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