Destruction

The Cloth Hall at Ypres

Tuesday 2nd February 1915: Private E Summerfield of 112 Ampthill Road, Bedford serves with the 2nd Battalion and has already been wounded once in this war(1). Today he told us: “I am still in the best of health but I had a bullet go through my hat. I thought I was hit again but I was not. My luck was in wasn’t it?”

“Things are going about the same but we have had a few shells over us and we have got down quick in case they drop short which means a few of us killed or wounded. The fighting is terrible sometimes”.

“I know about the seaside places in England being damaged(2). You ought to come out here and see village upon village damaged. It is shameful to see the places spoiled by the Germans”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 12th February 1915

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(1) This may be 9291 Private Ernest Charles Summerfield who was killed with the 2nd Battalion on 18th May 1915 during the Battle of Festubert and has no known grave, being commemorated in the le Touret Memorial.

(2) This probably refers to Norfolk towns Great Yarmouth, Sheringham and King’s Lynn which were bombed by Zeppelins on the night of 19th/20th January 1915. Four were killed and sixteen injured.