The Hun's at it again. I never thought I'd see that blasted gas so soon.
Yesterday we were in the support trenches and at about 2:30am a shout went up from the front lines that a gas cloud was coming in. We were some 400 yards behind the front lines so we were able to don our gas protection in good time and prepare ourselves.
I got my flanalette wadding and soaked it in some chemicals that had been given to us. I believe this was something called sodium thiosulphate. We were told it was quite effective. I was prepared to use anything so that I didn't have to suffer like last time.
With my flanalette fitted I found it hard to breathe but as the infernal gas came over us it seemed to work. I didn't get the horrible metal taste like last time. My eyes stung a bit and there was an unusual smell but that may have been the chemical I soaked the flanalette in.
The troops in the front trenches were the Kings Own. The concentration of gas on them was much stronger, in our area it had scattered and dispersed. The poor chaps succumbed to the effect of the gas. I'm not sure if they hadn't got the same protection as us or if the gas had overcome them too quickly for them to soak their flanalettes. Anyway just as it had happened with our battalion the men of the Kings Own were in a bit of dissaray. Some men were breaking for it and others were writhing about from the effects of the gas. Realising that the Hun would be following up the gas cloud we were ordered to advance to assist the Kings Own and to replace the ranks of their dead or departed.
A Company was sent up first. This was under Captain J Collision Browne. This was at about 3:50am. They came under withering fire from machine guns and rifles. Shell Trap Farm was in the hands of the Hun and he had setup his machine gunners there. Caption Browne got hit in the stomach and couldn't continue. About 120 men had gone forward and only 30 reached the front trenches. Most of the front trench line, especially close Shell Trap Farm, was in the hands of the Hun. The Kings Own had vacated these through the effects of the Gas, shelling and the Hun attack.
We learned of all this at 10:00am and the decision was made to send us up together, B,C, and D Companies, with the 1st Royal Warwickshire.
We moved off at 10:35 and immediately was hit with the full fury of the Hun. Bullets and shells were wizzing by and landing all around. I tried to make good movement but as soon as I stood up to run I felt a hail of bullets pinging all around me and whistling through the air close by me. Bloody hell I thought, I'm the duck at the fairground shoot! I dove to earth and flattened myself in a small shell hole. I again tried to move and the same happened again, I'd advanced about 5 yards.
The rest of the lads got no further. The whole of the advance of our battalion and that of the Warwick's was pinned down. After 20 minutes we had only advanced 30 yards, it was 400 to the front lines!
It was then decided to make a fresh attack at 2:00pm. We would all advance again but this time have two companies of the 1st/5th South Lancashires.
The result was the same. We hardly made any ground.
It was then decided we would attack after dark with 3 French Battalions in accompaniment. These never materialised so at 8:00pm it was decided to abandon the attack. Furthermore it was decided to withdraw to a new line. This was to a trench called the French Switch. The whole of the 12th Brigade was moving back to the 4th Divisions support line.
The 1st/5th South Lands were already in command of that line and were ordered to hold it all costs. Their commander was told he could have as many of our men as required. The rest of our regiment was to move back to the 4th Division reserve line. This bordered Irish Farm and was some 2,000 yards from the original front line at Shell Trap Farm and 2,000 yards from Ypres. The new front line that was the 4th Division Support line was 1,000 yards to the front.
So chums that's were I now find myself, in the French Switch. We've given up all that ground that we bitterly fought to keep during the gas attack of the 2nd of May. All those blokes who fought to keep it and now its been given up. I can't blame anyone its the infernal gas that the Hun is using. I must say the flanallete soaked in that chemical did OK but I was only exposed to a thin volume of gas. I'm not sure how it would have been if I'd have been in thick clouds of gas.
Anyway we have learnt our lessons. We must be better prepared against that infernal gas. We must have better protection for everyone.
