Tuesday 14th September 1915

Bivouac south of Erquinghem.

During the day A Company (Tunstill’s Men), along with B Company, received instruction in the billets of 2^nd Gloucesters at La Rolanderie Farm.

At 6.30pm, A and B Companies moved into the front line trenches, under instruction from 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, while C and D Companies, having completed their twenty-four period of instruction, returned to their bivouac.

Shortly before the move into the trenches Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 13^th September) wrote to his mother, reassuring her about the relative safety of the sector, along with other news of recent events:

14th Sept. 1915

Somewhere in Flanders

My darling

There is only time for a very short note now, as I have been censoring all day and later in the evening we move up into the trenches. We began marching early Sunday morning and by noon had reached this spot. Much nicer than the filthy farms we have been used to lately. Had quite an exciting 48 hours. We are about 3,000 yards behind the trenches here. Planes, hostile and otherwise, are almost incessantly overhead. “Archie”, the anti-aircraft gun, is in action about every ¼ of an hour. We have several guns round here, and of course the Hun has also. “Archie” never by any chance seems to hit anything (hence his name). Certainly not. Yesterday was a great day. About 3am the Hun saw fit to make move on our immediate front. Our field is surrounded by batteries very cleverly concealed. About 100 yards on our right there is a battery of RGA. This battery at once came into action, as also did endless others. Lying in a nice warm valise it was quite a pleasant entertainment. (The attack, very minor, was broken in 15 mins). About 8am a Hun saw fit to fly over our field, an ‘Albatross’ I think. “Archie” started firing as a matter of course, but did not get within ½ a mile or so. Then one of our machines seemed to spring out of the earth and engaged the Hun at about 3,000 ft I should say. The Hun turned to fly back to his own lines, but Archie proceeded to put up a curtain of shrapnel between the Hun and safety, so the Hun turned to fight. Immediately over our field and quite low by now the 2 machines opened fire on each other with machine guns. Gradually they rose higher and higher, quite exciting and thrilling. Archie meanwhile kept up the curtain business in great style. He must have fired 40 or 50 rounds. Suddenly the Hun turned on his right wing and began to come down in a sharp right spiral. Our man (rumour has it he was a Frenchman) immediately darted away to the left. He had evidently had enough and was taking no risks of further shots from the dying Hun. The observer, it turned out after, was killed in the air, and the petrol tank pierced. While the Hun was coming down, our man made great circles over him, ready to go for him again, if he managed to prevent himself from coming down. As soon as the machine got near the earth it is said that the Hun fired at a certain Battalion about ½ a mile from us, and behind some trees. Personally I don’t believe he did. However, as soon as the Hun reached ground, he was filled up with lead. This Battalion was returning from a long early morning route march, when all ranks are thoroughly bad-tempered. If he did not fire on the Battalion (and I don’t see how possibly he could have) it seems rather like murder to fill him up instead of making him a prisoner, but everybody who has been out here more than 2 or 3 weeks is extraordinarily callous about life. No doubt we shall be the same. Both Huns were wearing the Iron Cross. All through the fight one knew that if the Hun got back to his lines we should be crumped out of existence in about 10 minutes as he had obviously spotted us, and was going back to tell his guns. This morning I went up to the trenches to reconnoitre the way up. This part of the line is as safe as the Ridgeway. Two of us went up together, on bikes of all things. You can imagine how safe it is when I tell you we rode up to within 100 yards of Shaftesbury Avenue before dismounting. ‘SA’ is our communicating trench. Tom probably knew this actual trench which lies but 1 ½ miles south of the town where he was all last winter. I biked in yesterday afternoon but failed to see the chemist or his two beautiful daughters (see 9^th September).

This is a glorious life. I can’t remember ever having enjoyed 3 weeks more in my life than these last 3 weeks. For the last week the weather has been blazing hot after the wet. The heat is bad for marching, of course, but nothing troubles me much these days somehow. Will you please thank Kate for the letter which came yesterday. During the whole time I have been out I have not had a blank day yet as far as letters have been concerned. I’ll write to Kate soon. 

Thank you very much for the lamp and football which came a day or two ago. The men have already used the ball quite a lot and enjoy it greatly. 

Will you please send this on to Mrs. Wilson. I must write to her.

Somehow this has been a good deal longer than I intended. In 1 ¼ hours the trenches. Each platoon goes up on its own. Hope I don’t lose any men on the way up. There is only one spot in the very least dangerous and that I know, so we are quite alright. Another Battalion on this bit of line lost 4 men in 3 months. That is an absolute and exact fact.

Much love darling

Your ever loving son

Robert

PS Can’t read this all through again, so please excuse slips.

