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6th Durham L.I.
B.E.F.


We have been having a very rough time of it lately. The
Army has again advanced and our Division is exceeding all expect-
ations. Yesterday I must admit we had a very anxious few hours. I
had twenty one casualties in my Company alone and was also wounded
myself. A huge shell just burst on the parados of the trench kill-
ing two men, wounding three others and slightly wounding me. I had
a very lucky escape and was fortunate in not losing my right eye.
As it was I was blown clean off my feet, have several small wounds
on the right side of my face and have my eye swollen and the eyelid
bruised. I shall be none the worse for this shaking, but of course
am not feeling too frisky. As the C.O. wished to retain my ser-
vices and as I am the Senior Officer left in the Battalion I decided
to remain with my men and not leave the trench. Our M[edical].O[fficer]. a splendid
fellow was quite worried about me as was my servant who was the first
to rush up and have a look at me directly I was hit.

The bravery of the men exceeds anything anyone could possi-
bly imagine. In the afternoon there was another big attack. Our
Artillery which indeed is too terrible for words simply blew the
Germans to smithereens. The whole of their ground for about a mile
back was absolutely one mass of terrific explosions followed by
clouds of earth, limbs of men and debris (I am now writing this
letter to you in a captured Germany trench. Two days ago we were a
mile away from here.) When our Infantry attached yesterday afternoon
I think I witnessed the finest sight I have ever seen. Under a
hurricane of shell and machine-gun fire they advanced as if on
parade. A huge shell would drop amongst them, you would see the gap
made in the line, but they never wavered, never even lost their
dressing. Of course, as usual the Germans put up no fight at all.
Now they are driven out of their first and second lines and have no
deep dug-outs, they cannot attend our shelling and are the greatest
cowards directly you get close to them.

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You would be amused if you could see me now, I am dressed
just like a private soldier except I carry a revolver instead of
a rifle and have a couple of stars on each shoulder. I have neither
shaved or washed for several days and am plastered all over with
mud. In addition I look a very desperate character about the right
side of my face.

I am getting tired of the incessant shell fire and row and
want to get back to civilization. It is about three weeks since
I was in a civilised and inhabited town. The trouble here is that
we have to lay waste and blow to pieces every yard of ground we
gain, whilst the old Hun is retiring into excellent billets and
beautiful country.