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Newspaper Records:
Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette
Friday August 6th 1915
“MORE STORIES BY EYE WITNESSES.” – GRAPHIC DETAILS.
A Melton Mowbray Territorial belonging to No.5 Platoon, “B” Company, 5th
Battalion Leicestershire Territorials, writes the following interesting letter:-
“I hope by now you know that I am quite safe. It was awful, but you know
we have to expect anything out here. Our Engineers had just blown up
two mines, and we had seen sandbags, men, buckets, and other things
go up in the air. We were saying we should have something to tell the
people in Melton when we get home again when there was the biggest
crash I have ever heard. I was the end man of our trench, and there were
F. Linnett, P. Underwood, and Jerry Boulger with me. Before I had time to
move, the dirt and other things were dropping on me. I thought it would
never stop, but when it did I jumped up and got my rie, and I was ready
if anyone came. The other three ran up the trench to see what they could
do. Well, I cannot describe to you what the trench looked like. If the mine
had been about 6 yards further there would not have been many of the
Melton men left. While some of our men were ring the others were digging
the men out who were buried. Poor Arthur Rogers was the rst man to
be got out, but he was dead. Then others followed – Arch. Marston, Syd.