Orders were received from 69th Brigade for the
Battalion to be made ready to move into the front line trenches next day.
Pte. William Knox (see 15th November) again wrote home to his wife, Ethel. (I am most grateful to Rachael Broadhead and family for allowing me access to William’s letters).
“I now sit down and write you my weekly long letter which I hope will find you quite well as I am very pleased to say that it leaves me very well at present. I am very pleased to say that my knee is quite better again. I am still out of the trenches again but we are going into the firing line again on Thursday so you will think about your old love when you get into your cosy bed of a night. I can tell you it will be quite a treat when I get a chance to get into a comfortable bed …
… I also got another parcel last night from Grace with a cake, some apples and mint rock and 2/- so I am in luck’s way this week but it will all come in very handy when I get into the trenches. I shall want a horse and cart to take them to the trenches tomorrow if I get any more. … I am afraid the war will not be over yet for a while but I think myself that the Germans are absolutely fed up. Now we are like you; we can get to know nothing about the war excepting just about where we are. It was rumoured yesterday that Bulgaria had given in but I hardly believe it. I wish to God it was all over so we could all get back to the ones we love so well. It will all make us value our homes after what we have had to go through here but I don’t care what I go through so long as I can get home after it is all over… I have happened very lucky since I came out here. We are close to a very large house and the woman gave us an invitation to go to tea on Monday so of course my pal went and we had a ripping good time of it and we go every night. Her husband is fighting and she has only got one son and he is too young and he can speak English very well so we get on alright. There are no young ladies there so you need not be jealous will you Dear. My pal was twenty one on Sunday and he had five large parcels come on Monday. So on Tuesday we had a good tuck in. We share all our parcels between us; just us two and we both get one every week ... I forgot to tell you that that lady where we go makes us chips every night and they are champion. You cannot get any in Sheffield like them. I have given her the tobacco and pipe to send to her husband for a Christmas box. By the way do not go to the trouble of sending me a plum pudding as we are getting plenty sent out here and it is only making expense in sending it out here. It is rotten it takes all your money for my parcels what with stuff being so dear and then the postage. ... I have not received my Green Un (this was the nickname for the local Sheffield Saturday evening sports newspaper) as yet but it might be here by tonight’s mail. Did you receive those cards I sent you Dear? Hope so, as they cost me 1/3d. the two but I thought it would be nice to get a souvenir of France. I think they are very nice… We were to have gone to Church this morning and we were all ready when our Captain came up and said that the Church was full up. So of course we did not get in. I should very much like to have gone …”.
Pte. Richard Swallow
(see 9th November), who
had suffered an accidental wound to his foot two weeks’ previously, was admitted
to 5th General Hospital at Rouen. He would subsequently (date and
details unknown) be evacuated to England for further treatment.
Lt. Col. Bartholomew, commanding 10DWR, wrote to 69th
Brigade Headquarters, to explain recent events relating to CSM Harry Dewhirst (see 16th November) and recommending that be considered
for appointment as a Sgt. Major at a Base Depot or in a similar post away from
the front line. Brig. Genl. Derham, commanding 69th Brigade, in
turn recommended that Dewhirst should be transferred either to a Home Service
Battalion or to a Base Depot.Pte. William Knox (see 15th November) again wrote home to his wife, Ethel. (I am most grateful to Rachael Broadhead and family for allowing me access to William’s letters).
“I now sit down and write you my weekly long letter which I hope will find you quite well as I am very pleased to say that it leaves me very well at present. I am very pleased to say that my knee is quite better again. I am still out of the trenches again but we are going into the firing line again on Thursday so you will think about your old love when you get into your cosy bed of a night. I can tell you it will be quite a treat when I get a chance to get into a comfortable bed …
… I also got another parcel last night from Grace with a cake, some apples and mint rock and 2/- so I am in luck’s way this week but it will all come in very handy when I get into the trenches. I shall want a horse and cart to take them to the trenches tomorrow if I get any more. … I am afraid the war will not be over yet for a while but I think myself that the Germans are absolutely fed up. Now we are like you; we can get to know nothing about the war excepting just about where we are. It was rumoured yesterday that Bulgaria had given in but I hardly believe it. I wish to God it was all over so we could all get back to the ones we love so well. It will all make us value our homes after what we have had to go through here but I don’t care what I go through so long as I can get home after it is all over… I have happened very lucky since I came out here. We are close to a very large house and the woman gave us an invitation to go to tea on Monday so of course my pal went and we had a ripping good time of it and we go every night. Her husband is fighting and she has only got one son and he is too young and he can speak English very well so we get on alright. There are no young ladies there so you need not be jealous will you Dear. My pal was twenty one on Sunday and he had five large parcels come on Monday. So on Tuesday we had a good tuck in. We share all our parcels between us; just us two and we both get one every week ... I forgot to tell you that that lady where we go makes us chips every night and they are champion. You cannot get any in Sheffield like them. I have given her the tobacco and pipe to send to her husband for a Christmas box. By the way do not go to the trouble of sending me a plum pudding as we are getting plenty sent out here and it is only making expense in sending it out here. It is rotten it takes all your money for my parcels what with stuff being so dear and then the postage. ... I have not received my Green Un (this was the nickname for the local Sheffield Saturday evening sports newspaper) as yet but it might be here by tonight’s mail. Did you receive those cards I sent you Dear? Hope so, as they cost me 1/3d. the two but I thought it would be nice to get a souvenir of France. I think they are very nice… We were to have gone to Church this morning and we were all ready when our Captain came up and said that the Church was full up. So of course we did not get in. I should very much like to have gone …”.
A telegram was received by the family of Pte. Fred Richmond (see 11th November) informing them that he was
“dangerously ill” in 11 General Hospital, Boulogne, having been wounded six
days earlier, but also that he could be visited under “the usual procedure for
cases at public expense”. The family immediately replied that Fred’s mother was
too old to go (Martha Richmond was 65) but asking, by telegram, ‘can brother go
instead; cannot afford to pay fare; quite unable to find the money”.
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