Keep the Home Fires Burning - detailing wartime life in the towns and villages mentioned.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Turney, of Church Farm, Slapton, have received further information concerning their son, Private R. J. Turney. The Chaplain of his Regiment, Major C. C. Owen, writes;

“You have heard before this of your sad loss, but I have not been able to write you until now. It took place on October 8th, when a number of our brave lads lost their lives through the blowing up of a small part of our trench by the Germans. Through the dangerous position of the ground it was necessary to bury them in the trenches where a cross will mark the spot where these men gave their lives for the Empire, liberty, honour and truth. You have the sincerest sympathy of both officers and men in your great loss. May the God of all comfort and sustain you.”

Private Turney’s Commanding Officer, Major C. R. Hill, has also written;

“Referring to my previous communication you will be pleased to learn that we have recovered the body of Pte. R. J. Turney and given him a Christian burial by the Brigade Chaplain.”

NBT 1915 Dec. 28th Tue.

Now serving in France, Lance Corporal W. Sear, 6th Beds. Regiment, writes to his parents;

“I don’t suppose we shall have a very merry Christmas, as we go in the trenches just before and don’t come out until after New Year’s Day. I shall never grumble again about mud if I live to come back; I have never been in so much in all my life. It’s over our knees in mud and water, and pours in torrents nearly every day. We don’t lie down all the time we are in the trenches; it’s as bad inside as it is out, so you can see why we can’t lie down. We are out every night and don’t get a chance to sleep. How would you like to stand on the trench in the dead of the night in pouring rain, pitch dark, with bullets whistling past you and never knowing when one is going through your ‘napper.’ Still, I think its fine sport; I am like some of the rest, I don’t care. I suppose you would like to know what part of the line we are holding, but of course, I cannot tell you. We are only two hundred yards from the German trenches. There is not a roof left to a house in one of the villages close by, and the trees are all blown to pieces by shells.”

NBT 1917 Oct. 30th Tue.

Corporal Frank Heley, Dorset Regiment, was killed in action on October 4th, and in a letter to his parents Captain L. Cook writes;

“It is with very great regret that I write to you of the death of your son in action. He was one of the best N.C.O.s in this company, doing his duty always with the utmost consciousness and he will be a very great loss to us. It will be something to you to know that he died without pain, being killed instantaneously by a shell. Please accept the sincere sympathy of myself and the other officers and men of his company, in this your great sorrow.”

Aged 19, he was the youngest son of Mr. & Mrs. Fred Heley, of 2, The Court, Slapton, and at the age of 18 enlisted in the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry. On going to France in July 1917 he was transferred to the Dorset Regiment. He was a member of the village church choir and before joining up had worked for a farmer, Mr. Joseph Turney. Three of his brothers are serving with the colours.