So chums I'm sat in the trench wondering what's coming next. I've now been gassed twice. In Le Touquet I faced bombs, shells and rifle grenades. I've been on patrols in no man's land. I've help dig tunnels and lay explosives. I've done some bombing myself. I never imagined any of this when I set out from Blighty. I wonder how much more I'm going to do before I get back.
Its all for King and Country though!
So chums I'll bid my farewell again and write to you later in the week.
Bye for now,
Albert x
Gas, Gas, Gas - The Huns At It Again
The Gas Attack - The Aftermath
Hi Chums, apologies for not reporting on time, I was took ill and then I've been on the move and not able to post to you.
Well I'm fit again and back with the Battalion, well what's left of it. In my last post I wrote about the gas attack and the devastating effect it had on me and others. Well chums the truth is that the battalion went into the front at full strength. That was 88 officers and 1070 other ranks. At the roll call after the attack there was only 8 Officers and 80 other ranks. The rest were dead, missing or like yours truly in first aid posts or hospital.
What a bloody devastation. That's 90% of officers and 92.5% of other ranks as casualties. This gas is bloody evil.
My mucker copped for it and I've found out off my mates that Jacky Lynn passed away. He was a true hero. Some say he stopped the Hun attack almost single handedly. I know this for a fact. I was there with him as he blazed away. There's talk that he ought to be awarded the Victoria Cross. If anyone deserves this honour then it is Jack alright. He was selfless to the last. He would give you anything and everything, He was true to the corps and always thought of his mates.
After I left the front Jacky was still there left almost alone blazing until he was overcome. Those chaps lucky enough to have good working flannelette protection carried him to the reserve trench and later the hospital. He was said to be blue and gasping for air and died a horrible death the next day. Poor chap he gave his life for the battalion. He stayed in the midst of the gas firing for all he was worth without any protection from the gas.
Apparently us blokes in B Company faired the best on the day. We saw the gas coming first due to ourselves being able to see the Hun lines clearly. Our chums in A and D Companies didn't get any warning. We sent a runner but he couldn't get there in time.
The gas caught A and D Companies totally unawares. They had no time to prepare. Such was the shock of the gas being upon them that the men couldn't don their handkerchiefs or flanalettes. Their lungs rapidly filled with gas and in a blind panic they abandoned the trench and ran away from the gas. The breeze following it forced it onto them at a pace so in their terror they ran even quicker.
The first that C company knew of the Gas was when they saw the clouds coming for them and then as they scrambled for their flanalettes and handkerchiefs they heard the footsteps of men running and leaping their trench. This was A and D Companies. Seeing this terrified stampede they up and left their trench.
To make things worse the Hun sent over shells and shrapnel into the trenches in this area. Obviously his aim was to lay down as much devastating fire so that the Hun attacking force that followed up the gas would find very little opposition. It was extremely effective, lots of men got killed or injured with the shelling. Those unlucky enough to get injured as the gas was passing died from asphyxiation. The gas burnt their lungs away and they died gasping for air. It must have been horrendous.
The gas attack, shelling and shrapnel caused the whole of the trench systems to the left of Shell Trap Farm to be abandoned. This was about 300 yards of front line totally unmanned!
The only thing that saved the day was my Company, B Company. We had stood our ground and had fired into the cloud for all we were worth. Jacky Lynn had put down the most withering hail of bullets and had undoubtedly stopped the Hun follow up attack. Had he not done this the Hun would have stormed our front trenches and broke through to the reserve and communication trenches. He would have probably got as far as Wieltje before being stopped.
Undoubtedly our action and that of Jacky's saved the front. Some of my Company that wasn't overcome by the gas said that once the gas had cleared the ground in front of our trenches was strewn with dead and injured Hun. There were hundreds of them. Jacky's blazing mowed them down, stopping them in their track.
After the gas had gone the absent A and D Companies was noticed. Then some movement was seen in the trench. My comrades in B Company sent some men down to check. Fortunately it was the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders who were in reserve that had moved up.
