www.voicesofwar.co.uk
Newton, J. Atter, H. Plowman, B. Newton - and I think they are getting on
all right. (A subsequent letter from the same writer states that Plowman has
since died in hospital). Some of the others got out themselves, and either
started ring or digging. It was marvellous to see how the men behaved,
and it has been noticed and appreciated by the General. We got other
men out, poor fellows they were dead, Sgt. Bunn, from Uppingham, leaves
six children, and poor Walter Simpson leaves a widow and one child, the
others were Cpl. W. Ibbetson, and Ptes. Pennington Foister, Pick, Wilson
and Rogers from Melton, and Ptes. Hall, Gray, Buswell, Andrews from
Coalville and district. Of course there were others who had to go out of the
trench suffering from shock. It was our Platoon who caught it, and out of
about 40 who went to the trenches nine of us marched out again. Aaron
Sharp and J. Ruddle got blown up in the air, and dropped in a trench at the
back. Aaron says he thinks Jimmy Ruddle started rst up in the air, but he
doesn’t know who dropped rst. Jimmy Atter was buried for three hours,
and when G. Boulger got him out he said: ‘Hello Jerry! I never remember
being buried alive before.’ When they took him away he said: ‘I should think
this means another bar on my medal.’ I think we had sixteen killed this time
in, and I don’t know how many wounded. One thing we are still smiling,
and looking forward to better times. I am enclosing a copy of a letter which
we had sent to us by the Ofcer Commanding. I want you to keep smiling,
and don’t get downhearted, for, as you know, it might have been worse.
You will hear all about it in the papers. What I am pleased about is that we
never left the trench, and what Germans came soon went back who were
not shot. Thanks so much for the box you sent. The contents were lovely
and they were a treat. I divided them among the chaps who were left in
our platoon. I know you will not mind, for you know how the chaps felt. I
had a double box of Tangerine oranges, box of tomatoes, one of apples,