-night, enclosing also a nice one from
+Mr. Argles, etc., etc., and I will write to him about January 20th, if
+I get out of the trenches safely this time! I wonder what the change
+of Austria's Foreign Minister means. Everything in the way of change
+can, I think, only be to the good of England, as Hungary has always
+been friendly to us. Our General inspected us this morning at 11 a.m.
+My first parade was at 5.45 a.m., and I had another at mid-day, and
+yet another look round later in the evening after dark. I also went
+for a hack to examine a road behind our position. So all this passes
+the time. _Re_ the khaki flannel. What the officers think is as
+follows: They would like shirts very much, but as everybody bought new
+ones when they were home in October, they are not required at present,
+though those they now have will very soon be worn out, and then they
+would be grateful for others, and it would save them trouble. So you
+could have the shirts made up by the woman you speak of, giving her
+good brown bone buttons. At least ten of them could be a copy of my
+flannel ones, with single button cuffs instead of the double kind
+which have "holes for links." There are several officers in the
+Battalion who take my size in shirts, and the remainder could be made
+a bit smaller. Most people are rather ill after the trench warfare of
+the last two days. I had a head, too, nothing worse. It has been
+wonderfully mild here. I am keeping my lambskin coat after all. I
+think one could use it to sleep in on cold nights, or to do work in
+too, but I hope I shall not want it, as half the winter is over.
+Good-bye.
+
+                                              Yours....
+                                                      G----.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 16th, 1915._
+
+Am off in a moment on duty, winding up with luncheon at my General's
+before I go to the trenches. Following out that note from the
+Saddler's Co. I have written to ask for some comforts for my men. Not
+clothes, but what do you think? Coffee and milk in tins. Then this
+morning I have been practising bomb-throwers. This Christian device is
+made of a jam-tin or crock filled with gun-cotton and nails, and has a
+fuse attached to it. The fuse is lighted and thrown by hand into the
+enemy's trench, where it explodes and does much execution. Cheerful,
+is it not? Another plan of mine was rather unpleasant. I told you that
+I pumped the water out of our trenches into the German ones, and that
+they replied, and then dam-building began. Finally, we burst their
+dam, and some men working on it fled. Our people were about to fire,
+seeing them running, when an old soldier called out: "Do not shoot,
+for they cannot run far in that mud." The poor things finally stopped,
+panting, and they had to be shot down as they stood. Such is war. Very
+hideous, and I loathe it, but what will you? I am sure fighting is the
+thing I hate of all others, but I object more to these Huns coming
+over to England and knocking our women and children about.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 17th, 1915._
+
+Here I am back again in my trenches. During the three days we did
+"support" the enemy blew up several houses in this road with shells.
+Now they are being shelled by our guns, and I am afraid the scamps
+will fire on us again when the gunners go to dinner. We got in quite
+peacefully last night, and after something to eat, politely called
+"dinner," I flew off to see and direct my trench working parties.
+Starting about 8.30 o'clock, I arrived home between 1 and 2 a.m. Was
+up again at 5.30 on parade. At 7.30 the General came out. I had a
+working party of 50 Royal Artillery men as well as my own. We dug away
+hard whilst the Germans sent occasional bullets amongst us and threw
+rockets to try to show us up: we lay down then to prevent having
+machine guns turned on us. But now that we are making the dry parapets
+I advocated, things are much better in every way, and everyone is more
+cheery. In building these parapets, the materials have to be carried
+across drains and even disused trenches, the ground in some places
+being seamed with old diggings. Last night I saw two men fall into
+these ditches in the dark, and we had to fish them out. One fell about
+six feet into about four feet of water. The whole thing was most
+weird, with the rockets flying and bullets going, and working parties
+shovelling for dear life in the darkness. We all tumbled about into
+shell-holes or ditches in turn, where the water is very cold. I
+suppose the utter hopelessness of it all prevents one getting ill. The
+mails are late, so I have not received your letter to-night. This
+morning, when walking with the General, we came upon a Frenchman,
+woman, and boy in the fire zone 600 yds. from the German trenches
+wheeling two large wheelbarrows full of household goods which they had
+removed from some local houses to take back to another ruin where they
+were living, out of shell fire. Of course the stuff was theirs, but
+these poor things always forget that, besides their own safety, they
+bring fire on the houses near them, so we had to send them roughly
+away; but I did feel so sorry, and in the end persuaded the General to
+promise them a pass for to-night so as to get the wheelbarrows away.
+Practice makes perfect, for I spoke to them more or less in fluent
+French! I never told you what a comfort the watch you gave me has
+been. It keeps excellent time, and is most reliable. I must try and
+get some sleep to-day, as I foresee another busy night, and my feet
+are so cold, the result, I suppose, of two long tramps in ice-cold
+water. May the war soon cease!
+
+_P.S._--Heavy firing, Ypres way.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 18th, 1915._
+
+Here we are in a snowstorm! I received your note of 14th last night.
+Not bad, when it has to get to London, leave our base, and come part
+of the way to the trenches upon foot for safety. I really sent the
+account of our Christmas luncheon to you. It was an R.A. captain who
+lunched with us, and afterwards wrote to his people about it. They
+published the letter, and I found it in _The Times_ I got from you,
+and sent it forward through Major Baker via Mrs. Baker. There is not
+much news. We are still alive.... My ruin looks out directly towards
+the Germans (I hear a bullet hitting it now). As the place where the
+window was is quite open, I have had it filled up with bags of earth
+piled one above the other, and I sleep with my head under these and
+hope for the best. Last night we had two adventures. Our "friends"
+pitched a high-explosive shell after dark with such a true aim that
+the pieces flew all about our ruin, in and out of the rooms. They
+followed this with three more, but they were farther off. The second
+thing was that my Sergeant-Major, Master Cook, and Sergeant-Bugler,
+all trembling with cold, poor dears! shut themselves up last night
+with a charcoal fire, and we found them about four o'clock insensible
+from the fumes, and had a certain amount of difficulty in bringing
+them round. Here in war time these people do different things. For
+instance, the Master Cook has a party of bomb-throwers formed from
+among the cooks. The Sergeant-Major, instead of drilling the
+Battalion, arrives up with 8 mules and three ammunition carts, whilst
+the Sergeant-Bugler, instead of discoursing unsweet music on a bugle,
+converts his buglers into a corps of messengers to bring me letters or
+to take them out to my companies.
+
+I was round again last night, not much shot at personally, though
+chance bullets flew overhead in an embarrassing way, hitting the
+ground in various places. Capt. Tee had a couple of narrow escapes
+yesterday while he was out with us. I was inspecting our dressing
+station arranging about our little cemetery with the doctor and Capt.
+Wright, when a bullet cut the grass beside us in a most uncalled for
+manner. So it goes on, and so I hope the war will shortly wind up. I
+expect things are not very cosy in Germany either!...
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 19th, 1915._
+
+Two letters from you last night up to January 16th. Poor little
+Blanche, having her teeth out! They do hurt! Had more Christmas cards
+sent on from Aden. A fairly quiet day yesterday, though there is
+always fighting Ypres way, and we hear it plainly. This morning I was
+out at four a.m. with the Brigade Major, and took up the running
+afterwards with the General about 8 o'clock. I assured him that a
+certain trench was not the place for him, but he said he had a special
+wish to visit it, so with his usual dauntless courage off we went.
+Next minute a bullet hit the ground right between us. After that he
+thought it wise to retire, and we marched away homeward. My feet were
+practically frozen with the cold water, and I can't say I was sorry to
+leave. The authorities, however, are issuing some stuff which is
+supposed to keep the feet warm, so I propose getting hold of some to
+sample the next time I come to the trenches, and shall tell you of
+the results. I must write a letter to Mr. Aitchison to-morrow when I
+arrive in billets and get hold of some notepaper. It looks to me very
+dull, like rain or snow. I expect more plum puddings and pheasants are
+waiting for me when I get out. Thank you for them in anticipation. I
+fancy that Germany has had an awful eye-opener. In her big war with
+France in July, 1870, which she has lived on for the last forty-five
+years, the fighting was over in January, 1871. Now it is just
+beginning for her. Still, I cannot help thinking that peace is in
+sight somewhere soon.
+
+
+                                              Yours....
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+We go into reserve to-night for 3 days, and need not get up at 5 a.m.
+Great joy!
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 20th, 1915._
+
+We marched out of the trenches successfully last night, getting in
+here about nine o'clock. Then I had to see to my company commanders
+and a lot of other work too, for a regiment will not run itself
+properly unless someone looks after it. I was rather amused at a case
+I had this morning of an N.C.O. charged with letting his rifle become
+dirty. He admitted the offence, but stated that whilst he was watching
+everyone out of the trenches, he heard cries for help, and found a
+small rifleman stuck in a ditch up to his shoulders, and that he was
+carrying, besides his rifle, a pick and shovel; so the N.C.O. went to
+his aid and got engulfed too. Hence his trouble about his rifle. The
+enemy, to prevent our forgetting him, is throwing big shells into the
+place we are billeted in. As he knows, probably, that the women and
+children have returned here, he expects with luck to make a big bag of
+such non-combatants. It was luxury last night getting into bed again
+without boots, even if one had no other night attire! You will be
+pleased to hear that your tobacco arrived this morning. The people who
+sent it were not very bright, for, despite the fact that my address
+was plainly painted on every box, they had stupidly nailed on other
+cards marked from Griffith, Solicitor, S. Wales, and addressed to the
+S. Wales Borderers or 24th Regiment. This was done to at least half of
+the cases. Apparently they had stuck them on the wrong boxes. Whether
+this accounts for the delay I cannot say. Anyhow, each box had 15 lbs.
+of tobacco, and I think there were 16 boxes. Well, then your last lot
+of plum pudding arrived, and has been issued to be eaten to-morrow.
+There were 65 tins containing four and a half lbs. each, so I think,
+my dear, that the men will be grateful to you. There was also a large
+bale of things like cigarettes and gloves from other associations, but
+nothing to touch your consignments. We had to turn out of our happy
+ruin twice yesterday afternoon whilst the enemy threw high-explosive
+shells our way, and just missed us. Fortunately his supply of
+ammunition is said to be running short, or he would do worse mischief.
+I had a very nice letter from my Mother and from Meta yesterday....
+Your pheasants have come, also the ham, very well packed. Biscuits a
+little knocked about, but still edible; many thanks for them all. It
+is so misty and cold, a typical raw day in your own hunting district.
+Best of love, and hoping that the war will soon be over....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 21st, 1915._
+
+Got some of the French mud off my men yesterday, took the horse out to
+examine the neighbouring roads in case of a retreat, and dined with
+the General. He, poor man, finds the times very evil and the enemy
+very strong. I have written to my Mother to-day, telling her how I
+propose spending her present to me. By the way, I only got my trophies
+in time across to England. Four days ago an Army Order came out that
+nothing was allowed to be taken away, and that all such things found
+must be taken to the depots. Of course we must do so for the future,
+though I hope to be able to borrow a Prussian helmet with luck before
+I come home again. In the meantime, have the other stuff cleaned up
+and lacquered; it keeps rust off, and saves the servants much trouble.
+The A. and N. Stores can do this if you cannot get it well done in
+Newark.... Poor Mrs. Miles! She is dreadfully cut up. Capt. Allgood
+and Capt. Miles are now gone. I liked them both, but we shall meet
+again face to face some day.... I only wish that I could impress this
+more on one's daily thoughts and walk of life. Well, I do not mean to
+preach, but it comes in my lowland Scotch blood, I suppose!...
+
+
+                                            _January 22nd, 1915._
+
+Thanks for your note last night of January 19th. As you say,
+considering war time, this is quick. But at present it is a stationary
+war, and there is no reason why it should not be so. Once we get on
+the move, you will see that things will work badly, and we shall be
+short of food and of mails too. I was glad to get Aunt B----'s letter.
+Yesterday was an absolute drench. I rode, all the same, for exercise,
+and on the way back the enemy proceeded to shell the road; at the very
+extremity of their range, I fancy. It is curious how one takes the
+shelling nowadays. One becomes a fatalist! "If it hits me, it must hit
+me; I cannot escape, but I hope it will not" sort of thing. We return
+to the trenches this afternoon. Our General leaves to-night, but
+before then he has elected to inspect our billets in the afternoon,
+and to have a night alarm in the trenches early this evening. All the
+Colonels have therefore put their heads together to keep things as
+right as possible for him. Major Baker also goes on leave for about 10
+days or so to-night, with various other officers who have well earned
+a rest. I see you had Zeppelins over you yesterday, or rather the day
+before; but I think that where you live you are as safe as anywhere in
+England. It shows what gentlemen these Germans are in the way they
+treat non-combatants.
+
+To-day is a bright rather beautiful frosty day, and I am going to look
+at a large church in a village on a road when reconnoitring. I went to
+see another two days ago, and found only the tower and the walls
+standing; the Germans had burnt the rest.
+
+_P.S._--The billets we leave to-day are like a very tiny 9th-rate
+hotel, about as large as the house opposite the blacksmith's forge at
+Carlton, or a little larger, with another storey added on. Tiny rooms,
+and stoves in only two of them, which can be used as sitting-rooms. We
+found a small tub, to our great delight, and this allows us first to
+wash ourselves and then our things, so we are perfectly happy in
+it....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 23rd, 1915._
+
+We arrived at our trenches all right last night, and, as I had
+expected, found them fairly under water. In parts it was like the
+ground round that pretty little cottage at Carlton, where Thompson
+lives when the Trent is in flood. I was crossing, gingerly trying not
+to get my feet wet, when a machine gun opened upon myself and my
+escort; down we went into the water at once. They asserted that the
+bullets passed through the branches of a shrub beside us. I am not
+sure. In any case, I did not like it, as one of my men whom I had been
+speaking to a little earlier in the day was caught by the same gun and
+received three bullet wounds, one in the shoulder and two in the arm.
+But he will come all right in the end, I think. There was a good deal
+of shooting at my working parties with machine guns, so I knocked up
+my gunners about midnight and threw our shrapnel on to the Germans,
+and then they saw that I meant to be "top dog," and went home to bed,
+I suppose. However, they stopped worrying me, which was all I really
+wanted. I am trying the preparation issued by the Government as an
+experiment to keep one's feet warm. As a matter of fact, it does not
+seem to do so at all; possibly that may be the fault of my floor--what
+remains of it, at least! The red tiles, though clean, are very cold.
+Well, this stuff looks like shaving soap, but there is another thing,
+"whale oil," which none of us have as yet tried. The latter was given
+out to us last night, and sounds promising, but nasty. All the Channel
+swimmers rub themselves over with it before attempting to swim across
+the Channel. Speaking about the tiled floors, I notice in many cases
+that little holes are cut in the sides of the houses, so that the
+tiles can be well washed with water, and then it drains outside
+without further trouble, but think how draughty it makes the place
+unless a plug is put to close this hole at night, and by day too in
+cold weather. I also notice that these French houses show signs of
+natty niceness which one would not see in an English farmhouse. For
+instance, in my sleeping-room, instead of nails being driven into the
+walls for hanging clothes on, there is a brass hook with a china knob
+like any Christian household. I am rather amused to see how
+indifferent our men have grown to fire. This morning between 5 and 6
+o'clock I was speaking to the sentry when a bullet came, hit the
+house, and gave a great streak of light, as it does when it strikes a
+hard substance. A large piece of the building fell down behind him,
+but he never changed his voice or paid the slightest attention. I have
+had a letter from your aunt at Rostrevor about Sydney, to whom she
+seems very devoted....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 24th, 1915._
+
+I believe that to-day is Sunday, judging from the sound of church
+bells in the direction of the second town, which lies four miles
+behind us. They were ringing "to church" while we were standing "to
+arms" in the dark with a good deal of rifle fire, though not much from
+the guns. A new lot of Germans, we think, have come opposite to us,
+and they are very hard shooters, always firing either machine guns or
+rifles. We are too busy working at our parapets now to go for them,
+but when they are finished I propose to wake them up well. I got in
+rather early last night about midnight. You know war has comic
+incidents as well as pathetic ones. I was finishing my way round the
+trenches in the dark, when Mr. Gartland, R.I.R., a very nice boy,
+attached himself to me, and said he had orders to go to a certain
+place and did not know the road, and might he come with me. Of course
+I said "Yes," and we progressed till we came to a bridge, just a plank
+really over a wide stream. I crossed it quietly after whispering to
+him to be careful. Next moment I heard a frantic struggle and fall,
+and discovered him clutching on for dear life to the plank, having
+slipped on it. We managed to rescue him from a watery grave. I must
+tell you that all of this was out in the open within 200 yards of the
+German trenches, as we were crossing from company to company. My
+escort also fell at this bridge, but I caught him by the scruff of the
+neck, thereby preventing him getting into the water. I suppose
+Oakfield, my old home in Nova Scotia, taught me a bit about roughing
+it, so, elderly man that I am, I can keep fairly steady on my feet
+over this tricky ground. Well, having safely delivered Mr. G. at his
+place, I moved on, when we heard another fearful splash and then more
+floundering, and found that a corporal of my stretcher-bearers had
+fallen into a very deep drain full of water. Again my escort and
+myself started off to earn the Royal Humane Society's medal. However,
+he managed to scramble out, wet through. As I say, the comic side
+alternates with the pathetic, for just then we had a poor boy shot
+through the head. In the dark we made out that it was his eye, but on
+getting him to hospital, where we could strike a light to work with,
+we saw that the bullet had gone through the nose, down the side of the
+face, and out through his neck. He is alive this morning, so it may be
+that he will turn the corner all right yet. I received your letter of
+January 20th last night, which is good. You ask me about block houses.
