Tag Archives: Hulluch

28 April 1916

Peirs_Le_1916-04-28_01 Peirs_Le_1916-04-28_02

Transcription

8th Queens
B. E. F.
28. 4. 1916.

My dear Mother,

Very many thanks for your and Cecily’s letters which I got last night. We are still basking in simply gorgeous summer weather, and apparently the Hun is enjoying it as well, as on both sides there seems to be nothing doing for the moment. Everything has come out to an extraordinary extent the last few days, which is all to the goods, as it helps to hide the various places we live in behind the line.

I hope Father’s arm is continuing to progress. I am afraid it is a great handicap to him, if M. E. is away from the office.

I shall have the show on my hands to-morrow as the C. O. goes on leave. There is no news of any sort. We are still very much on the alert for gas, as the wind is in the East, & the Bosch tried it on the night before last at Hulluch but with no success. I don’t think he is likely to try it on here, but he might on the people a little way off on either side, so we take the necessary precautions

These mean incidentally that we don’t get all the sleep we might at nights & consequently these Hqrs. do not present a very animated appearance in the mornings. In fact there are 2 of them snoring in unison next door & another at the table here pretending to read a book but really sound asleep. however I notice they all wake up in time for meals. The two Poles who deserted the other day were met on the road back by one of our men, who remarked “Hullo Fritz” & the Pole was most indignant “Me no Fritz” he said. & added later on when he was examined that there were more who wanted to come over but were afraid, so we are stirring them up to-night with our artillery to make it warm for them so that perhaps more will come over.

It is quite a science, the way to strafe the Hun. They start with shrapnel & odds & ends over the ground where the Hun is likely to be. This goes on for about ¼ of an hour, by which time the Bosch will have got under cover in his dug outs. Then we put heavy stuff into his dug outs & then more shrapnel to catch him coming out, by which time he usually gets a little irritated.

Love to all

Jack.

Please tell them not to
worry about the prams
headlights.


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