To a Bolnhurst Girl

Bolnhurst School [Z1306/20/1]

Wednesday 24th March 1915: Hilda Whitmore, the eight-year old daughter of Mr and Mrs H Whitmore of Bolnhurst is one of the scholars at Bolnhurst School who has been knitting for the soldiers at the front. She sent a note attached to a muffler she had knitted and has received the following reply from Private Lee, Machine Gun Section, 3rd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, Landguard Camp.

“I really must write and thank you for the sweet serviceable present which I received today. How I should have loved to have this present when I was in the trenches, but still I shall treasure it much as wind and rain is awful here at night on the pier and fort guards. I must tell you my adventure from August 14th, when I left Belfast in Ireland(1)”.

“We managed to land at Havre in France on August 16th on a Sunday and the following Sunday I was fighting the German Army at Mons where my Regiment lost very heavy but God took me through safely. We had to hang on until Tuesday, when nearly all the 1st Battalion had been cut up. My two chums were killed beside me, but my time had not yet come to die, so I managed to go through ten big battles until I got to la Bassée. After being in the trenches fifteen days, standing on turnips and straw to prevent the water rising too far up our bodies, on October 27th I was firing my gun with good effect as the enemy were advancing in thick formation. I can account for a few hundreds I killed as my gun (the Baby I call it), fires 450 shots a minute. Then a big black shell found me. It smashed the gun, killed the Sergeant and wounded ten others. I was hit in the head and buried for three hours. The Germans advanced and walked over me and took me for dead. I lay until a sergeant found me with just my feet showing, another five minutes I would have been a dead man, but a drop of rum saved me. The Germans took my other eight chums prisoners. I am still under the doctor, so I am sorry to say I can’t go out again to fight for you after the way you and your school chums are working for us. I must say you have made the scarf splendidly. Thanking you again for your kindness”.

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 26th March 1915.

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(1) He was evidently not in the Bedfordshire Regiment at the time.