For Love and Courage Read online

  I have been into Béthune this afternoon to call on the G.O.C. & see the staff about one or two things. Did I tell you I met old Howe the gunner we knew at Aldershot the other day & also Douglas Haig but he didn’t know me & we had no conversation. We had a church parade service here this morning, a padre came over from La Bouvriere, quite a nice little man.

  We are all very fit & well I am glad to say & thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Very comfortable in this little farm tho’ rather smelly & the water is running out.

  Best love to you dearie mine,

  Ever your Robert.

  3rd May 1915 – Fontinelle Farm

  Darling mine,

  I got two top-hole letters from you today. Your number 8 came yesterday & I got 7 & 9 today. I suppose 7 got a bit lonely on the way & went off with some casual acquaintances in another bag.

  The cake etc. rolled up at lunch time today & as we were having a somewhat meagre lunch the pot of ‘pottie’ was hailed with screams of delight, especially when we saw the truffles, but what ho! When the maid opened the lid – nearly blew the roof off & we thought the Germans were here with their asphyxiating gases. I am afraid in this hot weather it is no use sending home-made meat things as they don’t keep. However the rest of the parcel was most acceptable.

  You need not bother any more about cigars as I can get plenty here now that I quite like and the best kind cost 1d each!! Many thanks for sending the camera & I hope soon to send you some good photos to have developed.

  We are going to have our first dash in the trenches on the 6th for 48 hours & I am going down early on Wed. morning to spend a few hours in the section occupied by Harry Cubitt’s7 battn just to see how things are done first by those who really know.

  The men are all very fit & well I am glad to say, & so we are a very merry party, hardly stopped laughing since we left.

  I had another nice letter from old Bob today & have got a piece of a German shell to send him when I have time to pack it up. Just a bit of copper from the driving band.

  Best love old girl,

  Ever your Robert.

  4th May 1915 – Fontinelle Farm

  I have been out most of the day up near the trenches arranging about the troops going there on Thursday. I wish you could come and have a look round here & see how everyone takes things, it would fairly astonish you. Even right up in the front people treat it rather as a huge joke, not that I mean that the actual business isn’t taken seriously, but that the lighter side is given considerable prominence.

  I lunched within a few hundred yards of the front line of trenches with a brigade Hd Qrs & the Brigadier gave me a very excellent lunch ending with a capital pot of Paté & coffee. They were all frightfully amused because the next brigadier at lunch yesterday was shelled out of his house & they had to leave their lunch & off it like steam.

  I want you to arrange with Harrods, or someone like that, to send us a £1 box of stores every week. We want potted meats; soup; sweets, peppermint, Mackintosh’s toffee de luxe. The jam is essential & must come without fail. We want chutney very badly too as it makes the ration meat go down better, rice & curry powder. Some tinned vegetables & perhaps some bottled Tiptree raspberries remnant. Cherry jam occasionally but the main jam supply to be Little Scarlets. The ‘Gentleman’s joy’ you sent went like wild fire & two or three pots a week would be fine. I met another of my boys today, the 2nd I have met so far & he seemed to be doing alright & looked the part. We have had a lot of wet last night & the horses are now standing in a bog which a very heavy thunderstorm tonight didn’t help very much.

  However, the worst billet is better than the best bivouac & as they say we have the best billet in the countryside we are all right & still smiling. Henry8 has come out immensely since we got here & is doing very well indeed & he & Izard9 are the life & soul of the Mess, & keep us laughing all day. So far life has been most enjoyable & I hope it will continue to be so. Going to spend the day tomorrow cleaning out the farmyard so as to do away with all manure as a breeding place for flies. I fear the fly trouble will shortly be awful as there are so many unburied bodies between the trenches & the authorities quite rightly are doing all they can to minimize the danger. Flypapers & strings would be good things to send us also any kind of gauze trap that looks like catching them.

  Best love dearie mine,

  Ever your Robert.

  1 Prince Henry of Prussia – the Kaiser’s brother and a grandson of Queen Victoria. He had recently visited his cousin, George V.

  2 General Sir James Grierson, commander Eastern Command. It is believed that it was due to a conversation between him and the acting CO, Major James, that the regiment was allowed six months’ training before they were mobilized, in order to bring them up to the standard of a regular cavalry unit.

  3 Cheviot W. Dillon Bell, son of the first New Zealand-born prime minister of that country. He eventually joined the RFC and survived the war despite crashing his aircraft nine times. His brother William was killed at Pilkem Ridge, Passchendaele, in 1917.

  4 General (Sir) Charles Barter.

  5 Squadron Sergeant-Major.

  6 Lieutenants B. H. Barber and P. D. Stevenson (‘Steve’).

  7 Henry Archibald Cubitt, grandson of the 1st Lord Ashcombe, was serving with the Coldstream Guards and was killed in 1916.

  8 Lieutenant Henry Feilding, son of Lord Denbigh.

  9 Lieutenant T. A. Izard, known as ‘Pongo’, had been recruited to the regiment on mobilization, had joined at Alexandra Palace and was still serving in 1919.

  CAVALRY RESERVE, AUBERS RIDGE

  ON 7 MAY, Robert and 2nd and 3rd Troops, ‘C’ Squadron were ordered to proceed to Beuvry, on the outskirts of Béthune, as part of the Divisional Reserve for an attack between Rue du Bois and Festubert, in an attempt to capture Aubers Ridge. Although the attack, which occurred on the 9th, failed, and the Reserve was not called forward, the squadron came under shellfire for the first time. Meanwhile the 1st and 4th Troops remained at Fontinelle Farm under the command of Lieutenant Barber and then proceeded to Le Touret and Locon to escort prisoners.

  The failure of the British attack on Aubers Ridge was largely due to the shortage of high-explosive ammunition and the ineffective barrage. Many shells failed to explode and were known as ‘duds’. The French attack on Aubers Ridge was part of the combined Anglo-French attempt to break through the strongly fortified German trenches. They succeeded in advancing three miles but at the cost of nearly 2,000 lives.

  8th May 1915 – Beuvry

  My darling old girl,

  I sent you a field postcard tonight as I have been on the move & am now at Beuvry. Things are very lively here tonight, our aeroplanes are fairly buzzing overhead – dozens of them & the Germans shooting like steam at them but so far as one can see their shells only reach half way. It however keeps the flyers up in the air at a good height & lessens their observing powers. We had ‘some liveliness’ last night as we are well within range of the German guns & all last night there was a rare old fusillade going on & once or twice today they have sent us an odd shell just to cheer us up, but they have all so far been at the other end of the village.

  They liven up before dark a good bit & are just beginning, as I can hear the snipers hard at it now. The German lines run from Neuve Chapelle through Festubert–Givenchy, Cuinchy & on the south of us & I have just had a very welcome telegram to say that the French attacked & carried the German trenches six miles south of us.

  Tell Tiptree not to send us any more gooseberry jam, or raspberry. We like the bramble jelly, strawberry, & their Morello Cherry very much. I must stop now dearie mine as I have to get up at 2 a.m.

  Ever your Robert. ——10.40 p.m.

  10th May 1915 – on pages from a field notebook – Le Quesnoy

  I got two nice letters from you tonight as we had no mail yesterday. Tobacco & cigarettes are the chief things the men want at present. They are so well fed & they can buy so much, besides that they are putting on flesh like anythi
ng.

  They are a lot of dirty swine these Germans but I hope this Lusitania business will do them a lot of harm with the outside world.1

  We have had rather an amusing time these last two days as we moved out to a position of readiness at 4.30 a.m. yesterday, leaving a few sick men & the servants under old Sanderson in the billets. After we had been out a bit we saw the shells popping into Beuvry pretty frequently. We returned there about 10 p.m. to find them all in an awful state of nerves. Old Buxton was awfully cross because we laughed at them but it really was too funny. Their faces were a picture & they had all got bits of shell & stuff. Before I left I warned them of the dangerous places in the town which I knew the Germans would shell if they shot at all & of course old Buxton must go & have a look, with the result that a shell plonked into a house just under his nose which fairly put the fear of what’s-his-name into him.

