I had an awful time on Sunday night. We were seven miles back at rest camp, having come out of the trenches only two days before, and being due a rest. At 5 o’clock they called out and told us we were badly needed at once, and in twelve minutes we had packed our kit and on the move. It was awful when we got up. The shelling caused a never-ending cloud in each direction. The Bosches had tried to break our front, and had taken five lines of trenches from the …… Reserves were hurried up to drive back. I received my first experience in weeping shells, which was terrible. Chaps say Loos and Hill 60 were not as bad nearly. The shelling was awful too. We were not more than five minutes when our Captain came along, fixes his monocle and says “Boys, our chance has come, let us take advantage of it, and show the Bosches that’s the …. Company know how to use the bayonette, pass the word to charge, magazines and fix.” We go over in just under five minutes. I don’t know why but I didn’t seem to funk it at all, once I was over the top and tearing across the open in the face of hell. Men dropped all round, still I wasn’t hit. I felt a tingle in my chest, and find afterwards that the bullet had gone through my top left pocket, right through the papers and books there, but deflected and only scratched me. At last they nobbled me, and I went down hit with a bit of shell. The Prussian Guard in front of us ran like kittens, so as to leave room for their artillery to play on us. I crept into a shell hole, and until Wednesday I existed there on no food, and half a bottle full of water. I had a terrible dread of my water running out, so in the darkness I managed to crawl 250 yards back to our lines, as we have been forced to retire again. It took me four hours. They got me back here, and I’ve had two operations. The piece of shell had gone through my side pockets first, and taking part of the corkscrew and a box of matches through my leg, entering at the fly I’m coming out neither groin. I have two rubber tubes through my leg now. In three weeks also, when I get stronger and a bit better, I shall be back in Blighty, and they say I shan’t come out again. This is a grand hospital, the doctors are splendid, and the nurses are angels. I was operated on yesterday, but feel it easier today. Don’t worry about me, as I shall be all right soon, and back in Blighty, and then you can come and see me. I hear only one officer and eight men in our Company (180 men) got through unhurt. The Captain is still over the top dead, along with the company Sergeant Major.

Allow me a small space in your valuable paper for a few lines, just to let the old boys know I am getting on fine and in the pink. We have had a lot of missiles to dodge since I wrote last, such as rifle grenades, aerial torpedoes, which are terrible things to have dropping close to us: they are a sort of bomb, weighing something like 60lbs, with wings to propel them through the air, but we don’t mind them when we can see them coming, when we can dodge in somewhere, if it is only to get our heads under cover. In times as these it makes us creep in rats’ holes as you might say. We get a fair supply of Jack Johnsons from Krupps, and they (the Germans) get a good supply of Lloyd Georgers (6 in. Shells) straight from Blighty. We are having lovely weather now, the nightingale singing at night and the cuckoo in the day, it reminds us of peaceful days gone by, but we all hope we shall peace again before the cuckoo comes again next year. We have heard of General Townshend’s surrendering, but we all think he stuck it well. Better days are in store and everything comes to them that wait. I read ‘R Evans’ letter in your paper and perhaps he will read this one, he will see that I am still somewhere in France. Wishing you and all your paper the best of luck.

We have had a rough time of it where we have been. We were in a dug-out made of iron at the side of a canal. I was in one with 19 more men when the Germans shelled us like lightening. One shell, it must have been one of the largest the Germans had, came right in the dug-out. I was in the far corner. The shell killed our Sergeant, Corporal, and four men. They were blown to pieces. A Sergeant and four men were wounded and two have since died making a death roll of eight. All were in my platoon. I got a good shaking up, and was smothered in mud, and got a scratch on the face. This is the narrowest I have had to being killed. I shall never so long as I like forget it. One of my pals had a leg off, and both feet, and was hit in the head. He had some rum and smoked a cigarette as he chatted to me as he lay on a stretcher. He died in hospital. One thing that was very sad was that two of these men were brothers. They worked together, enlisted together, went home on leave together and died together.

