The Battalion undertook a short route march on an otherwise
quiet day.
However, other elements of the Brigade began to be prepared
for their first experience of the trenches as 11th West Yorkshires
and 9th Yorkshires were attached to 81st Brigade for “instruction
in trench work”, although, at this stage, they did not actually move up into
the trenches.
Pte. Fred Atkinson
(see 2nd June) was
appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal.
The preparation for a move to the trenches, along with other
news, including the perceived danger from spies (see 4th September), were commented on by Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 7th September) in a
letter to his mother:
9th Sept. 1915
My darling mother
Another dear letter from you has just come. I do
love getting them. Today I had a record mail. Your letter, one from Nell,
another from Tina, one from a man named Beckhuson
(see 21st August), and my
friend Mr. Cox, of 16 Charing Cross also sent me a few lines. Tina sent a
parcel of Yorkshire newspapers, for Amos
(see 28th August) I take
it. Since I last wrote we have been marching some. Last Monday morning we began
to march at 5.45am, the whole 23rd Division. A Division with transport covers
14 miles on the road. That day was the biggest thing the Division. has done
since it was formed. We covered 21 miles that day and a la pack mule as well.
Fortunately for me I can apparently stand more than any of the other officers
of the Company and more than most of the men. The heat was extreme and somebody
ought to be strafed for making the luckless Division cover 21 miles in a day.
Those men, “beautiful in lace and gold” (Ovid. Hendiadys), Staff Officers on
horses or in cars don’t know what a load of a hundred odd lbs and 120 rounds of
ammunition means after 19 miles, carrying three rifles the last few miles. I
never felt better, not really tired at all, in fact I told Bolton (see 8th
September) I felt quite capable of fighting three rounds then. So you need
not worry about me personally being able to stick this life. Having a most excellent
time. Don’t when I enjoyed a fortnight more in my life than this last
fortnight. This pave is awful to march on. In fact one of my men described it
as ……., well, it is. That is the only way to describe it. The last two miles
were rather unpleasant as I had dashed my foot against a stone which ripped up
a blister which had long since ceased to hurt. A rule in our Company is that a
man may fall out, but must go on until he drops down. So I just had to drive,
push and persuade. About 20 of my platoon collapsed as they marched. The
Brigade lost about 25% or so. It all seemed rather unnecessary after ten days
at the last place but no doubt there was some reason. The next day, Tuesday, we
covered 14 miles. Heat worse than ever. This the Brigade seemed to feel more
than the 21 miles. The weight which had to be carried can scarcely be realised.
Jim knows. Very fortunately for me it does not worry me really after the first
two or three miles. So after marching about 35 miles in two days, there we are
in Flanders, just where we have wanted to be for months. I wonder if we shall
ever get up into Belgium? If I had a few hours to spare I might bike over and
see a chemist I know living only a few miles from here. He has two beautiful
daughters. (A marginal note apparently
added by a family member explains the reference, “This is his way of telling us
he was near Armentieres, as our Doctor’s son who’s there had mentioned these
people”). The farm we are in was once occupied by the Germans till the
English drove them out. The place is full of shrapnel bullet holes; cut 2 out
of trees in the orchard the other day. We are quite satisfied that the people
of this farm are spies. A stranger came in this afternoon when I was writing
the first part of this letter. One of the women of this farm told him there
were two Captains and four Lieutenants. Then they talked a lot about
battalions. Couldn’t understand much of what they said as it was not in French
or not much of it. Then they talked a lot about artillery. She seemed to know
too much about artillery for a farmer’s wife, judging by the amount she talked.
But we have got them under observation now. If that stranger turns up again he
is for it as they say in the Army.
Certain Battalions of the Brigade go up into the
line for instructional purposes tonight. The sound of the guns a few miles east
is a most fascinating sound. The 23rd Division has been posted higher than our
wildest dreams. We have been promoted from the … Corps to the … Corps.
Yesterday evening the Corps Commander inspected the Brigade and addressed us,
and seemed quite pleased.
On the march I saw Nigel Fargus. He spotted us and
walked along with us some way. Today N.F. again came and talked to me on this
inspection by Gen. Pulteney. He asked if it was Tom who had got the MC. He was
very pleased to hear that it was Tom and says he will write as soon as he has
time. Like Nigel, he seems a very good chap.
Goodnight my darling, much love to everybody
Your ever loving son
Robert
‘Nell’ and ‘Tina’ were two of Ingram’s elder
sisters and ‘Tom’ his elder brother who had recently been awarded the Military
Cross while serving with the RAMC. ‘Mr. Cox’ has not been identified. Nigel
Harry Skinner Fargus was a Captain in the Royal Scots and a distant relative of
Ingram through his mother’s family.
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