Tpr. A. Murphy, Bedfordshire Yeomanry

My Dearest Mother and all – Sunday morning, but what a funny one for us out here, different from being in England. It is a lovely morning; the sun is quite hot. The last day or two have been much better. Now I must tell you that yesterday a lot of us were sent up to just behind the firing line to clear the ground where the last big battle was fought. No doubt you have seen the papers. A thousand of us from our Brigade came up. We left the village where our Regiment is yesterday at dinner time and came up to the line in motor buses. We got to the firing line about 4 0’clock, and then hid to wait till dark before we commenced work. I can tell you our job is not a nice one. I am glad you did not know what I was doing while you were in bed. My word, it is a sight on the battlefield. First of all came to the entanglements all broken up, the roads up, guns and carts and bicycles lying about broken up, and poor dead horses, terrible to see. No one has not stood on the field could realize what it is like. The worst sight of all was of course our poor dead comrades, I hope I will never see such sights again. Our work is to clear everything up. We all got in a long line and walked slowly across the ground; as we came to the dead bodies we collected all their personal belongings, books, etc. We took off equipment and when we came back called for the bodies ; and when we finished work this morning about 4 o’clock, we buried them all and the Chaplain read the service. Each grave is marked with a wooden cross. The little treasures of each one will be sent to his home and the Chaplain will write and say that he has had as decent burial as it is possible to give him. Of course, some of the dead were Germans. These were buried, but we did not trouble so much about them. You will say that it is nice job, but someone has to do it. Will Flint, Will Harvey and I are up here from our way. Our people have got a good advance here. We are living and sleeping today in were originally our line of trenches, but our fellows are three miles. We have been in the German trenches that were captured. It is a sight in them. The German dead are piled up all over the place, no end of them. I think we are burying them tonight. We shall be here about four or five days. We can only work at night as we are so close to the line, and the Germans keep sending shells very close to our trench as it is. A few minutes ago a piece of shrapnel fell within foot of me. One never knows. It is a dangerous job. We found a photo of a girl on one poor boy and a letter in which be asked the finder to send it to Miss Somebody, at Birmingham, and tell them. I could have got hold of plenty of shell cases and shrapnel. I have got some caps from German shells: also a German soldier’s cap and gloves. Did you read about a big air raid the other day on a supply stores? We were very close to a big aeroplane depot. We saw 30 of them start out on that job. We think nothing of seeing 12 to 20 in the air altogether. It is a sight to see the village, we are close to that we took from the Germans. All in pieces, not a good house left. I forgot to tell you that when we were rushed up to the firing line last week, we went through the infantry and joined a Battalion of the Guards. Well someone called out and Joe Whitmore says it was Fred Gilbert. I wonder if it was him: it was his Regiment. There is not much more that I can write this morning, will finish it tomorrow or Tuesday. – Monday 3.30pm. Another start. Have slept most of the day. We got in from some gruesome work 5 o’clock this morning and were very tired. It is a rough day. Germans shelling us something awful. Shells are falling in our trenches: three of our fellows wounded : none you know. The Regiment next us : one fellow killed : it is terrible really. We had it hot last night, while at work under shell fire, and we were also fired at by German snipers, bullets whizzing over our heads several times. I expect we will be in it again tonight – 5 o’clock. Just had orders we are going back tonight boys. Could not help laughing a few minutes ago. Three of us, Will Flint, Will Harvey and myself were in the trench when a shell burst on the parapet, bowled us clean over. I fell over backwards. I thought we were hit that time. We really have had some marvellous escapes since being up here – Tuesday 3 pm. Got back to the boys at 3 o’clock this morning : very pleased we were too. I shall never forget the experience we have had. It was a glorious night when the star shells lit up the battlefield at night. The infantry all tell us how they would rather go into the trenches a hundred times than do what we are doing, so you may know we have had an experience. We are likely to move back near the firing line at any minute. We did not have a wash from the time we left the boys on Saturday till this morning and very little to eat, as the Germans shelled the roads so much we could not get the supplies of water and food up. No one knows what it is like to rough it out here.