by E. W. Hermon
Give my love to the Chugs & I hope old Bobbo doesn’t burn his fingers on the engine. Thank him & Meg too for their nice letters.
25th August 1916 – No. 244 answering 252 & 253 – Estaires
The two wanderers turned up today alright & I was more than pleased to get them.
I’m awfully glad to hear that old Bobbo is mechanically minded, keep him up to it as I should love him to be keen on those kind of things and he would be such a help to father in handing tools later on. I should love to see little Mairky on her tiny ‘bikle’. Dear little fat Pook. Give her my love.
Get old Brown to come over & see the pony. It can easily have worms without there being any outside evidence. He is the best man you could ask. Perhaps its teeth want seeing to? You want to give it half a pint of linseed oil with 2 tablespoons full of turpentine in it & drench the pony well & if he doesn’t scour, give it him again in four or five days.
No, I don’t walk on my feet, the C.O., Adjutant, Senior Major & all Coy Commanders ride. I certainly did walk the other day, because I sent the horses by road.
You mustn’t worry about me old girl as I am as right as rain now, lots to do & not a minute to brood! I’m only sorry that I expect for the next week or so you will get very sketchy letters as I am going into the line for a spell.
Sunday 27th August 1916 – No. 245 – on message pad – Laviéville
Just a few lines to assure you of my ‘bon santé’. I am in quite a nice little village10 & have just been out for a Sunday walk or rather ‘sit down’ (not what you mean) & read the paper. I couldn’t help being amused in a way as coming in I passed a funeral party at the grave with the Parson and among the audience which consisted of a dozen soldiers from the Field Ambulance, I saw Buxton taking a most lively interest. That was his bit of Sunday amusement. C’est drôle!
I’ve very little to tell you old dear, tho’ we’ve had a fairly strenuous week. Will you thank Mimi for her long letter & tell her that I will try and answer it shortly.
My love to you old dear & to the Chugs too & my dear old Spootie.
29th August 1916 – No. 246 answering 255, 256 & 257 – Albert
I’ve had three lovely letters from you these last few days & have thoroughly enjoyed them. Try ‘Pukka’ for Pucker!!11
I am afraid I cannot answer many of your questions re locale. It’s rather difficult to write you a decent letter now as there is such a devil of a lot of gunning going on, tho’ I’m not actually in it, the concussion & row is pretty bad.
I think your jumble sale was top-hole & you collected a fine sum.
Fortunately I have got a tent but the men are bivouacked, I am sorry to say & just about the very biggest thunderstorm you ever saw is beginning. They’ve got a little cover I am glad to say, but nothing to buck about.
I long to see the ‘Scrap o’ Comfort’ – he must be topping now. He’ll nearly be able to walk I expect, when I do get a chance to see him. It’s all very well but surely it is you that is to blame over the ‘Tribe’. I didn’t make them, merely offered a suggestion which you seem to have taken up!! I shall want the files (British made only please).
Yes, things gradually go on in the Battalion I think, & only today the 2nd-in-command came & said that he thought it would make my work easier if I was to know that all the officers were absolutely satisfied & ready to back one to the last drop of blood. I thought it awfully nice & was very pleased as I have had to follow a man whom they all worshipped.
My 2nd-in-command is Bibby D.S.O., Adj. O’Hanlon, Coy Commanders MacCormack, Morrough, Aitcheson, Neeves. Bibby & MacCormack are captains. Transport Officer, Hobbs, Q.M., Treanor.
I had a very interesting day yesterday looking over the line & will tell you more about it later on. I saw Tollemache had been hit, I hope he isn’t bad.
30th August 1916 – No. 247 answering 258 – third-line trenches, Contalmaison
Just got a top-hole letter from you all about your day in town [London]. I am so glad to hear such a good report about old Bobbo’s eyes. Poor little Mairky – she will look an odd little scrap with her glasses. Astigmatism I think, you will find present in 999 cases out of 1000 but they can correct it, I believe. I can see old Mairky sticking to her opinion with the oculist. You seem to have had a great day in town altogether. Tell old Bob I should just love to come & play with his engine & I am sure it is just exactly what I should like. You will always find in those small engines that you get a little oil blowing out through the pistons. I’m not sure I couldn’t find old Mac a company if he was to come out after all, if you write to him tell him so, but tell him he won’t find things quite like K.E.H.
