Letters from Charles Edwin Gatliff to his family and a condolence letter, June 1916 - c. September 1918 - Part 19

2   6   1.11.17
charged down over the shellholes to the pits
flashing my electric torch so that I would
not get bogged. Fritz's planes were just
flying overhead on their way to do their usual
night bombing of wagonlines. I found a string
of about 30 Woodbines (what our lads call
the Tommies) halted on the duckwalk track
which ran in front of the battery position. One
of them sang out to me "Hey! chum, put that
light out there's a plane overhead". I roared
back "Get to blazes out of that or you will
get your lights put out - you are right in
front of a battery & S.O.S. has gone up &
we are going to fire" That shifted them.
We had just finished answering the S.O.S.
call & were standing by when there was
crump, crump, crump, crump, crump, just in
front of the guns. One of the Gothas on his
way to bomb the wagon lines had seen the
guns flashing & unloaded 5 of his bombs
at us. We crouched down & I can tell you
not a torch was flashed nor a word
spoken until we heard the Gotha dropping
some more bombs further away. Fortunately
Fritz did not retaliate with his 5.9s so we
all got ^HOME safely. The worst thing about our old
position was, the men's "pillboxes" were on one
flank of the guns & the officers & telephonists
on the other, so ^when doing a "shoot" the officer had to
 

 

3   6   1.11.17
go to & return from the gunpits "on his own." Consequently
there was always the chance that he
might get "knocked" & lie for several hours before
being discovered. In our present position some of
the men camp in the same "pillbox" as the officers &
the rest in a "pillbox" in rear so that when doing
a shoot we all go to & return from the guns together.
Our new position is the "healthiest" in the group -
we don't get systematically shelled like we used to
The last few nights Fritz has been nasty shelling
us most of the night with gas shells - fortunately
it is not dangerous gas he is using - he is using
"mustard" gas which puts a man out of action by
causing temporary blindness & giving him all the
symptoms of a bad cold. We have only had 4
men evacuated to hospital through it - other
batteries, however, have suffered more severely.
One night a battery pulled a gun (damaged) out of
its pit on to the track ready for the gun team
to take it to Ordnance for repair at daybreak.
Next morning they couldn't find the gun & at first
thought somebody must have "pinched" it. However
when they found a few small pieces of it a few
hundred yards away they knew a big shell had
landed on it during the night & "blown it to
Glory." Fondest love to all at "home"
Your loving Son
Charlie
 

 

B   1   Belgium 7   3.11.17
Dear Father & Mother
I am at present doing liasion with the infantry
in a little "pillbox" on a famous ridge overlooking
the Hun lines. I will not post this letter until
we are out of the line so that then it will not be
a breach of censorship regulations & also, knowing
that we are out of this hell, it will not cause
you over-anxiety. Fritz is nightly systematically
gas shelling the battery positions all through the
night & is putting a lot of our officers & men
temporarily out of action. It was fortunate that
Hal went to the wagonline when he did as a
couple of nights afterwards Fritz knocked a
small hole in the top of their pillbox ^with a 5.9, then during
the gas shelling that followed a gas shell landed
in the same hole & some of the fluid leaked into
the chamber where the officers were. Five of them
were gassed not badly but they had to be
evacuated to hospital. One poor beggar (another
M.C man) was also wounded the same day &
was then killed by a 5.9 shell while being
carried on a stretcher to the dressing station -
three of the stretcherbearers being killed by the
same shell. Riding up to the gunpits yesterday
I passed Jerry Mann 51 who was with me
on the Somme riding an ammunition packhorse
which was being led by a driver as Jerry
had his eyes covered with bandages - he had
been gassed. I am only a couple of hundred
 

B   2   7   3.11.17

yards to the left on the same ridge as the

F.O.O. does his observation from. I have just

heard that Lieut Skinner 49 our F.O.O. today

was killed by a shell just as he arrived at 

the Crater (O.P.). In addition to the killed &

wounded as six officers were evacuated yesterday

gassed & several for the same reason are at

the wagonlines I don't see how we can carry on

much longer without going out for a spell to

reorganize. The officers that are still going strong”

are having “a rough spin" as we have not been 

reinforced - the only thing being, those batteries with

few casualties have lent officers to those that

have had many losses. The gunners have also

suffered heavily & also the drivers when carting

ammunition. What a delightful home the Somme

was, compared to this - as for Fleurbaix &
Armentieres they were Heaven on Earth. It

seems hardly credible that for our first nine

months we had only one casualty amongst

our officers Lieut Brown 49 killed on the Somme

It is heartbreaking to think how many brave

& good fellows we have lost since then. The

pity of it is, our best are amongst the fallen -

the best officers, the best men, & the best horses.

Frank's late battery is still unlucky - the

other night the complete personnel at the gunpits

was gassed three officers & thirty five gunners had

to be evacuated to hospital.

B   3   7   3.11.17

Now to write about my own personal troubles.

A month ago just after we came into the line

I was superseded by five other officers in promotion

for captaincy. I wrote complaining that I had

received no notification of supersession &

stating my claims for promotion. A couple of 

days xxx ∧afterwards I received a memo from Div Arty Hdqrs

stating that I had not been recommended for

promotion. I paraded before the C.O  & he assured

me that I had been recommended. A couple of

days later I received another memo from D.A.H.Q.

stating that ∧the promotions were made while I was 

away as firstly, seconded officers are entitled, 

if qualified, to promotion in their turn, &

secondly as four officers just promoted to 

captain were away at the same time as I

was & for a longer period, I asked to be paraded

before the C.R.A. (General commanding artillery)

I received a memo stating that the C.R.A. had

given me all the information he could re my

promotion & that my claims would be considered

when the next promotions were made.