So on the evening of the 2nd and for the whole of the 3rd the line was held like this. Some of my Company and the Argyle and Sutherlanders.
Of the men in my Company who also showed great spirit and courage are lieutenant Hawkins and Captain Tyrrell. Lieutenant Hawkins stayed at the front throughout the gas attack and commanded the men that remained in our trench. Captain Tyrell is our medical officer. At the start of the gas rolling over he shouted the order to don our masks. He shouted out to wet them with anything that comes to hand. Then during the attack as we blazed away at the Hun he ran up and down the line oiling everyone's rifles. I can tell you mine got hot and the rifle bolt started to get stiff but after some oil from Captain Tyrell I was soon back in action. This was the same for all the other chaps who were blazing away. He helped save the day.
Well chums I now back with the battalion. After the gas attack what was left of the battalion was relieved on the night of the 3rd and retired to dugouts to the right of Vlamertinge. Then they moved on the 8th to a field 4 miles north of Poperinge where they bivouaced. The battalion stayed here until the 13th. During this time 158 reinforcements (or should I say replacements) joined.
On the 13th the battalion moved to dugouts to the left of Vlamertinge.
Then on the 15th they relieved the Royal Irish in the trenches to the west of Shell Trap Farm. On the 17th another 201 reinforcements joined. Yours truly also returned during this period.
For the las two days, the 18th and 19th, we have constantly got shelled. We've had 2 killed and 18 wounded.
Today we've been relieved by the Hampshire's. We've retired to dugouts in the support line.
So chums that brings you up to date. I've had my closest shave with death so far. That blasted gas nearly got me. If I hadn't peed on my hanky I would have been a gonner. I don't want to face that stuff again.
The regiment is still about 200 or 300 under strength even though we've had over 350 reinforcements. It'll be some time before were back to strength. I'm hoping for a bit of rest away from the front. To go to some quiet spot but I doubt we'll get that.
So chums bye for now. Albert is still here, alive and kicking.
Albert x
The Gas Attack - The Attack
Well chums it was the morning of the 2nd of May. All was quiet and had been all the evening before but we could now see that opposite us the Hun was moving men forward towards the front trenches. Our artillery opened up and gave them a fair bashing. We could see them scurrying about for cover.
In return the Hun fired shells over to our lines. He was targeting the many farms in the area with incendaries and did a good deal of damage to them. They were all set on fire or burnt out. He even destroyed our temporary dressing station.
So the morning went on shelling to and fro. The Hun eventually stopped shelling and after a while so did ours boys It all went quiet. Although the Hun was up to something it didn't seem like an attack was likely now.
We settled in for the day observing the Hun's movements whilst tending to our equipment. The hedgerow gave us good cover so we could do this unobserved.
It was mid afternoon and we started a brew. We got the water on the boil and were mashing up. A shout went out to have a look at Fritz. We returned to the hedgerow and saw smoke coming from the Hun lines. What a beautiful target for our artillery I thought. Then looking at it, it somehow seemed strange, more like fog rolling across the land. A shout went up that it was gas. Bloody hell I thought, what are we supposed to do. I could then see that there were streams of gas shooting into the air and settling down to roll across the land. It was an eerie sight. It just quietly crept forward, a yellowish cloud on the breeze.
Lieutenant Hawkins came dashing along the line shouting 'gas, get your flanelletes on, wet them, now'. I jumped down from the hedgerow and ran to the brew. I chucked the contents of the mash onto my handkerchief, God knows were my flanalette was, and then held it up to my nose and mouth. By now all hell was being let loose. I could here A and D Company letting rip with everything they had. Our lads started up also. Bloody hell I thought, the Hun is following the gas cloud and will be upon us.
I returned to my spot in the hedgerow and started shooting for all I was worth. I was trying to hold my handkerchief on and load and shoot at the same time. It wasn't working too well.
