October 1915. They gave us a quiet day, so we guessed they had something special for us Another account of war from the letters of Lance-Corporal John Gutteridge to the Bromley & District Times. “Our regiment started out for the trenches on Friday, October 22nd, at 4 pm, arriving in the trenches at 7 pm to an easy time, but afterwards we found that we were in for a hard time. We had only been in the trenches a short time, when the Germans started shelling us, and we at…
Tag: Gutteridge
I was very lucky
29th October, 1915 p2Another letter from Lance-Corporal John Gutteridge, this time to Mr Will Howard his former employer. Much of the letter repeats information about the Battle of Loos. “…They (the Germans) cannot look cold steel in the face for love or money; show them cold steel and they will run for miles. After our charge we came back, bringing the wounded on our arms, smoking as we walked back, as we had not a run left in us. They shelled us all the way back with their long range…
The Germans have been rather saucy lately
Lance-Corporal Gutteridge letters THE OPTIMIST Lance-Corporal Gutteridge, of the 8th Battalion wrote: “Just a few lines from a dug out, behind the firing line. We are in the reserve trenches and having a jolly good time. Spring beds to lie on of a night, made of wire, very comfortable though, no fear of your bed made pinching the bed clothes, as we have not any. The Germans have been rather saucy lately. The have been giving us a hot time, and at the time of writing they are sending over…
I had a feeling that the Germans had no bullets made for me
15th October, 1915 In a further letter, written on the 8th of the present month, Lance-Corporal Gutteridge says:- “Our regiment has just returned from the trenches, and had a very peaceful time; a change from the bayonet scrap we had on the 26th of September, we coming our this time with a complete roll. The only danger we had was when we relieved the —, and when we were relieved by the —, as they (the Germans) have machine guns sighted on the road that we travel to the trenches…
15th October 1915
“In a hurry to get the job over and get something to eat” “Dear Sir, – Thought perhaps you would like to have an account of some of the Bromley Boy’s doings, and how they covered themselves with glory. We are billeted in a factory, and on Saturday morning at 6 am we had orders to pack and get ready to march to the trenches. We started out at 6.30, and had not proceeded far before we came under shell fire. We passed some German prisoners that had been captured…