It is very kind indeed of old Addie to take so much interest & it all helps out here knowing what folk are thinking. Take today for instance. All night last night it thundered and rained an absolute deluge after four or five days of heavy showers. The men had a few odd bits of tin to cover them and that was all. Today we moved up into the trenches tho’ not into front line, but somewhere near it; since 8 a.m. it has rained without ceasing & the poor men are up to their knees in mud & water & wet through. I’ve been round their trenches this afternoon & in spite of my mac and high boots am pretty wet I can tell you. However we are all very merry & bright & I haven’t seen Buckin so happy since he’s been out here.
We’re in an awfully interesting bit of line and I have a top-hole dugout. Nice entrance hall and kitchen combined, then down two steps into dining & living room, out of this down more steps you come to my room on the right, then to the left is my Adjutant, 2nd-in-command, signalling officer, machine gun officer & Dr, then a long passage where the signal office is. It’s simply fine & really very kind indeed of the old Boche to have made it for us. It was lit by electric light!! And the globe still hangs over my bed & the whole ‘sett’12 is wired, but I am afraid that the dynamo that used to serve the country around is slightly out of commission in the place where the neighbouring village used to be. It’s the outside that’s the bother, there is liquid slush which must be five or six inches deep & the roads are terrible sloppy. The only relief is tho’ that a few prisoners have just gone by who look the picture of abject misery. I’ve had a splendid afternoon walking round & really quite enjoyed myself. If it wasn’t for the thought of the wretched condition of the men I wouldn’t mind, but they’re simply wonderful & it doesn’t seem to worry them in the least.
Can you find me a really good acetylene lamp that one can have on the dinner table. It must fit into a box not too big for easy handling & must have ½ doz spare ‘Roni’ burners. No shade or glass. Just the naked light. It doesn’t blow out & one can get carbide, but living the life of the old ‘Brock’ one wants artificial light. The flysprayer too hasn’t turned up yet & is badly needed. Post just off.
31st August 1916 – No. 248 answering 259 – third-line trenches, Contalmaison
Another nice letter today. Really it’s wonderful how one gets one’s letters, even up here. They all turn up alright with the rations every day. Thank goodness we have had a glorious day today & this country dries up as quickly as it becomes mud.
There’s been a lot of flying by both sides today, tho’ the Hun doesn’t venture very much on our side of the line, & I don’t wonder. Our aeroplanes seem to go about in squadrons of about eight or nine & as soon as the Hun appears they go bald headed at him. At one time this afternoon there were 23 of our aeroplanes we could see out at once just over our little pitch. Old Buckin has found a splendid game & spends all his time looking for corpses not properly buried & gets to work with a spade & covers them up & makes crosses for them. It’s become quite a hobby with him. I had two blokes killed yesterday I am sorry to say, but funnily enough they were both of a company that I have attached from another Battalion.
I had a walk up towards the front line today but owing to the wet & the folk working in the trenches I didn’t get very far & contented myself with having a chat with the officer commanding the front-line Battalion. Today it’s been really lo
vely & I have most thoroughly appreciated it. It’s a great relief after the awful wet time we have had.
I was sitting outside my ‘sett’ tonight & really it’s as like our old place at Ashington as anything. There’s the heap of scratched-out earth and the ‘pipe’ behind on the slope of a hill & looking over the valley 500 yds off is what is left of the village. There are a couple of trees lying across our ‘earth’ & it’s as like as anything. One sits outside in the sun & it’s lovely & if things become unpleasant one just pops in like a rabbit!! It’s a weird life.
Best love to you all, old dear.
