More letters from front (1915)

Post date: Jan 23, 2014 5:18:25 PM

Extract from March 1915 Parish Magazine

NOTES AND NOTICES.

I have received the following fresh names of men connected with Wateringbury who are serving their country:—Capt. Percy Jude, 5th Batt. The Buffs; Lieut. Herbert Jude, 6th Battery, 1st Batt. Reserve Brigade Royal Field Artillery; Gunner Charles Smith, Royal Field Artillery; Charles Melen Davenport King, Royal Army Medical Corps; Pte. George Gunner (2586), Royal Army Medical Corps; Pte. Horace Coomber, Royal Army Medical Corps; Pte. Henry Gunner, Royal Engineers; and Pte. Albert Newick, Royal Engineers.

Below are extracts from one or two further replies thanking the "Three Friends" for parcels of comforts. We have received letters of thanks from the following Wateringbury men whose replies have come into my hands, besides several whose letters I have also seen :—

Navy.— F. R. T. H. Bonsor, H.M.S. King Edward VII.; F. H. Bowles, H.M.S. Duncan; T. R. Bowles, H.M.S. Iron Duke; A. Curd, H.M.S. Agamemnon; L. Eversfield, H.M.T.B. 30; H. Hook, H.M.S. Iron Duke; A. R. King, H.M.S. King Edward VII; H. Kingsnorth, H.M.S. Blanche; E. Latter, H.M.T.B. 114; M. South, H.M.S. Cyclops; W. T. Weller, H.M.S. Bacchante; J. T. Wells, H.M.S. Laverock; T. Wells, H.M S. Biter; and G. Woolgar, H.M.S. Ness.

Army.—H. A. Martin, 6th Dragoon Guards; W. Latter, 15th Hussars; A. W. Cray, 20th Hussars ; R. J. Ellis, R.F.A.; D. Hook, R.G.A.; W. Clements, A.S.C.; G. Clements, A.S.C.; E, Pursey, Motor Transport; A. L. Monger, Motor Transport; F. Spice, Army Veterinary Corps; T. Shotter.

Among the more recent replies are the following :—Pte. A. L. Monger (Motor Transport) writes :— " I received your parcel safely, for which I thank you very much, especially for the magazine, as any news from home is very welcome. Am glad to say I have escaped so far, but have had some unpleasant times".

The following is from Gunner D. Hook (R.G.A.) :—" Will you thank those kind friends for the parcel which I received on December 21st. They had re-tied it up at the Post Office, so you see the Post Office Officials do all they can for us. I heard you have been unwell, but I trust you have quite recovered now. I don't suppose you will get this in time for Christmas, but I wish you all a Happy New Year. We are having some awful weather, rain every day. I was very interested in the Church Monthly. I see our little village is doing its share out here, also in men for Lord Kitchener's Army, which is only right."

Pte. F. Spice (7th Section, Army Veterinary Corps²) was one of the few whose parcels were lost, and, after long travel, turned up here again. Re-directed to the same address " somewhere in France," it reached the recipient, who writes the following interesting letter:—" It is with the greatest pleasure that I write to thank you and the other kind friends for your kindness in sending me the parcel of necessaries. I must say that I find everything very useful, as it is one of the most important things out here to get a change of clothes. I must also thank you for the magazines, it gave me much pleasure to follow the names of other soldiers and sailors, most of whom I knew in my schoolboy days. I am very pleased to see the good patriotism that exists in Wateringbury during the present crisis, and I trust that it will continue to do so. Well, dear sir, I am afraid that owing to the censor I am unable give you many details about myself. I have been enjoying very good health up to the present. I have been with the Expeditionary Force since the 16th August, and was with the retreat from Amiens, but since that we have been attending sick and wounded horses. We are getting treated very well out here, but the weather is not very much in our favour. A few weeks ago we had snow and frost, but now at the time of my writing it rains in torrents. We are picketted in a wood with heather up to our knees, and you can guess that the wet is rather uncomfortable. You were asking in the magazine if we would rectify any errors in the addresses. Well, mine is quite right, I don't belong to any Division. I received my parcel on the 6th December without any trouble, and I can tell you it is good to have a nice English smoke. Being a cigarette smoker myself, you may be sure that I am enjoying them immensely. Well, I am very sorry I cannot send you a lot of news, as time is very precious, and as I said before, the censor is very strict."