Jacky Lynn, our machine gunner, moved his Vickers gun from his position that had been a little setback up and into the hedgerow into a good forward position. He then opened up. Boy did he let it rip he was firing for all he was worth.
All too soon the gas was upon us. My God it was stifling. It made my eyes itch and run. It burnt the lining of my nose. It made me cough, splutter and choke. Everything inside me was on fire and the taste was an awful metallic taste.
Knowing I wasn't effective fighting the way I was and fearing for my safety as I couldn't keep my handkerchief on I decided to move back and make good my situation.
I jumped into the trench and went to a nearby dugout. Other men followed but instead of stopping like me they were making off. I could hear Captains at the back threatening to shoot men if they didn't return. Bloody Hell if the Gas or the Hun doesn't get you, the Captain will!
Inside there were other men who similarly had taken refuge. Someone said piss on your handkerchiefs it'll stop the gas. I was trembling and shaking. I forced a good amount of piss out and wet all my handkerchief. I had some cord in my belt pouch and I tied my handkerchief over my nose and mouth. By now the dugout was filling with gas and I had my last few lungfulls of clean air.
I dashed out back to my position. My mate was still there blazing away. Jacky was up top swinging the Vickers and laying a sheet of lead down. I thought yes you bastard Hun eat that. Having full use of both hands I could now reload and fire my rifle in rapid succession. I couldn't see anything through the gas cloud but thought whoever is following it is going to get full of some good British lead. Take that you swine, and that and that.
I could see Jacky wasn't wearing any gas protection. No flanalette and no handkerchief. He was wheezing and rasping like a little devil but all the time he was continuing to fire through the cloud. He was swinging the Vickers right and left and laying down a wall of bullets. No one could get through that.
By this time, which must have only been maybe 10 minutes since the cloud had arrived on us, my rifle was becoming extremely hot from the rapid firing. I thought bloody hell its going to seize up!
The pee filled handkerchief was working better than the original tea soaking but my lungs were on fire and my nose was burning. I was coughing and choking and starting to wheeze. Most of the lads had retired, hopped it out of there. Jacky was still blazing but most others had gone. I said to my mate come on let's go. He didn't respond. I nudged him and shouted let's go. He still didn't respond. I pushed him to one side. His eyes were wide open. His face was pale and blue. His lips were a blueish plum colour and covered in a greenish froth and slime. He was dead. He hadn't put his flanalette or handkerchief on.
I thought my God its me next. I was coughing and wheezing. I got up and ran back. All I could see was dead and dying men all around me. All had blueyish faces and lips all were frothing at the mouth. They were all strewn about in various positions and contortions. Some were screaming, some gargling, some vomiting.
I ran on, leaping over empty trenches. My heart was pounding and I was wheezing like an old miner. I eventually got to the road and good clean air. I was puffing like mad and stumbling along. I must have gone about three or four hundred yards, sometimes running, sometimes stumbling, before I finally collapsed by the road. I threw my guts up all over myself. I couldn't turn or stand. I was done for.
I don't how long it was before some Canadians came along. They saw me and came to my help. I was in a state. My uniform was covered in vomit. They cleared me up and gave me some fresh water. They then took me, carried me, to a first aid post. What a site. It was full of men hissing and wheezing, all gasping for air. They were trying to speak, trying to breathe but all were suffocating, dying before my eyes. They were blue or turned blue and then gasped no more.
I was moved further back. I was one of the lucky ones. I was wheezing and coughing but I wasn't gasping or turning blue. I could move about but the other poor sods could hardly move. They were grasping at everything to try and get help but to no avail.
I ended up here at the field hospital. Most blokes who got this far were going to survive, the other poor sods had already died!
My mind turned to Jacky, atop the hedgerow blazing for all his worth. What happened to him, I didn't see him wearing any protection.
Well chums I'll let you know tomorrow. Here's a picture of Jacky letting the Hun have it.