+They are only useful when screened from artillery fire. If we had one
+here, and the Germans could place it with glasses or with aeroplanes,
+they would blow it up at once. They were used largely in the South
+African War, because we had taken all the enemy's guns from him. Sorry
+to hear of your cold. Hope the Kaiser has a very bad one with a sore
+throat!!...
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 25th, 1915._
+
+I was sorry to see by your note in pencil yesterday that you were in
+bed with "Flu." I hope you will not have it very badly, and that you
+are up again and all right by this time. There has been a good deal of
+trouble lately with German machine guns playing on our working parties
+at night. So yesterday afternoon I crept off unobserved, and had a
+conclave with my gunners. Then when they started with their guns I had
+all the adversary's trenches mapped out, and dropped four shells on
+them. About an hour later they began again, but we squelched them in
+the same way; finally they stopped firing their horrid machines and
+remained quiet; not for long, however, for they next turned their
+heavy guns on us in the dark with the high explosive shell. The first
+burst about 100 yds. away, and the second nearer, whilst the third
+burst alongside the house. I wailed, expecting one in the ruins, but
+they fired no more, thank heavens! The last scattered everything all
+over the house, bricks, tiles, etc. I was curled up in a blanket at
+that hour ready to go over the whole of the trenches, having arranged
+to start between three and four o'clock this morning. I got round all
+right with, if anything, fewer bullets than usual flying about. A
+message has just been sent to us that an attack is expected on our
+right, so we are now waiting to see whether this comes to anything or
+not. The day is particularly dark, though so far no rain or snow. It
+is quite black enough for the latter, but not, perhaps, sufficiently
+cold. I am rather sleepy at present, and I hate getting up early.
+To-night we go into support, which means that some of our companies,
+now 600 yds. from the enemy, will be in a position farther back, but
+this threatened attack may make a difference. Another regiment, the
+Royal Berkshires, are alongside of us, and we always go into the
+trenches and come out together. The Colonel is senior to me, and is
+commanding the Brigade in the General's absence, so the next senior
+takes his regiment. The latter was knocked over by a shot two days
+ago. He only broke his hip, and it is expected to come right in due
+course. Do you remember Miss Arundel's nephew, Capt. Wickham, of the
+7th Fusiliers, who went out with me to India, half-brother to Sir
+Henry Tichborne, I believe? I saw three days ago that he had died of
+wounds; so they must have brought him home from India. I am sorry; he
+and I had many pleasant chats together on board ship. Would you look
+in the upper left-hand drawer in my dressing-room. You will find some
+stand-up single collars there with five buttonholes in them. Please
+roll one up flat, and send it across in a letter or with soap parcel.
+They go in collar of uniform jacket, and as this sort of collar has
+gone out, I am wearing mine and throwing them away when done.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _January 26th, 1915._
+
+I am very sorry that you have been obliged to send for the doctor.
+"Flu" makes one feel a worm, so take care of yourself. I do not fancy
+you need fear the air raids; keep to the country, it is safer than
+town. They have not enough explosives on their cars to do all the
+damage they would like in London, let alone the remainder of England.
+The trip to Norfolk was only a trial one, I think. It has turned very
+cold here now, and we cannot get a fire in this place. You see, the
+inhabitants are coming back, and we do not like to steal their wood,
+for it would cause unpleasantness, whilst we have great difficulty in
+getting any coal, so we are between the devil and the deep sea! The
+Germans managed to kill one man yesterday with their shelling. I mean
+one civilian, of course; soldiers do not count. I suppose we are fair
+targets. I have been very lucky, though, with my Batt., on the whole,
+for I have only had a quarter of the casualties of my neighbour the
+two last times, or even less. Of course, it is just luck, but I take
+every precaution, as you know, and use my guns on their machine guns
+in, I hope, a judicious manner, giving the gunners little maps of
+where we have spotted them along all our long front; and so we crush
+the scamps. They are a venomous crew. They marked a bridge that we
+cross over a ditch, consisting of two planks and a hand-rail, and they
+turned their Maxims on to that. A couple of men were there, and they
+lay down on the bridge whilst the Maxim fired over their heads, cut
+the hand-rail clean away, and just missed them. We got off quite well
+from the trenches last night, as the enemy had had a great doing down
+with us that afternoon. The threatened attack on our right either
+never came off or was also beaten off; let us hope the latter. So dear
+old Admiral Dennistoun has gone. At 78 one must expect to go to Heaven
+shortly, but still one's friends will be sorry, no doubt, and Hal
+loses his godfather. I did not know him very well myself, but I am
+sorry because you were fond of him. I wonder if it is about to settle
+in for cold weather in these parts. If so, we shall have attacks
+across the frozen ground. Whilst it was wet the Germans could not
+very well get at us without giving plenty of notice, but now they will
+be able to work their way quietly across the hard earth. However, it
+cuts in another way, for they are not too well clothed and they will
+feel this severe weather terribly. It is horrible always to have to
+hope that many Germans will be killed. On the whole, it is more
+charitable to pray, I think, that the heart of the German nation may
+be turned to the right course. I fancy that the people are a sober,
+steady race, but they have been led astray by their warlike leaders.
+Again, who would imagine that the light French character (speaking
+generally as a nation) really covers a hard-working set of prosperous
+farmers like these people evidently are. Well, I hope you will be out
+of bed when this reaches you. I have not been able to write to the
+children lately, for there has been much to do and think about. Give
+them my love; thank your mother for the partridges so kindly sent, and
+can you let me have some more boxes of Bryant and May's matches? About
+1,000; I fancy our men would be glad of them now. You will be able to
+find out through Bryant and May's how to get them across. The price is
+21s., but I think they send them by the M.F.O., Southampton. Perhaps
+the best way would be to despatch the first half to me by post and the
+other lot by M.F.O., as the latter would arrive a month later when
+required again....
+
+I have just received a telephone message that the Germans did attack,
+and were repulsed, losing heavily. They left 3 officers and 300 men
+dead on one road alone from our fire. Hope our losses are light.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 27th, 1915._
+
+Sorry to hear from your letter that you are still in bed. I do not see
+as much of my own bed as I would like to at present, but this thing
+has to be seen through. Being the Kaiser's birthday, we anticipated an
+attack, so to cheer our friends up and to show them what they might
+expect we opened on them at 5 o'clock this morning with our heavy
+guns. Such a row you never heard. The unbroken panes of glass in my
+room have long ago had all the putty shaken out and they rattle away
+to any extent when the guns are fired. It is very cold and chilly over
+here now, but not freezing, and we are rejoicing in the defeat of the
+Germans. They appear to be better at killing women and children with
+their men-of-war than fighting our ships when they meet them. I must
+say I have a poor opinion of them, not of their fighting qualities,
+but because they behave so badly. Curiously enough, the enemy never
+replied to our bombardment. It was directed on our right front, where
+poor Bannon, my servant, whom you will remember in Dover, was killed,
+and where we think these beauties gather in the mornings and stand to
+arms. It was a good bombardment. If some of them were about, there
+must be a lot killed. I did all I could to cheer everyone on. Well, I
+went for a ride yesterday after discussing your most excellent
+partridges at lunch, and saw my new draft. I am very strong, despite
+my losses, and I would like to show you my battalion when it first
+came out of the trenches and a month afterwards; you would see the
+difference! We are about twice as strong as the regiment was under
+Col. Napier at Dover. I heard from Admiral Gaunt yesterday. He has
+just been promoted, and is in charge of naval barracks. I must write
+him a note this morning. Wonderful people the French women! They are
+like cats the way they cling to their homes. The lady of this house
+has now returned, small baby and all, and has asked for two rooms.
+Having succeeded, she has got an old attempt at a carpenter in, and is
+boarding up the broken windows, etc. The bullet hole in the door will
+puzzle him unless he stops it up with a cork. Anyhow, they are making
+a most horrible din, banging away. I forgot to say that yesterday my
+Mother sent me from Oakfield two pairs of thick strong socks and some
+Canadian chocolate. Most useful, and very kind. I shall write soon to
+thank her.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _January 28th, 1915._
+
+This being our last rest day, I was out shortly after five o'clock
+with our acting General inspecting a new work. It is not healthy to do
+so much later in the day. We found two shell holes in it as it was,
+and the thing is only traced out, not made as yet. For Lady Bell's
+address [the Governor of Aden's wife] you will find a book giving it
+in my despatch case. Please send her my history as promised. I heard
+from Lady Macready yesterday, full of life as usual. She and I have
+been friends for a very long time, and we used to ride together in
+Egypt years ago. Sir Nevil has been motoring round the south of France
+inspecting Indian rest camps, and spent two days at Avignon on leave.
+I managed to obtain the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the bugler who
+always accompanies me everywhere on my peregrinations. He has been
+with me through some nasty times, though nothing to talk about very
+much, and I am glad to be able to reward him. Besides, it is good for
+the men to find that any work well done under my own eye may win them
+some recognition. I was out for a scamper yesterday afternoon
+inspecting my transport. This latter, by-the-by, has been very
+favourably reported on as the best looked after in the division (I am
+told). It is flattering, but one never knows! My Brigadier also
+complimented me on the smartness of my guards at Brigade Headquarters.
+If you saw the poor dears crawling out of the trenches, caked with mud
+and numbed with wet and cold, you could not understand how they could
+turn themselves out fairly decently twenty-four hours later, when they
+only have the one suit they are actually wearing all the time. I have
+not heard if the Saddler's Company proposes to send me any coffee, but
+I expect to hear in due course. As to the numb feeling in one's feet,
+one never has time to rub oneself over with Bengue's ointment. It will
+have to stand until the summer, I expect. The cake has duly arrived,
+and is tucked away until to-night, when we arrive in our trenches
+again, worse luck!...
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 29th, 1915._
+
+No letter from you last night; it must have missed the mail; but there
+were several others. One from the dentist; please put it in my drawer
+at home for reference. Another letter was from Mabel Stevens saying
+that Percy was home again with a bad leg; and yet a third was from the
+remount officer who bought my horse for the Government, telling me
+that he is afraid the chestnut "Goldfinch" has been mixed up with some
+horses at Southampton and given out to other people. So ends poor
+"Goldfinch's" career as far as I am concerned. We hear some amusing
+reports from the prisoners on our right. They say we took 2 officers
+and 80 men, besides killing a large number of the 7,000 who attacked
+our particular trench; also that the Germans expect to beat the
+Russian Army in May, and that we have 150,000 Japanese soldiers
+holding India for us! I never heard this before, nor anyone else
+either! I fancy they were freely plied with ration rum, no doubt
+someone else going short, and thus their original opinions were found
+out. Last night was beautifully clear, with a moon. About 2 a.m. we
+became aware that a party of the enemy were out in front of us only 50
+yds. away, so we stealthily gathered our men up and opened a rapid
+fire on them. They fled to their trenches for dear life, and have
+been very vicious ever since. One of my men was shot internally just
+now. I have got him away in a motor ambulance in the hopes that an
+operation may save his life. I was told yesterday that Gen. Joffre
+said the war would be over in March, he thought, from financial
+reasons. (I wonder?) The other story I heard last night in the
+trenches was that Rothschild met Kitchener and asked him when his army
+was going across. K. replied: "250,000 in February, and 250,000 in
+March." R. replied: "The 250,000 in February will go, but there will
+be no reason for sending the 250,000 in March." Of course, this is
+quite an improbable story, and K. would never really tell R. anything,
+and R. would never repeat it. Anyhow, my line is fairly strong, so
+that if it is not over they will not break through _here_. I am
+sitting facing a window with a bright sun shining; two of the enemy
+shells have just come over and burst. They each threw a shadow as they
+passed. I have never seen that before. They fired a lot at us
+yesterday. One six-inch howitzer sent a shell 50 yds. from us. We of
+course seized the pieces as new playthings, and found first a horrible
+odour arising from some acid in their high explosive, and then that
+the shell appeared to be cast only of iron, and not steel. The piece I
+have in front of me weighs about a pound, with dreadful jagged edges.
+So soon as this shelling stops I must sneak off to try and put our
+cemeteries straight. I am having some very nice wooden crosses made
+for my poor men. Do tell me how Mr. Denison is? He might be interested
+in some of this news, as he was a gunner, and it is all about shells,
+if ever I get home to tell him! In the middle of this shelling both
+sides firing hard at each other, one of my buglers has arrived with a
+carrier pigeon which was knocked down by a stone. The French officer
+attached to our division told me that the Germans had spent large sums
+of money and established many spies as farmers here. They intended
+coming in this way to France, you see. Then they had telephone wires
+laid down towards Germany from various places, and I am inclined to
+think some have been found. Now our numerous trenches having cut these
+wires, they have to depend on something else, and I believe that
+something to be carrier pigeons. The way they shell the ground we
+occupy makes me think they really know where we are, and our own
+military authorities do not like to take drastic action against a
+person who poses as a French farmer or his wife looking for their lost
+property, when of course all the time they are possibly farmers who
+have been in German pay, and are probably sending information across
+by carrier pigeon daily. I hope that Wilkinson in Newark is making a
+good thing of the steel armour. It is rather a fine trophy to have, I
+think....
+
+_P.S._--I discovered our gunners shelling a beautiful French cemetery
+the other day, because the Germans had found that we respected
+churches, etc., and they therefore opened the vaults and lived in them
+in the cemetery!
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 30th, 1915._
+
+Two letters from you last night, taking me up to January 27th. So glad
+to hear that you are really better. I do not know what would happen to
+us if we got "Flu." I suppose we should go on exactly the same. One of
+the enemy's six-inch shells has just burst beside us, so I must keep
+my eyes open! I started work soon after five o'clock this morning
+getting road dykes cleared, as by this means I think I can drain my
+own trenches better. The water has been running away merrily ever
+since. Major B----, who came back about one o'clock this morning, was
+helping me. I had just turned in, but my feet got so cold. I can never
+sleep straight on end for four hours in my room. The Germans again
+attacked on our right twice yesterday afternoon. The two attacks were
+beaten off with heavy loss to the enemy, I believe. I was out with one
+of my staff inspecting some works, and met the Colonel of the Lincolns
+with his staff. I asked him to tea, and he refused on the ground that
+"shelling time" had arrived, and he did not wish to go near our
+Headquarters. Whilst he trotted off to inspect one work, I went to
+another, and sure enough he was quite right. "Shelling time" had
+arrived; for, instead of going for my Headquarters as usual, they
+proceeded to shower shrapnel on the work he had just got into,
+fortunately, without killing or hurting any of his party. Our guns are
+now replying, and bits of our ruin are falling down from the shock.
+Poor Gen. Baron von Ompteda! He was in the Prussian Army. It is sad
+that he is killed, since you knew his wife, poor thing! Naturally one
+prays for the heart of the German nation to be changed, but for me,
+pending that change, I am doing my business methodically. I have just
+been pointing out to the Siege Battery people where their shells will
+have the best effect on the enemy. I forgot, I think, to tell you that
+we obtained information from some of our prisoners of the last three
+days that they found our rifle fire very deadly. Well, one of the
+regiments that attacked us had already lost from our fire 320 men
+since January 20th only until the 27th inst.... Not bad, and quite
+true, I believe; and this going on all along the line. There was
+bright moonlight last night with snow, and I may tell you that I
+walked warily! I had one man killed and another wounded by the same
+bullet yesterday....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _January 31st, 1915._
+
+I am now waiting for your letter to-night. I cut from _The Times_ of
+January 29th "Soldiers' Morals" and Lady McClintock's views. Major
+Baker brought this paper across with him when he returned. Well, it is
+trying to snow now, and rather cold. Yesterday I came under the fire
+of a machine gun in the course of my afternoon rounds. I had gone to
+see some works that the Artillery were building and which I had to
+supervise. Hearing a fight break out on our right, I called to the
+Engineers who were working on the parapets to jump down, as the
+machine gun which was near us might be turned on them. They had barely
+done so, and I had hardly gone forward with an officer to get some
+other men under cover, when the next moment the bullets were whistling
+all over me. I soon flew from that spot at the first crash, and got
+under cover myself; a quick decision does help one at times! After
+being pinned there for ten minutes or so, I managed to creep away and
+get on with my rounds. There has been a cannonade on my right all
+morning of the heaviest Gunner shells, I think, but we luckily go into
+reserve this evening, and, failing any great alarms, are allowed to
+have our boots off, and do not get up at 5 a.m. as usual. Another
+curious incident occurred. Suddenly we heard the most appalling noise,
+and the shell of one of our own heavy guns was seen turning head over
+heels and falling solemnly within 50 yds. of a ruin where some 100
+soldiers were quartered. It burst and sent any amount of rubbish over
+the house. What happened was that part of the shell was defective. It
+really was the driving band, which is a ring made out of copper and
+riveted on. When the shell is fired, the soft copper ring slides into
+the steel rifling of the gun, and thus the shell goes straight with a
+spinning motion. The ring having become unriveted, the shell did not
+spin, and simply turned head over heels. Was it not fortunate that it
+missed the house? It is because they have no copper for these rings
+that the Germans are making such strenuous efforts to find some.
+Nothing else except silver or gold would be tough enough as well as
+pliable enough for the purpose. They can make their fuses of
+aluminium as we do, but copper for cartridge cases and driving bands
+they must have, and they cannot get it....
