Chapter III: Letters From Officers

Some letters from other officers gradually arrived, giving a few particulars. But it was an exceptionally strenuous period at the Ypres salient, and there was little time for writing. Moreover, some of his friends were killed either at the same time or soon afterwards.

The fullest account that has reached us is in the following letter, which arrived eight months later:--

LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT WILLIAM ROSCOE TO SIR OLIVER LODGE

"_7th Brigade Machine-Gun Company, B.E.F., 16 May 1916_

"DEAR SIR OLIVER LODGE,--When I was lately on leave,
a brother of mine, who had met one of your relatives,
encouraged me to write and tell you what I knew of your
son Raymond. I was in the South Lancashire Regiment when
he joined the Battalion out here last spring, and I think
spent the first spell he had in the trenches in his
company.

"Afterwards I became Machine Gunner, and in the summer
he became my assistant, and working in shifts we tided
over some very trying times indeed. In particular
during August at St. Eloi. To me at any rate it was
most pleasant being associated together, and I think he
very much preferred work with the gunners to Company
work. Being of a mechanical turn of mind, he was always
devising some new 'gadget' for use with the gun--for
instance, a mounting for firing at aeroplanes, and a
device for automatic traversing; and those of my men who
knew him still quote him as their authority when laying
down the law and arguing about machine gunning.

"I wish we had more like him, and the endless
possibilities of the Maxim would be more quickly brought
to light.

"I am always glad to think that it was not in any way
under my responsibility that he was killed.

"During September times grew worse and worse up in the
Ypres salient, culminating in the attack we made on the
25th, auxiliary to the Loos battle. The trenches were
ruins, there was endless work building them up at night,
generally to be wrecked again the next day. The place was
the target for every gun for miles on either side of the
salient.

"Every day our guns gave the enemy a severe bombardment,
in preparation for the attack, and every third or fourth
day we took it back from them with interest: the place
was at all times a shell trap.

"It was during this time that your son was killed.
He was doing duty again with the Company, which was
short-handed, and I remember one night in particular
being struck with his cheerfulness on turning out to a
particularly unpleasant bit of trench digging in front
of our lines near the Stables at Hooge, a mass of ruins
and broken trenches where no one could tell you where you
might run across the enemy; but the men had to dig for
hours on end, with only a small covering party looking
out a few yards in front of them.

"The morning your son was killed they were bombarding
our trenches on the top of the hill, and some of the men
were being withdrawn from a bad piece. He and Ventris
were moving down the trench in rear of the party--which I
think must have been seen--for a shell came and hit them
both, but I think none of the men in front.

"Some time later, I don't know how long, I was going
up to the line to visit the guns, when I saw Ventris,
who was killed, laid out ready to be carried down,
and presently I saw your son in a dug-out, with a man
watching him. He was then quite unconscious though still
breathing with difficulty. I could see it was all over
with him. He was still just alive when I went away.

"Our regiment was to lose many more on that same hill
before the month was over, and those of us that remain
are glad to be far away from it now; but I always feel
that anyone who has died on Hooge Hill has at all events
died in very fine company.--Yours sincerely,

"(Signed) WILLIAM ROSCOE, _Lieut. 2nd S. Lancs. Regt.,
attached 7th Brigade, M.G. Company_"

LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT FLETCHER, GREAT CROSBY, LIVERPOOL

"_21 September 1915_

"Raymond was the best pal I've ever had, and we've always been together; in the old days at Brook Road, then in Edinburgh, and lastly in France, and nobody could ever have a better friend than he was to me.

"I'll never forget the first day he came to us at Dickebusch, and how pleased we all were to see him again; and through it all he was always the same, ever ready to help anyone in any way he could, whilst his men were awfully fond of him and would have done anything for him."

"_24 September 1915_

"I hear that we were digging trenches in advance of our present ones at St. Eloi last week, so it must have been then that he was hit, as he was awfully keen on digging new trenches, and heaps of times I've had to tell him to keep down when he was watching the men working....

"I always thought he would come through all right, and I know he thought so himself, as, the last time I saw him, we made great plans for spending some time together when we got back, and it seems so difficult to realise that he has gone.

(Signed) ERIC S. FLETCHER."

LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT CASE TO BRODIE

"_Thursday, 23 September 1915_

"Yes, I knew Raymond Lodge very well, and he was indeed a friend of mine, being one of the nicest fellows it has ever been my privilege to meet. I was with him when he died. This was how it happened to the best of my knowledge.

"'A' Company (the one I am in) and 'C' Company were in the trenches at the time. The gunners had sent up word that there was going to be a bombardment, and so they recommended us to evacuate the front-line trenches, in case the Hun retaliated, and it was whilst C Company were proceeding down the communication trench, till the bombardment was over, that the shell came which killed your brother. He was in command of C Company at the time, and was going down at the rear of his men, having seen them all safely out of the trenches. His servant, Gray, was hit first, in the head (from which he afterwards died). Then Lodge went along to tell the Sergeant-Major, and to see about assistance, farther down the trench. Whilst talking to the Company Sergeant-Major he was hit in the left side of the back, by a piece of shell, I think. Lower down the trench poor Ventris was hit and killed. As soon as I heard about it I went along to see if I could be of any use. I saw Lodge lying in a dug-out, with a servant looking after him. I saw he was badly hit, and tried to cheer him up. He recognised me and was just able to ask a few questions. That must have been about twenty minutes or so after he was hit. I think he lived about half an hour, and I don't think he suffered much pain, thank God.