1st September 1916 – No. 249 answering 260 – support trenches, Contalmaison
Well, we are getting on fine & as I walked back this morning to lunch in my new burrow13 I couldn’t help feeling that I was happier in mind & general well-being than I have been since I came to this country. I’m really taking my part now and after all that is what one is out for. Certainly at times it is very far from pleasant. I left my original ‘sett’ early this morning to be met on the way by those damned gas shells. There is no doubt that they are beastly, they make one’s eyes water like anything. However our masks are ‘quite all right’ as the Chugs would say, but still it’s unpleasant. My new home is a fine safe one – one goes down twenty-one steps into a fine room in the chalk. The room is a good bit larger than the small night nursery & certainly as high, 12 feet wide by about 30 feet long, with an entrance at both ends.
The roof carried on T-section iron girders. Again we have to thank the Hun for his industry. While I remember, will you send me the best pair of motor goggles you can find. They must fit absolutely tight to the face & have no ventilation whatsoever as this beastly gas affects the eyes only and a good pair of goggles are essential & tho’ we have some very good ones indeed I believe one could get more comfortable ones from a good motor shop like Dunhill’s.
Many thanks for the mackintosh which is fine. I am going to give Buckin the other one, & Harry will have to do with S.A.H.’s14 tho’ one the same size as my first one sent by the kids to Harry would be a very nice present & one he richly deserves. You would laugh to see old Buckin in his pantry, servants’ hall, kitchen, scullery, larder, linen cupboard combination that he has upstairs in the road. Just a little bit of a sandbag house with a tin roof cut into the bank!! He was laughing about it this morning and wondering what old Woolven would think about it.
The ‘Leonard’s Lee’ was the direction. North. The Gatwick was Armentières or rather just between Merville and Estaires. I am so glad to hear that Dick is really off at last.15 High time too. I have several officers and damned good ones too, not much older.
My love to you my darling.
3rd September 1916, 3.15 p.m. – note – front-line trenches, Contalmaison
All well.
Robert.
ON THIS DAY the battalion relieved the 24th Battalion in the front-line trenches from Lean Alley to Munster Alley, east of Contalmaison. At noon they assisted the advance of the division on their right, who were operating against High Wood. Smoke bombs were released, drawing heavy artillery fire onto the front-line trenches. The casualties recorded were one officer and seven other ranks killed; forty wounded, two of whom later died of their wounds.
5th September 1916, 1.30 a.m. – on message pad – front-line trenches, Contalmaison
Well old dear, I got two lovely letters from you today & they were more than welcome. I’ve had a pretty strenuous time these last few days tho’ frightfully interesting. I was round my front line today & tho’ exciting it was a wonderful sight as one has a goodish look at the Boche from there. I’m pretty tired just at present but hope to get a good sleep today later on. I haven’t had my clothes off for five or six days. You needn’t worry about the hour as I have to be awake.
My Battalion is in the line so I thought that I couldn’t be better employed. I’m on watch at present but hope to get an hour’s sleep about 3 a.m.
The pictures you talk about were taken here and I have seen the crater & I think the men you saw ‘go over the top’ were my own Battn tho’ I can’t be sure! Rather odd if it was. Poor little Mairky. Hope her knee is better. One of my best young officers got a piece of shrapnel just above the knee today. Awful bad luck.
You needn’t worry about the trenches, it’s all right I had heaps of opportunity of testing it today. My love old dear.
6th September 1916 – No. 251 answering 264 – reserve billets, Contalmaison
Still right end up & going along all right. Having a very strenuous time just at present but our brave allies are taking tea with them in consequence so that’s a comfort. The flies are almost our worst nuisance & they really are the limit. You never saw anything like them and Africa is a perfect fool to it.
Yes, I’ve got my rank all right. I’m very glad to hear you have the car running again. Never mind about the clothes old dear. I wish I could tell you more, old dear but I can’t at present. Hope to be able to shortly. Yes I meant Alec Godley.
Bye bye old darling. I am very fit & well & thoroughly happy now.
