A Well Deserved Rest

Well chums I haven't put pen to paper for two weeks now. Myself and the Battalion have been at rest since the Pilkem Saga. Boy was that a rum old do and did we deserve a rest? You bet.

When I last wrote to you it was from our billets in Proven. I had just described the last couple of days of the battle at Pilkem and our leaving there on the 10th. Well folks since then we have been moving about a bit, from one set of billets to another. We've also been on light duties in reserve trenches, not surprising considering the considerable loss of men the battalion has suffered. I'll now bring you up to date on everything.

After the battle of Pilkem the roll call showed that we had suffered tremendous casualties. We went into this battle with 22 officers and 780 men. At the roll call there were 5 officers and 400 men. Of the missing men, 73 had been killed, 20 others died of their wounds, 13 men were unaccounted for and 274 were wounded. This was another complete devastation of the battalion and it came just two months after the Hun gas attack had all but wiped the battalion out. By my reckoning over the last three months there has been about 1,500 casualties. That's the best part of two Battalions lost. Bloody astounding. And bloody amazing that I'm still here!

The officers killed were as follows:

Captain Smyth

Lieutenant Simpson

Lieutenant Pickering

2nd Lieutenant Kelly

Lieutenant Breckell

2nd Lieutenant Breckell

2nd Lieutenant Stanwell

2nd Lieutenant Nairne (died of wounds)

2nd Lieutenant Charleston (died of wounds)

Officers wounded:

Lieutenant Colonel Griffin DSO

Captain Spooner DSO

Lieutenant Appleby

2 Lieutenant A S MacIver

2 Lieutenant C B Johnson

2 Lieutenant E E W Grainger

2 Lieutenant A S Wase-Rogers

2 Lieutenant Mason

The thing to note about all the deaths is the fact that most of the men were either blown to bits, buried by the earth thrown up by shells or left in the open because we couldnt retrieve them. During the height of the fighting there wasn't time to deal with the dead, only the wounded. Consequently later on in lulls of the battle some men who were seen to be killed earlier could no longer be found or their bodies be pieced together, only their deaths were recorded. It saddens me to think we had to leave our fellow soldiers on the battle field, but what could we do? Chaps such as Captain Smyth was seen to be killed but he was never recovered for burial. As far as I know his grave is in the front line trenches of Pilkem.

Captain Smyth

I've reckoned that 80% of the dead at Pilkem were never recovered. Their graves are that now hallowed ground. Hard fought for and hard won. I hope it was worth the price. I hope that it never has to be fought over again.

Well chums another interesting fact is that during the fighting we went through over 8,000 Mills Bombs. That's an astounding amount. I hardly doubt it because I was lobbing as many at Fritz as I could get hold of. It was the only way to stop him from overrunning us at times.

Well on the 10th we bade farewell to Pilkem and went to Proven where we stayed for several days. We must have put up a good show at Pilkem because on the 13th we were inspected by Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert C O Plumer, he's the Commander of the 2nd Army. He's as pretty high as you can go in the top brass ranks. Then to our amazement we were inspected by Field Marshall John French. Now there isn't any higher than that unless Kitchener turns up.

General Sir Herbert Plumer

Sir John French, Commander in Chief

I can tell you chums we were proud to bursting point with such high ranking officers coming to see us. We turned out in great style and were all spik and span, spit and polish. The brass marched down the line stopping to inspect men and ask polite questions. There was only 400 of us and we were still licking our wounds but we stood proud and tall to represent our fallen mates. This Pilkem action must have been a good news story for the generals and we were chuffed to feel the thanks being shown to us by all.

We stayed at Proven for 10 days having a good old rest. Other than the top brass inspections we were left to recuperate and please ourselves what we did. The weather was fine, it was warm and sunny. We took our time in anything we did, it was a time of leisure. We weren't in a hurry to do anything and we weren't in the mood either. Too many good blokes had been lost in the Pilkem battle. Captain Smyth was at the front from the start of the war. I knew him from the 3rd Battalion. He was now gone. It really hits you when some of the old timers go. I'm one of the few remaining. I'm not intending to go anywhere except home, alive and in one piece!

On the 21st of July we marched to Godewaersvelde where we boarded a troop train to Doullens. The train set off at 4:30pm and we arrived at 12:30am. We then marched to Authieule where we bivouaced for a few hours and then we marched on to billets at Forceville. This village seems to be in the middle of France but even so there are trenches here with the Hun not far away.

On the 23rd we were put to work on moving munitions from stores up to the trenches. Then on the 24th we had a visit from another top brass. General Charles Monro, the Commander of the 3rd Army, came and inspected us. By eck we've now had three commanders come and visit us, all we need now us Haig and Kithchener to pay a visit and then we'll have had the lot.

Sir Charles Monro

On the 25th and 26th we had general inspections and route marches. It seemed to me that the army was getting us back into shape to go about making war again. On well I suppose we can't sit on our bums for too long.

I shouldn't have spoken too soon should I, on the 27th we route marched to Mailly Maillet. Upon arriving yours truly and the machine gunners were sent into the reserve trenches at a place we nicknamed ocean villas, the French name is Auchenvillers. I though to myself, easing us back in are they?

On the 28th we had some bad news, Capt W Tyrrel RAMC was detached from the battalion and we had a new RAMC attached, Lieutenant J Roberts RAMC. I'll fondly remember Capt Tyrrell, he was a great bloke, I wish him all the best in wherever he is off to.

Captain W Tyrrell RAMC

On the 29th we received 170 new men and 7 Officers. Fresh blokes from Blighty. Then on the 31st we had another two officers and 95 men join us. Our ranks were filling up quickly once again.

We held Minden Day on the 1st of August, it was a fantastic day of fun and celebration. It was a much needed day of frivolity and high jinx, and a change from the mundane billet life or the life threatening stints in the trenches. I'll write about it in my next post. 

On the 2nd of August we were once more put into the front lines. We relieved the kings own in trenches just north of Auchenvillers. I was fortunate, my Company, B Company, was put into the reserve trenches.

Between the 3rd and 9th we were in the trenches engaged in general improvement work. We were improving the parapets and repairing and building wire entanglements. It was very quiet and there was little activity on both sides regarding shelling, sniping or bombing.

On the 10th we were relieved by the Kings Own and we marched to billets in Forceville again. That's were we are now. 

Since the 11th we have been reorganising, receiving instruction and carrying out route marches. I suppose it's all to lick the new boys into shape.

Well chums that brings you up to date. I'm safe and sound in billets some distance from the front and thats where I want to stay. I'll write to you about the Minden Day festivities next week unless I have some other pressing news to bring you. 

So once more its goodbye from me, 

Albert x