Soldier Record

This is his letter. April 1918

When the German spring offensive started we were promptly "chucked" into it; we fought a rearguard action, and didn't we do some shooting! You could hardly miss them. We had a week at that, and then were relieved by the French. After a rest we shifted to another place and went in for a good splash. We dug in and had just finished by dawn when Jerry started shelling us. He blew the place to pieces, and then came over and turned us out. We had no grub that day, but we counter -attacked and drove him back. There we were, all mixed up, all sorts of regiments, including French. First the Boche advanced, then we, till we were relieved by the Australians. They came up nice and fresh and gave them "socks". What was left of us was, with a big draft, transferred to another battalion, and travelling all night, where we found French civilians coming along with their goods and chattels - old men, women and poor little children looking very scared. We were told the Portuguese were in retreat and Jerry had broken through there, so we marched off to see what was doing. The Germans were just advancing, I had a good blaze at them. We had four guns to the company, and Jerry soon began to move back a bit and started pelting us with shells of all sorts gas included; but the gas didn't come off, as the wind was wrong. Well, we had a pretty hot fortnight, and between us drove them back 2 1/2 miles. After six days and nights in a very shallow trench with water in the bottom we were being relieved when Jerry started shelling. and I copped a lumpf of "Krupp" in my hip. I thought I was kicked by a horse. I managed to get a ride on a limber to the dressing station, and from there to a casualty clearing station, eventually being transferred to "Blighty".

This is my grandfather who was a Lewis gunner in the First World War and joined up when he was 29 .