Speak to you tomorrow,
Albert x
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| Private Jacky (John) Lynn |
The Gas Attack - The Build Up
We woke on the morning of the 1st of May to what seemed a peaceful day. The sun was out and there was a slight breeze. We could see our surrounds for the first time. Me and my chums were in a shallow trench behind a hedge line. The hedgerow was still intact. There were a few breaks in it here and there but on the whole it afforded us good cover. We could watch the Hun lines in comfort without fear of being seen.
We were just to the east of Shell Trap Farm. This Farm is about 850 yards north of Wieltje village and this in turn is one and half miles north east of Ypres. The battalion had occupied the front line trench around this farm. The trenche was an L shape with the farm in the corner of the L. My Company, B Company, was on the foot of the L with our A and D Companies on the upright. C company was just behind these in the reserve trenches.
This is a picture of the farm as it was before the war. Its now knocked about a bit with th main house a shell. You can see the main house and a barn in this photo. There were three buildings around a courtyard and then some other ruined buildings further back. The whole thing was surrounded by a moat.
This map shows the farm location, its between the grid numbers 16 and 22.
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| Shell Trap Farm |
This sketch is from a Canadian. The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry occupied the trenches before us and this is a sketch of the farm made by them.
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| Shell Trap Farm |
This following sketch shows our positions and the roughtline of the trench as it ran around this farm.
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| Shell Trap Farm Trench Line and Disposition |
This sketch shows the lines of the trenches and the disposition of our men. The sketch runs roughly north south from left to right and east west from top to bottom. I was between the middle of our line and the road at the top. My Company and trench line were disconnected from the other Companies due to the most around the farm. We had to send runners to communicate between us and the other line.
The morning started out like any other morning. We brewed up and made some scoff and then went about sentry duties. We cleared up the trenches, there was lots of items left lying about bythe previous tenants. There had been fracas early in the week and the occupants had left in a hurry.
During the morning we could see to our left an attack by the Gurkha's on Mauser Ridge. They were attacking the Hun lines and attempting to take a farm and trenches that had been lost to the Hun a week earlier.
Our artillery covered their attack but we could see that the brave Gurkha's were getting mown down by the Hun. They came under withering fire from machine guns and rifles. They fell like wheat being scythed. What a bloody pity. Poor chaps from the other side of the world, from a different culture and way of life, to be brought here and cut down in the prime.
I thought my God what if we were going to be asked to go over the top and attack. A shiver went down my spine and I blocked the image from my thoughts. Get busy I said to myself, don't think on.
The Hun decided to send some shells our way in answer to the attack that took place. They whistled over and hit the farm. This had previously been a HQ but now was more of a mortuary. There were many bodies placed within the barn and in the yard behind the farm. The Hun shells landed right amongst these. He sent a good few incendiaries amongst them and the barn duly caught fire. The resulting stench of burning and rotting flesh wafted over our trenches. It was abominable. The stench fair made me wrench.
We had 3 men killed and 28 injured in this shelling. Not a lot but little did we know what was coming the following day.
For the rest of the evening of the 1st of May everything was quiet. We got a good nights sleep and awoke to a beautiful morning on the 2nd. The sky was clear and it was sunny. We went about our usual chores and with the absence of any Hun shelling the day was most enjoyable.
This wasn't to last and soon we would be subjected to the most inhumane form of warfare. We didn't know it was coming and to everyone this was a jolly fine day. That wouldn't last.
Well chums tomorrow I'll give you the next installment in all its detail. A bloody abomination.
Until then its goodbye for now,
Albert x
The Gas Attack - The Prelude
Well chums the build up to the gas attack really started on the way up to the front trenches on the 30th. As we marched up from Vlamertinge towards the front lines we passed quite a few wild eyed and panicked stricken French native troops. I thought they had just lost their nerve and were destrought with fear. It now turns out they were running scared of being gassed. We didn't know at this point that any gas had been used, it never even crossed our mind.
