Sunday 13th June 1915: Corporal Ernest Batterson, Bedfordshire Yeomanry, Chairman of the Biggleswade and District Football League and Vice-Chairman of the North Beds Charity Cup Competition has been telling us of his initial impressions as he reaches the front.
“We are beginning to know our way about. We get plenty to interest us, both in the country itself and in what has happened. You heard of the charge of the London Scottish(1). I have been on the ground, and evidence of the mischief they wrought among the Germans is still to be seen in the rusty rifle, bayonets etc. which still lie there. The graves of the brave lads who have fallen are beautifully kept, and one cannot help pausing and reading the rough wooden crosses. The inscriptions are generally very brief and you wonder how many such graves will be made before the Huns are crippled. The sight of those little enclosures sets one thinking, and really, a more beautiful spot to rest in one could not imagine”.
“Sometimes we are made suddenly aware of the war by hearing a peculiar whistling noise overhead, followed almost at once by a terrible bang, as our Tommies remark, ‘Fritz is sending some more iron rations’. Our artillery fire is pretty accurate, one battery in particular doing good service at nearly 5,000 yards. The first shot landed on the parapet of a German trench, and after that 14 out of 17 went into the trench, causing the ‘kultured gentlemen’ to squeal like pigs, and as you may imagine, doing not a little damage. Our machine-guns would then be trained on the damaged trench and at night, when the working parties were attempting repairs, they spit and splutter, and doubtless render hors de combat a good many of the brutes . Such is this war, shooting at invisible men; it is really marvellous how accurate the shooting on both sides is, considering the circumstances. The hand grenades thrown from the trenches, in some cases only 30 yards apart, play ‘old Harry’ where they fall. They are very terrifying. A very ancient weapon is being used for bomb throwing, the catapult”.
“I am pleased to see the Allies have decided to use gas to counteract the German poison. It seems that the best thing to do is to play them at their own game. I can see the German high explosive shells bursting over our trenches. Our artillery has already replied and I think effectively. We have more guns than they in the neighbourhood, and I think can well hold them. It is no uncommon thing to see half-a-dozen of the Allies’ aeroplanes up at once, and then hundreds of shells are wasted on them. It is a pretty and fascinating sight to watch. The little puffs of smoke show where the shells burst, and then the hum of shrapnel bullets makes one think of the airman, who flies on as if nothing has happened. We here shall continue to play the game, and when the winning goal is scored I can imagine the shout that will go up from the onlookers and when we have left the field of play we will have a jolly evening talking over the events that are now taking place”.
Source: Bedfordshire Times 18th June 1915
(1) 1st/14th Battalion, London Regiment and part of 1st Brigade, 1st Division. The Yeomanry were in the vicinity Ledringhem near the Belgian border at the time and the graves may have been of those who died after action during the 2nd Battle of Ypres.
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