1915? 6th December - Bristol - to Dad

1915: 5th December - to father

London 5/12/15

Dear Father

Have just reached here safely and will stay in Bristol for the night coming on by train some time Monday evening time to follow! All well but have not received a letter since yours of 26^th Nov: Hope you are all well and are at home. Had a rough trip but slept and was not sick

Your loving son

Tom

1915: 1st December - to Cathy

on active service

6 Glouc. Regt.

1/12/15

Dear Cathy

All being well I leave here Saturday or Sunday for home. Shall send p.c. from ____ directly I land and another from Bristol. Do not write any more letters after receiving this p.c. I will keep you posted up as to my movements.

Best Love to all

Tom

1915: 28th November - to Mother

6 Glouc Regt

B.E.F.

Dear Mother

I am writing another p.c. so that you will know all is well. We have had a very fine time indeed this week, lovely weather today it is frozen hard ice and snow everywhere but personally my time has been a warm one. Letter to follow with details and look out for the writer at a very early date!

Tom

[25th/26th November a patrol from the 1/6th undertook a successful patrol at Gommecourt Wood]

1915: 25th November - Gommecourt Wood

25/26th November 1915. A patrol of 1/6th Battalion undertook a successful patrol at Gommecourt Wood

The Gommecourt Wood patrol in November is described in collection of letters by the three Nott brothers, which included some newspaper commentary on the action:-

The following telegraphic despatch has been received from the General Headquarters in France. Dated Nov 29^th 6 p.m.

On the night of November 25^th a party of our troops forced an entrance into the enemy’s trenches near Gommecourt Wood. Several deep dug-outs full of Germans were bombed with hand grenades. They party then withdrew back to our trenches.

Daring Exploit By 6^th Glosters

Night dash into enemy trench. Germans Surprised. Over 60 Killed.

A number of Bristol men came home from the front on leave during the week end, and from them the Times and Mirror learned that the Sixth Gloucesters in the fighting line in France put on record a very praiseworthy performance on night lately.

Things were very quiet in the trenches, with the German line some 750 yards away and it was decided that one Company of the Sixth should go over and investigate.

The Companies tossed for the honour, and C Company won. It was a moonlight night, with a cloudy scud. The men were divided into two advance parties of 35 men, for a right and left attack, with the rest in reserve, backed by the machine gun section as support.

When the moon was veiled the order was given, and C Company went over the parapets. Before they reached the enemy trench the moon again shone clear as day, but the men lay low and were unobserved.

On they went again, and the left attack party got right into the German trench. The enemy were caught napping in their dugouts and were bombed heavily.

The right attacking group were not so fortunate. On their side the enemy had a working party out, so that the element of surprise was lacking, but they gave a very good account of themselves.

Altogether some 60 or 70 Germans were killed in the little adventure, while the big guns in the rear raked the enemy reserves which tried to rush up to the scene, so that the casualties were considerable.

There can be no doubt that the Germans in that section of the line know what “fed up” means. The other day they put up a notice board bearing these words:-

Gott strafe the Kaiser!

Gott strafe the Trenches!

Got strafe Everything!

We are “Fed up”!

Wait till the 29^th!

Letters from

Captain T.W. Nott.

2^nd Lieutenant L.C. Nott.

2^nd Lieutenant H. P. Nott.

Fine Little Scrap. How the 6^th Surprised the Redoubt.  Gallant Deeds.  What Headquarters and the Enemy Say.

A letter from the front contains the following account of the recent exploit of a party of the 6^th Gloucesters who surprised a strong German redoubt:-

“Now to describe the attack on the Huns” trench which has thrust the good old Sixth into fame, and which, I hope, will cause a thrill to go through the second and third-line battalions and through all Bristol. The spot chose was a strong redoubt at the corner of the wood about 700 yards from our trenches. C Company, who had gone into local reserve, being relieved by D Company the day before, was chosen to carry it out, under Captain V.I.Young, as Major Coates was on leave. At dusk Lieut H.P. Nott and a body of men went out to a hedge about halfway across “No Mans Land” as a covering party and behind him formed the attacking party, Lieut Badgeley on the left with 25 men and an R.E. subaltern and one or two sappers with explosives, and Lieut Price with a party of 25 men on the right. These marched through the covering party and lay down 100 yards from the Huns trench, from which position they had a Telephone back to the hedge, where were Captain Young and 50 men under Lieut Nott, together with eight stretcher bearers and telephone orderlies with wires back to battalion headquarters.

“Our wire had been previously cut by  D Company. When all were in position (it was a bright, frosty, moonlight night), Captain Young phoned the Warwick batteries and they poured a barrage of shrapnel on the Huns trench, firing in all 320 shells. Another phone message, and the artillery stopped, and like a flash Lieut Price and his merry men were over the parapet having hound the wire well cut. The first man the met they hustled out of the trenches a prisoner. Then followed a furious scrap. Preceded by a hail of bombs, Lieut Price fought his way down to the trench. The Huns were caught, many of them unarmed; others put up a desperate resistance.“Meanwhile Lieut Badgeley was held up by wire and the Germans threw bombs, one of which burst between his legs and wounded him. He told the R.E.’s to retire a bit, which they did. Meanwhile, Lieut Badgely urged on his men, and eventually they cut the wire and reached the trench, down which they bombed, and eventually joined up with Lieut Price. A telephone was now established actually on the German parapet.

A Furious Battle.

“The battle waged furiously, and after exhausting nearly all the bombs, Lieut Price withdrew his men, he himself having been hit in the shoulder. The German reserves cam rushing up, and Lieut Price’s party as they retired threw five bombs smack into the middle of them as the surged into the trench. We had, of course many wounded, but when I tell you out of 20 wounded 18 were safely brought in (Kelburn was killed, and Corpl James is missing), you will realise how splendid the attacking party was. Take for instance, this. Corpl Verrier was found by Redmore lying in the German trench  shot through the knee. Redmore lugged him over the parapet and looked for help. Finding the whole party gone, he carried Verrier is the  whole 700 yards. There are many other tales of gallantry, which will probably be suitably rewarded.

 “The stretcher-bearers and telephone orderlies were splendid, one of the latter – Searle, of D Company – being wounded. The telephone was successfully brought in from the German trench. The Germans must have lost many men. From the groans there must have been a large number killed and wounded in the dugouts, and probably a good many to the German  reserves who were caught by our bombs. The prisoner stated that there were 180 men in the redoubt, so you can imagine what damage the hundred or so bombs thrown caused.

Congratulation and Threats.

 “All next day a stream of ambulances was seen coming up to the village just behind the  redoubt, and the battalion on our left, who overlook the cemetery, observed much digging of graves.

 “The Brigade, Division, Corps. Army, and G.H.Q have been very flattering in their congratulations. We hope for decorations for some of those concerned, and all the attacking party have been granted leave. We wee brought out of the trenches early yesterday and inspected by the Army Corps Commander to-day. He was very flattering, and said the enterprise was a most dashing and brilliantly carried-out affair, and worthy to rank with the numerous battle honours so gloriously won by the Gloucester Regiment. The 5^th Gloucesters sent us last night a congratulatory telegram. The Huns were furious and shouted to the Warwicks that if they ever catch any 6^th Gloucesters they will burn them alive.

1915: 21st November - to Mother

Dear Mother

Just a p.c. to thank you for Plymouth card. I hope all will go off well. Please keep p.c.s safe in removal.   I will write directly I hear from you. Hope all well

Very Best Wishes

Tom