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS OF FEBRUARY, 1915.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _February 1st, 1915._
+
+MY DEAREST F----
+
+Here we are in our reserve billets, and not sorry either. The enemy
+threw a shell in beside us this morning as I was getting up, to show
+that he had not forgotten us! It must have come 5 miles at least. He
+is a humorist, too, of a grim sort, for 3 days ago he bombarded the
+little town (French) of Estaires with French shells. I suppose some
+gun he had captured from them. Anyhow, his ammunition is certainly, as
+a rule, not as good as the stuff he was using. Have a headache this
+morning. I often get one after 3 days in trenches. There was a great
+hue and cry after a German spy yesterday. Telephones going all over
+the place. I was wickedly sceptical about him from the first, and
+ultimately triumphantly proved him to be an officer of the
+----Regiment who had been detached on some duty. The unfortunate
+gentleman had an impediment in his speech, and this was noted down as
+proving him to be a German, of course! Six divisions of K.'s new army
+are expected to cross over to France this month. I hear that the
+Canadians have also arrived, and that they are full of dash. Thanks
+for collars, duly received. They will last me a long time. Major Baker
+brought some mincepies back with him. Mr. Argles wonders if I have
+time to see any of the sports out here! No one has the least idea of
+how busy one is out of the trenches getting rifles right and men
+cleaned to keep them from dirt whilst in the trenches, when it is
+impossible to do anything, for you cannot lift your head there for
+fear of having it punctured before you pull it down again.... You ask
+if I have seen any of my relatives who are at the front. No. I think
+they are all farther back, and if they should come up where I am they
+would have an awful time of it.... I hear the whirr of an aeroplane. I
+wonder if it is ours or a German bomb dropper; you never know which it
+may be! So glad to hear you are feeling better.
+
+                                                   Yours....
+                                                            G----
+
+
+                                            _February 2nd, 1915._
+
+I must say that I think quite the worst news we have received so far
+in this war is the sinking of those three ships in the Irish Sea by
+the German submarines. The British Navy must just get to work and
+build a submarine destroyer which will catch and destroy these
+nuisances. As a matter of fact, I believe a great many more German
+submarines have been sunk than the British public know of, because it
+is not announced unless the Admiralty is absolutely certain. For
+instance, the other day an old naval carpenter who works on the
+Bayfordbury Estate in Hertfordshire, and who returned to his naval
+duties when the war broke out, told Major Baker that whilst dragging
+for mines in the German Ocean they had come against two submarines
+lying on the bottom of the sea, and, having nothing else to do, they
+dropped a charge on them and blew them up. That may be correct or not.
+I have certainly heard that this happened in one case, officially. A
+long letter from my sister Meta arrived by the last post yesterday;
+still moving into Oakfield after building up the old house again since
+the fire. I went for a ride yesterday with Major B., looking up some
+roads in case of a move. The Germans tried to pour shrapnel on the
+road on the way back, but fortunately missed us by going short. There
+was a large party of another division on it, and I suppose they had
+got wind of this. A curious thing to notice is as follows: When a
+shell starts out on its journey it travels more quickly than the
+sound. Sound moves at the rate of about a mile in 5 seconds. After a
+little while the shell begins to go more slowly, and then the sound
+overtakes it and travels ahead. We were just where we could see the
+shell burst with a flash and a white puff of smoke, and could still
+hear the whirr of the shell rushing towards us until it ended with a
+loud bang, though we had in reality seen it burst a second or so
+before. We went to a rather fine church destroyed by fire. I asked
+what had happened, and was told that the Germans had been there, and
+when they were forced to retreat they put a certain number of their
+dead inside the church with a lot of straw, then some of the
+villagers, and finally made one of the women set fire to the straw by
+holding a revolver to her head and threatening to shoot her. The man
+said that the village priest had told him this shocking story. I asked
+how the Germans had behaved otherwise, and he said, "Very well in one
+sense." They had been billeted on the people, who were obliged to feed
+them; but, of course, it is war. When, however, they had to retire,
+they refused to pay for anything, and tried, as the inhabitants
+explained, to incite them with a view of getting an excuse to burn
+their houses and then shoot them. As the village people kept their
+heads, they threw down half a mark and left. I thought, on the whole,
+they were well rid of their visitors! You asked if I required any more
+soap or paper. At present, nothing, thanks; Major B---- has just given
+me a new writing block. A cake and mincepies are, however, always most
+welcome. How greedy one does become after a time! Such a horrid
+blustery day, and heavy rain coming down this morning. We had Holy
+Communion at 8 a.m. in a ruined nunnery with our Cowley Father
+officiating. Only 3 turned up from the whole Battalion. Our General
+has had to go away this morning into hospital with fever. Mr. Laing,
+whom your cousin M---- D---- asked about, is now in bed with the same
+sort of complaint....
+
+
+                                            _February 3rd, 1915._
+
+We are off to the trenches this evening, worse luck! but we can't
+complain, for we have had a most comfortable 3 days considering
+everything; actually sleeping until 8 o'clock in the morning, washing
+ourselves and clothes, and generally doing ourselves well by buying
+eggs, butter, and wine of sorts. White wine appears to be the most
+plentiful in this locality--why, I cannot tell. It is a sort of Grave,
+and not at all bad as things go. Major B---- and I rode yesterday,
+despite the rain, and on the way we went to a place I have rigged up
+where my pioneer sergeant is making crosses for those who have been
+killed. Very nice wooden ones, which have little plates on them, also
+of wood, with name and so forth painted in black, standing about 2 ft.
+6 in. high. The men admire them very much indeed, and I fancy that
+they like me to take an interest. It raises their self-respect. I
+found that, although some have already been put up, 16 crosses were
+standing there waiting for white and black paint, as we had run short
+of it, and these sort of things are difficult to get. The sugar I
+bought here for the men is 7d. a lb., and it is greatly appreciated by
+them. Of course, it is not allowed to be imported from England during
+the war, otherwise we might get it cheaper. I am glad you had a nice
+day for your first outing; as you say, "Flu" is very nasty. I wonder
+if I shall be able to run over again in March and see you. The Colonel
+of our gunners has just dashed in to ask me to luncheon before I go to
+the trenches. He says that he wants cheering up. I suppose he thinks
+me an optimist! What time would suit you best if I could get a week at
+the end of February or beginning of March? I know you said something
+about running across to Ireland again, and I do not wish to interfere
+with that. I do not know whether I shall be able to get it, but it is
+an idea. I see the Kaiser is in Berlin--the newspaper says "with his
+throat." I believe he is really there seeing if he can raise another
+loan, which will tax his ingenuity. He will announce in the papers
+that he has succeeded all right; but I think it will only be paid up
+in his own banknotes, which, of course, unless he has gold to redeem
+them, are worthless....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _February 4th, 1915._
+
+We returned here last night. Before leaving the billets I was going
+round putting things right, when suddenly German shrapnel began
+bursting over my head. I hustled my men under cover, and no one was
+hurt, though a shrapnel broke the window in the house where we were
+and came through it. We started off cheerfully enough, and arrived at
+our trenches safely by 7 p.m. There was heavy firing on our right, and
+at about 9 o'clock the German guns opened, putting shell all round us,
+including one in the house next to us about 20 yds. away. Of course it
+is only ruined walls, but it made a tremendous crack. The house is
+rather a nice one of fresh red brick with bright red tiles on the
+roof, and it also has blue and white glazed tiles over the doors and
+windows. We then made ourselves horribly obnoxious with our machine
+guns, and opened by arrangement. You never heard such a noise. As a
+matter of fact, we knew that they were changing regiments at that
+hour, and we tried to catch them with our artillery. Whether we
+succeeded I cannot tell. I have been up and about since between 2 and
+3 a.m., so one earns one's bread out here! The machine guns were
+particularly busy, but there was hardly a shot fired at me in all my
+rounds! This morning two German aeroplanes arrived. One of ours had
+been playing about, but it fled when the enemy appeared. We fired on
+them immediately, and they went off. Then ours came round again, and
+the Germans reappeared, but it did not run away so fast, and we again
+helped it. Now two of ours are sailing up and down, shot at by German
+infantry, their own aeroplanes having vanished. From two different
+German sources we learn that they expect the war to be over in April,
+as they have told the troops that Russia is beaten. Some have admitted
+that they hardly expect their troops will fight after April; but from
+my knowledge of Germans I do not think they will be given the option;
+they will be shot by the authorities if they do not fight. We have
+also had the cheerful news that, regiment for regiment, their
+casualties are about four times our number. This I believe to be
+correct. I had a pleasant little lunch with the Colonel of the
+Gunners, and a whisky and soda, which I have not tasted before in
+France so far....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _February 5th, 1915._
+
+Not up quite so early this morning, as my acting General said he was
+coming round, and I had to meet him at a certain point, so I did not
+rise much before four a.m. We went about until 7 o'clock, doing
+various things, fortunately with very little shooting. There was a
+heavy bombardment last night from our guns at 10 o'clock, but I do not
+think it did the enemy a great deal of harm, and we fired at him again
+with big guns in the morning. He is trying to approach us by a sap,
+and we are trying to blow him out of it. Not that we object to his
+coming close, but because he wants to enter that particular place; so
+it is right that he should at once be sternly checked. I received two
+of your letters last night, dated the 1st and the 2nd. I am sorry
+about the death of your cousin, Mrs. Hilton; but her heart had
+undoubtedly been weak for sometime. C---- S---- must have been grieved
+that he did not arrive in time to see her again. Tell him I am in
+sympathy with him over his loss. Thanks for sending me a cake. The
+eggs do not really do us much good now, as we have found out a way of
+getting them. I had a kind letter from my Mother last night promising
+me two more pairs of socks and some more chocolate. I wish I could put
+on three pairs of socks here, as my feet are always cold. The ruins of
+the French houses have their floors covered with tiles, as I think I
+told you before, and they are cold to the feet. Unfortunately feet
+swell, and boots even two sizes too large appear to shrink, so finally
+one thick pair of socks is possible only. I heard from the Saddlers'
+Coy. yesterday that they propose to send me the coffee and milk, and
+that my letter had been read to the full Court and had been found very
+interesting. I heard also from General Inglefield; he says that he
+would like me to have a Brigade before long.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                            _February 6th, 1915._
+
+The Generals gave out yesterday that we were to be attacked last
+night, the reason being that the Germans were seen to be clearing the
+wire away from their trenches, presumably with this plan in view. We
+decided to discourage any such attempts by opening the affair
+ourselves. We therefore fired on them with all sorts of things,
+including an iron drain pipe which throws a ring of gun cotton. This
+is simply made out of an old jam tin, whilst the fuse is lit before
+firing the charge in the drain-pipe. The latter charge of powder is
+then driven out of the jam tin. If correctly judged, it hurtles
+through the air and falls into the German trenches, and blows people
+there to pieces. How close the fire is here is shown by one of my
+companies having had two periscopes hit. Periscopes are four inches
+wide or less, and probably only 5 inches shows above the parapet, so
+you can see the German marksman at 100 yds. anyhow is not to be
+despised. This morning I was up before four o'clock, and round my men.
+On my way back a German put a bullet between the Corporal and myself.
+Of course lots of others were flying about, but this was the nearest.
+We go into support to-night; and the house we are going to occupy had
+a shell through the front door two days ago. It was fired at from the
+side at some great distance, came through the door, and fell on its
+back without exploding just short of a cupboard. This must have come
+from a strange battery, as the ordinary shells go round it all and
+every day, bursting galore, so I suppose this was one up the line
+fired at a sharp angle to try and take us in flank, as it were. I am
+rather sleepy, as there was a fire fight at 12 p.m. last night, for
+which I was awake. I received a letter from Miss Ruby McCann of
+Belfast yesterday, sending tobacco and her love to the men. The
+latter, she stated, was only to the "good-looking ones." I also had a
+letter from your Mother. She told me that you had not gone to the
+concert owing to A---- H----'s death that very day. Still, of course,
+you took tickets for it. I also received a note from the Saddlers' Co.
+saying that they were sending four cans of milk and coffee to me to
+start with, and more would follow when they heard how the men liked
+it. The cans have four dozen tins in each. Very kind indeed of them.
+Well, I think that is all my news, excepting that I have got a
+headache, and have had one for the last two days, which is not
+surprising, since I have been up and about at such unearthly hours,
+and have not had any chance of sleeping properly in between whiles. I
+am always on the telephone to one person or the other....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _February 7th, 1915._
+
+I hear that Col. Napier has got a Brigade, and I must write to
+congratulate him. You are kind in offering to send us more cakes and
+mincepies. What we really miss according to our usual mode of life is
+the absence of the "sweet" course at luncheon or dinner. Perfectly
+ridiculous! Just the same as washing, but one misses it somehow, that
+is all, even when one is eating covered with mud. I received your
+letter of February 3rd last night; usually these letters only take 2
+days to come. Thanks for sending Bryant and May's matches. I hope they
+will arrive shortly via Southampton. Tell Blanche I am sorry for her
+troubles with her teeth: I am trying to see a dentist myself. I hear
+there is one at a little distance away, and I propose to ride over to
+see him to-morrow, if possible. We go across to a canal, and follow
+that for 8 miles, and then he, the dentist, is to be found somewhere
+in an ambulance. A very good thing to be able to get away from under
+shell fire even for a short time. We had rather a doing yesterday, for
+the Germans shelled us heavily, and finally concentrated on two
+houses. Curiously enough, I had pointed out to the authorities how
+very visible some works the Engineers had constructed were to the
+enemy from their aircraft, and I stated that the woodwork ought to be
+painted earth colour, and sent out a party of men in the meantime to
+cover the wood with mud. Unfortunately, however, the mud dried,
+leaving the wood still rather light, and the aircraft came along all
+right, as I suspected, saw it, and signalled to their gunners where to
+fire. By some good luck, the 2 houses alongside, though they were full
+of my men, had also shelters erected to protect them from shell fire.
+These they ran into, and so escaped; only Major W---- was hit on the
+head by a splinter, which did not hurt him, as his skull is fairly
+resisting! The few remaining rafters were blown off the houses and the
+walls fell down. It was most unpleasant to stand by helplessly and
+watch it; I could not turn on our gunners, for a very heavy
+bombardment was going on to our right at the usual place which I have
+mentioned to you before. The shells we captured were French, and
+exploded well. Coming out of the trenches, the company that came my
+way had one corporal killed and one wounded. The poor man was shot
+dead just before leaving the trenches. I quickened our pace up, I can
+tell you, when we suddenly found ourselves walking along in the line
+of a hot fire fight in front of us; though it was a mile and a half
+away in the darkness, one bullet struck beside me, and another went
+over my head. The shell which struck this house was evidently nearly
+spent, and the broken door is just like the back entrance of your
+aunt's house opposite Carlton church. It went clean through this; then
+turned to the right through a thick wall and landed in a cupboard on a
+shelf, smashing the doors, but not exploding....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _February 8th, 1915._
+
+Very heavy rain last night, and plenty of mud this morning after five
+o'clock, when we stood to arms. I am going to Merville, as I said,
+this afternoon to get my teeth looked to. I took Major B. for a
+longish walk yesterday. He hates walking, but brightened up
+considerably as we went along, and we talked of our various troubles.
+We have certain worries with some of our men who have not been brought
+up in the strict discipline really required for a continental war.
+Cheering news has come to us from Russia. A General was sent by the
+Czar to decorate Sir John French and the Colonel of the Scots Greys,
+of which the Czar is Col. in chief. He is reported to have said: "Do
+not worry; we have not yet mobilized in Russia, but we shall do so in
+the beginning of April, and we do not ask you to do more than wait
+here holding the enemy; then we propose simply to march on Berlin with
+overwhelming numbers." So be it, as long as we get these thieves
+settled soon. That heavy fighting I told you about La Bassee way,
+going on two days ago, was our storming a German trench; I hear that
+we killed a lot of Germans and captured 30. Of course we must have
+lost heavily ourselves too. Would you send a copy of my History, of
+which you have already sent two away, to Col. Anderson, Headquarters,
+VIII Division, B.E.F. His father was in the regiment, and he is
+interested in it. Also to my Mother please send a copy with my love.
+By the way, all parcels to France are expensive, but if the postage by
+chance is not fully paid it does not matter, as no extra charge is
+made at this end. Now I must stop, as I am as busy as possible to-day
+trying to get things done, and everyone wants to see me at once. Such
+a lovely sun!...
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                            _February 9th, 1915._
+
+Well, I went yesterday afternoon and had two teeth filled, one under
+the gum, which is still rather painful; but the amusing point is that
+on my way there at some cross roads I was held up for a quarter of an
+hour by the Germans shelling the place. I hid in a building, and when
+they got off the line of the road I resumed my ride on to my dentist.
+Just at this moment they are shelling our usual front line billets
+vigorously. I mean the ruined houses which we hide behind. Clearly
+they must have got more ammunition. Many thanks for cake, chocolate,
+tins of coffee and cocoa, and boiled eggs, which all arrived safely.
