Tuesday 7th
September 1915: Sergeant H. Hassall sends us the following good news of the
“Shiny Seventh” Battalion, Beds Regiment: - “For some time past now I’ve
noticed what a lot has been said about the 1st, 2nd and 1st/5th Battalions of
the Bedfordshire Regiment (they are worthy of it for work done), but as yet
nothing at all about the 7th Battalion (Shiny 7th). It is not even generally
known that we are in France. I had a letter from a friend of mine the other day
who was quite surprised to know we had crossed the water. Because he saw
nothing mentioned in your paper, he had come to the conclusion that we were a
“Stay-at-home” crowd. This Battalion has now been out here over a month, and it
may interest your readers to know that we have been following up the 1st
Battalion, using the same trenches. Since being out here we have had drafts
from the 9th and 10th Battalions stationed at Colchester. Every blessed
mother’s son of us is in the best of condition and spirits, working and
grousing as only a soldier can, and also quite ready for anything that may be
asked of us, to do our duty for the dear ones we have left behind in the old
country. We have a good many in this Regiment who come from Bedford, including
myself, and only those who know me are aware of the hard training we had on
Salisbury Plain, to fit us for the work out here. You will, I know, hear more
of us in the near future, as all intend to uphold the honour of our comrades
and our county. Your paper is sent out to me every week from home and gets
passed round my Company”.
No comments:
Post a Comment