Pte. W. Latter, of the 15th Hussars, was wounded in November. He was brought to England, and after a long stay in Shorncliffe Military Hospital³ came home for a few days. He is now at Longmoor⁴, expecting shortly to go to Egypt. This is his own account of the way he was wounded:—" I was wounded on November 3rd by a sharpnel bullet which went through my lungs into my chest. I was fighting at Ypres that day. We were standing under a hedge, the horses were having their feed of corn. A German aeroplane¹ came over and dropped a light from above. The German guns fired at that mark. My horse was hit by the shell, and I received one of the bullets. I was picked up and carried on a Field Ambulance to hospital at Ypres, and from there to Boulogne, where I underwent an operation on 5th Nov. By November 11th I was on the boat for England, and arrived at Southampton 14th November, and went from there to Shorncliffe for treatment."

I am asked to acknowledge in the magazine, with apologies to the donor for the delay, the receipt some while ago of half-a-crown sent anonymously by someone who has been helped in a " time of need" and who sends this gift because he or she feels a desire " to help others who are in so much need of help especially at the present time," and who desires no further thought to be taken of this matter " because I think it is only right to send it and I feel sure you will understand."

The weekly Mothers' Meeting was recommenced on Monday, February 22nd. The time of commencement has been changed by request from 2.15 to 2.30 p.m. It is hoped that members will come regularly.

DIOCESAN EXAMINER'S REPORT,—The following Report of the Inspection of our Schools is submitted:-

Boys.—Mr. Daniel reports: "I examined the boys' department of this school, and feel that in the first place a special word of praise is due to the teaching staff, in spite of being short-handed for several weeks, the teaching and discipline are very good and the knowledge shown by all the standards is excellent.

Standards I.—III. is a very good group all round, the Old Testament work being excellent.

Standards IV.-VII. was best in the New Testament work, while the knowledge of the other subjects was distinctly promising. The written work all through the school was excellent."

Girls.—Mr. Lace reports: "The hard work of the staff and the eager responsiveness of the children seem to me to form two marked and pleasing features of the religious education in this school. I found that the girls had gained in each group sound and practical knowledge in all parts of a very full syllabus. The written work also is very good. The only weakness that I noted applied to both the lower groups viz., a lack of accuracy in the Catechism repetition. The girls in all these standards knew the explanation better than the text. I was specially pleased with the Old Testament work in Standards I. and II., and with the Prayer Book work in Standards III. and IV. The work of the seniors can be quickly and fairly summed up as altogether excellent. The tone of the school is most pleasing."

Infants.—Mr. Lace reports: "It was disappointing to the teachers to have nearly half of children away for the inspection, owing to bad weather and illness. But, in spite of this, the children in both classes were very bright and answered well. The babies are being very carefully and practically taught and evidently enjoy their Scripture lesson. The upper children form, as hitherto, a very strong and delightful group."

One of the most fascinating places to go and visit in Town just now is the premises of Messrs Brown, Hughes and Strachan, in Kensington, where if you are fortunate enough to be allowed in, you may see dozens and dozens of Motor Ambulances, some new some old—in experience, though not in years—some well, some very, very sick, but all either just going to or just back from the front. You will see all sorts and sizes of cars, presented by all sorts and sizes of people, from Boy Scouts to Duchesses; and if you had happened to choose last week, or thereabouts for your visit, and had hunted with sufficient diligence, you would have seen one ambulance, which bore beneath the freshly painted symbols of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, a brief sentence to the effect that it was a gift from the people of Wateringbury.

You will not see it there now, however, for you are too late. By the time you read this it will be at Havre, transporting our wounded, and it will be driven by Mr. Fred. Leney. It is built on the "St. John" pattern, that is to say, entirely covered by a hood of double canvass; the two separated by a space of a few inches to ensure warmth, and with an elaborate system of ventilation to ensure air and freedom from draughts, it is lighted by talc windows in the sides and front, and holds four "helpless case" stretchers, with a locker beneath for tools and all necessaries. It is, in fact, built on the very latest approved pattern. And so goodbye to it ! God-speed to it and its driver ! (Communicated).

F. M. R.

Rainfall during February, 3-00 inches.

Notes:

1. First aircraft flight by Wright Bros in 1903; Bleriot crosses English Channel in 1909. Germans started war with 246 aircraft (Hastings Catastophe p. 457), half Taubes, the rest Albatroses and Avatiks. Germany started aerial bombing trials in 1910 but with limited success. Reconnaissance by balloon had been used in previous wars and in WW1 reconnaissance , including photo reconnaissance, from aircraft developed. Control of artillery from aircraft developed from technique described (smoke and chaff also used)here to radio control during the course of WW1.

2. British took 53,000 horses to France in 1914, which suffered an annual mortality rate of 29%. Veterinary corps was 360 strong in 1914; 28,000 strong in 1918. See WW1 Postcards.

3. Shorncliffe near Cheriton, Folkestone, Kent has been an army camp since 1794. Used as a staging post to Western front in WW1 . Canadian Army medical corps established hospitals there from September 1917 to December 1918.

4. An army camp on Surrey /Hampshire borders established in 1900.