+As a matter of fact, the cake is most useful, whilst we still have a
+fair amount of chocolate, and the eggs please do not send again, for
+we have now a regular system of supplying eggs to ourselves at 3-1/2
+francs a dozen, which keeps us going. I am glad the children like
+reading and receiving my letters. Sometimes I am rather hustled for
+time, as I have often a great deal to do, and many of my officers have
+not been on active service before. First, you have to think out the
+orders, and then issue them in writing, and then, still more
+important, see that they are carried out. Sorry to hear of Miss
+Dunlop's death; she has gone to a better world, anyhow. The one she
+has left is in a troublous condition. Please God, it soon rights
+itself! No soup squares required, please. I fancy that if I get my
+leave at all it will be before April, but of course I cannot choose
+the time or anything like that. In fact, they may refuse to allow me
+to have a second leave. Had a letter from Bertha Farmar; she is full
+of news, and seems very happy. I do not know anything about Colonels
+only going into the trenches at night. I have been in during the day
+often; but in the trenches that we now occupy it is carrying your life
+in your hand to do so--that is, for a tall man; once in, it is just a
+question of bending down. It is strange to hear of people playing
+football out here--we ourselves are under fire every minute. One of
+our men was hit yesterday on the head by a German bullet four hundred
+yards farther down the street from where I live, whilst he was having
+his hair cut by the company barber. We had fondly imagined that we
+were out of the way of bullets!
+
+                                              Yours....
+
+We go into our trenches again to-night, worse luck!
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 10th, 1915._
+
+Here we are back in the trenches, and a shell has just burst quite
+close to us. A Yeomanry major has been lunching with me. I put him up
+in the "Residency" at Aden on his way home, and he asked to come down
+into our trenches, though he belongs to another division, as he wanted
+the experience. His name is Backhouse, and his brother was Flag
+Lieutenant to Admiral Jellicoe at the beginning of the war. We arrived
+here very peacefully last night, cheered by news of the Russian
+successes, and then I went my rounds from 3 o'clock till 7.30 in the
+morning. I pointed out to some of my men that they were standing in a
+dangerous place, but they said it was all right, and I heard an hour
+after that three of them had been struck by one bullet. Later the
+General came along to see about things, and I had to go round with
+him. A shrapnel from our guns burst short and just missed a man I was
+speaking to.... However, thank Heaven! we did not have any fired at
+us. A curious thing happened the night before last. One of the British
+patrols in my line saw a German at the wire entanglements in the
+darkness, and fired. The German fell, calling out: "Don't shoot,
+soldier." When they were able to get up to him they found that he had
+laid his rifle and equipment down before he was seen, and either
+wanted to surrender or, as he had some wire cutters with him, was
+trying to cut the entanglement. Anyhow, poor fellow! he had had the
+large artery of his leg cut, and was just at the point of death. We
+buried him at the back of the ruin. Did you ever think how between the
+devil and the deep sea the German soldier is? If he runs away, he is
+shot; if he advances, he is generally shot; and if he tries to desert,
+as in this case, he is shot too. A hard fate....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 11th, 1915._
+
+Getting up at 3 a.m. is very trying, as it makes the day so long. I
+curl up in my blankets at 9 p.m., and hope for the best, but very
+often I am pulled out again. Last night, for instance, we had various
+parties down here working during the night. About 8 o'clock I went to
+look at the poor German's grave, and, coming away from it, I was
+nearly hit by a bullet from some sniper who was evidently watching me.
+I am just waiting to go to one of our own men's funeral. He was shot
+yesterday, poor boy! and I was able to get his body out, so I am
+trying to give all such, decent burial with a clergyman some distance
+back from the trenches. I forgot to tell you when mentioning that
+shrapnel shell yesterday that the man I was talking to was Sergeant
+Driscoll, whom you will remember in the regiment; and that a sergeant
+of the Lincolns was killed in my lines exactly the same way the day
+before. I enclose Mr. Aitchison's letter. I did not realize that it
+was his only son. I heard from Mrs. Baker yesterday in reply to a
+letter of mine. She compliments you on your letters, saying you are
+quite a soldier's wife.... I calculate that I might, but only might,
+get away about February 28th for a week if nothing turns up in the
+interval; but, again, I was told that all leave was stopped in the 7th
+Division, so I am doubtful what will happen. Perhaps the war will end
+soon. Who knows?...
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 12th, 1915._
+
+Your letter not come yet, but posts do not always fit. We had a couple
+of amusements yesterday. One was the opening of fire from quite a new
+direction by the Germans. Fortunately, not very heavy, though. The
+other thing was that our house caught fire last night about 5.30.
+Major B. and the sergeant-major made the discovery. It originated with
+the guard, who, of course, were the last to find it out! Major B. and
+the Sgt. Major were both invaluable, but my first business was to see
+that the sentry was alert, so that we could carry on our operations
+without being surprised by our opponents. Next I got a ladder from a
+ruin, put a man up it with a hose, and said: "There are great gaping
+holes in the tiles everywhere; pull off the remaining ones, and then
+we can pour water all over the fire." There were very few, however,
+left to pull off, so the work was done and the fire put out in a few
+minutes. Lucky for us it was just before dark and the light just
+right, otherwise we should have been shelled to pieces. We buried that
+poor fellow I spoke about yesterday afternoon with a parson, keeping
+my eyes lifted for rifle bullets all the while. I forgot to tell you I
+stopped an N.C.O. as I was coming down to the trenches 3 nights ago to
+speak to one of our men; immediately afterwards he was hit in the leg
+by a bullet. As it was long range, the bullet remained in his calf,
+and he went off in an ambulance to have it dug out. One of my poor men
+died also this morning; it was astonishing that he was alive at all,
+for yesterday a bullet hit him in the head and blew the back of his
+head off, and yet he remained alive and quite conscious without pain
+till 2 a.m. I have just had a visit from an artillery officer; he and
+I have concerted a plan of operations together. As his shells are very
+heavy, things ought to be bad for the Germans. How I hate this
+business of killing people who never wanted the war, and would go home
+if it were possible! Now, if I could have an innings at those who
+actually made the war and murdered the women and children, I would
+have quite a different tale to tell, but these poor creatures are set
+in a groove and are helpless to escape out of it.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _February 13th, 1915._
+
+We got away quietly from our trenches on the night of the 12th, I am
+thankful to say. It was so dark that I could not see the man in front
+of me, though I could touch him with my hand. I "came," as the Irish
+say, a great sprawl over a bridge across a ditch, the chief difficulty
+being to find my uniform cap in the darkness and mud, as, of course,
+one did not wish to give away where we were by even a flash from one's
+electric torch. However, here we are in billets once again, with the
+rain pouring down and guns roaring now all round us. I cannot quite
+make out whether any shells from the enemy are falling or not. Since
+we came they have blown down a small building on the other side of the
+road from where I am sitting, and sent a shell into the medical
+inspection room. This gives some idea of how powerful even one of
+their medium-sized shells is, for it went through five thick brick
+walls before it exploded. I hope I may get leave again presently, but
+there appears to be some trouble about a second lot. I shall, however,
+put a brave face on and demand it in the ordinary course, and see what
+I can do. I am told that Colonels who have finished their command are
+kept on commanding their regiments out here during the war, as they
+are badly needed just at present, so I do not know that I shall get a
+Brigade when my time is up, as it will be ere long. Of course,
+everything is at sixes and sevens. I hope you have already sent Col.
+Anderson the copy of my History which he asked for. I am glad that
+Colonel Farmar has done so well with Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, as he
+is such a good fellow, and in all probability he will have a good
+career before him. I must be off.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _February 14th, 1915._
+
+A wet day yesterday, and a wild night; rain stopped now, and turning
+very cold. Pleasant for the trenches, but I anticipate cold weather up
+to the middle of April at least, and very bitter weather in March. The
+Germans seized the opportunity to shell us and knock down the house
+next to mine, laying out two of my men and a sergeant of the
+Berkshires. Fortunately none of them were killed. They smashed the
+roof up, so we went round to get safer billets for the men. The house
+we took was inhabited by a very rich old man, who said he kept a house
+to live in and a shop to work in, not to put soldiers in! Pleasant
+loyal fellow! We simply said that he would have 125 soldiers there
+within half an hour. However, we asked the men, and they said they
+preferred to stay where they were. I expect, as much as anything, they
+were too tired to move. Well, I rode out with Major Baker to the
+Northamptonshire Yeomanry. They were commanded by a Col. Wickham, of
+the Scots Guards, an old gentleman who joined the Guards in 1874. They
+told me the sad news that when they applied for their second leave,
+they were refused, so I am afraid it looks as if none of us will get
+it, which is more than a nuisance. I enclose a letter from Athelstan
+Riley; it will interest you. Major B. has been decidedly ill several
+times on this campaign, and I have literally ordered him to stay in
+bed to get better, as he would not do so otherwise. I should like, if
+it comes my way, to bring out a Brigade; I am all for it! Percy's
+regiment, the Scots Greys, are in the trenches at present having a
+hard time. Many thanks for the prospect of another plum pudding; and
+jam tartlets of some sort, not made with plums, might be very good.
+Apple tartlets, very sweet, well covered in at the top, would be
+perfectly splendid. I do not think we require many things now. A lot
+of cigarettes and tobacco have been sent to us lately....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _February 15th, 1915._
+
+Such a wet day yesterday. We had service about 11 a.m. in the
+conservatory of a convent which in some curious way has escaped being
+destroyed. The enemy were shelling the town, so I put a corporal on
+the watch to give notice as the shells drew nearer. However, after
+coming fairly close they stopped firing. In the afternoon I went to
+see about my crosses for graves. I get a certain number sent down most
+nights whilst we are in the trenches. We have now the sum total of our
+children's ages [about 20] coming to us to-morrow night, so we shall
+have something to do to put them all up. Of course, these are for my
+own men only. In our diggings we are constantly turning up the bodies
+of Indians or Frenchmen, or of a few Englishmen who have held our
+trenches before us, and have been buried at the back during the night.
+Very awful, but so is all war. We go in to-night again to our most
+objectionable duty. I had a letter from Bertha. Col. Farmar is now
+well established on the staff with Gen. Smith-Dorrien. S.D. is far and
+away one of the most capable of our Generals, I am told. I am so sorry
+to hear of Miss Webb's [of Newstead Abbey] sudden death from heart,
+just like her sister, Lady Chermside. Well, that is about all my news.
+I am off this morning to inspect our bomb-throwers. No doubt these
+nasty weapons are useful on occasions, but they are most dangerous to
+those who handle them. So, too, with us--that is, in our Brigade--they
+have only blown up four of themselves. None of my men have done so as
+yet, I am thankful to say....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 16th, 1915._
+
+Here we arrived peacefully last night; I went through the whole of my
+lines in places up to my knees in mud, as usual! There is practically
+no news to give you, excepting that to-day the country looks very nice
+with a bright sun shining. We have heard heavy firing at Ypres, and do
+not know what it all means, but I am fairly ready for them, anyhow, if
+they wish to come. I also learnt that the Germans drove the Russians
+out of East Prussia, because the latter were short of ammunition, but
+that the Russians killed and wounded 100,000 Germans before they went.
+A few more such German "victories" ought to about finish these knaves!
+How I wish I was back in England and at home!...
+
+
+                                           _February 17th, 1915._
+
+Am really in full blast now. On Saturday I was summoned to ride 5
+miles to a conference. The first person I saw there was Col. Farmar,
+who had just returned from a flying visit to England. It was pleasant
+meeting him again, though we had not much time for a private talk.
+The conference being over, I was whisked off in a motor with a
+General. We were driven by a French soldier who had been two years in
+London and 7 years in America. After lunch at his billet I was told to
+reconnoitre the trenches we were to occupy that evening; we came upon
+a French woman of the rich farmer class who had just had her servant
+killed, and herself and baby wounded by a German shell. Then we went
+on to the trenches, leaving the General behind, and taking a staff
+officer instead. I found that my Brigadier had arranged that I was to
+take over the front of something over two regiments. There were plenty
+of shells bursting around me, including five in the next house and
+lots of rifle fire. Well, by the evening I had gathered all the
+information I wanted to know, so went back in my motor. Meanwhile the
+Brigadier sent word that we were to go to the town of----. It was
+perfectly dark there on our arrival, and after proceeding with great
+care on account of the shell-holes in the streets I came to the only
+lighted place there was, which turned out to be a General's
+headquarters. Here I was allowed to sit by the fire for a few minutes
+to dry myself, after which I went off in the dark and rain to arrange
+billets for the Bn. Of course this is not really my business, but
+everything was so huggermugger that I thought I should get matters
+along that way. Arriving at 1 a.m., I put the men into deserted French
+houses. The inhabitants had fled, so I was informed by a French
+officer at the General's Headquarters, because the Germans had asked
+for 50,000 francs for an indemnity, and it was not paid in the given
+time. They, so he said, shot the mayor and an old man of 80 years and
+another; so if that is true the people just panicked! We were very
+comfortable barring sleeping on the floor and having to get up at 5
+a.m. on a Sunday, and in snowy weather too! Well, that day I received
+the order to move, and finally got into our trenches at four-thirty
+last night in downpours of rain. As we approached these, a heavy fight
+was in progress, and we came under fire of the spent bullets. One of
+my very good boxers, poor chap! was hit in the jaw and died at once. I
+suppose it dislocated the spine. Then the Germans threw star shell on
+us, and turned a searchlight upon us as well, so altogether made
+themselves very unpleasant, whilst our own shells burst short just
+above our heads as we stood on the road. In the dark I sorted everyone
+out, had a confab. with the two C.Os., and then sent my troops off
+under officers as guides to their trenches. I need hardly tell you
+that I hated the whole thing horribly, but one never shows it. The day
+before my doctor had been taken ill with influenza, and though I
+asked for another, none could be sent, and there I was with the dead
+man in the trench and another wounded, and no one to attend to them.
+However, by dint of sitting up all night, going round the front
+trenches, etc., I managed to get things more or less right, but was
+not sorry when day broke without an attack, for if a strong one is
+made here, we are sure to be broken through. Well, now you would like
+to hear what sort of place I am in. Imagine a hole in the ground
+thatched over with mud and broken planks. It is 3 feet deep, and
+raised just sufficiently for me to sit on the ground without touching
+my head against the roof. I have some looted straw on the clay, and
+here I sit and shiver, with my greatcoat and a blanket and mud up to
+my eyes. From this charming spot I try, with the assistance of many
+orderlies, to get orders to various companies, sometimes
+unsuccessfully, for the men lose themselves in a surprising manner
+when sent on messages. Each time I go forward to the front trenches I
+have to wade through mud bent double in a little narrow ditch which
+catches me on either side. We have been told that we are to remain for
+only forty-eight hours in this place, but it may turn out to be a
+fortnight for all I know! At present I am using a couple of batteries
+against the trenches that the Germans are working in on my right. A
+few men are firing at us from these, but we have hardly fired a shot
+ourselves, as we are waiting for the enemy to advance, if so inclined.
+A tremendous bombardment goes on about 10 miles east of us, the
+heaviest I have heard yet. I nearly went to sleep over this letter, so
+will stop now, and write more when I have time....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 18th, 1915._
+
+You ask about H---- having a pony; I think he had better get thorough
+confidence in the donkey first, and learn to go by himself. The reason
+is plain to anyone who goes in for horses much. A donkey, though it
+kicks a good deal, generally has its hind feet unshod, and in any case
+does not kick hard enough to more than hurt a little. A pony, on the
+contrary, is very liable to throw one off and then kick one's skull
+in. I remember my brother H---- being knocked off and kicked by a
+mare. A little nearer, and he would never have moved again. Therefore
+I think it would be wiser to get our boy used to his donkey and not
+afraid of it. I will have a look at him when (and if) I get home
+again. Yesterday I went in the afternoon to put our cemetery straight.
+It was being shelled at the time, and as I crept round some of our
+batteries afterwards, the guns were being hit, also a rather nice farm
+in which they were placed surrounded by a moat. The enemy have been
+shelling us this morning too, very closely, but I am tired, and my
+nerves, as you know, are not very jumpy! I was up just after 3 o'clock
+this morning, and went to various places, nearly being lost in a
+quagmire! Two of my men were hit, one by a spent bullet in the
+stomach. We can see the bullet, so I expect he will not die. The other
+was shot through the thigh, and the bullet stuck in his hand! We have
+got it out, and I am forwarding it to the authorities, as it has taken
+such a queer shape that one wonders if the German bullets are
+according to rules. This is a sketch of the bullet as it was
+originally and now. You can imagine what pain such a thing must
+give....
+
+[Illustration: Original]
+
+[Illustration: Present shape]
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _February 19th, 1915._
+
+We are in support now. As we moved down here one of my men was hit in
+the "hinder parts." Very unfair advantage for an enemy to take. Of
+course it was dark; we found, however, that he was not dangerously
+wounded. That man whose bullet I drew you yesterday had his thigh bone
+smashed, poor fellow! Did you see that some officers who were
+prisoners had been exchanged by Germany (the incurable ones)? The two
+seniors mentioned I knew. One was Major Davey of the Middlesex Regt.,
+whose brother lives in Newark. The other is Major Chichester, with
+whom I used to hunt in Dover. Did you see French's last despatches? I
+heard from Aden last night. The Colonel next junior to me out there
+sent all the news. They have had heavy rain, and the whole place is
+green (?). It is said not to have happened since the Flood! Then I
+received a pessimistic letter from Aunt H---- telling me that lots of
+wounded were expected and that the war would not cease. The Kaiser is
+not running this world's course. He is only allowed to go on as far as
+is good for him and for us. If he were, I should be pessimistic too,
+but I have yet to learn that "the arm of the Lord is shortened," and
+until then we can rest in peace no matter what happens, my dear. I
+enclose you a cutting from the _People_ sent by Aunt H---- about the
+Saddlers' Co. All the Lauries belong to it. My Father was Master more
+than once, and also Uncle Alfred. A bright beautiful springlike day,
+but a little cold. The pudding arrived yesterday; many thanks for it.
