1915: 14th June - Walker Nott wrote..

June 14^th 1915                                                                          

Walker Nott wrote home

The Trenches.

My dear Winifred,

 I can’t remember whether I wrote to you for your birthday or not. If not forgive me & take this as a birthday letter.

We are in different trenches this time but only a few hundred yards farther north. We had to endure this morning the worst bombardment we have experienced yet. I was asleep as I had to come on duty at 4 a.m. when at 2 15 a.m. I was rudely awakened by being nearly flung out of bed by a violent explosion which seemed to shake the very bowels of the earth. Hurrying out of my dug-out I found myself under a perfect tornado of fire, shells bursting, (shrapnel) about 10 feet above our breastworks at the rate of 5 or 6 a minute, trench mortar bombs, rifle grenades, machine gun & rifle fire – trees falling, bullets splattering  & earth flying about a very inferno. Luckily I had only 6 or 7 yards to go to get to the trench or rather breastworks, where I was able to walk in comparative safety and see to the men at their alarm posts & get to the telephone where as usual I found the wires cut by the shells.

We soon realised that the Germans had exploded a mine near us.

 It turns out that they succeeded in blowing up a new mine our Engineers were driving. Eleven of our men were unfortunately entombed but since then communication has been established with them & oxygen pumped to them or rather to nine of them while men started to dig them out. As there were about 30 yards to dig through it takes time but they hope to get these nine out safely tonight. The other two (Corporals) are presumed to have been killed.

The mine was only 50 yards from our trench & 20 from the next Battalions trenches which bend round at right angles to ours.     The bombardment lasted half an hour & I reckon at least 150 shells burst over our company trench alone (our artillery replied with 6) but is was nearly all shrapnel which is useless against trenches.

We had one man wounded in the shoulder & the supports which the battalion on our left  hurried up at the double lost 1 man wounded, so beyond worrying us & temporarily spoiling our mine, the Huns didn’t succeed much.

This is the fourth mine. 1 British & 3 German exploded on our Brigade Front in 9 days. We are instructing some of “K’s” Army now. There are rumours of leave. I might get a chance about August.