The Barmouth and County Advertiser and District Weekly News

Letters from the Front. I I Our Boys.Mr J. Jones, The Library, continues to receive numerous letters from Barmoutb Boys who are on Active Service, acknowledging the receipt of cigarettes sent to them. Corporal Robert L. Williams, Wesley House, writes:— "Accept my most sincere gratitude, and please convey my thanks to the kind friends. I don't know why you should show me so much kindness, but it is very encouraging, and'helps to cheer one up." Gunner John Rees Edwards, Morben Villa, writes:—" Just a few lines t.o thank my friends at Barmoutb for the cigarettes which I greatly appreciate. I seem to know that my old friends in Barmouth have not forgotten me,and I know they will have a warm corner for me when I return again. Well I have done a good turn in the trenches, often up to the knees in water and mud, and it is very cold, still I am glad that I am doing my bit like a good many more of the Barmouth boys. I only wish I was with them." So much anxiety has been felt, and so many contradictory reports rumoured about our friend, Private Tommy Owen, Snowdon View, that we reproduce his letter in full, giving as it does a very graphic description of the terrible times our boys,along with thousands of others, went through. "Welsh Metropolitan War Hospital, Whitchchurch, near Cardiff, October 1st. Dear Mr Jones,—Just a line to let you know I am getting on A 1 in hospital here. I am able to get about now and am feeling fit for service again. My eye- sight is my only complaint now, but thanks to careful treatment they are getting stronger every day. No doubt you have heard of the rather rough time our battalion has bad in the new landing at Suvla Bay. It has been badly cut although we bad only been in action for four days. I shall never forget thp Sunday evening, August 8th, for that was the date of our landing. Our Navy was at it bombarding the adjacent bills (up which some bf' our troops were advancing), with terrible results. It was quite exciting watching this bombardment from the safety of our transport, which bad anchored just inside the bay, not many yards from the shore. Every now and then lighters would pass our boat conveying wounded from the beach to the comfortable looking hospital boats close by. Little did we think that before long some of us fellows would be taken from shore in that way. Well, we were taken ashore from our transport in lighters. Never shall I forget my journey ashore in our lighter. There were about 200 of us below deck almost choked to death, as we were packed to- gether like sardines. And this wasn't very comfortable with our heavy equip- ment which we carried. We landed safely and were ordered to take a few hours' sleep with our equipment on in case of emergency. There was a heavy bombardment going on, and not very far off our troops were beating the Turks back. Airipen were at it dropping "star shells down, in fact,it was quite a sight to watch in the dark. I don't know bow long the battle lasted for it wasn't long before I dropped off to wel- come sleep, thankful, at any rate, that we were lucky enough to land without opposition. Two divisions, which landed the previous night had a terrible land- ing, as the Turks were on the beach waiting for them. We were marched off next morning about 4 a.m., and were brigaged on top a small hill. Then the Turks spotted us and they shelled us like mad for a good two hours. We were at breakfast at the time, so we had a new item on the menu that morning. Well we came off very lightly consider- ing; our battalion having only twel ve casualties, killed and wounded, although we were shelled every now and again all day after this, it was surprising how soon one got used to dodging shells. Towards evening we were moved off under the crest of a bill fcr cover. This was the hill Lali Baba which you may have read of. It was here that our brigade bad to await orders for our advance. About 6 that evening several aeroplanes flew above us and we could distinctly see them dropping messages. Whether they were our airmen or not I cannot say but it wasn't long before the Turks started shelling us again, but without effect, as we were compara- tively safe here. It was next morning that we were ordered to advance. First we advanced across a mile of Salt Lake, the Turks shelling us like mad. Our Navy behind us in the Bay covered our advance by bombarding them in turn. In all we had about B miles to advance in short rushes, and our chaps were falling like peas from their machine guns and snipers. Our company being the leading company suffered mostly and we lost all our officers very soon. Poor Lieutenant Buckley was the first to fall and we, Barrhouth boys, missed him terribly as be was the most popular and best loved of all the officers. This was the 10th August, and I shall never forget that day, although I wouldn't have missed it for worlds. It was the next day that I got hurt as fetching water. A Lyddite shell burst knocked me unconscious, partly burying me and temporarily blinding me. I was taken to Malta and was there for three weeks in two hospitals. I arrived in England a fortnight ago, with a batch of New Zealanders and Australians. You can guess I am getting fed up of hospi- tals now and am anxious to get out again I asked the doctor this morning to discharge me from the hospital but no such luck. It's only my strained eyes that keep me back now. I shall be glad when I am able to join the boys again. Many thanks for the cigarettes I am sure it is very good of you and I must thank you very much indeed. Well, I am getting long winded so I must close."