As we moved up further we stopped to have tea. At this point we were told that the place we were going was quite hot and that Fritz may decide to use poisonous gas. All the men were issued with some flannelette. We were shown how to make a gas mask by rolling up the flanallete, securing it and then use a piece of elastic to hold it over our nose and mouth. We laughed at this, the thought of being gassed was unthinkable, it wouldn't happen. We packed the flannelette away and then after a brew and some bread and bully beef we marched off.
When we arrived in the reserve trenches near to the front we came across some Indian troops cowering in the bottom of the trench. They were Gurkha's. They were terrified and trembled as the shells burst nearby. I thought my God, the poor sods, what must they think of us? The first time they come to Europe and instead of it being the height if civilisation its the most abominable place on earth.
We still never had an inkling that were were less than 48 hours from being gassed.
We had sustained quite a few deaths and injuries moving up, it was a hot place alright. I wrote in my blog on the 1st of May (called The Jaws of Hell) about the move up . I now have some snaps of the places. The first I have is of Hell Fire Corner, the most dangerous place on earth.
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| Hell Fire Corner |
Have a guess which direction we went in?
Well chums we went left. Yes the road to Potijze! As if Hell Fire Corner wasn't enough we were going straight into the jaws of hell!
On we went till we crossed the pontoon bridge over the canal. This is a snap of a bridge.
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| A Pontoon Bridge |
well chums we finally ended up at Shell Trap Farm. We still didnt have an inkling of what was to come. We arrived in the evening so we couldn't see our surrounds until the morning of the 1st.
So chums from the safety of the field hospital I'll bid you goodbye for today. I'll post you the next part of the gas saga tomorrow. I'll leave you today with a snap of the Cloth Hall at Ypres. My God its taken a beating.
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| Ypres Cloth Hall |
Cheerio for now
Albert x
Back From The Brink
Hi Chums, Albert here once again. My God what a bloody war. I'm sorry I haven't wrote earlier but that blasted gas nearly had for me.
I've been convalescing in a field hospital. I'm not as bad as some of the others. I feel as though I've had my lungs burnt out but I'm breathing OK and I can get about. I've been coughing up some pretty awful stuff. Its a disgusting colour and smells. The doctor says I should be OK soon and that I can return to the regiment in a couple of days.
When I last wrote I was in the trenches and being gassed by the Hun. This was at a place called Shell Trap Farm near Wieltje. Oh it was a rum old do. There was no warning, it just came out of nowhere. We had no gas masks, only our handkerchiefs to cover our mouths and noses with. My mate copped it and so did a lot of other blokes. Some good chaps, some big burly blokes. They just gasped and wheezed their way to a slow death. It was awful.
When the gas struck we knew that Fritz would be behind it so we stayed put and put up a barrage of withering fire. We fired a wall of bullets into the gas to kill the Hun who were following up behind it. My mate Jacky Lynn put up a tremendous volley of fire. He's a machine gunner and as soon as he realised what was happening he was up on the top of the trench blazing away for all he was worth. It must have devastated the Hun who were coming up behind the gas cloud. I was there alongside Jacky blazing away with my rifle. I kept this up until the gas was too much. I then ran into a dugout to get some gulps of good air that was still inside there. I took this opportunity to pee on my handkerchief. Someone said it could prevent the gas having an effect. The dugout soon filled up with gas and I then ran outside with my handkerchief tightly tied on and then blazed away for all I was worth again. Jacky had stayed there all the time firing like a demon but by now he was choking and desperate for some good air.
The doctor said I had saved my life by taking to the dugout to find some clean air and then peeing on my handkerchief. He believes this is why i haven't been so affected as some of the others.
It was a ghastly do. I've never been through anything like it before and never want to go through it again. The whole build up to it was terrible and terrifying. I thought Le Touquet was a bad place but by comparison Ypres and Wieltje is actually hell on earth. Its insane.
Over the next couple of days before I return to my unit I'll write to you everything that happened. The whole bloody lot. You'll then be able to see what sort of hell man has created on earth.