I expect you will be surprised to hear from me, especially as I have not written to you since being on active service. You will perhaps remember me as a policeman at St. Neots. I enlisted as perhaps you know, at Huntingdon in September1914, in the above regiment and was sent to Bedford. From thence only being two hours in the barracks there, I was packed off to Fermoy, in Ireland. After six months training there we moved to Basingstoke to finish our Divisional training. After two months there, the whole Division (the 10th Irish Division) were embarked for the Sulva Bay Expedition in the Dardanelles, and, my goodness, what an expedition it was. For perhaps the first time in my life I knew what hardship was. We were on the Island on Lemnos. On August 6th last year we received the order to move. No one seemed to know where we were going, although of course we had a good idea. We embarked that night in patrol boats, and at about 5 o’clock the next morning we were roused by big gun fire. Looking over the side I saw two or three battleships blazing away for all they were worth. As we gradually neared Sulva Bay the firing became more intense. We eventually got right into the Bay. What a sight. A number of battleships firing without ceasing. A great number of transports with troops. They were landed in small steam lighters, each holding about 500 infantry men. The advance from the shore was just commencing. What it cost us in killed and wounded I don’t know, but it was a terrible price. As our infantry landed they extended in fighting order, but the enemy shrapnel was working great havoc among them. But still everything was carried out in perfect order, and the advance was sustained until nightfall. All that night we were digging trenches. Of the subsequent events I daresay you have read in the papers. After two months being under continual shell fire, the 10th once more embarked. We all wondered what was coming off, but could only guess. After a few days rest at Lemnos we found ourselves once more abroad, destination still unknown, until we finally landed in Salonica, in Greece. We then heard for the first time of the Bulgarian raid into Serbia. After a short rest there we moved up to where the Germans are now concentrating, viz, Givghilli. My company went on detachment road-making, bridge building etc. This Division were the only British troops taking part in this expedition. For a few weeks nothing was done but outpost duty; but after a time the Bulgarians advanced. You have no doubt read in the papers at home of the Division’s great retirement. Not a man, from C.O.’s down to privates, escaped the hardship. Snow, fog and frost, bitter winds and damp, made our lot an unenviable one ; but luckily we won through. We are now a sadly depleted Division. But I am pleased to say the spirit of the troops is fine. Personally I am very fit, a bit thinner than of yore, but undoubtedly harder and stronger. Please God I am spared to return to St Neots for which I have a very strong attachment.

We are just getting settled own in the latest new quarters. The situation is picturesque and healthy, and we are beginning to make ourselves comfortable and to arrange things in a convenient style. We have hopes of remaining here a little longer than in proceeding pitches and so are preparing to be able to receive a good number of patients in our shelters, which are in course of erection. My dispensary will be a nice little affair. Out of the hard clay soil we have cut out a space about 9 feet wide and going back 10 or 12 foot. This is cut in the slope of a small hill. The sides are built up with sand bags, also the front, and the top we covered with corrugated iron – at present none of this is available. Such shelters are proof against spent bullets and other projectiles. Of course if a shell happens to land on the roof it would make a nasty mess and be bad for anyone inside.
And now I am going to tell you quite a dramatic incident. To-day being Sunday we had a service at a quarter past four, and it was just outside such a shelter as my dispensary will be, and of the same size belonging to another ambulance stationed about 50 yards away from us. We all went up to this place and made a big huddled group close outside the dug-out. The clergyman stood just away from the walls of it and we all round. As soon as the service began shells went whistling overhead, the rival batteries on either side of the hill were exchanging their usual afternoon hate. We were singing the hymn, “Art though weary, art though languid” and had got about half way through when there came a terrific explosion, smoke and dust and bullets all round us. A shrapnel shell had come clean through the top of the dug-out and burst inside. By a miracle of Providence not a man was injured. No one was in the shelter at the time, the officers and men were just outside and there happened to be no patients. Had it dropped only a few more feet our way, and outside the dug-out, I dread to think what must have been the result. The medical equipment was blown to bits, and the place was full of bullets. I have a piece of the shell, half-an-inch thick, and as big as a large saucer. That was the most dramatic Divine Service I have attended, and it does seem that God must have spared us all. We did not stop to finish the Service. “Art thou weary” will always have memories for me whenever I ay sing it.