Recovering Bodies

Captain Harold Huntriss

Thursday 27th May 1915: Over the last two days Company Sergeant Major S. M. Flint and Corporal Vailes of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment have been industrious in an unpleasant task. Captain Harold Huntriss died on 17th May in the attack on Festubert. Corporal Vailes was the last man to see him alive and so, two days ago, he and Company Sergeant Major Flint went out to try to find the captain’s body. They were successful in this endeavour and Corporal Vailes told us that the body lay about fifty yards from where he had parted from his officer. He could only assume that Captain Huntriss managed to crawl this distance before receiving another, fatal, wound.

Yesterday Company Sergeant Major Flint and Corporal Vailes, assisted by Lieutenant Powell, recovered Captain Huntriss’ body which must, we are forced to conclude, have been in a state of some decay. They also brought in the body of Major Mackenzie VC. Everything possible is done to recover officers’ bodies.

Corporal Vailes tells us that Huntriss and Mackenzie have been buried alongside Captain William Hutton Williams of the East Surrey Regiment, who was attached to the 2nd Bedfords and who fell the day after Captain Huntriss and Major Mackenzie. The recovery party has even highlighted the spot so that the graves do not get lost: “On dividing line between map references S.26.d. and A.2.b. under the letter U of FESTUBERT in the order Captain Williams on right or North, Major Mackenzie in the centre and Captain Huntriss on the left, facing the crosses”(1)

Source: X550/3/wd

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(1) All three men now lie at rest in The Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner at Cuinchy. Happily Lieutenant Powell, Company Sergeant Major Flint and Colonel Vailes all seem to have survived the war.

Another Trench Poet

Thursday 29th April 1915: From Private S Jeffs comes the following written today “while back in billets for a little rest”.

Springtime is near, the winter is o’er,

And when shall I see the dearly loved shore,

Of beautiful England, the land of my birth,

The dearest of lands on the face of the earth?

When this great war is over I hope to return,

With all speed again to the land where friends yearn;

For I known they will welcome me with smiles on their face,

So God protect England, the loveliest old place.

And when I get back, if needed again,

I would fight for my King and Country the same,

As young fellows ought who have never yet known,

The price of their Country and King on the throne.

So young men of England, answer the call,

For your country now needs you, one and all,

And then at the end of this terrible woe,

You may say thank God I was among them to go.

God Save the King!

Source: Bedfordshire Times 30th April 1915

(1) 3/7196 Private S. Jeffs of the 2nd Battalion was killed in action at Festubert on 17th May and is buried at the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy.