Letters home from the Western Front – John Walcot Blencowe 1916

44 Letters written by J.W.B.

John Walcot Blencowe , Chaplain Captain, Chaplains Dept Attached 1/1 Suffolk Yeomanry (The Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars) and 2ndDevonshire Regiment.

After my father died in 1966, I discovered a packet of letters that he had written to his mother dated between 1915 and 1918. Like many others he never spoke about his time in World War 1 though I vaguely knew he had been a chaplain in Gallipoli, and had sailed out in the ‘Olympic’, a sister ship of the ill fated ‘Titanic’, which had been converted into a troopship. I also knew that he had been invalided out from there with enteric fever to Malta, and eventually was appointed Chaplain to the 2nd Devonshires who were engaged at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. How I now wish I had been interested enough to get him to talk about those days ! 
 
Peter Blencowe 2006.
 
In 2006 Peter and his son eldest son Charlie transcribed the letters and published them privately in memory of a Father and Grandfather, who it is fair to say lead a very eventful life. A Missionary in the South Pacific before the war the letters Peter and son published  do have this period covered extensively.
This blog concentrates on the letters from JW Blencowe in the year 1916-17 . Any additional information that I have gleaned or can add to the letters timeline from sources such as Regimental war diaries of WW1 reference material have been added.



13th April 1916 – 18th April 1917
When attached to 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment
23rd Infantry Brigade

No 1

Probably written from Albert.
2nd Devons at Frement and Albert
13th April 1916
My Dear Dad
I have at last reached my destination for the time being, but the journey has been very slow. I left Charing Cross at ten minutes past one on Monday, so that it was a very good thing I came up to London on Sunday night. We had a fine and smooth passage, and got over very quickly. The first night I slept in the train, and the second, at the late Army Headquarters, where I saw Bishop Gywne whom I liked very much. The third night I slept in another town, and I got to within six miles of here by train today, doing the last six in a motor lorry. We are five miles from the trenches, this being the Divisional Headquarters. I cannot tell where I shall eventually be until I see the Senior Chaplain of the Division who is due back here tomorrow or the day after. The whole conditions and surroundings are, of course, quite different from Anzac. We are in a dilapidated sort of village, but we appear to be out of range of their guns, and it really seems to be extraordinarily peaceful, and the chief danger seems to be from gas.
I write this letter in a great hurry and I shall probably put no address on it, as I am so likely to be moving. As soon as I know where I am to be definitely I will write again and send you more details.
With much love to you and Mother and all
Your Loving Son Jack
P S will you address your letters to me at Headquarters, 8th Divisional Artillery. Brit: Exped: Force in France.

JW Blencowe was in the Albert area for some good part of 1916

No 2

2nd Devon Headquarters
British Expeditionary Force
April 18th 1916
Probably Albert
My Dear Mother
I have already moved from the Divisional Headquarters from where I last wrote and I have got , as I wished, into a regiment. I have another regiment, The West Yorks, to look after, and also one or two other batteries. I am with the regulars now, and not with Kitchener’s army or the Territorials. The Regiment has , of course, been out here almost from the beginning, and there are not many of the old originals left, and only one officer. They are quite a nice lot, but not quite up to the Suffolk Yeomanry. We are extraordinarily close to the Germans, so close that it is difficult for them to shell us, but we have masses of barbed wire between us and them. The Devons are now in the trenches for four days, but I have not gone in with them this time as I have a heavy cold and have lost my voice , and I want to get it right for Easter. I am at present in a town a mile away from the line. It is almost entirely in ruins and the Germans are daily shelling it. I have found a house with one or two of the lower rooms more or less intact. The windows have all been blown out and the upper storey has been demolished by a shell. The house , however, possesses most excellent cellars and when the shells come unpleasantly close, I retire below. It is cold damp, and very draughty, but much better than a dug-out. I have an excellent servant, who knows all the ropes and is a very good cook, so I have nothing to complain of. My work is difficulty owing to the regiments being so scattered about and constantly on the move. I must end this letter now with best wishes for Easter.
Your loving Son Jack.

No 3

2nd Devon Headquarters
Brit: Exped: Forces in France
April 22nd 1916 (Easter Saturday )
Albert
My Dear Mother
I am glad to say that I am getting rid of my cold, and my voice has more or less recovered. Today is the day before Easter, and I have a terrific list of services to take-in fact I am taking services all day. One is in a cinema theatre with a perforated roof, which we now use as a sort of canteen for the men, another is in a gun pit, another in a dug-out, another in a barn which has had its sides blown
in while the roof remains intact and the rest are in the open air. I am hoping for a peaceful day, as if shells are dropped near, we have to disband the service at once, and that will be very awkward as all my services are celebrations.
I am writing this letter today instead of Monday, because the Germans are peppering the town with shrapnel and we have to remain under cover. I shall try to write every Monday while I am out here. I hope that Dad will be fairly well off for clergy this Easter and that he won’t overtire himself tomorrow.
Your Loving Son Jack