‘Kate’ was one of Ingram’s older sisters and ‘Mrs. Wilson’ the mother of his friend 2Lt. Laurence Cecil Wilson, who had died of wounds (see 12^th August). 

Lt. Dick Bolton (see 13^th September) recalled how, “the Battalion went into the front line trenches just in front of Bois Grenier village, moving super-cautiously up Shaftesbury Avenue, the communication trench, lest the enemy should hear it. Awaiting us was a regular battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which remained a day or two, to initiate the newcomers in the gentle art of trench warfare, but it was a relief when they moved out; being many over strength there was too little room for the 10^th Dukes alone in that particular Battalion front”.

At 8pm, orders were received at Battalion HQ for the Battalion to take over the front line trenches on the night of 15^th/16^th September.

At home in Hellifield, Mary Hoar, wife of Pte. Sydney Hoar (see 8^th September 1914) gave birth to the couple’s second child; the boy would be named Maurice.

Monday 13th September 1915

Bivouac south of Erquinghem.

A clear and bright day.

Lt. Dick Bolton (see 9^th September) noted that, “a German aeroplane appeared high above much to everyone’s surprise and great was the excitement when one of ours engaged and shot him down”.

The incident was recorded at much greater length in a letter written to his mother by Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 10^th September),

“About 8am a Hun saw fit to fly over our field, an ‘Albatross’ I think. ‘Archie’ (this was the nickname for a British anti-aircraft gun located close to the Battalion) started firing as a matter of course, but did not get within ½ a mile or so. Then one of our machines seemed to spring out of the earth and engaged the Hun at about 3,000 ft I should say. The Hun turned to fly back to his own lines, but Archie proceeded to put up a curtain of shrapnel between the Hun and safety, so the Hun turned to fight. Immediately over our field and quite low by now the 2 machines opened fire on each other with machine guns. Gradually they rose higher and higher, quite exciting and thrilling. Archie meanwhile kept up the curtain business in great style. He must have fired 40 or 50 rounds. Suddenly the Hun turned on his right wing and began to come down in a sharp right spiral. Our man (rumour has it he was a Frenchman) immediately darted away to the left. He had evidently had enough and was taking no risks of further shots from the dying Hun. The observer, it turned out after, was killed in the air, and the petrol tank pierced. While the Hun was coming down, our man made great circles over him, ready to go for him again, if he managed to prevent himself from coming down. As soon as the machine got near the earth it is said that the Hun fired at a certain Battalion about ½ a mile from us, and behind some trees. Personally I don’t believe he did. However, as soon as the Hun reached ground, he was filled up with lead. This Battalion was returning from a long early morning route march, when all ranks are thoroughly bad-tempered. If he did not fire on the Battalion (and I don’t see how possibly he could have) it seems rather like murder to fill him up instead of making him a prisoner, but everybody who has been out here more than 2 or 3 weeks is extraordinarily callous about life. No doubt we shall be the same. Both Huns were wearing the Iron Cross. All through the fight one knew that if the Hun got back to his lines we should be crumped out of existence in about 10 minutes as he had obviously spotted us, and was going back to tell his guns”.

Pte. Harry Waller (see 29^th September 1914) also commented on the incident in a letter home to his parents, “I saw a fine sight … it was a duel in the air between a Taube and a French aeroplane, both armed with machine guns. The Frenchman shot the German’s gunner and riddled his petrol tank, forcing him to descend in our lines. He opened fire on a British battalion, wounding some, and they shot him. Our side are certainly top dogs in the air. Every time a German aeroplane appears it is chased off, either by guns or by our planes, whilst our airmen are going backwards and forwards over the German lines all day. The Germans fire at them, but I have not seen them hit one yet”.

A letter which would be published in The Brighouse Echo also described the downing of the German aircraft, “One of the Brighouse Boys” who is with the 10^th Service Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment (which includes several Brighouse national reserves) in Belgium write to say he is in the best of health and continuing say, ‘We have got behind the firing line now, somewhere in Belgium. We have got close up to some of our big guns and when they go off the sound is deafening. Two companies of our Battalion went into the trenches last night (13^th September) for 24 hours. We see plenty of aeroplanes around here now and the German gunners try to bring them down. They have fired incessantly during the last few days but have failed so far. Yesterday there was a German airman brought down by our machine guns just behind where we are billeted. He was killed and his machine wrecked. We are still billeted in farm buildings and are getting some good food. On our march last Sunday we went through a town and it was heart-rending to see the number of families in mourning for their lost ones. It grieves one to the heart to hear what the Germans have done in Belgium”.