+Our dinner also consisted of smoked sprats from Major Baker; cake and
+tinned peaches from Capt. Wright; figs and ginger from Mr. Brown, so
+we did not do badly. We had an adventure last night with a wagon which
+contained our little all. The man drove carelessly, and the wagon fell
+into a ditch 3 feet deep in water. After carefully unloading it, I
+gave them a pair of horses and 50 men to get it out. They pulled it up
+all right, but it next fell into the ditch on the other side, where it
+had to be left till the morning, when we sent out just at dawn and
+brought it in. All this kept us late for dinner, as you may
+imagine....
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                           _February 20th, 1915._
+
+No letters at all, as, owing to the submarines, we are dodging the
+mails across somewhere else, I expect. The great difficulty is to
+catch your submarine, though you may see him often enough. The craze
+for going boating in these vessels will shortly die out amongst the
+Germans, I fancy, when they find out the number of boats that do not
+come home! At present they are looking out for one or two which I
+understand will not reappear, and thus they have to keep ships
+cruising about in search of them with petrol and food. Of course these
+are neutral ships; but it adds to our chance of finding out where and
+how these knaves draw their supplies! I have heard that it is from
+Ireland; but I expect the Government knows more than it lets out.
+Yesterday the Germans shelled us for an hour and a half; they just
+missed us, and killed a poor civilian behind the houses instead. They
+have increased our leave by one day now; still, whether they will
+grant mine a second time is uncertain, but I continue to hope. The
+awkward part is that they never let me know in time to write and tell
+you. Supposing it is granted, I may arrive on the night of February
+25th; but if I do get across I must do a little shopping in London
+first, and fit myself out with some things I badly want: then I shall
+come on to you as soon as possible. It is rather a bore that the war
+will not stop, and I am annoyed that I have been kept out in India and
+away from you for over two years! The weather is improving here and
+getting more springlike. What are the Germans going to do now?...
+
+
+                                           _February 21st, 1915._
+
+I was very glad to hear from you yesterday, when two of your letters
+arrived together. Of course we had been done by these German
+submarines; so evidently the authorities thought it wiser not to run
+the Folkestone boats all through the day, for fear of giving the
+Germans an opportunity of sinking them! I fancy at night you are as
+likely as not to run over a submarine. In the same way I make no doubt
+that many of the German ones have been run down and sunk on the quiet.
+We go into the trenches again to-night, worse luck! My leave was
+refused on the ground that the General was not giving anyone a second
+leave, but the Staff captain added that it was only a matter of a few
+weeks' delay, when he would probably grant it if he could. I have been
+over to my transport lines on horseback this morning. I have to keep
+my eye on some 60 horses and mules who mostly stand out in muddy
+fields; but as they are very well fed and not overworked at present,
+there is nothing much wrong with them, excepting that their thick
+woolly coats gather vermin a little. I have had broken bricks and
+cinders put down for them to stand on, and thus lifted them out of the
+mud. I was over yesterday getting my hair cut, when I met Mr. Sherlock
+out for a walk, and as I was obliged to wait for an hour or so, I had
+tea with him. He told me that my name was mentioned in French's
+despatches. Well, that is quite pleasant, and I hope next time some of
+my officers will join me. Do you remember a Col. Gough in Dublin about
+the time we were married? Well, he is Brigadier-General on the Staff
+now, and yesterday went down to our lines of trenches. He was shot
+through the groin, and I am afraid has been very badly wounded. The
+enemy proceeded to shell E---- yesterday whilst I was there. Their gun
+must have been 5 miles from it. The first shot knocked a big tree down
+in a timber yard, of all places, but did no further damage. The second
+one went over my head, fell in a soft place, and exploded its energy
+in nothing. Then I left E----. Monson, my old servant, has joined me,
+looking more like a cross between an owl and a stork than ever!...
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 23rd, 1915._
+
+Just now we are undergoing a shelling from a heavy German howitzer; a
+piece fell at my feet as I was outside talking to Col. Spedding,
+cousin to Major Spedding of my regiment, whom you knew. He tells me
+that Major S. is supposed to be dead, but the difficulty is that every
+now and then some rumour comes that he has been seen alive, and poor
+Mrs. Spedding catches at any hope. He was a brave man, which, after
+all, is what we want. I enclose you my sister Amy's letter. Yesterday
+I had to go off to look at some forts. The German snipers were busy,
+though there was so thick a mist that they could not see me. Still,
+their bullets fell pretty close, and hit one of the forts; a man was
+also wounded in the leg. It shows how dangerous this unaimed fire can
+be when it comes in quantities. I had a quaint postcard from Sydney in
+reply to my last letter. Yes; I saw that Massereene, poor Herbert
+Stepney, and many others I know were mentioned in the despatches. The
+Military Cross is a new order, awarded to junior officers. As to the
+Russians, they have large numbers of men, but are still unfortunately
+short of equipment. Germany had plenty of men, though she never
+imagined that she would have to get the last 2 millions out. They were
+not trained, but neither were the Russians; I think, however, that we
+shall wear them down all right in the end. The Germans are supposed to
+have used up half their last million already. Our days here are very
+hard; for instance, I was up at 2 a.m., and have been walking or
+working ever since then, arranging with engineers or Generals or
+artillery officers what is to be done. I lay down for an hour after 6
+o'clock, but could not sleep on account of cold feet.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _February 24rd, 1915._
+
+I am glad you had a pleasant "meet" at Ossington, and I am much
+obliged for Mr. Denison's kind inquiries after me. I know how
+seriously ill he is, but I think it is quite likely many of us will go
+before.... We had a sharp frost last night, though my men are fairly
+used to it now. They are just like a lot of naughty children! For
+instance, I had two killed yesterday, through either their own or
+their comrades' faults. One man was watching our guns shelling the
+enemy's trenches. He was told to lie down or he would be shot. He did
+so, and the moment he saw a favourable opportunity he popped up again,
+and was promptly shot dead. The other was in front of the trenches
+mending wires, and his comrades, seeing that their N.C. officer was
+out, joyfully seized the occasion to stoke their fire and have a big
+blaze. The result was the unfortunate man showed up against it and was
+shot through the head; and their fire was kicked bodily into the water
+by an irate N.C.O. But they will do exactly the same to-morrow and the
+next day and the day after! The fact is, they never think! I am
+waiting now to take the Brigade Major and one of "K.'s Army" round the
+trenches to show them what I can, so that K.'s officer may not have
+quite a "green" crew when he arrives. More Germans have gathered in
+front of us lately, I think. I have written to London for an awfully
+good new waterproof, as I must keep dry, and I have had to send to
+"Flight" for a new uniform coat. When they come I shall be fairly set
+up, though the trenches have played havoc with my riding things; but
+they will have to do for the present. Would you kindly look in my
+unpainted tin-lined box and get me out a pair of khaki puttees. If you
+cannot find them there, they will be in a black wooden box. Get
+someone to help you. Both trunks are in the box-room, but do not catch
+cold when watching them. I have now returned from the trenches. We
+were sniped a little; the General went up another trench alongside us
+with the adjutant of a certain regiment, Capt. Thompson, and he, poor
+fellow! was killed. He was a good sort, and was in here yesterday to
+see me, and talking about his 3 children so cheerily: one, a boy, at,
+I think, the Beacon School, Sevenoaks, and on his way to Eton. Mr.
+Adderley came back this morning with a wonderful story that the Navy
+had caught an oil tank vessel supplying oil to the German submarines,
+and that the crew were taken to our Depot in Belfast and there shot!
+Presumably it is not true!...
+
+
+                                           _February 25th, 1915._
+
+Thanks for your letter. I heard from Sir John, and there was one, too,
+from my Mother, who is a very regular correspondent. Aunt Mary
+Cowell's letter turned up also, so I must get letters of thanks
+written to everyone in due course. To-night I am dining with Gen.
+Pinney. He and I are supposed to be the two optimists of the Division.
+Snow on the ground and rather cold. I hope the Germans are very cold
+and short of food! I am waiting to find out the time of poor Capt.
+Thompson's funeral. He was killed when with the General yesterday, as
+I told you. Sir John Ross is most kind in his remarks, is he not? I
+thought I had told you that B. and M.'s matches duly arrived. I am
+sure, in fact, that I did do so. Hal is not too young to ride a pony
+soon, though Sydney would be; but then you want a man to keep him well
+on the lead at first. My idea is, as I said before, that when he gets
+absolutely _au fait_ with his donkey, it would be time enough to put
+him on a pony. When a boy is over 8 or 9, it is safe to let him ride
+regularly. Earlier than that, I don't approve of. I fancy that this
+Dardanelles business, if properly run, will lead to great results.
+Personally, I always thought that they had too many troops in Egypt
+for the sole purpose of defence. Now I suppose they will put some of
+them up the Dardanelles, and Dame Rumour says that Generals of the
+Naval Divisions have gone across to the Dardanelles already, but, of
+course, that may not be true....
+
+
+              (_From Sir J. Ross of Bladensburg._)
+
+                                       ROSTREVOR HOUSE,
+                                         ROSTREVOR, IRELAND.
+                                                         20.2.15.
+
+MY DEAR G----,
+
+Very many congratulations on your being mentioned in despatches, which
+we are so delighted to see. All the more credit to you that, although
+you have been out at the front for some time, you were not there at
+the beginning of the war, and I know in all these cases, when other
+things are equal, the "mention" goes to those who have been out the
+longest. I think you know about as much of what is going on as we do,
+for, on the whole, we are told very little. Yet I am glad to say we
+are promised two short official accounts every week, and so we must be
+grateful for that amount of news. The main question outside the actual
+operations relates to the German intention; if they can torpedo every
+ship they see, whether it belongs to a belligerent or a neutral! It
+was always held to be a piece of cruel barbarity to sink a trading
+vessel without notice, even if belonging to a belligerent nation, the
+right course being to find out first whether she is a belligerent or
+not, and then to capture her. It was never considered fair warfare to
+touch a neutral. But who can say what "Kultur" will bring us to? Most
+people would call it unblushing piracy and attempted wholesale murder.
+But we will see what happens. Naval "Kultur" began the day before
+yesterday, and the report to-day is that a Norwegian neutral was
+torpedoed. F---- is very well, but does not come here till April.
+Sydney is here, and is getting fat and chubby, a delightful little
+boy, and keeps us all very cheery. We have had two delicious days as
+far as weather is concerned. I hope you have had the same change for
+the better.
+
+May God keep you safe and sound, dear old G----, is, with our love,
+our very earnest hope.
+
+                                             I am,
+                                  Yours affectionately,
+                                              J.R. of B----.
+
+
+                                           _February 26th, 1915._
+
+We went to poor Capt. Thompson's funeral yesterday, Major B. and
+myself. A military funeral in the field is of three sorts. Well away
+from the enemy the soldier is borne on a stretcher, sewn up in his
+blankets and wrapped in a flag. Nearer the enemy you dispense with a
+flag; and finally, of course, in the trenches, when you cannot get
+out, you crawl down a ditch and dig a hole in the side and bury the
+poor fellow. Ours was of the second sort, as it was within long-range
+rifle fire, but somewhat screened by a hedge. Four officers carried
+the stretcher, and about six others followed behind. The grave was
+lined with wheaten straw, unthreshed, and the clergyman read a very
+short service, and then we all slipped quietly away. After the funeral
+we trotted on to the 5th Battery. They are friends of ours, and had
+been heavily shelled the day before; we telephoned them to inquire the
+result, but had received no answer. The operator, it seems, was
+obliged to take refuge in a cellar with some women and children, for
+the enemy positively rained shells upon them, fortunately, however,
+from a field gun only. Then shells struck the house itself, and the
+others made holes in the ground round it. Two went through the
+adjoining windows, two others into the dust-heap, etc. The cause of it
+was that the French owner had brought a threshing machine and was
+threshing out his wheat. Of course, the smoke of the engine attracted
+the Germans at once. The French are very much amused at this, I am
+told, for they do not allow any such things near their lines; but our
+Staff are soft-hearted. I had a very pleasant little dinner with Gen.
+Pinney last night, and played Bridge for an hour--the first game I
+have had time for since I left the transport at Liverpool. That will
+give you an idea of how busy I am. When I can, I sleep; otherwise I
+work hard. We are looking forward to more tartlets. I do not believe
+in riding lessons at present for H----. Let Sheppard teach him. My
+father showed me how to hold the reins, and I learnt the remainder
+myself. Far and away the best way too....
+
+
+                                           _February 27th, 1915._
+
+A very cold day with east wind. It will be bitter in the trenches. I
+hope the Germans are finding it so! I send you a note from some R.I.C.
+Sergeant in Belfast. Your extract from the Irish _Evening Telegraph_
+about me is rather amusing! As to your going to Ireland, it is early
+yet to decide. Who knows what a day may bring forth at any time? So
+poor Mr. Gorton has gone. The people in his village will miss him
+greatly. I will try and put a note in this letter for Patience Gorton,
+as I know her best, and you can send it on. I always forget the name
+of their place. By the way, I remember now that it is called Walesby,
+so will post it direct and save you the trouble. I am glad you thought
+of sending a wreath. I went for a long ride with the object of seeing
+someone in the Border Regt. yesterday whom Major Baker knew. Not one
+officer who came out with that regiment is with it now. This gives you
+an idea of what is going on here....
+
+
+                     ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY BARRACKS,
+                                   CHICHESTER PARK, BELFAST.
+                                          _February 20th, 1915._
+
+LIEUTENANT-COLONEL G.B. LAURIE.
+
+SIR,
+
+We write to say how very glad we are to see that you are safe and
+well. We were delighted to see by the papers that you were among those
+mentioned for gallantry in the despatch sent home a few days ago by
+Field-Marshal Sir John French. We have tried to locate the different
+gentlemen now on active service who had been residing in this
+district, and the press is our medium--it was there we learnt you were
+at the front, and we are most anxious, and dearly hope that they all,
+who were when here so very kind to us, and are now risking their lives
+that we may be free--may be restored to their homes in perfect health
+and strength.
+
+This is the spirit which prompts the writing of this letter, and we
+beg of you not to think us unduly familiar, but rather that we most
+sincerely hope that you may have perfect health and strength, and,
+above all, that you may, when the time comes, return home safe and
+well.
+
+                                 Your obedient servant,
+                                               JEREMIAH LEE,
+                                                  _Sergt. R.I.C._
+
+
+                                           _February 28th, 1915._
+
+I had a hurried ride yesterday in a piercing wind to see my 70 or 80
+horses. In the afternoon, just as we were starting off to the
+trenches, we were stopped and told to wait whilst the Gunners tried to
+cut the wire in front of the German trenches with shells. Such a
+course of action may lead to heavy sniping, as you can quite well
+imagine. However, we got in all right by eight o'clock, and I wandered
+round my trenches until between 12 and 1 o'clock a.m. This morning we
+received a notice that we were to be withdrawn to reserve to-morrow or
+the next day, owing to more troops coming into the line. I had to take
+the General round who succeeds me in these trenches. He seemed such a
+nice man. We are supposed to leave to-morrow night if these people can
+get out from their trenches. The enemy is shelling us now, and as it
+is a particularly clear day they are using it to the best advantage to
+try and destroy us. I must turn our guns on to them if they go on like
+this. I only wish we could swamp the brutes with numbers and get the
+war over. I am not disturbed about Russia. If we can get the
+Dardanelles open, we can easily send her ammunition and equipment for
+her spare men, and so end the war more quickly; but, failing that, I
+think Russia will easily foil Germany, and spring at her again and
+again until she is worn out. I had a letter of congratulation from
+your sister Mabel. Very kind of her....
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                           _Ash Wednesday, 1915._
+
+A wet, muggy morning. I have been waiting for 3 hours to accompany the
+General round the lines since 6.30 a.m. At 9.30 I telephoned in, and
+found that he had gone to some other duty and forgotten me! However,
+it cannot be helped. He and I are really very friendly. More fighting
+on our right, with very heavy big gun fire. I expect the brickfields
+at La Bassee are again being a scene of mortal combat. We were ordered
+last night to try to ascertain if the Germans still occupied their
+trenches as usual; so we crept out and looked about, and found
+everything much the same. As to the khaki-coloured shirts, would you
+have them put away by sizes, please, when they are made up, till
+wanted; the present ones will wear out with a rush from being worn
+night and day, and from having been badly washed and scorched when
+drying, so they may be wanted in a hurry. Whilst waiting about here
+this morning, I amused myself by looking for shell holes round our
+ruins. So far as I can see, they are everywhere, like the holes in a
+sponge for numbers. My artillery is just going to blow up a house
+where the enemy hid a machine gun last night, and which opened on us
+during the night and thought we did not know! I also have another R.A.
+officer throwing tins full of gun cotton and nails into the German
+trenches at this very moment. A nice Christian occupation, truly! I
+ought to know in a few days if there is any chance of second leave or
+not.
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS OF MARCH, 1915.
+
+
+                                                IN TRENCHES.