7th September 1916 – No. 252 – note – front-line trenches, Contalmaison
Dear old girl.
Dans le premier ligne. All well. Post just off.
No letters yesterday or today.
Ever your Robert.
SIGNED BY ‘LT. Colonel Hermon’, the War Diary for the 7th records: ‘hostile air reconnaissance very prominent between 7.30 and 8.30 a.m., as many as 12 German aeroplanes visible at one period’. On the 9th the Battalion assisted the Canadian Corps who achieved their objective on the east of High Wood, then, helping with the consolidation of these gains, dug a 200-yard trench across no man’s land.
10th September 1916, 2.45 a.m. – No. 253 answering 265, 267 & 268 – Contalmaison
Having a few moments, and through stress of circumstances not being able to go to sleep as I am busy battle fighting, tho’ perhaps you might not think it, I thought I would guard against dropping off by writing to you.
I got two letters from you today right in the middle of a quite nice little minor battle. We opened the ball by catching two Prussians who had come out to scout & found themselves caught by our barrage & couldn’t get back. One had an Iron Cross and the other spoke English. They were both young & fine big strapping fellows. I hear there is another up the line who is very badly wounded. They say he is very old & has a bald head!
The Div. on our left went over & took the Hun front line & we had to join up with them across no man’s land which we successfully did and still hold it, having beaten off one counter-attack. I hope he won’t attack at dawn as I am busy getting my Battalion out of the line & during a relief there are twice as many men in the trenches as are wanted & if one is attacked it makes the casualties so much heavier. Martinspuich.
I have just had a real good cup of Mr Ayrton’s coffee & tho’ not the best coffee, it seemed like it. The men want a bit of a rest as they have been 72 hours in a bad bit of line, & they have worked very hard indeed today & done magnificently. However, they say everything comes to him who waits and we’ve waited for a bit of a rest for some time now, so perhaps it will come.
Eighteen months ago batteries in many cases were on a daily rate of 6 shots per battery per diem. Today we must have used, in my hearing, hundreds of thousands of all sizes. The din is too awful you can’t get away from it day or night. However there is something in it as the Hun doesn’t like it at all. One of our prisoners told me he had had 30 casualties in his Company yesterday.
Now that he hasn’t got quite so many deep dugouts as he used to have he pays a little more attention to our shelling & I see in his papers he is complaining that it isn’t fair. Rather amusing. As you say I wish I could tell you more but there’s too much knowledge on your side of the Channel.
If the car is difficult to start, try pressing the points of the plugs as close together as you can so that they will only let a piece of thick writing paper through. I can hardly belie
ve 27 miles to the gallon. If it’s true I’ll take my hat off to you. I think you will find that 20 to 22 is all you can expect from an engine of that size.
Buy me a good knife, two blades & a corkscrew as I have lost my old Boche one much to my sorrow, as it was the best I ever had. I am awfully glad to hear that you think school has done so much for old Bobbo, I wish I could have spent his holidays with him.
It’s beastly sitting here & hearing the Boche ‘crumps’ falling on the communication trench & knowing your folk are coming out of it, and it’s especially trying for the wounded coming out. I fear there will be a biggish bill in the morning.
Oh! for the old Gannet16 this lovely night, & what wouldn’t I give for that comfy bunk. I am really quite comfy tho’ even here, but not very safe as my dugout isn’t more than rainproof!!! My dear, you would be damned glad to live underground & stop there if you saw some of these old crumps a bustin of. It’s the very nicest place I know & the deeper down one gets the more pleasant it becomes!
Lass dear while you were calculating where I was, I was having free train rides to say nothing of motor rides and all sorts, so you can’t know where I am or how I got there for the ramifications have been many. I am going to send you a pretty medal for your gallantry in surviving life at sea. Well done old dear, how I should have loved to have seen it but I am glad I didn’t as I should have had to get wet & I loathe bathing.
2.30 p.m. Post off so will continue this later on.
11th September 1916, 11 a.m. – No. 254 on message pad – subsidiary line, Contalmaison
