14th April 1916, page 8 I ran across one of the Bromley boys last week, and we had a jolly good time, in fact the best I had spent since being out here. As ever cheerful and optimistic, Gutteridge writes to the Bromley Times of life in the trenches. Dear Editor:- APRIL FOOLS DAY I wonder who will start the games today. We have had a quiet week, owing to being moved to another part of the line. The weather being of the best recently we are having a good…
Tag: WW1
Tribute to Captain Ross
10th March, 1916 page 10 CORPORAL GUTTERIDGE’S LETTERS: TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN ROSS Last week we had two communications from Corporal Gutteridge, of Bromley, 1324, B Company, 8th Royal West Kent Regiment, whose cheery and optimistic letters are always welcome, although indeed they are but characteristic, as our readers know, of all the letters from the men at the Front. It is only the less hard-worked civilian at home who finds time, and thinks he has cause, for grousing. One of Corporal Gutteridge’s letters, referring to the death of Captain Ross,…
People hardly know how we appreciate such comforts here.
25th February 1916 (page 2) OUR WARMEST TIME Our genial correspondent, Corporal Gutteridge, Royal West Kent Regiment, says:- “Deart Sir, – Have been very busy. Have been relieved from the trenches after being away from the rest camp for twelve days. My word! It has been our warmest time. The Germans have done nothing else but shell us, the shells dropping right in our trenches. But we have been very lucky. They must have sent, in all, something like a thousand shells; and we only had six casualties. We expected…
15th October 1915 – Letter from Gutteridge
I wonder what we fellows will do after the war Also printed on 15th October, 1915, Gutteridge gives us an interesting insight into life in the trenches. “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…
Dinner, Concert & Football
26th January, 1916 p2 The company had a dinner and concert. Sergeant Gutteridge, of the West Kents, writes home another of his cheerful letters, in which he says they are all merry and bright. “Had a great time yesterday. The company had a dinner and concert. The boys did justice to the food provided by the colonel of the regiment, and the concert was a great success, the chief item being an original chorus by the sergeants of ‘B’ Company, entitled ‘The Nine Point Two,’ which caused some fun. Today…
Jolly Boxing Night
7th January 1916 (page 3) A LUXURIOUS EVENING FOR THE MEN WHO DESERVED IT With the 8th West Kents Corporal Gutteridge, of Bromley, 1234, B Company, 8th Royal West Kents (the glorious West Kents) sends us an account of the Company’s concert, which took place on Boxing night, in an empty room adjoining a farm. “Decorations were supplied by the boys, who had them sent from home in their Christmas parcels; tables were provided by the owner of the farm, refreshments were served out during the evening – cakes, Christmas pudding,…
More tales from the Front Line
12th November, 1915 page 2 “The Germans opposite me are starving. They shouted across for food, and sometimes they got it. It all depends what regiments are occupying the line” More notes from Lance-Corporal John Gutteridge, on life in the trenches during World War one. “A few lines from our mud camp, somewhere in Belgium. Our regiment have this time occupied the reserve trenches, which means they have been doing fatigue work for the companies in the firing line, carrying rations, timber, &co. Sounds nice but the boys would sooner…
Optimist in the Trenches
October 1915. More insight into life on the Front Line from Lance-Corporal John Gutteridge. Letter printed in the Bromley & District Times.. “A few lines showing how we spent our time in the rest camp, which lays seven miles away from the firing line. We arrived back in camp at 1.30 a.m., on the 28th October. We did not march, the best part of us rolled back, as we had had a pretty rough time of it. One can just imagine having to be on the alert for five days…
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…
Serving on the Italian Frontier
Letter set to the Bromley & District Times from Gunner F Andrews, who was serving on the Italian frontier. With pleasure I write these few lines as to the life on the Italian frontier. We left Blighty in the early part of ___, and had a great reception en route. The country is principally cultivated for fruit – grapes, peaches, &c. – the climate being very suitable. The cultivation is mostly carried out by oxen, and they seem to do the work well. The scenery passing through in view of…