Trenches
11.6.16
Dear May
There is very little news this week, that is very little that will pass the censor. We are having a quiet time in the trenches. We haven’t much to do but our hours are very broken, and it is hard to get a decent sleep. At present we have to lie on the fire step or on the boards in the trench & get what sleep we can. We bring no blankets into the trench
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& have only our oilsheet & overcoat. It is alright except when it rains, which by the way is pretty often. We are not allowed to take off our clothes or boots in the front trenches. So far I have not seen a German but have sent over a few random shots to let him know that we haven’t forgotten him. Old “Fritz” is a great lad & often sticks out placards for us to read. That was where we got our first
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intimation of the big fight in the North Sea – two or 3 days before it was in the papers. When the Austs arrived they put up a big notice “Welcome Australia” & a little later “Advance Australia – if you can”. Last night we heard that the Crown Prince was surrounded at Verdun & one of our chaps yelled out the news to old Fritz & they gave each other a bit of cheek for a while, at last he called out “Go to bed Australia” and that was the last we heard from him.
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I don’t think I told you about one of our balloons breaking away awhile ago. It was used for an observation post & one evening the rope or mooring gave way & floated away out of sight. We saw the two men come down with parachutes. It caused quite a little excitement among the crowds who were looking on. They fired hundreds of shells at the balloon to bring it down but the wind carried it right out of sight.
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I would like to be able to send you a few p.c’s etc of the places about here but at present that is forbidden. The photos you see in the Witness & other papers give you a pretty accurate idea of the condition of things here & the sort of life we live in the trenches. 15th For the last few days we have had very wet & cold weather & are mud up to the knees. I have got a little bivvy built of sandbags now but don’t see a great deal of
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it as we have to be on duty in the trench all night & half of the day. Almost every third day we are off from about sunrise to sunset. It would be a soft job if the weather would only clear up. Last night I was out in Noman’s-land with a wiring party. It was just a little bit exciting jumping over the parapet & creeping along through the long grass with a coil of barbed wire in one hand & a couple of standards in the other. However we got the entanglement up & sneaked
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back without being spotted. At midnight last night the Daylight savings bill came into force & all watches had to jump from 12 o’clock to 1, this of course caused a good deal of argument among different sentries but as we had to “stand-to” for an hour later there was no win in it for anyone. Mark Collins has just been telling me that George Moffitt was wounded in the leg about a week ago but so far I have heard no particulars but will
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make inquiries when we go back. I don’t think I told you that I have seen the place where O’Leary won his V.C. We used [censored]. 16th Our wiring party last night had a rather more exciting time than we had. The covering party, of 5 men, had advanced a short distance from our parapet & the wirers were just about to jump over when a German bombing party hopped up & threw bombs in among the covering party. Three of our men were wounded
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but they opened fire & drove off the enemy. Then our Corporal (Corporal White) although wounded in the head set sail after one yelling out “hands up you – – -” a chap Benge also wounded backed him up & they ran him down & marched him back to our lines. There were great rejoicings when we heard that we had captured a real live German – I understand it is N.Z’s 1st prisoner. Of the rest of their pary one sergeant was shot through the head & it is thought that another man was also killed so that we had a
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decided win. Each party consisted of 5 men & probably only two of theirs got home, & even they may have been wounded, while we had only 3 wounded, none seriously & a prisoner to the good. I expect that one, if not both of our men will be recommended for the D.C.M. The prisoner seemed quite happy & gave coins etc to his escort. He was well dressed & said he had been patrolling here for 5 months. 23rd – Back to the billets again for a brief “rest”. Had a lovely hot bath this morning & feel good as new.
Love from Len
[Written on back of Page 10]
Please excuse dirty paper. It was clean when I started but have been carrying it about in my pocket all the time I was in the trench.
Min Looney is at Brockenhurst Hosp. England