+                                               _March 1st, 1915._
+
+I enclose you a letter from one of my old Generals, Sir John Keir. I
+wrote to congratulate him on receiving the "K" to his C.B., which I
+helped to win him at Boshbult, S. Africa, 1902. Do not trouble to send
+it back again. They have no children, and I have never met Lady Keir
+so far, but if I get back to England no doubt I shall, though his
+division is in Cork at present. Yesterday we were once more under
+heavy fire. One shell exploded beside two men who were trying to make
+some tea. I am sure the poor fellows, without thinking, gave away
+their position by having too large a fire. Anyway, this shell burnt
+everything round them, including the flaps of a barn door standing
+upright, with nothing inflammable near, but the doors were in a blaze
+in a moment, and also their clothes. One man had 18 holes in him; the
+other was dreadfully scorched and hurt. I gave him morphia tablets,
+but I'm afraid they did not do him much good; it was a mercy that the
+doctor arrived soon to give him a proper hypodermic injection. In one
+place we found a piece of shell about the size of a half lb. iron
+weight which had forced its way right through, and was just under the
+skin on the other side. We got that out, but he died shortly after.
+They shelled us again during the night, the brutes; however, we did
+not bother our heads much about that, and I had a very good night's
+rest from 10 o'clock until four a.m. After all, it was not
+G----S----'s husband that I met the other day. He turned out to be
+Capt. Sherlock of a Militia Artillery regt., one of the family, I
+fancy, who was tea-planting or something at Singapore before the war.
+As to smoked herrings, I cannot say that I am very fond of them, so I
+think that at present it would be as well not to send anything but
+cakes, mincepies, or tartlets. Mincepies are presumably over, so
+continue to send jam tartlets, please. Some day I will try to get our
+cook here to see what he can do, but I am afraid our soldier man needs
+more instruction before he can venture on pastry! Now I must stop, as
+I have a great deal of other business to get done....
+
+They have started shelling us again, bless them!
+
+
+                                               _March 3rd, 1915._
+
+I was so busy yesterday that I had not a chance of sending you more
+than a postcard. They sent for me to a hurried conference of the
+General. I then rode off with another Colonel some miles, and after
+putting on waders had to reconnoitre our new trenches and go over
+other ground, marching along these under fire, with the mud, as usual,
+halfway up to my waist. Such is life over here. I returned about 3
+o'clock, and then I had to settle the endless questions which arise in
+a regt. on active service, from getting the men new boots to arranging
+whether it was safe for the shoemaker to have a fire in his corner
+whilst he was busy cobbling. So far the tarts have not arrived.
+Perhaps they will presently. All the war news looks good; but it is a
+big war. I only wish I had been out with the "Rufford" at Weston last
+week. Such a horrible day here, raining hard and everything
+uncomfortable. I have managed to squeeze into a small house with my
+adjutant Capt. Wright, and he has to sleep on the boards where we have
+our meals, whilst the old lady and her servant cook our rations at 1-1/2
+francs a day each. You should hear the French we talk!...
+
+Glad the children liked the "meet."
+
+
+                                               _March 4th, 1915._
+
+Your letter did not turn up yesterday! I have been most busy with
+various things. If you saw my men in a spinning mill sleeping under
+engines, etc., you would wonder how we exist! Of course, Spring is
+coming on, and we shall then have to go in for business of the worst
+type; so whilst someone else is holding the lines, we are now trying
+to get our men fit for this work. Meals here are quaint, run by a
+servant girl. She brings breakfast of coffee without milk and an
+omelette, but we always have our ration of bacon as well. That was a
+difficulty at first, as neither the adjutant's nor my book gave the
+French for bacon. However, by introducing the word _cochon_, we
+arrived at the fact that here amongst her class it was called
+_porc_--so there we are! Then luncheon is a sad affair, with generally
+some cold thing followed only by cheese. At tea (made very weak) from
+our ration stuff, she now gives us toast, though there, again, we had
+no such word in our book. I managed to remember that it was _pain
+roti_, and we got along. Dinner is not bright, but yesterday we were
+blessed with a pudding of rice strongly flavoured with vanilla. To-day
+I am off for a wade with my officers to show them what they must learn
+about my new lines. Such a trouble as it is getting there, with shell
+flying and bursting all around one, and rifle bullets humming
+everywhere. I hate this business cordially, but what will you! If
+these scamps are not driven back, they will try to rule the world, and
+will kill and burn as they think fit, and that will not do at all! The
+Russians seem to be doing good work in killing the unfortunate
+Germans. Let us hope that the whole thing will go with a run now, and
+that it will not last much longer.... Love to the children....
+
+_P.S._--I lost two N.C.Os. killed yesterday by one bullet through
+their heads, and another of my poor men had his tongue cut out.
+
+
+                                               _March 5th, 1915._
+
+MY DEAREST F----
+
+I am writing this in great haste, as I am just off to the General's on
+important business. I was most interested in reading various friends'
+letters on my "mention." What it has really been in the way of being
+shot at would cover a small campaign three times over, and I do not
+doubt many of my officers and men have had even a worse time than
+myself, and there is very much more hard work to come. The French Army
+can always produce fresh troops for each fresh job, but our smaller
+army has to send the same troops up to everything, and then when the
+regiment is reduced to fragments, it is filled up with anyone from
+anywhere, and to the authorities it is the same as the original good
+regiment. Before I forget, and in case anything happens to me, I want
+to tell you again that all my securities are at Cox; there is a list
+of them in my despatch case, and you will find one lot of title deeds
+that I had not as yet had time to look over in the Oak Room. I have
+been so hustled ever since coming from India that it has been
+impossible to attend to such things....
+
+                                    Yours with love....
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+                                                 IN BILLETS.
+                                               _March 7th, 1915._
+
+We have been very hard at work to-day. At 9.30 last night I received
+an order to arrange with the priest in a certain village for service
+the next morning. As my billets extend over a mile, you can imagine
+that I was not too pleased! This was followed at 11.30 p.m. by another
+order that we were to be on parade at 6 a.m. Getting home between 7
+and 8 a.m., I had to hurry to early service, bolt some breakfast, and
+present myself at the General's house at 9 o'clock for a conference.
+Returning from that, I then had to hand in the men's winter kits. Next
+came the orders to move into fresh billets to-night in the dark. This
+with 1,000 men and 70 horses, whilst I must send a working party of
+four hundred men to a place 5 or 6 miles off at 10.30 p.m. to-night.
+How it is all to be done I have not been informed, but you can imagine
+the chaos that can ensue. We have been comfortable for the last two or
+three days. After our life in the trenches we can say that we have
+been _very_ comfortable, because we have been able to wash daily and
+have a tub every second day, which things count much. I sent my Sam
+Browne belt, etc., home two days ago, as we are supposed to wear web
+equipment now like the men; and our swords have also been despatched.
+Mine has gone to Messrs. Cox's shipping agency through the Ordnance,
+with three labels on it addressed to you; it is well greased, and will
+not require overhauling, I trust, until I get back. We have had two
+days of rain, and things are rather nasty. My saddle-bags are quite
+useful on my second horse; they take a lot of my kit, including a pair
+of waders, with boots to go with them too. When the weather dries up
+a little, I shall return these and push other things in. I wish the
+war was well over, but I expect the Germans hate it worse than we
+do....
+
+
+                                               BILLETS.
+                                               _March 8th, 1915._
+
+Our little march in the dark was accompanied with heavy rain squalls
+and the weather turning bitterly cold. We missed our billeting party
+in the darkness, for it was intense. I think the inside of a public
+house was appealing to them at the time, so I halted my men, and by
+sending mounted officers in every direction, with luck I caught some
+of them. And here we are again, and very comfortable. Of course, we
+still have our early rising to contend with, but otherwise for the
+moment things are pretty straight. These Irishmen are most amusing
+fellows; they can't be treated like the English soldier: one has to be
+much more strict with them, and ride them at other times with a much
+lighter hand. For the next few months, unless Germany collapses at
+once, there will be _heavy fighting_ for us. I am glad to hear that
+the Russians are driving these knaves back. What it really means is
+that when the Germans fight a successful action, they lose a certain
+number of men whom they cannot replace, and use up ammunition which
+they cannot make in a hurry, and so the war gradually draws to its
+conclusion, I trust.... I had to fly away just then to deal with my
+many prisoners and my companies also. I am sorry you have had illness
+in the house; I am so used to sickness that it hardly appals me when
+it applies to other people. For instance, since I came out here, if
+you multiply the number of my Father's town house in Porchester
+Terrace by 10 [number invalided, 470] you will be below the numbers
+who have been invalided from my Bn. since I came to France, and before
+that there was Hursley Park, Winchester, and the voyage home from
+India, when I lived amongst sick men for some unknown reason. The
+weather is now varying between skiffs of snow and bright gleams of
+sunshine, but very, very cold....
+
+
+                                               _March 9th, 1915._
+
+Many thanks for your letter. My new puttees will be most useful, as my
+old ones are full of holes. We have, during the last day or so, had a
+strong wind, and the ground is drying up wonderfully, so it will not
+be so hard on puttees for the future. As a rule, when one walks
+across country, and struggles through muddy trenches without one's
+horse, one wears puttees if one is not wearing long gum boots; these
+latter keep the legs and feet drier, but the difficulty is that they
+are too heavy to walk very far in them. I had a long letter from Meta,
+which I enclose. I am sending two badges to the children from my old
+coat. I thought they might like them. I look forward very much to the
+cake you are sending, as the last parcel went astray. My new coat came
+last night. It is made out of very thick cloth, and altogether loose
+and useful. There always has been a battalion of the London Irish
+Rifles (Volunteers), now a territorial corps. The War Office would not
+allow them to belong to us, because Irish Regiments have no
+territorial Bns. In S. Africa, that Bn. (London Irish Rifles) sent us
+a company which was attached to our regiment throughout the war. I
+leave the Irish visit in your hands at present. The only leave I shall
+receive will be if I am wounded. There will be a lot of fighting of a
+bad sort from now on. It would never be surprising if one were hit. I
+have been mercifully preserved up to now; and, again, one must put
+one's trust in Providence....
+
+
+MY DEAR LITTLE HAL,
+
+I am enclosing one of the coat badges which I wore in S. Africa and in
+this war until this morning, when I received another coat from my
+tailor, so I thought you would like it to keep. I hope you are a good
+boy and working very hard, and are a help to Mummie.
+
+                                      Your affectionate
+                                                     DADDIE.
+
+  _March 9th, 1915._
+
+
+MY DEAR LITTLE BLANCHE,
+
+I am also sending you one of my coat badges. This morning I received
+from my tailor a much warmer coat, I am glad to say, for I find it
+terribly cold being out all night in mud and ice-cold water. I am sure
+you are trying to be a very good girl and learning your lessons well.
+
+                                            Your loving
+                                                     DADDIE.
+
+  _March 9th, 1915._
+
+
+                                IN TRENCHES. VERY MUCH!
+                                              _March 11th, 1915._
+
+I have had some very hard fighting since I wrote to you. Of course I
+knew it was coming off, but could not tell you exactly.... We lost a
+certain amount.... I am too busy, though, to write much, and I am out
+in the open feeling very cold, and will be in the mud all night,
+where, by the bye, I've been for the past three nights. A few of my
+officers have been killed, I regret to say, whilst the total of killed
+and wounded for my regiment alone has been three times the number of
+my father's house in P---- Terrace [total number, 141]. Can you
+imagine me charging down with the regiment shortly after dawn into
+Neuve Chapelle? I will write more about it all if I am spared. There
+is heavy fighting before us.
+
+                                         Yours ever....
+                                                      G.B.L.
+
+
+[Here the letters end abruptly, this being the last one written just
+after the taking of Neuve Chapelle. On the following day, March 12th,
+the Irish Rifles were ordered to advance to a further position, which,
+although the ground was gained, the task was an almost impossible one,
+the men being completely worn out after fighting hard several days and
+nights together.
+
+The story of how Colonel Laurie led the charge will be found in the
+letters appended, with various other descriptions of the battle.
+Cheering on his men and calling to them to follow him, he fell in
+action mortally wounded. Thus was he summoned in a moment to a higher
+life, and his pilgrimage on earth was over].
+
+
+_R.I.P._
+
+
+
+
+                                 BUCKINGHAM PALACE, O.H.M.S.
+
+    _To Mrs. Laurie, Carlton Hall, Carlton-on-Trent, Notts._
+
+The King and Queen deeply regret the loss you and the Army have
+sustained by the death of your husband in the service of his country.
+Their Majesties truly sympathize with you in your sorrow.
+
+                                             _Private Secretary._
+
+
+(_From Major Clinton Baker, Second-in-Command._)
+
+                                                R.I. RIFLES.
+                                                         14/3/15.
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+You will have received your dreadful news by telegram. I cannot tell
+you what a terrible loss it has been to the whole regiment, whose
+deepest sympathy you have. Our dear Colonel was killed on March 12th
+at 5.30 p.m. as he rose to lead a charge, revolver in hand--a fine
+example to us all. The end was instantaneous, no suffering.
+
+His adjutant early next morning, out with me, was shot dead at my
+side, and we last evening after dark buried them side by side close to
+Neuve Chapelle. We had three terrific days' fighting (10th, 11th,
+12th), and are still engaged. I will answer any questions you may ask
+as soon as I can. I am writing this in the position we captured,
+knowing that you must be longing for even a short letter. I cannot
+tell you what a _loss_ I have suffered. You have my very deepest
+sympathy.
+
+                                  Yours most sincerely,
+                                           W. CLINTON BAKER.
+
+Everything will be sent home in due course.
+
+
+(_From the same._)
+
+                                                         24/3/15.
+
+I am glad to think that my hurried note was of some little comfort to
+you. It was written practically during the battle, so you must excuse
+its apparent briefness. My poor Colonel was absolutely without fear, a
+splendid example, which I am glad to say the men well followed. The
+grave is within two hundred yards of the German trenches and 50 yards
+from where he fell. It is now marked with the rough cross we put up,
+with his name on it, but I am getting a substantial one erected
+similar to those he had put up for all the regiment who have fallen
+during the last four months.
+
+As he no doubt told you, we attended the Holy Communion together only
+five days before he fell.... I will have "Peace, perfect Peace" put on
+the cross. His sword was sent off to Cox and Co. about the 5th, and
+they will send it to you, together with all his other effects which
+have been sent off. But you should write to them.
+
+I cannot tell you how I miss him; we were so much together every day
+and every night. Don't hesitate to write to ask me questions.
+
+The first part of the fight I think he wrote and told you about; I
+know he said he was engaged in writing to you, on the 11th I think it
+was. The 10th was the day on which we stormed the trenches and took
+Neuve Chapelle. On the 11th we did little except get shelled, as we
+tried to sleep in some German trenches. On the morning of the 12th we
+were again in Neuve Chapelle, and for 2-1/2 hours endured a terrific
+shelling to which he paid no heed, and, as I told you, the fatal shot
+came at 5.20 p.m. just as, revolver in hand, I saw him about to get
+over our parapet and lead a charge. A true soldier's Death. Should I
+write to his Mother? I would rather not if you can do so, but will, of
+course, if you wish it. I am so sorry for you and for your poor
+children.
+
+                                  Yours very sincerely,
+                                           W. CLINTON BAKER.
+
+
+(_From the same._)
+
+                                              1. R.I. RIFLES
+                                                         12/4/15.
+
+I am afraid I have been a very long time answering your letter of
+March 30th.
+
+I hope you will be able to get a photograph of the grave, as Capt.
+Jeffares of our fourth Battalion, now attached to the 2nd Munster
+Fusiliers, who knew the Colonel well, writes that he has taken a
+photograph of it and will send you one. There will probably be only a
+rough cross on the grave, which we put up on the day he was buried.
+Capt. Jeffares wrote that he had tidied up round the grave.
+
+One of our men soon after the fight wrote home as follows:--"Our
+Colonel and Adjutant lie side by side guarding the ground won till the
+last Trump!"
+
+We have now lost Capt. Lanyon, very sad, so soon after Capt. Biscoe
+being killed. They had been inseparable friends for years.
+
+                                       Yours sincerely,
+                                           W. CLINTON BAKER.
+
+
+(_From Brigadier-General Oldfield (at this time Major R.F.A., attached
+Royal Irish Rifles) to Hon. Lady Ross of Bladensburg._)
+
+                                                     ON F.S.
+                                                         18/3/15.
+
+DEAR AUNT B----,
+
+I am writing to tell you how Col. Laurie fell. I was talking to him
+just before his charge, and you will perhaps tell or not tell Mrs.
+Laurie what I write as you think fit. Part I saw and part I was told
+of after. On the 11th afternoon, after taking Neuve Chapelle, our
+Infantry was brought to a standstill, and the experiment was tried of
+rushing a field gun up to clear away houses, obstacles, etc., in the
+open. I was chosen for this task. After helping our Infantry in one
+place on 12th morning, I was told to help the R.I. Rifles to take some
+houses and a trench in the evening. I rushed over to arrange with him,
+and went into his trenches and among his men. All were very exhausted.
+He said they simply could not go on. We arranged to attack in the
+morning. I went to the Brigadier to say so, but found that he was
+ordered to attack at once. Col. Laurie knew it was almost impossible,
+but ran off to obey. I rushed to my gun. I just had time to blow in a
+barn before the time of attack came. His men tried again and
+again--only to be mown down. The ground between the two lines of
+trenches was thick with dead of both sides. Colonel Laurie said,
+"Follow me, I will lead you!" rushed out, and fell gallantly, shot
+dead at the head of his men. Is there a finer death? For myself, I
+escaped with my guns last night, and here I am resting after a
+desperate 9 days. But I lost my favourite subaltern and nearly every
+friend I had in the Division. I am still very lame, and this time has
+been very strenuous.
