Well chums this week has been straight forward. The same as usual. We've been at the front again doing our bit for king and country. It's becoming quite normal for me. I feel as though I've been in this bloody war all my life and its all I know!
We changed over with the Essex Regiment and went straight into our regular routine in the trenches. Two of our blokes got wounded on the first day, the 19th of June. They got their ticket back to blighty. Some of the blokes are half wishing they could get a ticket back but knowing what rotten luck there is out here they may end up with half their head blown away! I'd rather go back in one piece or not at all, I can't bear to think of the lives some of the injured blokes are going to have. Some have had there legs blown off or amputated. I can't bear the thought of not being able to walk or run about. I can tell you chums I keep out of danger as much as I can.
Its getting to the point where some of the men can't face the front anymore and look for all sorts of excuses to get away or stay behind. Some even resort to injuring themselves and then get put in the infirmary. But if the top brass suspect or find anything out then they are put on a charge that could be quite serious, cowardice in the face of the enemy. Such blokes are dicing with death. If found out then they would be put before a firing squad.
We recently heard how one of our chums met such an end. His name was Herbert Chase. He had recently come back to the battalion after serving a sentence for desertion. In August of 1914 when the Regiment first came to France he absconded but he was subsequently found and placed under arrest. He then escaped before being sentenced in October 1914. He was then found again and arrested again. This time he didnt escape.
In a court martial he was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Back then deserters weren't treated so harsh but now, with such death and devastation in the trenches, the top brass have decided its a capital offence punished by firing squad. They fear that everyone would desert if the punishment wasn't harsh.
Anyway Herbert served some of his time and on the 6th of May he was returned to the battalion under the suspension of sentence act. This act was passed so that men could be returned to their units so that the numbers at the front was kept up, that they could redeem themselves, and that deliberate acts to get out of the front line did not achieve this.
So Herbert joined us again soon after his release. He served relatively well but during the gas attack of the 24th of May he went missing. Those of us that had gone through the first gas attack dealt with this attack with little problem. We are also some 800 yards or more behind the front line in the reserve trenches and the gas wasn't that effective.
Private Herbert had absconded once again though. He was found near Vlamertinghe and claimed he couldn't remember what had happened. He then said he was suffering from gas. He was taken to a dressing station but the Medical Officer who examined him couldn't find anything wrong with him. Others at the dressing station who knew him also stated he appeared unaffected and normal. He was sent back to a mustering point for the battalion with others that had been gassed but were passed fit for service.
Herbert was duly placed under arrest for desertion and tried. This was his third such dereliction of duty. He was shot at dawn on the 12th of June at San Sixtus.
So chums there's no escape from the front unless it's in a wooden box, but you get interred here, or by being injured in the line of duty. If it's neither of these then here you stay until the Hun is beaten. That seems like my lot!
Well as for the rest of the time in the front line this weekend we lost two men and had 3 injured. On the 23rd We were relieved by the Essex Regiment and moved into the 2nd line trenches at La Belle Alliance. Whilst here Capt A.H. Spooner rejoined the battalion.
That is where I am now, in the 2nd line trenches.
I've written that letter to our Georges commanding officer. I'm hoping to find out more about our Georges death. I hope it wasn't as bad as some of the agonising deaths I've seen befell some blokes here. I hope it was quick. Better still not at all but if your time is up a quick death is the best. We'll see what his officer has to say.
Well chums that's it from the front this week, I hope to be here to write to you again next week,
Albert x
No Escape From The Front
Another Week Done
Well chums that's another week gone at the front. I can tell you I've not been too well since I've heard of my brothers death. It got me down a bit but I've picked myself up now.
I got the news last week. I received a letter from home that told me of his death. It's terrible news. What makes it worse is that he's not been married long and his wife is expecting a baby. The poor bairn will grow up not knowing him. It's terrible.
My brother, George, was in the Royal Welsh Regiment. He joined up before me, in 1911. He enjoyed the army, its what made me join up in 1913.
