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FROM THE CONTEMPORARY LOCAL NEWSPAPERS OF NORTH BUCKS (BUCKS STANDARD, NORTH BUCKS TIMES, WOLVERTON EXPRESS)
With today’s internet a wealth of official information is available regarding those who served.
In an age before local radio and television, families often allowed letters to be published in the local press from their loved ones on active service.
However, for their descendants the letters reveal a more personal aspect, graphically describing the experience of the people and providing an insight into their personalities.

NBT 1915 July 13th Tue.

Ernest Hooper, ‘the old Inglis Home boy,’ was believed to have been drowned when the ‘Ocean’ was sunk at the Dardanelles. However, he was amongst those who were rescued, and writes to a friend;

“That so many of us were saved on that day is to me a manifestation of the work of Providence. We passed safely through probably the heaviest bombardment the world had ever seen, escaping mines and torpedoes right on until within ten minutes from the end of the engagement. Then we were badly damaged by heavy shell and mined, all at once. We were taken off the then sinking ship by our destroyers, who behaved most gallantly. All the time we were being rescued we were under fire from three batteries at the same time, and my duty keeping me below to the last, I was able to get away in the same destroyer as my captain. I have been employed on shore since then in charge of a searchlight with a party of five others. Conditions were very hard at first, and we lived in very primitive fashion, one kettle and a frying pan being all our cooking utensils. Our plates were lids of biscuit tins and our cups ½lb. “baccy” tins, our clasp knife had to do duty for knife and fork and spoon. My immediate superior officer is now Captain J.G. Horne, R.N.L.I. of Newport Pagnell, a survivor from H.M.S. “Triumph.”


NBT 1915 Aug. 17th Tue.

From the front, Corporal Leonard Holmes, of the 2nd Beds., writes to friends;

“If strikers and shirkers could see and have to go through what those at the front see and have to go through there would be no more strikes or shirking; they would be only too pleased to throw aside all restrictive rules and get to work to supply the front fighters with what they most need and so help to ensure victory over the enemy.”


NBT 1915 Nov. 16th Tue.

Private William Smith, of the 2nd Beds. Regiment, is with the British Expeditionary Force, and writes home to his parents;

“Thank you for your letters, ‘Leighton Buzzard Observer,’ and cigarettes, which I received quite safely after my return from the trenches. I was without a smoke, and you can guess how I enjoyed them. We were in the trenches but a short time on this occasion - just over two days - but quite long enough, as it was so wet; mud and water over our knees in some places. It has been my worst time in them. We were right at the front, so far as I could judge not more than ninety to a hundred yards from the enemy. We lost some of our boys while we were in. We could hear the Germans talking and singing; also heard a band playing merrily, so you see they seem quite happy while things are fairly quiet, the same as we are. We ate our bully beef in the dug-out about one o’clock on Sunday, and I thought of you all at home having your dinner and the jolly times we have had and hope we shall again bye and bye.”


NBT 1916 Nov. 7th Tue.

Mr. and Mrs. F. Smith have heard from friends of their son, Lance Corporal F.W. (“Billy”) Smith, Beds. Regiment, that he is presumed killed in action in France on October 12th. A fellow soldier writes;

“I regret to inform you of your son’s death, killed in action on the 12th. You all have my deepest sympathy. We are all very sorry to lose him. He was such a good fellow, both brave and steady under shell fire. His platoon sergeant speaks very highly of him, and regrets his loss.”

Lance Corporal Smith, who worked at Watergate Farm, had tried to enlist before the outbreak of war, but was then rejected. On trying again, he enlisted in December 1914.


NBT 1916 Nov. 7th Tue.

Before the whole ship’s company, Bandsman William Powell, of the Royal Navy, has been commended by his Admiral for his services during the Battle of Jutland. Killing many persons, including the chaplain, an enemy shell exploded in the operating theatre, but here William and another Bandsman remained at their posts, in the Sick Bay, until the ship reached the base, where they were given leave. The Captain telegraphed Mrs. Powell to confirm that her son was safe.


NBT 1916 Nov. 14th Tue.

Regarding the death of Lance Corporal Cox, Mr. Kilby has received the following letter from the Chaplain of the Regiment;

Lance Corporal Cox was instantly killed by shell fire while on duty in the trenches. Will you tell his parents that he did not suffer at all, and also let them know that his platoon commander tells me that he was a quiet unassuming boy who always did his duty well and never complained, and he is a great loss to his Company. I buried him in Vermelles British Cemetery, which is about five miles from Bethune in Northern France. His grave is well cared for, and is marked with a cross with his name upon it.”


NBT 1917 May 22nd Tue.

Mrs. Matthews has been officially informed that her son, Private George Matthews, Beds. Regiment, was wounded on April 23rd. The nature of his wounds and the hospital to which he has been taken are not, at present, known to the authorities, and Mrs. Matthews is naturally very anxious. Her son has always written regularly, but his last communication was dated April 22nd, the day before the official notification of him being wounded.


NBT 1918 July 2nd Tue.

In a recent letter to his parents, Private Reg Smith writes;

“My regiment is in a great forest which you have no doubt heard of many times in the newspapers, and I have not been out of shell fire for ten weeks. No doubt you have read of the town of ---. We are just in front of it. It was a beautiful town before Fritz came and smashed it. It is heartrending to see what he has done all round - poor people’s homes knocked to pieces and the people themselves driven away, leaving everything behind for the enemy to smash up. The holdings and farms were all planted with corn and roots a few weeks ago and everything looked bright and hopeful for them, but now not only their homes but crops and all have gone and many will starve. If things were like this in our own country there would be no grumbling at the comb out of shirkers. They would not wait to be called up, they would have to go to defend their homes.”


ALSO AVAILABLE IN BOOK FORM AS ‘LETTERS FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR’ FROM WWW. LULU.COM,
PRODUCED WITH THE INVALUABLE EXPERTISE OF ALAN KAY & ZENA DAN.