Copy of a letter from Arthur Dennis, to his family, 18 August 1916

Copy
No 1 Canadian General Hospital
B.E.F.
France
18^th August 1916.
No. 3739 Private Arthur Dennis
B. Company
13^th Battalion
4^th Brigade
A.I.F.
France
Dear Mum, Father, and all at Home
I hope
these few lines will find you all well
and Happy as it leaves me at
Present. 'except for a couple of Slight
wounds which I received on 14^th August
when what was left of our Battalion
which was hardly half. Strength
made a charge upon Fritz over a
space of 400 yds, just as it was
beginning to get dark. Well we struck
it a bit unlucky as Fritz was all
ready to have a smack at us, and
you bet he had plenty of troops nice
and handy. There were two other
Battalions in the charge. 

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They took up their position on
our flanks so you see we were
in the middle. Well Father as
soon as we got our heads over our
Parapet we knew what machine
gun fire was as well as Artillery.
Under ordinary conditions we would
of advanced at quick time under cover
of our Artillery untill we got almost
on top of their trench. But this time
it was (Bob down your spotted)
We took his trench alright and
bombed him out of his deep dugouts
which goes down 30 feet below the ground
they call them dug-outs but they are
more like a furnished set of rooms.
Dear Father, you can tell what
we felt like after running off 400 yards
of ground which has been ploughed
up by shell fire and clearing Fritz
out of his position.
Previous to this we were in the
trenches for five days, the ordinary
run of time in this part of the
front is 3 days. It was impossible 

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to get sleep there, and getting rations
and water up to us was another very
tough job, as all day and night we
were under a heavy bombardment.
All the time we were in they could
only get two days rations and water
up to us. Just before we got over
our parapet for the 400 yds sprint
we got a small issue of rum, which
only for that I do not think we
could of got half way across.
Well father everything seemed to go
against us for when we got the trench
we found out that the Battalions
on our flank had not joined up
with us, and most of our Officers
were either killed or wounded.
Then Fritz counter attacked and
the huns were all round us so
we had to fight our way back
it was then, that I got hit in
the left side and left arm by a
hand bomb. Dear Mum I got it
in seven places but they were all
slight. After getting fixed up the 

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best way I could under the circumstances,
and getting rid of my gear, I was
able to walk back with the help
of one of the lads arm  So you
see mum it was not much of
a wound. So Dear All, do not let it
worry you, as now I am getting on
as right as rain. The pieces of bomb
have been taken out without much
trouble. I am in a Canadian
hospital hear (France) we were put
here as they say all the Australian
Hospitals are full up, I can well
believe it too as the two divisions
that went in before us came out
under half strength, our Division
is the same our Battalion cannot
be much more than a quarter strength
now, as we were only half strength
before we went into the charge.
There has been a lot of light cases
like mine. So Dear All at Home
do not worry at all, as I think
myself very lucky indeed for getting
off so light, as out there it was a  

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living Hell, the sights alone were
enough for anybody and the poor
chaps that were burried were only
tossed up again by Fritz's Artillery
It is wonderfull the escapes one
has out there. Twice I had the
parapet blown in on top of me
and was buried, once I was able
to get myself out and the other time
when four of us got buried we
were got out by some chaps who
were nice and handy. It shook us
up a bit but that was all and
after having a good (smokk) smoke we
were alright again. Cigarettes are the
best nerve tonic out there, it is
suprprising the way a fag cools a
chap down. The reason why we
got it so warm is because we are
slowly pushing forward and now
we are like a horse shoe. Fritz can
play upon us from three sides with
his Artillery. Dear Father the Anzac's
are in the most advanced point, there
are Tommies joining us up on one 

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flank and French on the other.
Tommies who have been through
most of the fighting from early
in the war, they say it is the
warmest stuff they have ever tackled
Dear Mum it is a treat to have
a nice soft bed and sheets and Blankets
to sleep on. We get up at 5.30 am
for breakfast, at 9.30 am we go and
get our scratches dressed, at 11.30 a.m.
we have dinner, we have tea at
4.30 p.m. then we have to be in
bed before 9 pm.
After travelling in motors and trains
and calling in at a few dressing
stations, at the clearing station we
stay for 24 hours and arrived here
at 6p.m. on 16^th August. We got a
new lot of hospital clothing, the
best of the lot was a hot bath,
well after getting the dirt and mud
off I felt as lively as a bouncing
ball. Now in a couple of days I have
a chance of going to England for a while
Dear Mum the broaches I told you about 

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are in my pack stored away in our
billets. Fred or George may send them
to you for me or if they cannot do
that Fred is going to mind them
for me. I was sorry for on thing
I lost which I had in my pocket
was a diary, if I am lucky someone
may find it and forward it to me
Dear Father in the charge the other
night Fritz would fight like a
demon with his bombs and machine
guns. When ever we got within bayonet
range he would throw up his hands
and sing out Merci Kamrade and
you bet he got it too (I don't think)
it would of been murdering ourselves
to take prisoners, as there were
such a few of us in a very tight
corner. I heard from a chap that
came in wounded the other day
that we did not retire right back
to our trench, but after clearing
away the Huns that tried to cut
us off. The three Battalions dug
themselves in half way between our's 

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and Fritz's trench and stuck to it,
our battalion got relieved soon after, they
had to go out in two's with 50 yards
interval. Previous to this two companies
from ours helped another Battalion to take
a trench, it was a walk over for us
then the next night under cover
of the dark our Battalion made an
advanced trench 150 yards in front
of our old one. But we did not get
into close touch with Fritz and we
carried that out with very few
casualties. Dear All at Home I will
say Good-Bye x now for the present
Dear All Old Sid got hit in the arm
when we were in reserves, which we
were there for 3 days before we had
our 5 days run. Fred and the two
George's were well the last I heard
of them. Good- Bye x All for the
present.
Your Loving Son & Brother
Arthur
[*Son of JBD JB and FM Dennis
Ada Avenue
Wahroonga*]