+
+                                    Your affec. nephew,
+                                                L. OLDFIELD.
+
+
+(_From Colonel Laurie's Brigadier._[10])
+
+                                                    _March 23rd._
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+You will have heard by now the sad news of your husband's death, and
+it is but cold comfort to offer you my sincerest sympathy. It will,
+however, be a satisfaction to you to hear how well he was thought of.
+He commanded his Battalion with distinction, and, I hoped, would have
+lived to have risen higher. He died a soldier's death, gallantly
+leading his men in the face of the enemy; and his memory will live
+among the gallant men who have done so much to keep the fine
+traditions of the British Army unsullied. He is buried with his
+brother officers near where he fell. If I can help you in any way, I
+hope you will not scruple to tell me. My wife will also have written
+to you, and is very anxious to hear if she can do anything for you.
+
+                                      Yours very truly,
+                                              A. LOWRY COLE.
+
+
+(_From Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Laurie, D.S.O._)
+
+                                          HEADQUARTERS,
+                                              3RD CAV. DIV.,
+                                             EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
+                                                   _March, 1915._
+
+MY DEAR F----,
+
+My heart's right there with you. There is little doubt how he died,
+gallantly cheering on his men; the whole thing has made history. I
+will go over and get the fullest particulars, find his grave, have it
+carefully marked, and send you a photo. He would wish you to be like
+himself, brave and trusting in the future.
+
+Let me know if I can do anything....
+
+
+(_From the same, later._)
+
+I went over to-day to make inquiries and find George's grave. I went
+to his regiment and found a brother officer who was with him when he
+was killed. A bullet struck him to the right of the nose and killed
+him instantaneously; he was about to lead his regiment to the charge.
+His servant stayed with him, but has not been seen since; it is
+thought he has been hit by a shell. George is buried by the side of
+his adjutant in a little garden in the village, between two houses on
+the west side. The grass is marked by a cross, and is fenced round. I
+know the exact spot. 9 officers were killed, 9 wounded, 400 men killed
+and wounded. So the gallant old fellow rests with most of his officers
+and men. His personal effects have been collected and sent to you.
+Everyone was loud in their praise of him, and the General said he had
+lost a gallant officer. I could not reach the grave to-day, as it was
+not safe. I was nearly shot as it was! I got to within 200 yards. Let
+me know if I can do anything else for you. God bless you!
+
+                                                      PERCY.
+
+
+
+
+"AFTERWARDS."
+
+A FEW OTHER LETTERS, EXTRACTS, ETC., RECEIVED IN 1915.
+
+
+(_The words of a brother officer--Major Cooke Collis, Brigade Major,
+31st Brigade._)
+
+                                                       1915.
+
+... I hope Colonel Laurie did not suffer. It must help you to bear
+your sorrow to know that he died as he would have wished, fighting
+bravely for his country. I feel his death keenly; we were so much
+together in the old days, and now, how the regiment is changed, and
+how dreadfully they have suffered! But the name they have won for
+History will not easily be forgotten....
+
+
+(_Extract from a letter written by Rifleman Patrick White, "D" Coy.,
+1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles._)
+
+... Yes, it was our Battalion that Colonel G.B. Laurie commanded. I
+was about two yards from him when he was killed. Before I tell you how
+he came to be killed, I must tell you how sorry we all were. He was
+the best Colonel we ever had, he was always merry and bright, and had
+a smile for both his men and officers; he was a hero, as General
+French told us.
+
+On the morning of March 9th he (Colonel Laurie) told us that we had to
+make a charge at a place called Neuve Chapelle. We were marched to the
+firing line that night, and our Colonel had a very nice meal ready for
+us before we went into the trenches.
+
+About 7.30 the next morning there began the biggest bombardment I have
+ever heard--our big guns roared out. I thought hell had been let
+loose. I tried to look before me, but could see nothing but flame and
+smoke, and the roars of the big guns were terrible. In about an hour's
+time our Colonel gave us the word to fix bayonets and charge for the
+German trenches. He led us with a smile, and gained victory for our
+Battalion that day. During the whole time he took it nice and cool,
+and kept us all in good spirits. The following morning our Battalion
+was to make another advance, and it was in this advance we lost our
+brave and noble hero. When a platoon went over the parapet, some of
+our boys fell never to rise again, and our Colonel, seeing this, was
+looking over the parapet. There was an enfilading fire from the
+right, and we told the Colonel to keep his head down; but he was not
+thinking of himself, but of his men lying out there. Just then he was
+hit--shot through the head. We bandaged him up, but it was no good.
+Our brave Colonel had departed from us, and we can only hope that he
+has got his reward for his heroism in the next world....
+
+
+(_From 4872 Corporal J. Lennon, "A" Coy., 3rd Royal Irish Rifles,
+Victoria Barracks, Belfast._)
+
+                                                       1915.
+
+DEAR MADAM,
+
+I now take the opportunity of writing to you as regards the death of
+your late husband, Colonel G.B. Laurie, who was O.C. of the 1st Bn.
+Royal Irish Rifles. He was my Commanding Officer for nearly two years.
+I followed him on the morning of March 10th, 1915, when the Battle of
+Neuve Chapelle was taking place. He was the first man who charged into
+Neuve Chapelle. I was present with him all through the battle, and I
+was with him when he met his death on March 12th just at 20 mins. to 5
+o'clock, when he was about to lead the charge of his battalion. His
+death was instantaneous, and he was buried on March 13th: it was I who
+carried him in after he was wounded, and when I found that he was
+quite dead I said some prayers over his body. Major Wright was also
+wounded in the same battle. I was very sorry indeed about the death of
+my Commanding Officer. He was a soldier and a gentleman, fearless in
+all his actions and honest, just and upright. I will certainly never
+forget him for his kindness to me and all the men who fought under
+him.
+
+I was mentioned in Sir J. French's Despatch along with my Commanding
+Officer, Colonel Laurie, for bravery at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
+You will find my name in the list. I regret his death very much; it
+was a great blow to me. Well, Madam, the only thing I have to say
+before concluding is that his relatives and friends may well be proud
+of him, because he was one of the bravest men that ever led men. I
+would very much like to have a photo of our Colonel, and I remain,
+
+                                 Your obedient servant,
+                                                  J. LENNON.
+
+
+(_From Earl Manvers._)
+
+                                         THORESBY PARK,
+                                            OLLERTON, NOTTS.
+                                              _March 19th, 1915._
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+I feel that I must send one line to say how deeply grieved I was to
+hear your husband had been killed at the front. I knew him as a most
+excellent sportsman, and mourn his loss very much. My deep sympathy is
+with you at this sad time when your home is made desolate.
+
+Please do not think of answering this.
+
+                                              I remain,
+                                            Yours sincerely,
+                                                    MANVERS.
+
+
+(_From Brigadier-General Farmar, C.B., C.M.G._)
+
+                                     HEADQUARTERS, 2ND ARMY.
+                                              _March 20th, 1915._
+
+MY DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+I cannot tell you how shocked I was to hear the dreadful news: only
+to-night; but you at home must have heard of it days ago. B----'s
+letter was my first intimation. Somehow it came absolutely
+unexpectedly: of course, one lives in the middle of these awful sights
+and happenings, but he was so strong and so full of energy that it
+seemed unbelievable that he should be taken. He has been a friend of
+mine, and a very real one, for a good many years now. I saw him not
+long ago. He would have been sure to have got a Brigade soon if this
+terrible thing had not happened. I have heard no details, but will try
+and find out and tell you: unfortunately, his battalion is right at
+the other end of the line to where we are, but if I can get down I
+will. Dear Mrs. Laurie, I do feel for you most deeply, and my own loss
+of a friend as well. If there is anything I can do, it would be a
+kindness to ask me, and a relief to do something for you.
+
+                                  Yours very sincerely,
+                                              JASPAR FARMAR.
+
+
+(_From Colonel Anderson._)
+
+                                 HEADQUARTERS, 8TH DIVISION.
+                                              _March 22nd, 1915._
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+About ten days ago I received a copy of Col. Laurie's "History of the
+Royal Irish Rifles" which he had very kindly promised to send me. I
+was kept very busy on duty, so much so that I never had time to see
+him and thank him. And now, to my great grief, I have to write and
+tell you how very grateful I was for the book, and at the same time
+how very deeply I sympathize with you in your great loss. I need
+scarcely tell you how splendidly the Royal Irish Rifles did in the
+battle of Neuve Chapelle, and how grandly they were led by their
+Colonel.
+
+My father had been in the 83rd many years ago, and I had written the
+history of my own regiment, so we had bonds of sympathy, and I had had
+several talks with your husband. So you must please accept my very
+deepest sympathy in his death, and in your very great loss.
+
+                                            Believe me,
+                                            Yours sincerely,
+                                        W. HASTURP ANDERSON.
+
+
+(_From a cousin._)
+
+                                         ANTRIM CASTLE,
+                                                    IRELAND.
+                                              _March 24th, 1915._
+
+... I had the very greatest respect for George; he was an ideal
+soldier and comrade. May God in His mercy comfort you!...
+
+                                                 MASSEREENE.
+
+
+(_From Mrs. Clinton Baker._)
+
+                                           BAYFORDBURY,
+                                                   HERTFORD.
+                                              _March 28th, 1915._
+
+Writing of her son, she says: "Osbert feels his Colonel's death
+deeply. When telling me of it, he said: 'I _could_ only write a short
+letter; I know you will have written to Mrs. Laurie to try to soften
+the blow.'--'Ten young officers and 250 men have now been sent out
+from home.'"
+
+
+(_From General and Mrs. Bird._[11])
+
+                                     22, ALBANY VILLAS,
+                                                   BRIGHTON.
+                                              _March 29th, 1915._
+
+... We have not written to tell you how deeply we sympathize with you
+in your great sorrow, as I know letters are of no comfort in times of
+sadness, but to-day, in a letter we received, such words of admiration
+were written of Colonel Laurie that I felt I should like to write and
+repeat them: "Colonel Laurie handled his battalion to perfection
+during the attack on Neuve Chapelle, and his death is an irreparable
+loss to the 1st Battalion."
+
+We have always heard what a splendid soldier Colonel Laurie was, and
+our country does so need such leaders now in the army to bring
+victory....
+
+
+(_From General Sir John Keir, K.C.B._)
+
+                                                 _May 4th, 1915._
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+I have such a deep admiration and respect for your late husband, for
+Col. Laurie was, as you know, in command of the 28th M.I. in the
+column I commanded in S. Africa, where I learnt to appreciate his
+value as a soldier and his many other sterling qualities. After the
+campaign we used to hear from one another on occasions of mutual
+congratulation and the like. His loss to the Service is a very great
+one, but one cannot imagine a more glorious ending to a fine career,
+falling at the head of the regiment he loved so well, and which he led
+with such skill and bravery. His name remains one held in honour for
+all time.
+
+                                       Yours sincerely,
+                                                  J.N. KEIR.
+
+
+
+
+(_From General the Right Hon. Sir Nevil Macready, G.C.M.G., K.C.B._)
+
+                                                 WAR OFFICE.
+                                               _April 2nd, 1915._
+
+MY DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+Only yesterday I was aware of your address. I write only a line to ask
+you to accept my deep and sincere sympathy in the loss you have
+sustained. You indeed have given to the Country of your best, and if
+there is any consolation it may be in the fact that my old friend died
+as every soldier would wish to, at the head of his battalion in a
+successful action.
+
+Trusting you and the children are well.
+
+                                  Yours ever sincerely,
+                                              C.N. MACREADY.
+
+
+(_From W.F.E. Denison, Esq._)[12]
+
+                                             OSSINGTON,
+                                              NEWARK, NOTTS.
+                                               _July 18th, 1915._
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+Thank you so much for sending me that nice photograph of Colonel
+Laurie. I think the likeness is excellent. I am so glad to possess it,
+and shall value it greatly always. I do think of him so constantly,
+every time I go by Carlton and see all the things there in which he
+took so great an interest, and the fields where one went shooting, and
+he was so keen about it all. There is a recollection for me at almost
+every gateway. He was indeed a most kind and sympathetic neighbour to
+us and a real friend. Thank you again and again for the photograph; it
+is most kind of you to have sent it to me.
+
+                                  Yours very sincerely,
+                                             W.F.E. DENISON.
+
+
+
+
+_Lady Cicely Pierrepont_ wrote:--
+
+                                         THORESBY PARK,
+                                            OLLERTON, NOTTS.
+                                          _September 15th, 1915._
+
+DEAR MRS. LAURIE,
+
+... I have never had the opportunity till now of telling you how we
+all felt Colonel Laurie's death, nor how much his unfailing cheery and
+cheering presence in the hunting field has been and will again be
+missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him, and everybody who
+hunted with him will always retain the very pleasantest memories of
+his kindness....
+
+
+_The following is an extract from 4th Corps Orders, dated March 14th,
+1915, by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Rawlinson, Bart., K.C.B.,
+C.V.O._:--
+
+"The brilliant success which the troops of the 4th Corps have achieved
+in the capture of Neuve Chapelle is of the first importance to the
+Allied cause, especially at this period of the war. The heroism and
+gallantry of the regimental Officers and men, and the assistance
+afforded them by the artillery units, is deserving of the highest
+praise, and the Corps Commander desires to congratulate them on the
+severe defeat they have inflicted on the enemy, whose losses amount to
+not less than 4,000 men in killed and prisoners alone. The magnificent
+behaviour of the infantry units is deserving of the highest
+commendation, and in deploring the loss of those gallant comrades who
+have given their lives for their King and Country, Sir Henry Rawlinson
+hopes that all Officers and men fully realize that what they have
+accomplished, in breaking through the German line, is an achievement
+of which they should all feel justly proud."
+
+
+
+
+THE LATE COLONEL LAURIE.
+
+
+_To the Editor of the_ "_Irish Times._"
+
+SIR,
+
+I was moved even to tears, which I trust were not unmanly, at your
+touching reference to the glorious death, last Sunday, of my dear,
+lamented friend, Colonel Laurie, who would, I had hoped, in the course
+of nature, have survived me for many a year. It may, perhaps, be of
+interest to your readers to know that this gallant soldier, who--I can
+speak with some knowledge--proved himself excellent in every relation
+of life, and who, _felix opportunitate mortis_, died for us and for
+our liberties at the head of a renowned Irish regiment--the Royal
+Irish Rifles--had, though not himself an Irishman, connections and
+associations with this country of which he was justly proud. His wife
+is a great granddaughter of the Right Hon. John Foster (Lord Oriel),
+the last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. He himself was the
+great-grandson of an illustrious Irishman, Dr. Inglis, the Bishop of
+Nova Scotia, who was the first Anglican Colonial Bishop ever
+consecrated--a Trinity College, Dublin, man, and the son of a rector
+of Ardara, in Donegal. Dr. Inglis emigrated to America, and was, on
+the eve of the War of the American Independence, Rector of Holy
+Trinity Church, New York, then (and I believe now) the principal
+Anglican Episcopal Church in that city. Dr. Inglis was a pronounced
+loyalist. He was warned not to read the State prayers for the King and
+the Parliament. He disregarded the warning. His reading of those
+prayers was interrupted by forced coughs and sneezings and other
+manifestations of disfavour. He was then the recipient of many
+threatening letters. On the next Sunday his voice, when reading the
+obnoxious prayers, was drowned by a clattering of arms. On the Sunday
+following guns were actually levelled at him as he read the prayers
+quite undismayed, having, like his great-grandson, the heart and
+courage of a hero. Yielding to the entreaties of friends, he left New
+York for Canada, and on his return, more than twenty years afterwards,
+to New York, when Bishop of Nova Scotia, he disinterred a magnificent
+silver coffee pot which he had buried on the eve of his hurried
+departure, and found in the place he had left it. That coffee pot is a
+precious heirloom in Colonel Laurie's family. There is a brass tablet
+to the memory of Dr. Inglis in St. Patrick's Cathedral, erected there
+by the enthusiasm of Chancellor H.V. White, Rector of St.
+Bartholomew's, whose own ministry was for some years in the Colonies.
+
+Colonel Laurie's father, General J.W. Laurie, C.B.[13], served with
+great distinction in the Crimea, where he was twice wounded; in the
+Indian Mutiny, and in the Transvaal. He was Honorary Colonel of the
+Royal Munster Fusiliers, and, having sat for some years in the
+Canadian House of Commons, was from 1895 till 1906 Unionist Member in
+the Imperial Parliament for the Pembroke Burghs, and a prime
+favourite with all sorts and conditions of men in the House of
+Commons. Colonel Laurie's elder brother, Captain Haliburton Laurie,
+who was one of the most deservedly loved men of his generation, fell
+in the Boer War in 1901. If he had not been a great soldier, Colonel
+Laurie would have been a great historian. His knowledge of history,
+more especially of military history, was profound, and his memory was
+singularly retentive. He had, moreover, a very sound judgment in the
+marshalling of facts. He had written with a pen of light the history
+of his regiment, which he loved, and which loved him, and on which in
+life and in death he had shed additional lustre.
+
+                                           Yours, etc.,
+                                        J.G. SWIFT MACNEILL.
+
+  DUBLIN, _March 20th, 1915_.