"I was very, very grieved at his death, for he was one of the very nicest fellows I have met. That he was universally liked, both by officers and men, it is needless to say....

"I was for nearly three months in C Company with your brother, and was thus able to see his extreme coolness and ability in military matters.

(Signed) G. R. A. CASE"

LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT CASE TO LADY LODGE

"_Friday, 24 September 1915_

"Need I say how grieved we all were at his loss? He was
hit about midday, and died about half an hour or so
afterwards. I forget the date, but I have written more
fully to his brother. I don't think he suffered much
pain. He was conscious when I arrived, and recognised me,
I think, and I remained with him for some time. I then
went off to see if there was any possibility of finding
the doctor, but all the telephone wires were cut, and
even if we had been able to get the doctor up, it would
have been of no avail. The stretcher-bearers did all that
was possible.... Another subaltern, Mr. Ventris, was
killed at the same time, as was his servant Gray as well.

"(Signed) G. R. A. CASE"[6]

LETTER FROM CAPTAIN S. T. BOAST

"_27 September 1915_ "First of all I beg to offer you and
your family my sincere sympathies in the loss of your
son, 2nd Lieut. Lodge. His loss to us is very great: he
was a charming young fellow--always so very cheerful
and willing, hard working, and a bright example of what
a good soldier ought to be. He was a most efficient
officer, and only recently qualified in the handling and
command of Maxim guns--a most useful accomplishment in
the present war. Briefly, the circumstances which led to
his death were as follows:--

"On 14 September, C Company to which 2nd Lieut. Lodge
belonged, was in position in a forward fire trench.
During the morning the commander of the artillery
covering the position informed 2nd Lieut. Lodge, who
at the time was in command of C Company, that it was
intended to shell the enemy's positions, and as his
trenches were only a short distance from ours, it was
considered advisable to withdraw from our trench during
the shelling. 2nd Lieut. Lodge gave orders for his
Company to withdraw into a communication trench in the
rear. He and 2nd Lieut. Ventris were the last to leave
the forward trench, and in entering the communication
trench both these officers were caught by enemy's
shrapnel. Ventris was killed--Lodge mortally wounded and
died of his wounds shortly afterwards. These are the
circumstances of his death."

FROM CAPTAIN A. B. CHEVES, R.A.M.C.

"_22 September 1915_

"The Colonel has asked me to write you, giving some idea
of the burial-ground in which your son's grave is. I
understand that he was leading his Company back from one
of the communication trenches when the Germans shelled
the front and rear of the column, killing your son and
the officer who was at the rear. At the same time one man
was killed and two wounded. I knew nothing about this
until later in the day, as communication with my aid post
was very difficult, and he was reported to me as having
been killed. I understand that he lived for about three
hours after being wounded, and all the officers and men
who were present speak very highly of his conduct during
this time. His wound was unfortunately in such a position
that there was no chance of saving his life, and this was
recognised by all, including your son himself. When his
body was brought down in the evening the expression on
his face was absolutely peaceful, and I should think that
he probably did not suffer a great deal of pain. He was
buried on the same evening in our cemetery just outside
the aid post, side by side with Lieut. Ventris, who was
unfortunately killed on the same day. The cemetery is
in the garden adjoining a ruined farm-house. It is well
enclosed by hedges, and your son's grave is under some
tall trees that stand in the garden. There are graves
there of men of many regiments who have fallen, and our
graves are enclosed by a wire fence, so keeping them
quite distinct from the others. There is a wooden cross
marking the head of the grave, and a small one at the
foot. I am afraid that our condolences will be small
consolation to you, but I can assure you that he was one
of the most popular officers with the Battalion, both
amongst the officers and men, and all feel his loss very
greatly."

* * * * *

Information sent by Captain Cheves to Mrs. Ventris,
mother of the Second Lieutenant who was killed at the
same time as Raymond and buried with him:--

"He was buried on the right of the Ypres-Menin Road, just
past where the Zonebeke Rail cuts. If you can get hold of
Sheet 28, Belgium 1/40,000, the reference is I. 16. b 2.
Any soldier will show you how to read the map."

LETTER FROM A FOREMAN WORKMAN

[I also append a letter received from a workman who used to be at the same bench with Raymond when he was going through his workshop course at the Wolseley Motor Works. Stallard is a man he thought highly of, and befriended. He is now foreman in the Lodge Fume Deposit Company, after making an effort to get a berth in Lodge Brothers for Raymond's sake. He is now, and has been since the war began, the owner of Raymond's dog Larry, about whom some local people remember that there was an amusing County Court case.]

"_98 Mansel Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, 17 September
1915_

"DEAR MR. LIONEL,--The shock was too great for me to
speak to you this afternoon. I should like to express to
you, and all the family, my deepest and most heartfelt
sympathy in your terrible loss. Mr. Raymond was the best
friend I ever had.

"Truly, I thought more of him than any other man living,
not only for his kind thoughts towards me, but for his
most admirable qualities, which I knew he possessed.

"The memory of him will remain with me as long as I
live.--Believe me to be, yours faithfully,

"(Signed) NORMAN STALLARD"

[Footnote 6: Lieutenant Case himself, alas! was killed
on the 25th of September 1915. It was a fatal time.
Lieutenant Fletcher also has been killed now, on 3rd July
1916.]