Dinner at the Ritz

Hi Chums.

We'll you wont believe the week I've had. Since I've been here its been all mud, rain, freezing temperatures and makeshift meals at the front but this week it was all change. When I last wrote to you on the 11th I informed you that we were going back into the trenches but we were going to occupy some house that border right up to the front. In fact the houses run right across no mans land.

I went into the trenches with my pals and we were on duty as normal, this was the night of the 11th. The next day I was working in the trenches doing the usual remedial work when I was informed that I was going to be sent up into the houses the following day. I didn't know what to expect but the outlook in the trenches wasn't good as Fritz was back to bombing and shelling us.

One of our men was wounded on the 11th and then one chap got killed and two others were wounded on the 12th. On the morning of the 13th two other chaps got killed by a shell and a further two injured by bombs. Life was a game of chance so I was quite happy to get out of them trenches and into the houses but I didn't know what they were like. They could be occupied by Fritz and we could have a bayonet fight on our hands, but I doubted that, we had kept an eye on them and sent men into them now and then to check on everything. Now we were going to occupy them permanently.

It sounds daft that there are houses right on the front line and into no mans land that are intact, but until now no one has been using them, neither us or Fritz so we've had no need to flatten them with shells.

Anyway at the alloted time we formed up in the trenches, a small working party, and then made our way up through the second line trenches to the edge of the houses . The trench runs right round the back of house number 9 (as we have it marked on our map) and there is a point where Fritz can't see us as we hop up on top and into the back of the house. I'd not been in these houses before and got a surprise. As I entered number 9  I was astonished. It was fully furnished with furniture, carpets and rugs. The kitchens had all the pots and pans and everything needed to cook a meal. The owners had fled when the Hun first came to these parts. Our regiment had chased him down to Frelinghien and the occupants had found it too hot to stay.

We were ordered to form a communication line through to house number 10 and back down the line into our rear trenches. We set about in good style. We knocked holes through the walls so we could move from house to house down the line. We then brought up sandbags to reinforce the doors, windows and other areas the Hun may try to break in. The shutters were closed on the windows so we could walk about without fear of the Hun seeing us and seeing what we were up to. We had to be quiet though because we didn't want him to hear us and pay special attention to us with a shell or two.

When we were finished we settled back and took a well earned rest. We were sat in the parlour in nice armchairs with our feet up on stools or pouffs. We were like lords.

It was then that we noticed we could hear Hun voices. We all stood to and checked where they were coming from. They were in the next House, no 11. This was about ten yards further on from our house number 10.  There was a small garden between us. The Hun must have been there some time and must have heard us going about barricading our house. We decided he must be ok with the situation and due to the proximity to us wasn't going to shell us. We decide to leave him alone provided he left us alone. Never the less we sandbagged the end wall to prevent him blowing it in and attacking us. We left one chap on lookout and then returned to our rest.

We had a grand day in the houses, we searched through the basement and found some potatoes and turnips. With our bully beef and a few onions we decided to make a stew. We lit a fire and put the contents into a boiling pot and hung it over the fire. It looked as though Fritz was doing the same, we could see smoke coming out of the chimney and could smell his goulash or whatever it was he was cooking.

We were quite at home and whilst waiting for the stew to cook we brewed up and had a tot of rum. One of the chaps found a bit of brandy so we all had a glass each. When the stew was done we sat there at a dining table eating stew from china plates with cutlery. We had a glass of brandy and we toasted the king. It was like dinner at the Ritz. The date was the 14th, Valentines Day!

That night we slept in beds with blankets. It was lovely and warm. It was raining outside but we were totally dry. One of us stood guard whilst the others slept. It was grand. I couldn't believe it.

On the evening of the 15th, yesterday, we handed over to the incoming Royal Lancs. I joked with them about keeping the place clean and to make sure they dusted and washed up after themselves. They told me to piss off and that they would charge for laundry services.

Now back in billets we've gone about our usual rest and recreation. We got quite a ribbing today when we told the others about our posh nosh up. In the estaminet we got some beer bought and was then asked 'is that all m'lord, would it be ok if one took the evening orf'. For once we forgot about the death and destruction all around us.

I'm currently in bed in my billet and I'm going to write a letter home. I'm trying to catch up on my brothers whereabouts. I'm hoping George and Bill are ok and are having similar breaks in their gruelling time at the front.

Anyway that's it for now Chums. This is one Valentines Day I wont forget and its not for the love of a lady but the love of a good square meal and a nice comfy bed to sleep in, even if it is in the middle of no mans land.

Cheerio Chums, hope to speak to you next week.

Albert X