+
+
+
+
+(_From the_ "_Irish Telegraph_," _March 20th, 1915._)
+
+R.I. RIFLES ENGAGED.
+
+LIEUT.-COLONEL LAURIE KILLED.
+
+OTHER REGIMENTAL LOSSES.
+
+
+Information reached Belfast yesterday that Lieutenant-Colonel George
+Brenton Laurie, commanding the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, was
+killed in action, near Neuve Chapelle, last Sunday. The deceased
+officer was exceedingly well known in Belfast, where he commanded the
+Rifles Depot for three years, and the news of his demise has been
+received with sorrow at Victoria Barracks. He was closely connected by
+marriage with the North of Ireland.
+
+
+COLONEL LAURIE'S MILITARY CAREER.
+
+Lieutenant-Colonel George Brenton Laurie, Commanding Officer of the
+1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, who has died a soldier's death at
+the head of the gallant 83rd, will long be remembered by the old
+corps, in which he spent thirty years. He was the author of the
+splendid "History of the Royal Irish Rifles" which was issued last
+year, and dedicated by him to the regiment on the 125th anniversary of
+the raising of the 83rd and 86th Foot, now the 1st and 2nd Battalions
+of the Rifles. He considered the writing of that history, which runs
+into 540 pages, a fitting close to his career in the regiment, but he
+remained on in the Service, and the unexpected European War has made
+it otherwise, and now he has ended his career on the field of battle.
+The closing words of his preface were:--
+
+    "May the officers and men of the Royal Irish Rifles win yet more
+    laurels for their regiment by their staunchness whenever their
+    Sovereign calls for their services in war!"
+
+When Colonel Laurie penned those words last spring, he little dreamt
+that within a few short months the officers and men of both the 83rd
+and 86th would be shedding their life's blood freely in France, and
+now he himself has made the supreme sacrifice, and with Captains
+Master, Reynolds, Davis, Kennedy, Stevens, Allgood, Whelan, Miles,
+Biscoe, Lieutenants Rea, Whitfield, Burges, and Tyndall,
+Second-Lieutenants Magenis, Davy, Gilmore, Swaine, and Eldred--many of
+them his old comrades--sleeps his last long sleep in a foreign grave.
+
+The son of a soldier (the late General Laurie), Colonel Laurie
+received his first commission in the Rifles in September, 1885, and
+joined the 2nd Battalion, then quartered at Halifax, the last station
+occupied by British infantry in Canada, and it is interesting to
+recall that he was the last officer to join the battalion with the
+rank of Lieutenant, as an Army Order issued some time later directed
+subalterns to begin service as Second-Lieutenants. Halifax, Colonel
+Laurie tells us in his history of the regiment, was a delightful
+station, and all were sorry to leave it, the men especially so, and
+over 300 of them gave in their names as married without leave.
+Lieutenant Laurie moved with the battalion to Gibraltar in November,
+1886, and to Egypt in January, 1888. In 1889 Lieutenant Laurie went up
+the Nile with the battalion, which was detained at Assouan so long
+that it missed the fight at Toski. He afterwards served at Malta and
+in various home stations, and did not again see active service until
+1901, when he was sent from England as a special service officer for
+mounted infantry work, and took command of No. 2 Mounted Infantry
+Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Rifles.
+
+In the action at Hartbeestefontein he had a narrow escape, riding some
+300 yards in front of his company in a charge, with one corporal. They
+were surprised from a house at 25 yards range, and the corporal saved
+his life by shooting a man in the act of aiming at his officer.
+
+He distinguished himself in the action at Klerksdorp and in the
+pursuit of Niewhoudt's commando, and on February 26th, 1902, was
+ordered to Pretoria to take command of the 28th Battalion Mounted
+Infantry, handing over his company to Lieutenant Low, who was killed a
+fortnight later. Captain Laurie was highly commended by Colonel
+Rochfort for his services with the Rifles Mounted Infantry in these
+words:--
+
+"During the whole of my time in South Africa I did not command better
+or more mobile troops than the two mounted infantry companies of the
+Royal Irish Rifles under Captain Laurie and Captain Baker."
+
+For his services in the war Captain Laurie was mentioned in
+despatches, and received the Queen's medal with clasps. A step in rank
+came in 1904, and in 1911 Major Laurie had the honour of commanding
+the detachment of the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles which was sent from Dover
+to London to attend the Coronation of King George. On October 28th,
+1912, Major Laurie was promoted to the command of the 1st Battalion,
+then at Kamptee, Lieutenant-Colonel O'Leary's term having expired. He
+brought the regiment from India to Aden, and last October it was moved
+to England prior to going to France in the following month.
+
+
+
+
+("_Belfast Newsletter_," _March 20th, 1915._)
+
+FROM NEUVE CHAPELLE.
+
+BELFAST REGIMENT'S PART.
+
+HEROISM OF COLONEL LAURIE.
+
+
+Interesting particulars of the part played by the 1st Battalion Royal
+Irish Rifles in the attack on Neuve Chapelle are given by
+Sergeant-Major Miller, who is now in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital,
+Dublin, with a severe wound in the eye received on that occasion. The
+Rifles formed part of the Fourth Army Corps, which, with the Indian
+Corps, as reported by Field-Marshal French, carried out the assault on
+the German lines. Prior to the action General Sir Henry Rawlinson
+inspired his troops with an address, in which he said:--
+
+    "The attack which we are about to undertake is of the first
+    importance to the Allied cause. The army and the nation are
+    watching the result, and Sir John French is confident that
+    every individual in the Fourth Army Corps will do his duty and
+    inflict a crushing defeat on the German Seventh Corps, which is
+    arrayed against us."
+
+This, says the sergeant-major, was the only intimation of the enemy's
+strength. Had it been otherwise, the result would have been the same.
+On the first day of the attack their Commanding Officer, Colonel
+Laurie, seemed to have a charmed life. He deliberately walked up and
+down, giving orders and cheering the men on amid a flood of fire. He
+seemed unconscious of the fact that a great bombardment was taking
+place. It was a wonderful sight to see him there, his big military
+figure standing out boldly in presence of his soldiers. Colonel Laurie
+and his adjutant were killed the next day, in spite of the charm which
+seemed to surround his life on the previous day. The sergeant-major is
+unable to state how many men the Rifles lost. He is getting on
+favourably, and comrades from the 3rd Battalion at Wellington Barracks
+are permitted to visit him.
+
+Sergeant Murphy, of the 3rd Battalion of the Rifles, has received a
+letter from his brother (who was wounded with the Rifles at Neuve
+Chapelle, and is now in hospital at Brighton), in which he says:--"I
+think I am a lucky man to get away at all. Our Commanding Officer,
+Colonel Laurie, was killed, and all our officers have been nearly
+washed out. There was an awful bombardment between the two armies, and
+it was only a very odd man that got away without being wounded. The
+Germans lost heavily; so did we. I was in a ward with the Germans, and
+they told me they were glad they got wounded, for they would have to
+be killed anyway."
+
+Rifleman Sharkey, who was wounded, and is in hospital at Netley,
+writes:--"We got a bad cutting-up, and lost our beloved Colonel and
+adjutant and the two officers of our company."
+
+
+
+
+("_Morning Post_," _September 20th, 1916._)
+
+THE ROYAL IRISH RIFLES.
+
+ULSTER GALLANTRY.
+
+(_From a Military Correspondent._)
+
+
+"Well done; very well done indeed." Such was the remark of a General
+standing at a Ginchy debris heap as the Irish battalions moved past
+him on the way to a rest point in the captured line. The numbering of
+the platoons did not reach the morning's total, but the men had
+conquered, and they bore aloft the trophies of the battle, helmets and
+such like, which they waved at the General. All had contributed to the
+joy of Ireland from Cork to Derry, Ulsterman and Nationalist, and the
+Royal Irish Rifles had made Belfast glad.
+
+Colonel Fitch raised the regiment in Dublin six score years ago, and
+the Army of that time called them "Fitch's Grenadiers," because the
+men were small of stature. When they fought they were as giants, and
+later on the good physique of the men and their hardy endurance earned
+them the name of the "Irish Giants." One branch of the regiment was
+raised in County Down, and to-day the name is perpetuated in the 4th
+and 5th Battalions, which are known as the Royal Down Militia, despite
+official changes of designation; and as a further link with the past
+the depot is in Belfast and the Record Office in Dublin.
+
+When mobilization was ordered, one battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles
+was scorching under the sun at Aden, and the other was at Tidworth, on
+Salisbury Plain. The former were to take over the barracks of the
+latter, which unit was to commence at Malta, in the Winter of 1914,
+and a tour of service abroad. The latter, however, went out with their
+Tidworth comrades. It would be covering very old ground to repeat what
+magnificent work was done in the Great Retreat, when the Royal Irish
+Rifles showed themselves possessed of the grit which had characterised
+them at Stormberg, where the writer witnessed them scaling the face of
+a cliff of rock to get at the Boers, who had ambushed Gatacre's
+force--an unforgettable and heroic sight. In the retreat towards Paris
+and the advance to the Aisne Lieutenant-Colonel W.D. Bird, Major C.R.
+Spedding, and a dozen others were mentioned by Lord French, and a
+D.S.O., a Military Cross, several D.C.M.'s, a Medaille Militaire, and
+a special promotion resulted, this being the beginning of many
+subsequent rewards.
+
+In the Ypres--Armentieres phase of the campaign, when the British Army
+skilfully withdrew to the north of the line, the 7th Brigade repulsed
+heavy assaults, and both battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles added to
+their lists of distinguished names. The victory at Neuve Chapelle
+further increased the record of the regiment, whose men charged the
+enemy in splendid fashion. Lieutenant-Colonel Laurie was killed, and
+his adjutant, Captain Wright, fell by his side, while Major Alston was
+also killed. All three were mentioned in despatches, as well as a
+score of others. At Hooge the Royal Irish Rifles tried to force their
+way into the enemy's lines through uncut entanglement in the face of
+machine-gun fire, and their conduct all through the Loos operations
+was evidence of the high character of the regiment.
+
+In the operations under Sir Douglas Haig in the early part of 1916
+trench warfare, with its brilliant raids, two battalions were named
+for distinguished conduct, and the numbers as well as the names of the
+battalions were published in the list issued to the Press.
+
+When the great advance began on July 1st, the Ulster Division attacked
+the strongest position in the line, and suffered heavily. An officer,
+describing this glorious attack, wrote:--"I am not an Ulsterman, but
+as I followed the amazing attack of the Ulster Division on July 1st, I
+felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the
+world." With shouts of "Remember the Boyne" and "No surrender, boys,"
+they threw themselves at the Germans, and before they could be
+restrained had penetrated to the enemy's fifth line. The Royal Irish
+Rifles went through hell that day, and sought out the machine gunners
+at the bayonet's point. There has been nothing finer in the war than
+this charge.
+
+What the regiment did at Guillemont and Ginchy is the talk of the
+moment, for, with the other Irish battalions, they accounted for all
+who came in their front--Guards, Line, and guns. Perhaps the two
+latest awards are among the best. The Victoria Cross was won by
+Privates Robert Quigg and William McFadzean. The former went out seven
+times in the heaviest fire for wounded men. The latter gave his life
+for his comrades by throwing himself on the top of two bombs and
+taking the whole force of the two explosions. He was blown to pieces.
+There are many other battle phases and incidents worthy of record, but
+that which has been written is enough to show what the old 83rd and
+86th Foot, the men of County Down, Belfast, Antrim, the Young
+Citizens, and the others have done, and are doing, in this tremendous
+combat.
+
+
+
+
+SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY BY HIS MAJESTY THE KING.[14]
+
+
+OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN--
+
+I am very glad to have been able to see my Army in the Field.
+
+I much wished to do so in order to gain a slight experience of the
+life you are leading.
+
+I wish I could have spoken to you all, to express my admiration of the
+splendid manner in which you have fought and are still fighting
+against a powerful and relentless enemy.
+
+By your discipline, pluck and endurance, inspired by the indomitable
+regimental spirit, you have not only upheld the tradition of the
+British Army, but added fresh lustre to its history.
+
+I was particularly impressed by your soldierly, healthy, cheerful
+appearance.
+
+I cannot share in your trials, dangers and successes; but I can assure
+you of the proud confidence and gratitude of myself and of your fellow
+countrymen.
+
+We follow you in our daily thoughts on your certain road to victory.
+
+                                           GEORGE, R.I.
+                                        _December 5th, 1914._
+
+  GENERAL HEADQUARTERS.
+
+
+
+
+R.I.R.'s AT NEUVE CHAPELLE.
+
+[_A Poem written by Rifleman J. Dickson._]
+
+
+DEAR FRANC,
+
+Just a few lines of verse about the Royal Irish Rifles at Neuve
+Chapelle.--Yours truly,
+
+                          No. 9180 RIFLEMAN J. DICKSON,
+       _"A" Coy., 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, Dublin._
+
+    Come, please just pay attention, and a story I will tell
+    Of how the gallant R.I.R.'s were the first in Neuve Chapelle;
+    Colonel Laurie gave the order for the regiment to advance,
+    And when they met the Germans our boys did make them dance.
+
+    With bayonets fixed we rushed them, though outnumbered five to one;
+    Each one did prove a hero, and many a gallant deed was done;
+    Our noble Colonel, he was killed, our Major fell as well,
+    And a score of our brave officers lost their lives at Neuve Chapelle.
+
+    Our men were lost in hundreds, no regiment could do more,
+    And when the fight was over our officers numbered four;
+    Yet manfully they struggled amidst that living hell,
+    And out of all the British Army were the first in Neuve Chapelle.
+
+    Then here's to the gallant R.I.R., those riflemen so brave,
+    Who nobly did their duty and found a soldier's grave;
+    So may their glory ever shine, for they have proved their worth,
+    And laurels brought to Ireland for the honour of the North.
+
+
+"THE MAN OF SORROWS."
+
+    God hath sent thee many trials,
+      But strength is as thy day;
+    Do not despair or say, my child,
+      "I have no heart to pray."
+    For God's ways are not your ways,
+      And tho' thou art bereft
+    Of all that's most endearing,
+      There is one comfort left.
+
+    When a dear one has departed
+      To enter into rest,
+    And you feel so broken-hearted
+      That you cannot say "'Tis best";
+    There is One Who will always help you
+      And bring you great relief:
+    For He was a Man of Sorrows
+      And acquainted sore with grief.
+
+    When your dearest idol's taken
+      And you are dumb with pain;
+    When your faith in man is shaken
+      And everything seems vain,
+    There is One you can rely on,
+      Tho' of sinners you are chief:
+    For He was a Man of Sorrows
+      And acquainted sore with grief.
+
+    Oh! weary, wandering, wilful child,
+      Think of that dying thief,
+    Who sought his Saviour, e'en tho' late,
+      In the bitterness of grief;
+    And say no more you are alone,
+      Bereft of every friend:
+    The Man of Sorrows is your stay
+      And comfort to the end.
+
+           --DORCAS SKEFFINGTON.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Major Herbert Stepney, Irish Guards, was killed while commanding the
+Battalion in the first Battle of Ypres.
+
+[2] Major Osbert Clinton-Baker, of Bayfordbury, Hertfordshire,
+Second-in-Command 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, gazetted Colonel of
+the Regiment in May, about two months after Colonel Laurie fell. He was
+mortally wounded and missing at Fromelles on May 9th, 1915.
+
+[3] Capt. Haliburton Laurie fell in the South African War at
+Philippolis, on a kopje, while rescuing a wounded patrol.
+
+[4] Afterwards Brigadier-General Napier. Previous to the war he
+commanded the 2nd Bn. Royal Irish Rifles in Aldershot and Dover. He was
+killed while landing troops in Gallipoli during the summer of 1915.
+
+[5] Sir Nevil Macready, at this time Adjutant-General of our Forces.
+
+[6] The number of killed amounted to 44 and 88 wounded.
+
+[7] Colonel Horsborgh was taken ill suddenly on the transport returning
+from Aden, and he was buried at sea by Colonel Laurie.
+
+[8] See page 119.
+
+[9] General Laurie and his brother. Colonel Dyson-Laurie, went to the
+Crimean War when quite young boys, aged respectively 18 and 15. Appended
+is an article written by the former, and is of interest in drawing a
+contrast between the conditions of war in 1854 and those of the late
+war.
+
+[10] Brigadier-Gen. Lowry Cole fell in action at the Battle of
+Fromelles, May 9th, 1915.
+
+[11] General Bird commanded the 2nd Bn. Royal Irish Rifles, and was
+through the severe fighting of the Battle of the Aisne and the Retreat
+from Mons, where he was terribly wounded and lost his leg.
+
+[12] Lieut. W.F.E. Denison (Sherwood Foresters) served in the Great War,
+and fell mortally wounded in the last German advance near Cambrai on
+March 24th, 1918.
+
+[13] Civil and Military.
+
+[14] See page 29.
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Typographical errors corrected in text:                   |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Page  19: undergound replaced with underground            |
+    | Page  37: pourtray replaced with portray                  |
+    | Page  70: February 3rd, 1921 replaced with                |
+    |           February 3rd, 1915                              |
+    | Page 111: expecially replaced with especially             |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton
+Laurie, by George Brenton Laurie
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS OF LT.-COL. GEORGE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 24862.txt or 24862.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/8/6/24862/
+
+Produced by David Clarke, Jeannie Howse 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.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+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
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.