As I think I have been treated very unfairly

I have communicated direct to the G.O.C.

Division stating my case. In the meantime

I have to carry on as a subaltern doing

long, tiring trips to the front line as F.O.O.

Fond love to all

Yours lovingly

Charlie

No 22   1   Belgium 6

5.11.17

Dear Father & Mother,

You will be pleased to know that

I am safely back at our wagonlines & that

Hal is over at his wagonlines too. When I 

arrived at the gunpits from the front line

yesterday I found that our Major had been 

evacuated "gassed", our Captain was taking 

charge there & I had to come on & take charge

here so I am a "wagon line King" once more.

I went across & had a yarn to Hal this

afternoon & found him well except for the 

fact that he has lost his voice as a result

of getting "a taste of gas". Altho' it is now

the full of  the moon the wagonlines have 

been a good place to be in lately, as for 

several nights in succession the Gothas

have not been over bombing, the moon

being obscured by mist or clouds. I

have got a cold in the head - the first for 

many a long day - I only hope it is not

a warning that winter will soon be here -

I believe they have already had a couple 

of falls of snow in England. Oh! for a hot 
north wind in Sunny Australia - I'll 

never complain of the heat again. In 

consequence of the cold I don't feel much 

inclined for letterwriting but so long as you 

hear that Hal & I are both well I suppose 

you'll be satisfied with a short note. 

Fond love to all Yr loving son Charlie

No 23    Belgium 6    7.11.17

Dear Father & Mother

I counted my chickens too soon - for some

ungodly reason Capt. Goldsmith has wired down

for me to go up tomorrow as F.O.O. I thought I had 

finished with that sort of thing for a while as

the Capt took the Major’s place when the latter 

was evacuated & being senior subaltern I took the

Captain's place. However I've got to face the music!

Rumours are pretty persistent that we will shortly

go out for a rest - we will need to soon, as, apart 

from casualties killed & wounded, Fritz is putting 

a lot of our men temporarily out of action by gas. 

When out at rest (only a month ago - it is hard to 

believe, so much has happened since then) it didn't

seem possible that a war was on but we know

that there is one now. Back of the lines a 

large number of men are already working on the 

roads preparing for the winter traffic. Last year 

on the Somme the roads were kept in repair 

mostly by fighting men "out for a rest!!" This

year it is being done by labour battalions, 

British (medically unfit), Kaffir & Chinese. The

latter are always "merry & bright". I have never

seen anyone do less work than they do - all they

seem to do is stand by the roadside & smile,

showing their fine teeth to the passers-by.

Thank goodness the last few nights have been

cloudy so no Gothas have been over & I have 

had a chance to do a little letterwriting &

23   2   6    7.11.17

censoring letters as well as some office work.

The only time we have to write is after tea &

then there is not much time as a rule as it 

is dark before 5 P.M. & Fritz generally comes over

dropping bombs every night. As soon as a Gotha 

is seen or heard (they have a peculiar hum of

their own & there is also the "crump" of their bombs)

three blasts of a whistle are sounded for "Lights 

Out" - fires & candles are put out in a duece of

a hurry & darkness & silence reign supreme.

The worst of it is the men get wet carting 

ammunition to the gunpits or working in the lines

& they can't have fires at night to dry their

clothes & warm themselves. The ground

here is very soft & seems to have no bottom so 

it cuts up very quickly when it is wet. Altho' 

the winter has not yet started the mud is 

worse here now that it was on the Somme in

the middle & at the end of last winter -“Nuff sed!"

Altho' we have had no bombs in the wagonlines

lately Fritz occasionally throws “a quick dick"

at us. One landed in the horse lines opposite

ours yesterday afternoon but did no damage.

If I had my rights I would now be a captain 

& would not have the long trip tomorrow - I ride 

almost 4 miles to the gunpits & then walk 3 

miles along the duckwalk to the front line - as 

I am like a blooming Xmas tree with all my gear 

on it is rather trying on my legs. Fond love to all 

Your loving son Charlie

24   6    11/11/17

Dear Father & Mother

After a very hot spin for

a couple of days at gunpits, am

back at wagon lines - you'll be 

glad to know we move out of 

this hell to a quieter front 

tomorrow.

Have a pain in "Little Mary”

so will conclude - also just

have to catch orderly leaving

with mail

Hal is O.K.

Fond love

Yours lovingly

Chas

No 25.    1   Belgium 8   15.11.17

Dear Father & Mother,

Since last writing we have been "out

of the line" & are now "in" again - but what 

a difference between this position & our last.

Altho' only a few miles south of our previous 

"possy", which was the hottest on this front, 

here you seldom hear a shell, let alone see 

one burst. Strange to say, this time exactly 

last year we were leaving a place not far 

south of here to go to what was then the 

worst part of the line - this year it is 

the other way about. At our first camping 

place on our trek here, 49 & 50 were together 

& I slept in the same hut as Hal. Here,

in our temporary wagon lines, 49 & 50 are again

together, & our officers' hut adjoins 49's, so I see 

Hal most of the day. Tomorrow, Hal goes up 

to his battery position (which in these parts

is a better place than wagonlines), & 50 shifts

to wagonlines of their own where I will be

in charge. This afternoon I went to our

brigade canteen to get some cigarettes & found 

that an Australian mail was in & being sorted 

I got mine there & then took them to Hal's 

hut where we both read the letters. Later on 

Hal got his & he returned the compliment &

let me read them. Mine were two from Mater,

3.9.17 & 19.9.17, two from Pater 23.9.17 & 25.9.17, one

from Wilf 23.9.17 & one from Lou Gasquoine.