Letter to Mother: 11th June 1916

My dear mother

The Russians have made a good start if they can only keep it up. I believe this is not their main push. The weather has been foul this week, everything deep in mud. Chamberlayne sufddenly turned up here the other morning and stayed to lunch, I hadn’t seen him for year; he was just as cheerful as ever; he is quite close here now. We have just got an issue of cheap spring rat traps, and set three in the loft above my bedroom. We caught 17 during the course of the evening and could have got many more if we had the energy to keep resetting the traps. Twice we caught 2 in one trap.

Please send me out another pair of boots, I think I sent or brought a pair home from Egypt, anyhow I want an old pair of square toed greased boots, and not my ordinary polished mufti boots.

The parcels post is a little disorganised at present, they take a good many days coming. I got a pair of socks from Mrs Arthur James yesterday as a token of her affection. Tell Dorothy to push along with the books, and send a t least a couple each week.

I got a note from Archie the other day asking me to assist him in getting an inspectorship in the Qr.Mtr Genls Branch, but of course I can do nothing as I don’t know anyone at home. It is only when he gets out here that I can be of use.

Your loving son

Cuthbert

War Diary Entry: 11th June 1916

Rained hard most of the day. Caught 17 rats in the loft above my bedroom.

War Diary Entry: 10th June 1916

Went round the trenches at 5.15am. They started putting a few big shells about Constitution Hill at 6.30am, and kept on, with trench mortars as well, all day. The divn promised to send a car for me at 3.15pm to go over to Gezincourt and see Kelly, but it did not turn up till about 6.30 when it was too late. Bayley & Handress Lloyd came in to tea. The Germans did a raid on Thiepval Wood starting about 11.30pm. They shelled Mary Redan and away down to our right very heavily for about an hour and a half. The KOSBs in the Redan only had one killed and 5 wounded. We have just got an issue of rat traps, we set three in the loft above my bedroom (the ordinary spring wire that comes over onto a board). We spent most of the the evening removing the victims and resetting the traps. The bag was 17. Twice we found 2 caught in the same trap.

War Dairy Entry: 9th June, 1916

Met Monkhouse at 10am in the RA observation post on the high ground just behind Hamel & had a good view of all the ground round Beaucourt and the redoubt. Chamberlayne suddenly turned up at about midday, he is attached to the 36th Divn. Havent seen him for years. He stopped to lunch, Ellis also lunched. Rode in to tea at Acheux. Armytage was there from GHQ. Cameron Reed turned up to be attached to the KOSBs as chaplain in the place of Ritchie.

War Diary Entry: 8th June 1916

Ellis returned from leave last night. Drizzled most of the day. Did not go out. Everything quiet except for a little promiscuous shelling.

War Diary Entry: 7th June 1916

Went round the trenches at 5.30am. They were putting some 5.9 shell on Gabion Avenue at about 7 minute intervals so I hit off an interval. They kept on for some time shelling both ends of it. Overy & Armstrongcame in after breakfast on their way up to the trenches. I was going in to see Kelly this afternoon but got a message from the doctor to say noone could see him but that he was going on splendidly. The Borders relieved the SWB and the KOSBs the RIF this afternoon. The RIF went into Bde reserve and the SWB divn. Reserve. About 3 days ago when they shelled the battery at this end of Gabion Avenue they fired 104 5.9 HE shells and the only casualty was one mole.

War Diary Entry: 6th June 1916

De Lisle came up this morning, he goes off on 3 days leave tomorrow. Poured with rain all the morning. The authorities have again got an attack scare on in this area. Had a COs conference at 4pm to discuss the defences.

War Diary Entry: 5th June 1916

I tried to get into Gezincourt yesterday afternoon to see Kelly who was reported to be very bad, but was informed that the Army Commander was coming to see me at 4..30pm. Sir Henry Rawlinson turned up at that hour and stopped about 20 minutes asking questions about the coming operations.

I went into Gezincourt this afternoon and found poor old Kelly dying. He was practically unconscious but recognised me once or twice and managed to say a few words. He is a magnificent character, he knew he was dying, and was going to join his two brothers who have been killed in the war, and said he would watch over my interest when he got there. On the way back I called in at Laurencourt on the 86^th Brigade for tea, and then at divn hd qrs to congratulate Abbot on his CMG. Dined with KOSBs.

Letter to Mother: 4th June 1916

My dear mother

We have just got all sorts of rumours of a naval battle, in which we appear to be 2 dreadnoughts to the good in the lists of ships lost. I expect there will be something about it in today’s papers. There is still nothing doing, and everything fairly peaceful here. There were a number of small eruptions last night but none of them affected us. I am up again with the 3 old ladies. The weather has changed again and is a bit uncertain with an occasional shower. The trenches are paved with live beetles eating dead mice or live mice eating dead bettles and an occasional dead rat to keep them company.

Cecil’s concert appears to have been a great success from her acoount of it. Where is Archie stationed at present, I daresay he will be sent out to do clerks work, without much military training,  as they seem to be replacing trained soldiers at those sort of jobs as much as  possible now. I have read all Merrimans books, I think. I should like to take the partridge shooting all round there for next Sept, the place is thick with nesting birsds.

Best of love to everyone

Yr loving son

Cuthbert