Chapter IV: Part 4

June 3rd. Went up to the trenches, to see how the emplacements were getting on, with Kitty. In the evening the Tyneside Scottish relieved us, going up to the trenches at 2-0 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. We had an awful crush of them in our mess for several hours, and I had great difficulty in pushing them off up to the trenches. I took them there just to be in time for a terrific bombardment on the trenches, whilst the Germans tried unsuccessfully to raid our trenches. They used tear gas on us, sent over in shells, and it makes you weep. When I returned they were shelling near our billet, and we had to spend the whole of the rest of the night in the cellars, and only got to our bed at about 6-0 in the morning.

June 4th. Carroll and Brand went back to rest with the two new batteries, and Kitty and I remained in reserve, as they wanted us to take part in a raid that we were going to do, and, though our own brigade was in rest, our batteries were selected as a compliment to take part in the raid, which we learned was to come off on Monday, June 5th, so we tried to go to bed early on Sunday after our troublous Saturday night. However, we learnt that the division on our right was doing a raid, and the Bosche started retaliating on Albert, the town we were in, so we had to spend another night in the cellars.

June 5th. We spent the day getting ammunition up, 400 rounds, registering our guns, &c. We found our emplacements damaged by the bombardment of the night before and had to make one new one. We meant to return to our billet for lunch at 2-0, but we actually came back at 6-0--in time for high tea. At 8-30 we paraded, six men from each battery to work four guns, and got to the trenches to find everything quiet. We prepared our ammunition, &c., and were finished just before 11-0, at which time all our artillery suddenly burst forth into a hundred thunderstorms, and absolutely rained shells on the German lines like hail. At 11-20 we started, and put over about 70 rounds from each gun, and finished at 11-35, and returned to the third line as soon as possible to collect there to take our guns out. I quite enjoyed it all; there was a huge row on, and you could not tell if any German shells were coming at you, there was such a noise. It was quite exciting. I was surprised to find that it is really not nearly half so bad when both sides are hard at it and our own getting decidedly the best of it, as when occasional shots keep arriving.

We were glad to get out all right at 1-30 and back to our billet. The next day (Tuesday) we moved back to Bresle, and arrived there in the evening. Kitty and I had to go up to the trenches to collect some things, then we had tea, and came along in motor wagons, &c.

At present we are back where we were in tents; it rains fairly often, and, as a rest, we have to parade at 6-45 for field days. I am going to the Suffolks to-night.

I am awfully sorry this letter has been so long, but I have been made O.C. group of four batteries, and I have had to work all day and most of the night.

I am very fit and well, and hope to be home on June 15th. Old Wroxan, who shared a room with me at Cambridge, was killed the other day--he had only been out about a month.

Socks, cake and all sorts of nice things received.

Much love to all, from your loving Son,
ALEC.

B.E.F., 10th.

My darling Mother,--

As I told you in my last letter we are now resting, and we are doing it very vigorously indeed. There are two kinds of rest for Infantry in the British Army, and they are (1) A good rest, and (2) a thoroughly good rest. A good rest is when your brigade is in the trenches, and your battalion or unit is out. Then between shells in the trenches you rest. You begin the cure at 7-0 in the morning, if you are lucky, and continue it all day and all night on working parties.

When you are having a thoroughly good rest you rise at 6-0 a.m., parade at 6-45 every day, and charge across country, practicing the assault for the day that has always been coming (is always in a fortnight) and never comes off--the great Spring Offensive. That's what we have been doing the last few days, walking five or six miles out, then walking two miles or so across country, and then marching home. Every day we receive orders in the afternoon that the brigade will go somewhere, to the trenches or to some other village, but they are always cancelled in the evening.

Fortunately, to-morrow is Sunday, and we are to have a day's rest. I hope it will not be cancelled.

Last night I had dinner with "C" Company, my old Company; we had a wonderful dinner. This evening we went to our brigade theatre. It is an old barn, and we all sit on the floor--Colonels, Majors, Subalterns and privates. There are cinematograph films, songs, &c., and it is very cheering; Kitty, Dougal and I went together to-night. The chief talk is all about leave, everyone being in hopes of it, and all except the staff being put off from week to week until you almost despair of it. Dougal is just talking about hopping into a big hot bath and a feather bed, but if we had never done without them we should not value them quite as we do now.

Wednesday, 14th. The Day of Days, the heaven of every British soldier. Leave, that Will-o'-the-Wisp which everyone possesses, but which evades all but the staff, and the very lucky. A long journey from Mericourt, starting at 9-30 to Havre. Lunch off omelette and coffee during an hour's halt in the dignified perambulations of a French train at Bouchie. At Havre we rushed to get cabins, but found plenty, and we soon went to bed--Payne and I (Bernard Thompson on the same boat)--and we slept until wakened one hour out of Southampton. Breakfast off a cup of coffee, and then train again.

Winnie met me at Waterloo, or rather I met her, gazing forlornly at streams of strange soldiers. All morning at Harold's offices and shopping, lunching at the Criterion, &c. Then on to Win's to tea and back in bare time to the Savoy to change for dinner. Then to "To-night's the night"--topping seats and a good show.

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The writer of these letters arrived in England June 15th, 1916, and returned to France June 22nd. The Spring Offensive, of which he wrote, was launched at 7-30 on July 1st, 1916, and on that day he was killed near La Boiselle--"A corner of a foreign field that is for ever England."

Writing of him a fellow Officer said:--

"The last time I saw him was on Friday afternoon, June 30th, in
the cellars of the Chateau. He was gaily talking to his Officers
and giving them one or two final instructions. 'Have some tea of
dog biscuits and bully beef' he said to me just as I had finished
a wash. I said 'Good-bye' to him, and then crept along the dark
passage to the Chateau.

He was one of the real enthusiasts for war amongst us as a
regiment. Most people had joined because it was their duty--he
joined because he was a soldier by nature as well. If there was
to be a scrap he was sure to be in it. He wanted to go out before
the battalion on July 1st, but the C.O., of course, would not
hear of it.

At Armentières I was told that when the Corner Fort was bombarded
he was hit on his helmet by a huge piece of shell, but just
carried on. I feel certain he died in the forefront of the
battle, for his pluck was proverbial. "Whoever else gets the wind
up--Mack won't" I heard an Officer of the regiment say one day
during a bad spell in the trenches.

I do not believe he was afraid of death, and I am sure he fell as
far forward as the German leaden hail would let anyone get
alive."

Another one wrote:--

"I saw a good deal of him during the last few days before July
1st, as his battery was encamped with us. He was in the highest
spirits, though he knew he was to occupy a most exposed position
in the attack.

He was as brave as any man I know, and his loss is tremendous. I,
as well as all his friends out here, sympathise most deeply with
his family, whose consolation must be that he died a gallant
soldier's death."

* * * * *

"Daily Post" Printers, Wood Street, Liverpool.

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| Typographical errors corrected in text: |
| |
| Page 12: Moher replaced with Mother |
| Page 37: fraid replaced with afraid |
| Page 44: Boches replaced with Bosches |
| Page 48: intersting replaced with interesting |
| Page 55: we we replaced with we |
| Page 64: Epeleque replaced with Eperlecques |
| Page 73: greatet replaced with greatest |
| |
| On Pages 78 and 79, the author uses a common British |
| phrasing "Breakfast off a cup of coffee" and "Lunch off |
| omelette". This is not a typo. |
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End of Project Gutenberg's Letters from France, by Isaac Alexander Mack