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Saturday 4 June 2011

Letter Home - 4th June 1916

Dear Mother,
It was nice to get your letters this week, giving us all the news, and I am glad that there has been some rain. We are rather cut off from the world in this position as never get a paper. Bosche has his trenches nicely placed on the top of a high crest and he looks down on all our country from a very high knoll called 'The Pimple', which commands a splendid view of our valley. This, of course, makes movement difficult and all supplies have to come at night. Great excitement! News of the North Sea battle has just been telephoned through to us at the OP. Personally, I think when the Bosche fleet comes out it is the beginning of the end - anyway, I hope it is. There seem to have been big losses on both sides, but, although it is called a draw, I think we had the best of it as we only lost one modern boat and no dreadnoughts but Boche lost two of the latter.

Well, so much for that. I don't suppose we shall get another chance like that for some time. We have had a small shoot since last I wrote. On Thursday at four the bombardment started and evey gun in our sector started to loose off. We kept it up until  one am, firing about 120 rounds an hour in bursts of fire about every four minutes. Bosche seemed to be ready for us and put over just as heavy fire and for some reason or other our infantry did not go over the parapet and the whole show gradually fizzled out to peace and quietness again. I am up at the OB now and, although it must have been tons of explosives that were hurled at the hill, its appearance does not seem to be altered in the slightest. Well, Ma, this is the only news I have this week. Many thanks for the stockings. I shall write a joint letter of thanks.

Ever your loving son

Walford

PS I forgot to add, Mum, that there are two younger subalterns in the battery who are my seniors, so they ought to have more responsibilities than I have. It has turned beastly cold and wet today - heavy thunder showers pouring down every few hours

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