Photostat copy of letters from Percy Wellesley Chapman to his mother, 5 April 1915 to 1 February 1917 - Part 5

the  enemy trenches, boom, boom, boom

it thundered all the afternoon, the windows

in the houses where we were situated

rattled in their frames, while great clouds

of smoke rose from the bursting shells.

A & B Companies were to dig the communications 

trenches while C & D companies were split

up into fatigue porters to carry supplies etc.

across.  Captain Gibbins led us and we

could not have had a better leader.

We marched along the road in single file

keeping to the right under cover of the hedges

as much as possible and about five minutes

interval between platoons till we got

to the communication saps leading to the

main trench, in these we were slightly

congested owing to supplies going forward and

wounded coming back.  The first wounded

man I saw was one lying on the road with

a bullet wound through his stomach.

The sight seemed to bring to me the first

induction that we were actually going

 into battle, a slight feeling of sickness

crept over me and I felt annoyed with myself.

 

4

but it very soon passed.  In the sap a 

shell landed among our front party

but we could not stop.  One poor chap was

blown to pulp bits of legs & arms were

scattered a out, I trod on his head by mistake, as I

hurried by and it gone under foot

like a sponge.  Others were lying about

moaning and groaning, but all feeling

had left me now.  I passed dead men

without pity or remorse. We lined up in

our support trench and fire bombs were

handed out to each man, after which Captain

Gibbins gave the order to scale the parapet

and away we went.  Each man carried 15

sandbags and most had either a pick of

shovel so upon arriving in no mans land

it did not take us long to settle down

to work.  But on order come through from

the front that they wanted reinforcements 

so off we went again.  Our road was strewn

with dead men lay as they had fallen

mostly face downwards with heads towards

the enemy, their yellowy white complexions

blue fingernails and clear staring eyes

gazing into [?] told that death had

for some time taken his toll.  We reached

 

the German trench about the point B.

and found that the 54th were occupying a

small trench in front B.C.D.  This was only

about 3 ft. deep and very muddy.  We took

up our position between the points B & C. and

started to dig in.  A parapet was erected out

of sand bags, fatigue parties were told off to

carry sandbags bombs & ammunition from

our own trenches, others were sent to the machine

gunners to dig emplacements for their guns,

and by morning we felt a bit safer than

when we got into that muddy little trench

it is very hard to describe what takes place

exactly in a fight.  Little incidents fix themselves

in ones mind, but the whole seems more or

less a blur.  During the night reinforcements

were called for from the right, Mr. Wylie was

sent but as as he got up to go, thud came something

against his side and over he rolled, grasping

his side.  They've got me chappy, they're got

me he said as I held up his head. They

carried him to the main German trench

and from there to our own trench.  He is in

hospital and doing fairly well now I believe

5

Captain Gibbins was the marvel, he

kept walking up and down the lines, never

showing any sign of fear, mesmerising 

people & helping them.

Towards dawn our flanks were being

attacked by enemy bombers, so Captain

Gibbins led an attack over no mans land

and drove them back, but again they came

and still again, bombs and bombers were

called for and still more bombs.  But

out officers were becoming less.  Mendleson

was blown up on the right.  Jack Mathews

was shot. Falent was wounded.  Denvon had

been shot through the shoulder.  of the officers 

of B company Captain Gibbins and myself

were the only ones left.  And then coming

through the dusk on our left we saw Germans

our machine guns opened fire, but word

came from the right that they were our own

men.  During the night some of our men had

been found stripped of their clothing and

apparently spies were sending false messages

[?] although we accounted for a good

many.  The enemy got in on our left.  Then

came the sound of bombing, we were being

driven in on either flank. between the points B & M

 

As they came our artillery put a couple of

shots over and the X battalion thinking our

own artillery were shelling them in a body

left the trench and retired to our own lines.

I reached the tail end just in time to get

the last back again but the majority left.

Captain Gibbins came along then and we both

went down the trench and found it all

clear, so the men were extended on the left

again but still the enemy bombers came.

Yet as many bombs as you can said Gib and

come with me, so I got all the bombs I

could, called to some men to follow and Gib

led the way on the outside of the parapet.