—Yours sincerely, Tommy Owen. Extracts from a letter received last Tuesday by Mr Robert Lloyd, Mount Pleasant, from Corporal Walter Thomas Pugb, who is at present a patient at a War Hospital in Sheffield, having been wounded in the recent battle in France. I am glad to tell you that I am feel- ing pretty well considering what I have gone through. If there is such a place as hell on earth I have been in it, and thank God I came out so lucky as I did. I never thought I should see England any more. On Saturday, the 25th, our battalion was told at 3 o'clock in the morning to stand fast-ready to make a charge. At 6.15 the dreaded hour arrived, and when the order came to charge there was a prayer sent from, every heart I think. Well, we got over I V the parapet and no sooner we were over than they started shelling us. Ten minutes after I was struck in the fore- head with a piece of shrapnell; I was dazed for a bit then I crawled to a Jack Johnson hole and I could see my com- rades mowed down awfully. In half-an- hour, the Colonel was killed, the Adjud- ant, also our Captain. In three hours we only bad one officer in the whole battalion. Afttr I got to myself I crawled back as well as I could to the firing line. I started down the com- munication trench towards the Field Dressing Station I hadn't got twenty yards when a Jack Johnson burst and buried me in the trench. I was under about fifty bursted sandbags and thank God I am alive to tell the tale." Extracts of letters received by Mr Newell, Stationmaster, Arthog, from his son who has been in France for 3 months. Prior to the war, Newell was employed by the L. & N. W. Rly., as a goods clerk at Birmingham, but in October the country's call came to him, and be put pen aside and left for train- ing with the 59th Division R.A.M.C. Sunday night, 9 p.m., Sept. 26,1915. Just these few lines to let you know that I am well and going on alright, under difficulties which until now have been quite unknown to us. We are the chief ambulance in action at the present time, and I can assure you wff have really worked wonders. Praise for our work yesterday and the last few days has been forthcoming from all quarters, and, no doubt, in a few days it will be found in the Press. The majority of us are nearly dropping from want of rest, and it will be a joyous day when we are sent back for a good rest. Fortunately I am not out with the stretcher-bearers. We have fixed two places for receiving the wounded, the one side for serious cases, and the other for various wounds which do not appear dangerous. Only a few of our hospital orderlies are kept here, and I am very pleased to say that I am one of the lucky ones. Very severe fighting took place early yesterday morning and a large number of cases were attended in this field hospital in 14 hours. Yesterday I went for a few hours sleep at 10 p.m., and was called again at 2 a.m. this morning. I have just turned in now, but may be up again at any moment. This is our real work which we have looked forward to long since and I am very proud to say that everyone has and is doing splendid work. The 9th Welsh, 9th Cheshires, and R.W.F. have suffered terribly, and prac- tically all our patients are from these regiments. Two fellows whom I knew personally were among them. One a Corporal named Thomas who, in civil life was booking clerk atLlandudno Jet., and the other Corporal Walter Thomas Pugb, who used to work for Messrs Lloyd and Williams, Barmouth, and used to go to Garth regularly. Pugh was slightly cut by shrapnel over the left eye, but poor Thomas was badly woun- ded. It would really be too horrible for me to describe the suffering and wounds our fellow countrymen are bearing for the old country's sake, and I can assure you these horrible sights will never in my whole career be forgotten. So far our division has been very lucky as re- gards casualties, considering the firing our fellows have been under. It appears several of the Welsh were between the German trenches and ours, lying wounded all day, so last night several fellows volunteered to fetch them in when it was dark, but as soon as our fellows attempted it the Germans opened a cruel fire upon them, so many poor chaps (who could possibly recover if brought in) must suffer a lingering death. Until we are relieved from this action I cannot write but very little but will write when we are enjoying a rest. N.B.—Further quotations from many other letters received are omitted this week for want of space.

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