The incident was also referred to in the War Diary of 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: “German aeroplane descended near Steenwerck and occupants gallantly opened fire on a Company of 80^th Brigade, hoping to start engine again – the Company returned fire and killed both pilot and observer – machine hardly damaged”.

The programme of instruction in trench warfare which had been issued the previous day began to be put in place. At 9am Lt. Col. Bartholomew (CO), Major Buchanan (2IC), Capt. Bathurst (Adjutant), the Company Commanders (including Maj. Hildyard, commanding Tunstill’s Company) and Capt. Harrison, the Machine Gun Officer (see 27^th August), reported to HQ 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in trenches south-east of Bois Grenier for their introduction to trench warfare.

At 11am officers and sergeants of the Battalion reported to HQ 2^nd Gloucesters at La Rolanderie Farm for their instruction in the reserve billets; whilst some officers and sergeants of the Gloucesters reported to HQ 10DWR to instruct corporals and men of the Battalion in their routines whilst in reserve.

At 6pm, C and D Companies moved into the front line trenches east of Bois Grenier for their instruction from 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The War Diary entry noted that, “the instruction consisted of the officers, NCO’s and men performing the same duties as the instructor”. Meanwhile, A (Tunstill’s Men) and B Companies remained in tents south of Erquinghem.

Sunday 12th September 1915

Billets between Vieux Berquin and Oultersteene.

At 1am orders were received for the Battalion to move forward in preparation for instruction in the trenches, as had already been undertaken by other Battalions of 69^th Brigade (see 11^th September).

At 9am the Battalion departed their billets and marched seven miles east to Erquinghem. On reaching their destination they were met by a Staff Captain from 81^st Brigade who conducted them to the location where they were to bivouac, one and a half miles south of the town. Here a schedule was issued for the programme of instruction which the Battalion was to follow over the next few days, ‘shadowing’ 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the trenches.

11^th West Yorkshires and 9^th Yorkshires left the trenches following their period of instruction and returned to their former billets near Vieux Berquin.

Saturday 11th September 1915

Billets between Vieux Berquin and Oultersteene.

The Battalion remained in billets.

At 7pm the ‘other’ half of each of 11^th West Yorkshires and 9^th Yorkshires exchanged places with the men from the same units who had spent the previous twenty-four hours being instructed in trench warfare.

A large draft of men joined the Battalion, having been posted out to France on 29^th August. A number of these men have been identified. A/Cpl. Wilfred Hall was 29 years old and from Huddersfield and was married with one son. He had joined the West Riding Regiment in 1909 and had been posted to France to join 2DWR in November 1914. He had been wounded in April 1915 and evacuated to England, where he had, once recovered, served with 3DWR. Pte. William Peter Allen was a 33 year-old slater’s labourer originally from Patricroft, Manchester; he had enlisted in Keighley in May and had trained with 3DWR. Pte. John Edward Atkinson was a 37 year-old brickyard labourer from Halifax; he was married with four children (two other children had also died in infancy). Pte. James Beatty; in the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man. Pte. Frank Butler was a 27 year-old labourer from Rastrick; he was married, with one daughter. Pte. Algie Clarkson was a 36 year-old bricklayer, originally from Keighley, but had lived for many years in Middlesbrough; he was married with five children. Pte. Thomas George Coates was 28 years old and originally from Hatfield, but had been working as a quarryman in Hampole, near Doncaster; he had enlisted in March and had been in training with 3DWR. Pte. William Cox was 19 years old and from Aston, Birmingham. Pte. Joseph Crabtree was a 28 year-old agricultural labourer from Keighley. Pte. Joseph Dent was a 31 year-old silk dresser, originally from Leeds but had been living in Brighouse. Pte. Edward Flaherty was from Bradford; he was only 15 years old (b.9^th December 1899). He had failed in his first attempt to enlist but had been accepted in May 1915. He was the younger brother of Pte. Robert Flaherty (see 24^th April). Pte. James Albert Garbutt was 19 years old and from Hebden Bridge. Pte. Ellis Gill was a 19 year-old brass moulder from Bradford. Pte. William Hartley was a 37 year-old wood sawyer, originally from London but had been living in Brighouse; he was married, with four children. Pte. James Hatton Kershaw was a 41 year-old labourer from Rastrick; he was a widower with two children. Pte. Walter Lee was a 21 year-old core maker from Brighouse; he was married with two children. Cpl. Richard Alexander Oliver; he was 36 years old and before the war had been ‘Labour Master’ at the Bradford Workhouse. Pte. Willie Parkin was a 20 year-old millhand from Huddersfield. He had enlisted in November 1914 and had trained with 3DWR until having been reported as a deserter in March 1915. He had been apprehended by the police in May 1915 and, following a trial by court martial, had served two months’ detention (of an original four-month sentence) before re-joining 3DWR. Pte. Frank Peel was a 27 year-old miner from Bradford. Pte. George Slater was a 31 year-old labourer from Royton near Oldham; he was married with three children. He had enlisted in February and had been in training with 3DWR. Pte. Arthur Smith (14204) was from Halifax.  Pte. Joseph Wilkinson was 19 years old and from Linthwaite, near Huddersfield;  he had enlisted in April 1915 and had trained with 3DWR. Pte. Benjamin Wilson was a 32 year-old labourer from Hunslet; he was married with four children.

Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenOfWorth

Another group of those posted were men, from all over the country, who had initially volunteered for service with the RAMC. They had volunteered in October 1914 and had trained with the RAMC in Sheffield before being transferred to 3DWR on 1^st June 1915; a number of these men have been identified. Pte. William Frederick Ackrill was a 20 year-old jeweller from Ladywood, Birmingham. Pte. Harry Gordon Binns was a 20 year-old farm servant from Sunderland. Pte. Harry Bower was a 20 year-old miner from Leeds. Pte. John Cardwell was twenty years old and from Sunderland; he was the younger of two sons of John and Mary Cardwell, and had been working as an apprentice engineer before the war. Pte. Joseph Chandler was a 20 year-old miner from Rotherham. Pte. Ernest Arthur Crookes was a 20 year-old millhand from Huddersfield. Pte. Cuthbert Dyer was a 26 year-old miner from Sunderland; he was married with one son and his wife, Edith, was pregnant with their second child. Pte. Robert Emson was a 21 year-old labourer from Repton, Notts. Pte. Harry Hey (15995); he was a 36 year-old waggoner (working for the Co-Op) from Cleckheaton and was married with four children. Pte. William Hissett was an 18 year-old miner from Houghton-le-Spring. Pte. Edward Isger was a 27 year-old carter from Melcombe Regis. Pte. Amos Ibbotson was a 38 year-old weaver from Brierfield; he was a married man with three children. Pte. William James Jakeway was a 21 year-old textile worker; he was originally from Aberdare, but the family had lived for several years in Keighley. Pte. George King (16475) was 28 years old and originally from London, but had been living in Yorkshire. Pte. Bertie Legg was an 18 year-old blacksmith from Dorchester; he had claimed to be 19 when enlisting though actually only been 17 at the time. He had already accumulated a list of offences whilst in training, being sanctioned for: ‘reporting sick without cause’; inattention in the ranks’; ‘being absent from parade’; ‘using obscene language’; ‘making an improper remark to an NCO’; ‘refusing to obey an order’; and ‘having a dirty rifle’. Pte. Robert Moody was a 20 year-old fishmonger from London. Pte. John Dennis Moss was a 20 year-old miner from Gateshead. Pte. William Munday was a 19 year-old confectioner from York. Pte. Leonard Pankhurst was a 21 year-old dyer’s labourer from Leeds. Pte. Levi Randle was a 30 year-old machinist from Poole, Dorset. Pte. Thomas Robinson (16490) was 19 years old and from Silksworth, near Sunderland; he had been working as a miner before enlisting. Pte. James Thomas Sagar was a 37 year-old married man from Bradford, with four children. Pte. James Edward Simpson was an 18 year-old warehouseman from Burnley; he had enlisted in Keighley in September 1914, clainming to be 19 although he was then in fact only just turned 17 and had trained with 3DWR. Pte. Fred Smith (15149) was a 34 year-old farmer from East Marton, near Skipton. Pte. Jacob Sweeting was 21 years old and had been working as an apprentice plater with the Sunderland Shipbuilding Company; he had spent two weeks in hospital in January/February 1915 being treated for bursitis. Pte. Matthew Teasdale was a 26 year-old miner from Hetton-le-Hole; he was married, with one child. Pte. Tom Jackson Tindall was a 20 year-old sailor from Middlesbrough. Pte. Alfred Edward Wybrow was 19 years old and from Bromley-by-Bow, London; he had attested in February 1915 and had trained with 3DWR at North Shields. Pte. Norman Lancelot Young was a 22 years old from Sunderland and had worked as a mechanic at Dawdon Colliery.

Pte. George Henry Hansford had also arrived in France with this draft but was posted to one of the Transport Depots for ‘a course of transport’; he would not join 10DWR until January. He was a 19 year-old farm labourer from Gillingham, Dorset; he had originally joined the Dorsetshire Regiment, but had been transferred to the RAMC.

