Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1916 - Part 8

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vicinity we were more in
lucks way for we only lost
twenty altogether & not one
killed. In the ^last trip I had a couple
of narrow squeaks for I got
hit on the Stoll helmet with 
a piece of high Explosive
shell case & another piece
pierced my boot tts below
the ankle but never broke
the shin but close enough for 
my liking
We were relieved on a Thursday
morning by our sister Battalion
& then we went to a ^ old German
strong hold (called wire trench*
for it is literally covered
& entangled with wire) for
to wait till all the unit
came out of the line

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While waiting there, it began
to rain & then (as my luck
would have it) I was told
off with two other N.C.Os  & an
officer to take 25 men up to
the firing line to dip a hop
off trench well in front of
the firing line. Well, we started
at 11-45 pm & ploughed through
mud & shell holes (yards
deep some of them) till we
struck the sap we had
to travel along & then the
trouble began, for the sap
was nothing more than
waist deep in gluey mud
& we were given an hour & a
half to get to our objective
The party lost touch with
one another & gradually 

4 

men would drop out

utterly exhausted for all the

time we were being subjected

to a continuous shelling.

We kept plodding on & reached

our goal nearly three hours

late & all out of the party

that arrived were two

privates & myself. off Well

there was nothing else to do

but to turn round & go back

home (if home you could

call it) so around we turned

& struggled along till a 9.2 inch

shell exploded within a few

yards.  One chap got severely

shaken the other got hit

in the nose & me came

off scott free but after

that we had to keep our

5

heads down for the German

began firing machine guns &

sniping with rifles to say

nothing of the continual flow stream

of flares (white & green) that they

were sending up but the three of

us survived & came through

not without any more

adventures & landed at our

abode, we we are  were just

walking statues of mud & far

from being comfortable. We had

to take the clothes off scrape

them with as well as possible

& then light a fire & dry them

the to the best of our ability

6

That done we had to stand to &

knock more mud ^out of them &

then to slap if ther such thing

were possible.

The Battalion expected to go to

Albert that night but the

order did not come till next

morning. Arrived at Albert we

had breakfast & a three hour

rest; then off again on a seven

mile march & from that

day till the 8th of this month

we have been on the road

when we entrained for Belgium

I have been trying to give a

bit of an account of my last

days at Pozieres.

We were relieved by other

Colonial regiments across the

Atlantic who jokingly said

7

that they were going to take our

place & have a spell. Well the

first night they were surprised

& cut about very badly but

since we have been here (4 days)

no more than 50 cannons

shells have been fired. An unusual

thing for us to hear for

at our old front dozens were

exploding every minute

so it is that so are having the

spell & not the Scottish Canadians

I would like to see their kilts

when they come out for a spell

especially after it rains

Well we are in the gas area

bu there has been one alarm

but nothing came of it

Our four head officers are on

leave so it ought to be the

Pete's time before long

8

I can take my time for I have a

few days exemption from duty on

account of me having thy my left

face being stubbed.

I have not heard from Les (brothers) or

Jim for some time but mail

is hard to get especially when

troops are on the move.

I have had my third stripe

since 26th June but I never thought

about [?] about it

Well I cannot think of any

thing more just now so hope

to on my way home before

long if all rumours that come

from German Prisoners is  are correct

so Au Revoir for the present.

from your loving son &

Brother George 

Flanders

/9/16

All at home

I received your letter

dated 7/8/16 also one from Lena

& another from Mrs Boulton

so I am setting to, to answer them

but I do not see any

chance of getting them posted

while we are in the trenches

for & to make matters

worse we are to be in

for over a fortnight & no

mail to go out.

Lena was asking for my

correct address. Well it is the

same as usual but instead

of putting F. Coy Put B. for

there are only four companies

in a battalion now

I have not heard from

Jim I am anxious to know

if he was with his Battalion

when it made a charge at

Pozieres just after they relieved

us. From then (about 12 Aug)

I have not heard from him

& I have only had one letter

from Les since I came to

France though I write regularly

but I cannot send my

address as it will not

pass the censor.

This is the third different

front I have been on

in this country &  the Flanders

line has been far the

quietest for you can

listen for hours & not

hear a shot fired &

this is the line that was

cracked up to be the hottest

on the western front

There is only one thing

you have to look out for is

gas but if you always

carry a gas helmet about

with you, well you are

comparatively safe.

We have just been issued 

with gum boots running

up to the thighs so you

can guess the state of the

country now & winter

is far away still.

I am not looking forward

to it with any relief for

all about is swampy

country.

I am quite well & hope all

at home are the same

From your

loving son & Brother

George