Trench Warfare
A letter home from the trenches.
This letter describing conditions in the trenches was written from France in February 1915 by Second Lieutenant C C Aston of the Ist Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
When he writes about "Jack Johnson" holes he means big holes caused
by explosions. Jack Johnson was a boxer famous for his big punch - so his
name was used as a nickname for the german trench mortars.
Feb 8th 1915
My dear old Mater Thanks awfully for your letter also for book which
unfortunately disappeared before I'd read a single thing in it. We were
in a farm in a very small room - 1 could have sworn I put it in my pack
but either somebody bagged it or it fell out for when 1 looked for it next
day -we moved that night ~ it wasn't there.
Well! to begin oh wait a minute please thank Aunt A for letter - 1 haven't received the cake or anything yet. Mrs Parsons, Chorleywood - has sent me a cake and raisins and one or two things like that - it really is most awfully decent of her I ought to have had Aunt A's parcel as she posted it 10 days ago - it would have been awfully useful too.
We left Bailleul our billets a week fast Tuesday and went into farms for 4 days uneventful except that the day after we left one farm it was shelled. 1 have a vague notion I've told you this before but you know its quaint the fire trenches seem to absolutely knock these things out of one's head.
Then we went straight up to fire trench - last Saturday - beastly cold wind and we'd practically no coke for the braziers - Oh Yes! we do have braziers in the trenches but have to keep them smokeless and as "glowless" as possible. My dugout was very wet - sand bags (empty of course) - we use them full for building up the parapets - for floor absolutely wet thro' and feet wet thro' coming up to trenches. We'd had 2 days rain before going up. 1 went up into a new sector - it is very weird - plumped down into a trench whose relative positionn one hasn't the vaguest notion of. After some time 1 had to go out and find the next trenches -we were not continuous there. I found next on right with 50 yds of communication trench 2ft deep in water. One always walks overground when everything is mud. On left 1 had 70 yds of unoccupied land before next trench and Germans about 100 yds in front. Rather dark -often went knee deep in Jack Johnson holes or fell into "drainage trenches" which are absolute latrines of course.
I had some men in support trench which was awful! A foot of greedy sucking squelching clayey mud no dugouts and parapet not high enough to stand up . Poor devils I made 'em work a bit and they got it well barely inhabitable but they lay all next day in about a foot of mud and water. 1 went out in front with a Corporal to see state of barbed wire so got within 70 yds of German trenches - they put a flare up a sort of luminous shell one fires from a pistol] and one or two bullets came unpleasantly close but of course we were flat on our tummies the moment the "very light" appeared. I found we'd loose barbed wire 10 yds in front and then a disused trench with about 7 strand barbed wire another 10 or 15 yds in front of that. They sniped a lot all night bullets continually hitting parapet or whistling over.
I'll give you verbatim now what I wrote in trenches on Monday - I felt I wanted something to do.
Saturday night - pretty quiet - pretty dark enough sniping to keep one lively. Support trenches damnable a foot of mud - no dugouts - not high enough to stand in. Sunday no shells - started to pour 8am - rained continuously fill 1 lam Monday and from 11.30am Monday till we were relieved about 9.30 Monday evening. Went over to Captain - next trench on right about 7pm fell into 2 holes - wet thro', water dripping into shelter all day - creeping down the parapet - my back support - beastly. About 12 midnight got a message from brigadier to say we had information we were to be attacked - put the wind up me a little. Went over to see what work had been done in support trench mud and water over knees - feet wet and cold. Got a-brazier in shelter darkest night my men had known they said (one couldn't see one inch in front of one and that is not exaggeration mother- it was the limit tumbling about in mud and holes - 1 took 20 minutes once to cover 50 yds - one just felt the ground in front and put one's foot on it then felt next place and put other foot on it and so on). If one stirred out one fell into hole or drain or something. Twice I had to flop on to my backside that night and once was very very nearly hit, felt the crack in my ear as bullet passed. When wet with mud up to thighs come into shelter to dry about 3.30am (still raining of course), feet and legs wet sat down - bottom wet - leant against parapet back wet - damnable. A patrol I sent out about 3am fell into J.J. hole up to neck - 1 had orders to try to capture a German as we badly wanted a prisoner. 1 fell asleep for about 1/2hr Monday morning 5.30 to 6am - dreadful sin - damn good job C.O. didn't come round just then. 1 didn't mean to but 1 suppose 1 was just fired out. When 1 woke my knees were stiff and cracky thought I was in for a dose of rheumatism but not this time!
C.O. was round on Sunday morning and not in a good temper. We went back into A farm about 200 yds behind the line - it is wonderful that it still stands but they can't observe it properly from anywhere in their lines and think it too close to firing line for us to occupy. We were not relieved on Wed. as we ought to have been by 13th brigade as they had to go to Ypres or somewhere to strengthen our line there so we had to stay on. Thursday nights was rather bad - vomiting and diarrhoea and all Friday so Friday night 1 had to go sick as 1 had pretty severe pain across stomach and particularly appendix side. Our Regimental doctor wouldn't keep me so jogged in an old horse ambulance to Dramontel where 1 slept - by Gad how 1 enjoyed that sleep. In morning went motor ambulance to Bailleul where 1 got a bed in hospital and left Sunday morning by train. Doctor here says at any rate appendicitis if 1 have it is not at all acute. The pain and tenderness is not so acute either today though diarrhoea has not quite stopped.
On Thursday night about 3.30am sentry reported Zeppelins overhead. 1 of course was awake and went out. 1 saw one or two just block shadows in a clear sky flitting quickly about. 1 went to Head Quarters with another sub named Neville - had quite a job getting down as 1 was pretty weak and my side was painful. Will let you know how 1 get on and what happens to me - if they operate 1 should come to England if not 1 shall probably stay at Boulogne where 1 expect to end up today. With love and don't worry about me 1 shall be O.K.
Cuth