Ptes. John Cardwell (standing) and Thomas Robinson (16490), seated.

Image by kind permission of Gary Robinson.

L.Cpl. William Johnson Simpson (see 6^th February) arrived in France with 12^th West Yorks; he would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR.

Friday 10th September 1915

Billets between Vieux Berquin and Oultersteene.

The Battalion remained in billets. 

At 7pm, half of each of 11^th West Yorkshires and 9^th Yorkshires became the first elements of 69^th Brigade to enter the trenches as they were attached to units of 81^st Brigade for twenty-four hours in front line trenches south-east of Bois Grenier.

Under the headline, “Teaching ‘Broad Yorkshire’ to the French”, The Todmorden & District News published extracts from a letter written by L.Cpl. Herbert Bowker (see below) describing some of his recent experiences:

“Lance Corporal Herbert Bowker, 10^th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, writes to a Colden friend that he is just getting used to his new surroundings with the B.E.F. and up to the time of writing he is all right and ‘in the pink’. ‘Thanks to our vigilant navy nothing untoward happened to spoil a splendid voyage across the Channel, where the sea was as calm as a duck pond and you can guess that we were elated at finding ourselves safely on French soil’. During the railway journey that followed he makes allusion to the large number of women at work in the fields and on the railway. No young men are kept at home on such jobs there. He is convinced that under the leadership of such a Colonel and officers that their battalion will do well against the Germans. ‘It will take a lot to damp the spirits of our lads (he continues). There is plenty to amuse out here, especially when trying to make French people understand broad Yorkshire; the more you try to explain it makes confusion worse confounded. I used to be told that a feather bed makes one dream, but if I got the chance to sleep in one I would risk it for a week or so’. Cpl. Bowker wishes to be remembered to the boys at Jack Bridge and says he would like to be able to send on a Jack Johnson for inspection and be glad to receive a copy of the local paper as it is interesting to know if there is anything fresh stirring Colden way up.”

Herbert Bowker was a 21 year-old cotton weaver; originally from Burnley he had been living at Blackshaw, near Heptonstall. He was married with one daughter.

The London Gazette published news of the award of the Military Cross to Capt. Thomas Lewis Ingram, RAMC, (see 9^th August); he was the elder brother of Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 9th September), one of the officers of Tunstill’s Company. The citation detailed Ingram’s actions:

“For conspicuous devotion to duty and energy at Hooge. He was evacuating wounded from the front trenches almost without cessation the entire nights of 9^th and 10^th August 1915, and his indomitable energy and resource were the means of saving the lives of many severely wounded officers and men. He has previously done consistently good work”.

Thursday 9th September 1915

Billets between Vieux Berquin and Oultersteene.

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 11^th West Yorkshires and 9^th Yorkshires were attached to 81^st Brigade for “instruction in trench work”, although, at this stage, they did not actually move up into the trenches.

Pte. Fred Atkinson (see 2^nd 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 4^th September), were commented on by Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 7^th 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 21^st 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 28^th 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 8^th 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.

Wednesday 8th September 1915

Billets between Vieux Berquin and Oultersteene.

The Division was inspected by Lieutenant General Sir William Pulteney, commanding III Corps.  Lt. Dick Bolton (see 6^th September) later recalled that Pulteney, “welcomed us to his Corps in a little speech warning us that we were in for a hard time and that even if the Germans did not finish us off, we might very well be shot for falling asleep on duty”.  Pulteney’s visit was enlivened by the spectacle of a French peasant passing in front of the assembled troops, driving before him a great boar; the word soon went round that ‘the German swine’ would soon likewise be driven back.

Pte. Richard Butler, who had already had several brushes with military discipline (see 30^th July) again found himself in trouble. Having been reported for ‘smoking in the ranks’, he was to be confined to barracks for five days on the orders of Major Hildyard.

J.B. Priestley completed and sent off a letter which he had begun a few days earlier (see 6^th September) and was able to describe his living conditions in a little more detail, which revealed the reality of life for men in the Battalion:

“We have moved since I last wrote to you, and we have been living in a deserted, partly-ruined farmhouse – all huddled together on the stone floor … It has been all mud and rain lately here. You have doubtless heard a lot about YMCAs, canteens and concern for the troops but I have seen nothing of them yet. I have never had my trousers off since I left England, but there are no signs of vermin yet, which is surprising, considering the places I have slept in. The fellows across the way are in pigsties. If anyone wants to send me anything, the following would be very welcome: tobacco, chocolate of any kind, a tin of vermin-killer, a writing-pad suitable for the pocket, a stick of shaving powder, a good razor. I don’t want you to send all these things and I don’t want people to send clothing of any kind for the present”.