The Battalion remained in billets, finding large working
parties each evening to assist the Royal Engineers.
The weekly edition of The
Craven Herald carried much news about Tunstill’s Company, including an
account of continued support for Geraldine Tunstill in providing ‘comforts’ for
the men:
THE “COMFORTS FUND”
10th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding
Regiment “Comforts Fund”
Mrs. H.G. Tunstill acknowledges with most grateful thanks
the following donations: Mr. Walter Morrison, £50; Mr. Harry Tunstill
(Aysgarth), £5; Mr. J. Brigg, £1; the Stationmaster at Newsholme, 5s.; Mr. W.
Farrer (Carnforth), £1 and Mrs. Goulderr (Rheims), £2; proceeds of entertainment
arranged by Mrs. and Miss W. Procter at Otterburn, £2 5s.; Mrs. H.G. Tunstill,
£2; Mrs. Dudley Illingworth, £1; Mr. Hudson (Hellifield), £1. She despatched
the following “comforts” to Captain Tunstill for distribution to the men last
week: six shirts, 12 pairs of socks and six mufflers from the Slaidburn and
District Working Party, per Mrs. King-Wilkinson; six pairs of socks from Miss
Hammond, Arncliffe; five pairs of socks from Miss M. Parker, Stainforth; 5,000
cigarettes; 150 handkerchiefs; 80 pipes; 80 tins of sweets; 90 tablets of soap;
12 doz. safety matches; 4 doz. pencils; 60 writing pads; 50 pairs of leather
bootlaces and 80 packets of cocoa.
The same edition also published confirmation of the death of
Pte. Willie Burley (see 30th September) and the
recent letters from Ptes. Harry Horner
(see 27th September) and Johnny
Smith (see 25th September):
GRASSINGTON ROLL OF
HONOUR
Information is to hand that Private Willie Burley, of
Skirethorns, who was wounded on the same day as Private A. Stubbs, as stated in
last week's issue, has succumbed. The young hero was well-known and respected
in the district, and much public regret has been expressed at his early death.
The flag at the maypole, which is utilised as the flag-staff, was immediately
put at half-mast on receipt of the news.
News from the Boys.
J.W. Smith writes: “Thanks very much for the parcel. We came
out of the trenches on Sunday night for a rest after being in the firing line
for twelve days. We had two very fierce bombardments, the worst on Saturday
morning. They started about 4.30 and kept at it until after 11 o’clock, and
there were thousands of shells fired, but our chaps fired a lot more than they
did, and did a lot more damage, hitting their trenches nearly every time and
blew them to blazes. It seemed like one mass of fire all along the line. We had
to hold our trenches while those on the right advanced, which was a great
success. We did not get off scot free. They dropped a lot of shells all about
the trenches, and we had some casualties, but were lucky not to have more. The
artillery chaps told us it was the hottest they had had. We lost one man the
first day by sniper; they are clever at that job – firing all day on the
off-chance of hitting you. The other day they got to know where we got our
water from and they were not long before they were shelling it, and put two
shells through the water tank. We saw a rare duel between a German and British
aeroplane, but our man got him down with a shot through the petrol tank”.
LONGPRESTON
PRIVATE HORNER’S
EXPERIENCES
The Following is a copy of a letter received by the Rev. R.
Shipman, from Pte. H.E. Horner:
Rest Billets,Somewhere in France,
September 28th 1915
To Rev. R. Shipman,
Dear Sir,
I am writing you these few lines to let you know that we are
in the best of health, as I know you will be thinking and wondering how we are
all getting on and what we are doing. I am very thankful that I am able to
write this letter to you, as I did not think one of us would come out of the
trenches alive, after what we have been through these last few days.
About 4.30 last Saturday morning all was very quiet and a
few minutes later our big guns opened fire and then the German guns started,
and shells came falling down like rain. What with the noise of our shells
passing over us and the German shells coming on us, on all sides, we did not
know where we were, and every minute we thought we should be blown up into the
air.
Then we got the order to open fire on the Germans. Just at
first we did not like to put our heads up over our trench, but we knew we had
to do it, and with a cool mind we all started firing. After the bombardment was
over and the smoke cleared away we could see the German trenches and most of
them were blown to bits with our shells. We seemed to be firing better shells
than the Germans, as most of ours were high explosives. On Sunday morning we
were very glad to hear the news that we were going out of the trenches, as we
had had enough of them. It was our first time in. We were brought right up into
the firing line and there we stayed for twelve days. We had two days’ rain
which made the trenches very dirty, as they were full of water, which we had to
stand and walk about in. It must have been very bad for the men who were in the
trenches out here last winter. Those at home in England do not know half of
what they must have suffered. The trench which we came out of into the road was
full of clay and water which we had to go through. When we had got through it
we were all wet through and covered with clay from head to foot. Now we have
got our clothes clean, and we have got a good sleep, which we were very much in
need of, as we have not much chance of sleep when we are in the trenches. We
are about two miles behind the trenches in little wooden huts, about 24 of us
in one hut.
We are in the best of health and feeling very well and fit
and will soon be ready for going back into the trenches again after a few more
days rest. After we had been firing a few minutes we had no fear of the shells,
for we all fired as hard as we could till our rifles were red hot and we could
not hold them, not thinking of any danger or of being hit with the shells. We
were very lucky in our trench, as not one of us was hit, but all the time
shells were dropping very near us. Two shells dropped right on the front of our
trench while we were firing, and goodness knows how we missed being blown to
bits, as it sent sandbags and things flying into the air and filled our eyes
with dust. The bombardments last for about three hours and for that time we
hardly knew where we were, only we were firing away at the German trenches. We
were all very thankful when we found ourselves all in the trench and unhurt.
The trenches which we were holding were the nearest point to
the German trenches and on our right the trenches were a long way back. They
wanted to get the trenches on our right in a line with ours; so we were firing
on the Germans to keep them from firing on our men who were attacking the
German trenches on our right. As far as we know all went very well and they
took a lot of the trenches as well as prisoners, and for this last week on this
front we have done very well. We have to cook our own food when we are in the
trenches; we get a fresh supply daily. I have eaten meat that I could not have
thought of eating at home, and we have washed ourselves in water in which about
a hundred had washed in.
We were very lucky for water, as there was a farm just
behind where we could get it. The Germans have shelled it and now we cannot get
water there; we have to carry it about a mile. There are people still living in
the houses about two miles behind the trenches, and some of them get shells
every day; but most of the houses are blown down. At night, when it is dark,
the Germans send up a lot of star shells, which light up all round, so that
they can see our trenches or any working party which might be out. We are now
about three miles south of where Capt. Preston lies buried. There are graves
where soldiers have been buried all round about here. There is one very near
the huts where we are now staying.
I will close, trusting in the Lord for a safe return back to
the little village.
I am, yours respectfully,
H.E. HORNER
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