I received letter from my Dad and a copy of the report from his Corporal. It stated that he was killed on the 6th of may. His platoon were in an engagement with the enemy and unfortunately he was shot and died. It stated the usual facts that he was a brave sole, well liked by the men and a credit to our family. It said he fought with great courage and was on a special mission when his platoon got overrun by the Hun. It stated that he died from gunshot wounds.
I'm going to write a letter to his commander to get more information and find out where his last resting place is. I hope to visit it one day and pay my respects. He was a good bloke George, he was my older brother. I'll make sure his bairn knows of him and won't miss out, its the least I can do.
Well chums as for life at the front we relieved the French on the 6th and had a pretty normal time in the trenches other than the duration. We came out on the 15th, aye we were in there for 9 days, I couldnt believe it. We had had 5 men killed and 20 wounded in that time. At the beginning of the stint we were heavily shelled and then at the end we were getting sniped on. All the killed were sniped and all but 6 of the wounded were also sniped.
Our numbers were going down again but during this stint we had five 2nd Lieutenants and fifty men men join. The 2nd Lieutenants were A.S. Maciver, R.L. Breckell, L.C. Billington, R.C. Mason and W.E. Nairne.
When we came out on the 15th we were relieved by the Royal Warwick Regiment, our pals from Vlamertinghe. Unfortunately one of our chaps got picked off by a sniper during the changeover. Poor bugger, he must have thought he was getting out of danger only to get his life snatched away just as he was reaching safety.
Well chums we didn't go to Vlamertinghe, we marched off in a different direction to pastures new. This time it was to the Chateau Trois Tours in Brielen.
So were getting a grand tour of Belgium. Join up and see the world chums. Well at least Belgium. Oh and get to dodge some bombs, bullets and shells whilst trying to shoot some shady characters. What more could you want.
Well folks heres some snaps of the Château, it looks grand doesn't it.
 |
| Château Trois Tours |
 |
| Château Trois Tours Back View |
2nd Lieutenant E. R. Kelly joined us whilst we were at the Château. Of course we weren't staying in the place, were were in bivouacs again.
Well chums there's no rest for the wicked so today we've had our orders that tomorrow were going back to the front. A lovely life isn't it, we were in for 9 days and out for 3, now we're going back!
Well chums I must leave you now. Here's hoping all's well and I'm here to write to you again next week.
God bless,
Albert x
Back to the Job
Well chums I thought we were going to have a nice rest in Vlamertinghe but just as we had got settled into our new surrounds we received orders to move back to the front to relieve a French Battalion. That was on the 6th of June.
Before I update you ast my current position I'll give you the details on Vlamertinge.
We arrived in Vlamertinghe on the 31st of may and set up our bivouac. We were in the grounds of a chateau. It was the Divisional HQ. It was grand place. I put a photo of it in my last post but I have some better ones here.
 |
| Vlamertinghe Château |
This is another looking at it face on.
 |
| Vlamertinge Château |
There's a cracking field kitchen serving up some good grub and like our time at Armentieres there's a baths setup in an old brewery so we can get a good wash.
Our bivouac, or tent, is quite plain, we just have a piece of rectangular canvas that has a pole at the front and back end. They are quite quick and easy to put up and give you cover from light rain but if a gail blows then you've had it. Mind you its the start of summer now so the weather isn't that bad. This snap shows two tents with belongings laid out to dry. Its not too clear though.
 |
| Bivouac in Fields |
 |
| Getting a Wash in the Field |
Well chums we were in Vlamertinge until the 6th. It was 6 days of bliss. During the day we had drills, route marches and then gymnastics. In the evenings we went to the estaminets in the town. We weren't allowed much time and the number of estaminets were limited but we had en enjoyable time.
On the 6th we were given our marching order, back to the front it was. We relieved the French Zouaves in the front line to the left of Ypres. Its quite a warm spot. We have been heavily shelled every day.
