Consolidation

Hi folks, apologies for a late post this week. I bet you though Albert had succumbed to the Hun and gone to meet his maker. We'll I'm still here. Its been quite hectic and its been all men to the pumps and so I've been very busy and not able to write to you.

When I last wrote it had been pretty quiet, its still the same. The difference is that the Top Brass must have got something up their sleeve because we've been very busy doing lots of construction work and its now revealed to us that the tunnel we are digging is actually for a mine.

From the 22nd to the 25th I was in the Front lines with the rest of the Battalion. We carried out our usual duties. We exchanged some bombs and bullets with the Hun and went on some patrols.

Lt Rowby and 2nd Lt Spicer joined the Battalion during this period and we are now well over strength in officers and men.

When we came out of the trenches on the 25th we went to Nieppe the following day and had hot baths. It was grand.

The 5th Leicester Territorials joined us for bomb throwing training on the 27th. Yours truly is an expert bomb thrower and I helped with the training. Lt Evatt was in command and we spent a couple of days training the Leicesters.

The 7th Field Squadron of the Royal Engineers are in town as well. These are fantastic lads, they construct everything from roads to buildings and bridges. They were previously in these parts when the Battalion first took over Le Touquet after the Hun was chased out. They constructed the first barricades and barb wire entanglements. They are now back consolidating everything.

Together with the 7 RE is the South Lancashire Territorials. I thought these chaps had gone to other parts but they had been re-assigned to help with the consolidation work.

The 7 RE also have about 200 to 250 civilian workers with them. These chaps don't go near the front line but they work near enough to get shelled or even sniped on if they are sufficiently near. They must be brave blokes, either that or hard up and they need the money.

Our Battalion is also helping with the consolidation work when not in the front lines.

The major work being conducted by the combined 7 RE and Civilians is a second line of trenches parallel to the front line but 1 mile behind. This stretches a distance of 3,700 yards in length and runs from the River Lys in the south to Ploegstreet in the North. This is over two miles long and is no small engineering feat.

The 7 RE and the South Lancashires are now fully engaged in digging the tunnel, or mine as I should say. We are no longer engaged on this, we are providing all the protective duty for these lads.

The 7 RE are also working with a party of men from the Monmouthshire Regiment who are based a little further to the north of us. A mine is also being Dug in that area.

The 7 RE are also constructing breastworks and fortified buildings in the front line trenches.

Its marvellous to see these lads at work, they are fist class at their craft. They generally work in the evenings when in the front lines so that they aren't visible if they have to climb out of the trench, but the rest of the time they graft away all day long.

With this number of troops and civilian workers the Billets i n Le Bizet are fit to bursting and the Estaminets are heaving. Even though the camaraderie and high jinx, when out of danger, are excellent. Its like one big party with inter regiment competitions in everything from football to tiddleywinks. How times have changed over the past few days and weeks.

Needless to say the Hun keeps up his barrage of the town. Just about all the towns folk have left now and its like one big regimental city. Every available building has been commandeered and there is a tent city springing up further back. The military population based in the Le Touquet area must be about 4,000 and of these about 2,400 are in Billets in Le Bizet each night. This is much more than the population that was there before the war.

Well chums I must get back to the business in hand, The War. My battalion came back in the front line on the evening of the 30th. The Hun decided to welcome us with rifle grenades again. One chap got killed and six others wounded. Since then it has been fairly quiet.

Today is the 1st of April and is the Bismark Centenary, 100 years since his birth. We expect the Hun to put up a show and so are we are all going to be stood to most of the night to repulse anything he may throw.

On final thing, my Company, B Company, has been mentioned in despatches. we have done great work in the construction and drainage of the front line trenches . We have also constructed good communication trenches up to the front line trenches. Together with our Captain, Cpt Blencowe, we have been commended. I would prefer a trip home to Blighty but that's not going to happen so a pat on the back is the best we can have.

I thought I'd give you another couple of snaps to look at before leaving you again. This first one is of the Barricade at the Northern end of our sector. Its by the Railway Crossing of the road leading north.

Le touquet Barricade 26th March 1915

The next snap is of some of my compadres in A company of the Kings Own. This is behind the front lines in the northern part of our sector. the building in the background is Machine Gun House. As you can see its taken a battering from the Hun. The building by the railway crossing has faired better because the Hun can't shell it as its too close to his own lines.

Machine Gun House 5th March 1915

This last snap is of a chap tucked up in a shelter constructed on the left High Command Trench. This trench is one of the main trenches leading to the front line trenches.

Shelter on Left High Command Trench March 1915

So chums as you can see there's plenty of work going on in our little area of the war. Quite soon the Hun is going to get a very nasty surprise when we blow the mines under him.

We have more than our full compliment of man in the battalion. We also have the Royal Engineers here doing some great construction work. We have a second line of defence being built. We have the South Lancs in reserve also. I'm feeling invincible. I've not come down with anything yet and haven't had so much as a shrapnel wound. With all what's happening around me I feel that we're in a great shape to take on the Hun and beat him. I mustn't speak to soon though so until next week I wish you well. Don't worry about me, I'm not stupid, I'll keep my head down.

Bye for now,

Albert x