So for tonight its goodnight chums and I'll start my account of the Gas Attack tomorrow.
Albert x
Gas Gas Gas
The bastard Hun.
My god I can hardly breath. This may be it chums. The Hun has unleashed his most vile weapon on us, gas. I've no gas mask, only my handkerchief. I can see the Hun following behind the gas cloud. My god the trench is full of gas. My mate is dead. I'm choking and drowning in my own sputum.
I can't believe this. It can't end like this. I don't want to die.
If only I can get some air. The swines. Bite some British bullets you bastards.
I can't breathe, oh god.....
TheJaws of Hell
Well chums what an utterly abominable place I've ended up. If I thought Le Touquet was bad then this place is unspeakable, I've entered hell!
Yesterday I was in the spring air in the middle of France with larks rising and the smell of fresh mown grass, now I'm in the middle of the biggest inferno man has created upon this earth.
We left Bailleul yesterday at 7:45am, our destination was Vlamertinghe. We had a very hot and dusty march, it was about fifteen miles in total. We arrived at about 2:00pm and bivouaced in a field. We brewed up expecting to stay for the day but about 4:00pm the call went out that we were to move again.
There were plenty of shells whizzing about. We were about 3 miles west of Ypres. We were told we were going to move up into the front lines. In front of us and around us all we could see was the flashes of shells going off and the dull crump of their explosion on the earth. We weren't in danger at this point but we could see it was a pretty hot spot up front.
We duly marched off at 5:00pm.
It was starting to get dull and as we moved forward we could see there was a mighty barrage that we would have to enter and go through to reach the front. Suddenly some shells burst nearby and our major, Major Griffin, got injured. He received a head wound and retired to the rear. We moved on.
We followed the road. The houses here were just piles of bricks and quite often they were strewed across the road such that we had to climb over or around them.
We reached a pontoon bridge over the Ypres canal. We had to cross this but the Hun had it in their sights. They were bombarding it with shells of all kinds and spraying it with mortar and machine gun fire. Although the fire was intense it didn't hit or destroy the bridge but anyone caught in the open was decimated. We had to bide our time and cross this obstacle carefully and eventually the entire battalion crossed without casualty. How this was achieved I dont know.
We marched on the shells falling all around us. It was like being in the middle of hell. We reached a place called Hellfire Corner. This was no mistake, the name was absolutely correct. As if to prove a point a shell landed right in the middle of our procession. The transport corps received the brunt of it. A horse was blown away before our eyes. Two more we're injured and several men were killed. The whole lot went up in a deafening blast in front of us. Indifferent to this we were ordered to march on.
On we went, the view in front and all around us like some crazy exp!osion in a fireworks factory. It seemed like we were in a dream. We were marching on indifferent to all that was happening around us, as though everything was normal. It was insane.
Then we reached the communication trenches. We dropped into these and welcomed their protection. We were to move up into the front trenches but there seemed to be miles of trenches. We had guides attached to us but in the chaos of the shelling and the miles and maze of trenches we got separated and lost. My company, B Company, spent a few hours wandering around the trenches until we found out where we were and where we should be.
This brings us to now. We have relieved the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infancy in the front trenches. The whole place is dark and we have no idea what is in front of us or what the surrounding land is like. The approach to this place has been like some crazy walk through hell. Now we are here its not too bad but the thoughts of changing over in four days fills me with dread. I thought Le Touquet was bad but this place is totally insane. How can such a place exist, its the work of the devil.
Anyway chums I'm here and I'm in one piece. As far as I can tell its a place called Wieltje. I'm hoping its not as bad as it seems but somehow I think it is. I think I'll have too be extra vigilant here. What's gone before seems to have been the easy bit. It looks like me and my pals are in for a rare old do.
Anyway here's wishing you well and I'll send a report in a weeks time. I'm hoping I'll be here but who knows.
All the best,
Albert x