We shifted those Germans but poor old Gib

got a round in the forehead & had to retire

[?] hurried back to our own trench to

get reinforcements but they would not come

I took charge of the bombing party and

as the [B?] had dropped bombs for the

present and had taken to rifles, we had to

take shelter in the trench.  We waited there for

perhaps a quarter of an hour ready to bomb

Fritz should he come again, but the order

6

come to retire so I went back to the

point B. and sat on the parapet.  I

borrowed a rifle from one of the troops

passing and sniped at Fritz till he

got up to me with his bombs.  It was then

time to go so go I had to.  My return is

a bit blurred.  I remember picking my

way through barbed wire while rifles

cracked behind me.  In one place the grass

in front was shaking and quivering, I

looked it it for a second and realised that

a machine gun was playing there, so I

jumped and hurried on.  I got in all right

and as the trench was becoming too crowded

I sent what 53rd men I could back to the

supports.  As soon as the enemy saw our men

making use of the supports they opened fire

with high explosives.  Crash Crash came

there things over our heads but we leaned

against the parapet and were comparatively

safe.  Captain Gibbins was shot throughout the

head still coming in.  I have never known

a braver man than he, If ever a man did

bravely doing his duty old Gib did.

There is one incident in that bit of a scrap

that will remain in my memory.  Gib & I 

 

were sitting on the parador of the front trench

that we had captured while the men were

busy filling sandbags with mud & with

building the parapet, when in our rear staggering

though the gloom we saw a man, he came

about ten yards towards us and then fell and

started to crawl.  I thought it was one of

our own men so went over to him. Poor beggar

I have seen [?] looking mess eyes but he

was bad enough. his left eye was gone as far

the rest well I could not tell what else

was wrong except that he was a mass of blood

and looked as if he had been through a 

sausage machine.  He pleaded something 

in German I don't know what, it was hardly

a plead it was more a moan and a prayer

as I gave him my hand to hold and said

as nicely as I could "all right old chap".  We

kept pushing towards the trench all the time

and as it was rather awkward getting along

on one had and two knees still I held his

other hand I let it go. Whereupon the poor

mangled brute got up on his knees put his hands

together started to pray. it  cruel cruel said

 

7

Gib when he saw the poor beggar who was

with him all the time [?]. And as I looked

at him the thought struck me "how can

man be so cruel"  I got one side of him

and Gib the other and together we helped

him along.  He was determined to get into

that trench as a black scarab beetle is

to get out of one's fingers when he is caught

round the lamp at night, only he felt a bit

worse as he was covered all over with wet cold

blood.  I think the Germans must have

imagined that we were going to eat them

 when we got their trench, another chap

was sitting hunched up in a corner, a shell

had got him and his case was just about

'marfish'.  I patted him gently on the head

and he gave me such a look of wonder as

I passed.

Well Mommon there is the scrap. Try please

don't judge trench life by this, these scraps

only happen occasionally you know, and for

the rest of the time we have a jolly good time.

Mommon you say you don't hear much from me

but I average about a letter a fortnight home.

That’s the last of my stay in Egypt I did not

write much.  I can't stand the heat much, it gives me

the blues generally.  Well I must go now.  I started

 

 

this letter this morning and now a light

London fog is settling down the lights are

beginning to twinkle and night is settling in

down.  I have spent my birthday with my

mother the person I ought to spend it with

And now I am going to see Lady Turing.

I have already told her how you used to read

Dickens & Scott round the fire to us at night.

She is about fifty or over and I don't think has

any children.  She is looking after my military cross

till the was is over and I come for it, or if anything

should happen to me she will send it to you.

Dont worry about me Momman.  I am perfectly

well and I know you will like Lady Turing

when you hear from her.  give the schoolmarm

and Bun my love.  I'll write to them as soon as I

can only you come first on birthdays.

Ever love from Your loving son,

Bob

 

France

31/12/16

My dear Mammon

We are in billets and at

present a [grow?] [?] is doing its

best to amuse us with a [r?]. Today

is Sunday and although the sun is

not shining it is not cold the [?]

are a bit [?] outside but nothing

to complain about. We are very comfortable 

officers never have much to complain

about you know.  I sent you a cable

an Xmas [?] from Captain Chapman

you will be please to hear that.  I

have risen in the ranks.  This time last

year I was a trooper and passing through

the transition stage from  a [?]

through the company stage to a Captain

why this time next I might have

passed through the Battalion stage of

a Colonel.  Well this is looking rather

far ahead and the war may be over.

Well what am I going to write about

I told you about my trip to England