A Letter From a Derbyshire Serviceman

This a letter from my Uncle Fred to my Mum’s Aunty Mary. Uncle Fred was a Collier in Ilkeston, Derbyshire and quite a character from what I have been told! Unfortunately he didn’t fully recover from his wounds, and although he returned home, he died in Nottingham General Hospital on 30th August 1944. It's a real tear jerker.

July 30 1943 Cpl F Henson
4809291
D Company
6 Linc’s
72 Gen Hoop? Troop?
B.N.A.F.

My Dearest Mary,

I received your telegram today. I’m glad to know that you are receiving my mail ok. I am also getting yours ok, as they are directed straight to this hospital Tell my dad I’m getting theirs as well. I wrote you an airmail yesterday. They are best duck as they don’t take very long to get home. There is also one of these letters on its way but you’ll probably get the airmail first, although I wrote the other before the airmail. I’m feeling much better today.

I had another operation to my chest yesterday, but I’ve got used to those now, that makes four times I’ve been to the Operation Theatre (Picture House) as we call it. The first time I didn’t know anything about it, but the others I could see what the surgeon was doing, except when they took the bullet out of my back. That wasn’t here though, that was in the first hospital. After he had finishes he said, “well cpl, do you want it,” so I’ve got it here, quite a souvenir isn’t it. My bullet wound is very near healed up now. You know it’s a big scar, I had ten stitches in it, and those were taken out at the 71st. My wallet has a hole drilled through it by the bullet.

Yesterday I went down to the “Picture House” at 9:30 and was an hour there. I was watching his fingers and he said, “you’re a bit nosy look the other way.”£ Don’t worry dear he won’t turn me out of here in my condition.

By the way just incise you don’t know, it was a sniper who shot me. I can’t tell you much about it, but we were advancing through long grass towards ‘jerry” with Churchills of the 6th Armoured Division behind us. We were 200 yds off his trenches, which were on a mountain side, and we were held up by the heavy machine gun fire, and it’s no joke to have them firing at you and to hear your pals shout that they had been hit.

Well our tanks opened up — boy what a sight. You could see the long lines of tracer making their dugouts etc — and then bouncing up into the air. Well we were lying in the grass, waiting for the order to go forward and then jerry opened up on us with his (6” Mortar). He’s very good with those, you can feel the explosion rip the ground up and the noise is awful. Well he dropped two smack in my section. God what a mess he #made of it too. I used to have 8 men without myself now there is only Tommy left. I just hugged the ground and hoped for the best. After he had finished bombing us, I crept around to see how the lads were. Believe me I wasn’t feeling so brave. I was pleased to see old Tom was okay, but Doug Schaller my machine gunner was screaming his head off. He was in a mess covered in blood and Tommy was trying to comfort him.

Then I looked for the rest. I heard someone crying and I knew that from his position it was Charlie Croft. I went to him but he wasn’t crying, instead he was dying. I spoke to him but he didn’t know me. They had blown the top of his head off. It’s not very nice to talk about things like that, but he was a lad who wouldn’t hurt a fly — and was the comedian of our platoon, just a flaming lad. I couldn’t help but cry.

Then I jumped up and shouted for the stretcher bearer — and boy I felt the biggest bash in my chest. It was, just like a kick from a mule. It picked me right off my feet, and flung me on my back. I just shouted Tom they’ve hit me, and he came. Tom and Ted Emmerson(?), cut my equipment off me, then put dressings on the wound. They told me a lie too. They said don’t worry, it’s only a scratch, some scratch, I had seen it first, and I had a big hole in my chest, but somehow I wasn’t worried, I just lay there and thought of you darling. Then the company went forward and Tommy stopped with us. Not because he was scared to go, infact he was very brave. He just wouldn’t leave us because the stretcher bearers wouldn’t find us in the long grass.

Then a very queer thing happened. I lay there helpless and couldn’t move, and one of our tanks came right at me. I was full in its path, and would have been killed. Tommy was further down helping Doug Schalley, so he didn’t know. Now this sounds a tall story dear, but it’s the gospel truth. I said I lay helpless, and I was, that’s why they cut my pack off, because when they moved me the pain was awful. Well I saw the tank, but he couldn’t see me, God knows how I did it, but I got up and dived out of the way. Then I walked about 50 yds away, and I fell down again. Someone, maybe it was you, gave me strength to do that.

Another wounded lad came up and we helped each other along. There we was staggering along and the jerries fired on us with a machine gun so he helped me to the ground, and he sat down beside me. I had a watch and the time was 8:15, or just after 8:00 in the morning. Well the stretcher bearers came at 1 o’clock, even then they wouldn’t have seen us if we hadn’t of shouted. Some Germans carried us down to the road, and put me in a “jeep” to our R.A.P. then ambulance to the first hospital.

Well dear I suppose you’ll be browned off with all that, but if you want to hear of more experiences let me know. I’ll tell you about the two battles of Ledjenian and Long Stop Hill. I suppose you have seen those reported in the papers. Perhaps you don’t want to know? Well duck, don’t forget to keep on loving me, and wanting me. I love you very much, and I shall always want you, and want to be near your side. If I didn’t want that I wouldn’t have had the strength to pull through. It’s only you that has done it, you and the orderlies and doctors, but mostly you sweetheart. Goodness how I want to see you and to see you smile. You know I really am crazy about you. Don’t forget to remember me to all at home. By the way how did you first get to know I had been wounded? Did you get word from the War Office or what? I’ll close now Mary so goodnight and God bless you.

“Always I’ll think of you.”
“Always I’ll be true.”
I.K.O.L.W.L.A.N.N.D
(MIZPAR)

Always Yours,

Fred

xxxxxx

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