The Angry Hun

Well chums this week its been a case of keep your heads down.

After we exploded the devastating mine under Fritz and the unleashed hell on him in the immediate aftermath he has been reeking retribution on us. We retired from the onslaught we were putting down on him and started to repair and consolidate our trenches. Fritz started shelling us as soon as he had recovered all his dead and wounded.  Volley after volley of shells rained down on us, they had little effect as we were expecting them. We had taken to our shelters and were well tucked up. In all we had 17 injured men and one dead.

The majority of our injuries were from the falling bricks of the explosion. Some of the bricks landed 300 yards away from the explosion! At one point a 5.9 inch shell went through the Battalion Guard Room roof and injured four men inside but none were killed.

Fritz also decided to reek his wrath on the front line houses from where we had commenced our tunnel. He withdrew his front line men in this area and then  pummelled the houses with shells. Our men had to abandon them and take to the trenches.

On the 10th, the day after the explosion, the Hun unleashed 300 shells on our front line. These were little willies as we call them, they are 3 or 4 inch shells. They did little damage to us again as we were still well tucked up. We only had two men injured.

On the 11th Fritz vented his wrath again. He sent over sixty 5.9 inch shells into the front line houses and the small village of Le Touquet. They wreaked devastation. Some fell on the sheds of the North Block and set them on fire, they completely burnt down.

The Snipers House got a battering, three of its walls were blown away. Its sad to see it now, a broken shell. I have fond memories of that place. The comfortable sleeps I've had there whilst not on duty and the wholesome front line meals. Dinner at the Ritz on Valentines Day was a marvellous occasion, alas no more will be had at this venue.

Snipers House 1915

In all this shelling we have come off quite lightly however three blokes got wounded in the legs by a by a rifle grenade. It just shows you, its not the big things that may get you but the little ones!

We were relieved from the trenches on the evening of the 11th and returned to our billets. We had some great stories to swap about the mine explosion. The other regiments billeted in our area were all curious as to what it was like. They had heard it from the billets in Le Bizet but were too far back to see anything. Of course we lauded it up and relished our position of heroes. Boy you should have heard some of the tall stories the men came out with. This doesn't detract from the fact that it was a phenomenal event anyway. The chaps in billets were just in awe of it as much as we were that had actually been there.

A sketch of the event was drawn up, here it is.

Le Touquet Mine Explosion

 Well chums the beer flowed and the stories went on and on well into the morning and everyone then retired to their beds. When we fell in for our breakfast we were told that we were going to being relieved by another battalion that was moving up to the front line. We were going to be moving to Armentieres for some rest. It wasn't Blighty but if it was rest away from the bloody hell of this war I was all for it.

So chums today we are packing up and getting ready for the march off to Armentieres. Maybe I'll meet that mademoiselle? Who knows?

We've been here since November, well I have. That's more or less 6 months of war. Enough for more than one lifetime. I'm quite fortunate, or should I think unlucky. In this period of time we've had over 1,000 men come and join us to boost numbers, to overcome the losses to death, injury and sickness. There are only 800 men in a battalion and that's how many we currently have! That means all the men have been replaced in the battalion and some more than once, but I'm still here!

We'll I musn't grumble, I'm alive and in one piece, not like some of those unlucky chaps. When I think back and remember some of those poor blokes who have had their young lives cut short, like the chap on sentry duty on his first day in the trench, I know I'm lucky.

When I look at it I've spent four days in and four days out of the front line for six months. Thats three months solid at the front line. It doesn't bear thinking about.

So chums I'm off for some good old rest and recreation far away from the Hun and danger. I don't know how long for and when we'll be coming back but right now I don't care.

I'll write to you next week to let you know what we are up to and what plans are being made for us. This time I don't have to worry whether I'll be here or not. I'll be in no danger. It feels strange!

Until next week, all the best,

Albert x