2nd lieutenant MacIver joined us on the 6th. He didn't bring much luck with him, we've had six blokes injured by shelling yesterday and then today one man got wounded by a sniper.
Well chums were back on the job and with the reinforcements and replacements that we've received over the last few weeks were getting back up to strength. I should imagine were now fulltime back in the front line.
I'm not sure when I'm going to see blighty again, I miss the old place. I've just had some bad news from home, our George has been killed. He was at the front with his regiment and they sustained a heavy attack. George was killed and his commanding officer wrote home letting his wife know. I'm going to try and find out what happened. Its hit me worse than the Hun has. He has a bairn on the way who will never know him. What a bloody war.
Albert x
Hold the Line
Well chums time flies, its been a week since I last posted. We had just fought off another dastardly Hun gas attack last time. Well since then we have been holding the line.
We fell back to create a new line along the trench called French Switch which was some 1,000 yards behind Shell Trap Farm, our original line. Our new reserve line was now 1,000 yards behind this at Irish Farm.
The result of the gas attack on the 2nd of May was 20 Officers gassed, 23 other ranks died, 31 missing, 76 wounded, and 579 suffering from gas poisoning. That's 709 ordinary ranks out of action! The gas attack of the 24th resulted in only 1 Officer and 12 other ranks killed, and 2 Officers and 70 other ranks wounded. We didn't have any gas casualties. We had learnt the lesson of using a gas mask.
Well chums although the battalion had been decimated by the original gas attack we received quite a few replacements and reinforcements in very rapid time. Between the 9th and 13th of May we've had 158 men join us. On the the 16th/17th of May we received 201 men. On the 22nd of May we had 4 Officers from the 3rd North Staffordshires and 255 men join us. Then on the 27th we had another 139 men join us. So chums that makes 753 men of ordinary rank. Not a bad replacement rate, over 700 men in 4 weeks. That means yours truly is one of the few originals. The battalion has been replaced twice over now and I'm still here. Some may say I'm lucky but I'd rather be in blighty.
I have a couple of snaps for you. The first is the hero of the hour, Jacky Lynn, our machine gunner.
 |
| Private John Lynn |
This next snap is of our medical officer, Captain Tyrell.
 |
| Captain W. Tyrell RAM Corps |
Captain Tyrell barked the order out for us to wet our handkerchiefs, with pee! He then ran down the line oiling our guns so we could keep rapid fire up. He's a great bloke.
So chums to bring you up to date, our movements since the second gas attack on the 24th have been to the Divisional reserve line on the canal bank on the 26th, then on the 28th we relieved the Essex Regiment just north of Irish Farm. Yesterday we were relieved by the Warwickshire's and we then retired to the Divisional Reserve near Vlamertinge. In the past week we've lost another two men killed and had 36 wounded. Most of these were new chaps. Can you imagine it, you sign up, do your training, get sent out to the front and then get put back on the next boat home because you've got wounded. I can't complain because some of the injuries are horrific. Poor blighters.
This map shows the location of Irish Farm in relation to Shell Trap Farm. The top brass have decided to rename Shell Trap to Mouse Trap Farm because of the bad image Shell Trap brings. I don't know why they bothered as the Hun now has it.
 |
| Irish Farm - Shell Trap Farm (Mouse Trap farm) |
Shell Trap Farm is top right of square 22, now called Mouse Trap Farm. Our front lines are marked by a dotted blue line north east of Irish Farm, this is top left of square 27. The Hun lines are in red.
Today we moved to some new grand accommodation. The chateau at Vlamertinge. Sounds great doesn't it except were not staying in it, we are bivouacing in the grounds of it. I'm not bothered as we're out of the front lines again. Its also not too bad weatherwise at the moment. I might be able to stretch out in the sun.
This is a photo of the chateau. Looks grand doesn't it.
 |
| Vlamertinghe Chateau |
So goodbye for now chums. I'll write to you in a weeks time.
Albert x