  The last two days have been very interesting but I cannot tell you about them yet tho’ I shall be able to later on I think when sufficient time has elapsed to make anything mentioned of no value if it went astray.

  I have got such a nice old man as interpreter, a Baron Floris who was in a cavalry Regt and he rides your old horse & is very happy, tho’ he finds him a bit tall!! My two troops under Barber have not rejoined yet, they went away two days ago on a job & tho’ I have had messages from them I haven’t seen them. They seem in great heart tho’ they say their billet is full of very moderately buried Frenchmen & is far from pleasant.

  I had a long letter from Bell & he tells me he is going down to see you & that he is resigning his commission in the 10th & is going into an infantry Regt as he will not be fit to ride for another six months.

  I must stop now as I am going to bed in a large feather bed & sheets!! Not so bad for war! Tonight we are at Le Quesnoy. I have no orders for tomorrow yet, which means being woken up in the middle of the night, which is a most awful bore.

  Best love dearie mine & to the dear little Chugs.

  THE COMMANDING OFFICER and the 2nd and 3rd Troops remained at Le Quesnoy,2 a small village east of Béthune, until the end of the month with the 1st and 4th Troops rejoining on the 14th. The squadron remained ‘standing to’ in a state of readiness, providing prisoners’ escorts and straggler patrols for the successful attack on 24 May.

  11th May 1915 – Le Quesnoy

  I had another very nice & welcome letter from you today & a cake & a capital pot of Marmalade. I was so glad to hear that Mac had had his orders & I most sincerely trust he will come out tho’ what the regiment will do without him I don’t know, now that the 3rd Squadron is coming out.

  We have not done anything yet as beyond hearing the snipers sniping we might be on manoeuvres. They are sniping away now like anything but one grows so used to the noise that I think you would miss it. We are out of range of stray bullets as being so close there is no elevation to the rifles and consequently bullets do not come very far behind the lines which is a good thing & also there are a lot of trees & houses in between. Don’t be downhearted old girl, & believe very little of what you see in the papers because it is in most cases far from accurate, anyhow that is my experience so far.

  Old Mac3 came over today to see us for a bit & was most amusing. They were all tucked up in their billet on Sunday night when a brigadier who shall be nameless walked in & asked them what they were doing there. He said ‘I am a general, I am coming in here, get out.’ So they tumbled out of bed & went & spent the night in the field, but they got the better of the man by pinching every bit of picketing rope, water buckets, wire cutters & anything they could get off his horses which were in the same field. Nice sort of general! But some of these territorial generals are a bit swollen-headed.

  We still haven’t had a go at the Germans and are all longing to have a bit soon. It is very tantalizing to be so close & not to have a shot or two back.

  You need not worry old girl I am not smoking too much & in the hot weather I smoke less than in the winter. You seem to have done your guests alright. Anyhow they seemed pleased with their billet & I expect you will get them all back again. It certainly is the exception to be welcomed, most people are getting very tired of having the soldiers.

  My men are bivouacking now as it is so very fine. Please address me as ‘47th (London) Division’. It is getting v. late now dearie & I must to bed, my lovely feather bed in which I slept last night. Had a real good night too.

  12th May 1915 – Le Quesnoy

  I have got your 17 today & all your news about the C.O. Just at present the men do not want anything bar tobacco & cigarettes but there are so many coming over now that they get an issue of them once a week. I cannot help thinking that it would be a good thing to husband your resources for the winter.

  We had a great battle here last Sunday. It started with the most intense bombardment followed by the infantry assault – the results of which you will see in the papers. It really was a most wonderful show & the noise was extraordinary. Every kind of gun pooping off for all it was worth. We were not engaged but merely in a position of readiness close up in case by any accident the Germans broke through anywhere. We should then have gone forward & held the gap until more reserves were brought up & I expect that will be our role for a bit. We are having a very slack time now & basking in the sunlight all day. The horses are wonderfully well & the admiration of everyone.

  Your old horse is very well & looking grand in his new coat, ditto Saxon & the pony. I want you to buy me a little phrase book of French so that I can learn a few of the ordinary everyday sentences & it might form a foundation to start from. I am making no progress at present.

  Tell old Bob that Izard & I went birds-nesting for him. We got a rope & he lowered me down to a sand martin’s nest but it was full of young birds & so that wasn’t much good. However, I will see what I can do for him tomorrow or the next day. Perhaps that was a very early pair. The cuckoo has been shouting about but I haven’t heard it yet. Steve rode over today & saw us & Mac yesterday. I hope they will rejoin soon.

  The old French gave the Germans a good knockabout 10 miles from here4 these last few days & took 3,000 prisoners, 34 machine guns & 11 field guns & are progressing well towards Lens.

  I had a capital night last night in my feather bed & this morning Buxton & the two young officers held a conference as to whether to wake me or not & decided not to as there was nothing doing so I slept till 8 a.m. when a barber came to cut my hair. He came from Beuvry & I expected to have to pay 5 francs at least so when he demanded 2½d you can imagine my face!

  Best love my darling old girl to you and the Chugs.

  13th May 1915 – Le Quesnoy

  I got another short letter from you today which was most welcome as usual, as was also a very nice one from dear little Bet. I wish I could see you all again, but permanently. I don’t think I should like to come home for a couple of days or so & then have all the strain of leaving all over again – it would be sort of slow torture.

  We are at present in a state of readiness to move at an hour’s notice but I do not know why, whether we are to attack or be attacked. This afternoon I rode over to see the other two troops who seemed to be very fit & well tho’ doing nothing. You would have laughed if you had seen their faces when I told them that I was being recalled to England! They say if I go & the C.O. comes & wants to get wounded in front, he will have to spend his time walking backwards.

  I had a capital letter from Dick5 today. He says ‘it is a pity about the “Lucy Tania”’! It really is a champion letter and I am going to answer it tonight. Our electric light has been cut off tonight which is a bore. I was so glad to hear that old Bobbo is better & himself once more. It has rained all day today which has rather damped things but we have had a good deal to be thankful for.

  My interpreter is such a charming old boy & is exactly like someone I know but I can’t exactly remember. He gets on fine on your old horse & is most anxious to have a sword as he was a Cavalry soldier. He & Buxton drove into Béthune t
oday in the most ramshackle old cab you ever saw to buy some grub for dinner & I believe I hear rumours of ‘soles’! We have had very little except rations so far, so I hope your Harrods case won’t be long in coming, it will be very welcome. The French are progressing on our right very fast & doing fine, catching lots of Germans.

  Best love dearie mine.

  14th May 1915 – Le Quesnoy

  My darling Lassie,

  You accuse me of ‘fishing’ but you are just as bad, if you only knew how acceptable all letters are out here you wouldn’t worry. I enclose you a cheque for £9. 0. 0, you must lump the 1s 5d. I will send you a cheque to cover rates & taxes when I get my bank book. I never pay them till after June quarter day as a rule.

  Tonight I got my thin coats for which many thanks & I am sending you my thick ones back again. I got the 2nd consignment of jam too tonight, which was very welcome. If you have any marmalade to spare we should like a pot a week as it is in great demand.

  We are still leading the most peaceful of lives & are longing for something to do. You told me that I was not to keep only the nice things for your letters, & that you were to have some of the nasty ones as well.

  Well last Sunday in the attack just north of Festubert some of the Black Watch succeeded in getting into the German first-line trenches & owing to their not receiving the expected reinforcements they were eventually overpowered & taken. The Germans stripped them of their uniforms & then told them to go back to their own trenches & half way across they turned their machine guns on them & killed the lot, so I was told by a fellow who was there. Rather a nice act for a cultured nation.

  Folk out here are getting a little tired with the German & I can’t help thinking he will get some rough handling before long.

  Two Highlanders rolled in here this morning about 3.15 and bedded down in our room on some straw & had a good sleep. They were fairly worn out having had a very hard week & having led the attack last Sunday. They have got a billet now tho’ and go off again tomorrow. Such nice fellows both of them. The Captain quite young & his subaltern 15 years older, but a very fine man, looked the job all over. We have got their company billeted in the yard here.