No 4

23rd Infantry Brigade
Brit: Exped: Force
April 28th 1916
Probably Albert
My Dear Mother
You will see from this letter that I have got yet another address. This one will, I think, be permanent. I am with the same people, the Devons and the West Yorks. Having to look after two regiments, I am sometimes with one and sometimes with the other and consequently may sometimes get my letters late if they are sent to the Devons. My man has to go every day to Brigade Headquarters for ratios and he can always bring back the letters with him. I think I last wrote to you the Saturday before Easter. We had a very successful double raid that night. The noise was terrific, and German front line trenches were smashed to bits over a two mile front. We then raided and brought back the few still alive as prisoners, one brawny Scotsman carrying in a wounded German boy of about 15 or 16. They retaliated by giving us a very disturbed Easter Sunday. I had my first celebration at an anti-aircraft battery. Just as I was finishing a German aeroplane got above and dropped two bombs. They made a terrific noise and blew in all the remaining glass in the building, but they did no damage at all, beyond upsetting my service.
Our difficulty lies chiefly in the constant moving of the troops. They are always shifting into Brigade Reserve for four or five days, having a rest between their spells in the trenches, or they go for a longer rest into Divisional Reserve. They go about 3 miles back for Brigade Reserve and 6 miles back for Divisional Reserve, and when they are scattered like that it is extremely difficult to work them all. I also have 8 artillery batteries to look after as well.
I am keeping fit and well although I find the constant riding by horse or bicycle very tiring. Will you send me out a bottle of phospherine tablets, the same as Edith uses. Curiously enough I find the noise and firing much more trying
than in Gallipoli, al though it is not nearly as loud nor is there as much of it, and for the last three days they have not shelled this place at all. Best love to all.
Your Loving Son Jack

War Diary entry 22ndApr. A raid carried out by the Division to left resulted in Artillery retaliation causing casualties 1 OR killed 12 wounded 2 Officers wounded.

 

No 5

123rd Infantry Brigade
B.E.F
Probably Albert
May 3rd 1916
My Dear Mother
I have not a great deal of news to tell you this week. This is an extremely busy part of the line, and troops and guns are flocking in daily. We were shelled rather badly on Monday, but chiefly on the other side of the town. They put in several ‘lacrimatory’ or ‘tear shells’, of which I got a whiff. They are most absurd things as they do you no harm, but your eyes run so that you cannot see. We have masks to shield our eyes, which we always carry with our gas helmets. This glorious weather has brought out innumerable aeroplanes. Ours are always going over the German lines, but theirs very seldom come over ours, usually only once a day, and they get such a hot reception they do not stay long. My Brigade are moving back six miles from the line into Divisional rest, but I am staying on here, as they are going to be very scattered and this place makes a good centre.
I am enclosing four picture postcards of this place. They were taken a short time ago, and the town looks even more dilapidated now, in fact, part of it has been quite flattened out. It has been a very fine building, and on the top is a magnificent statue of the Virgin and Child. It is very large and shines like gold, and now, as it hangs at right angles over the ruined town, it presents a most remarkable appearance. The church today is even more battered, and a lot more has fallen, but the child is still up there with arms outstretched across the town.
I am so glad to hear that you are going to Harrowgate. I hope it will do you good. Will you let me know when you get this letter. Your loving son Jack

War Diary entry 3rd May. Bn HQ moved to Henencourt Wood .

No 6

23rd Inf Brigade
Probably Albert
May 6th 1916
My dear Mother
I suppose that you and Dad and Edith are now at Harrowgate. I do so hope you will stay there long enough for the treatment to really do you good, and will not hurry away after a fortnight.
I have had an extremely busy week-end; my Brigade has been in reserve, but I remained in my old headquarters as I have now shifted from the house I first went into another larger one . There I can sleep upstairs, while downstairs I have a chapel and also reading and writing rooms for the men. As several hundreds come in daily, I did not want to close the place up. The Brigade have given me a horse and trap, and also a bicycle, so I can get backwards and forwards quite easily. I have been wondering whether you got my last letter, including the picture postcards. I wish you would write and let me know as then I may be able to send you more. I expect before long we shall be moved out of that town, as the Germans will have probably knocked it flat. I wish I could let you know where I am as this is getting one of the busiest parts of the line, and you would be able to follow what we are doing from the official reports. At present we are in a rather curious position, which is, I think, common all along the line. Just behind our line and the German line there are , of course, villages and towns flocked with troops. If they suddenly heavily shelled us, for instance, they would kill hundreds, but if they did, we should retaliate on their towns. The
roars all around are shelled, but whenever they send a dozen shells into our town, we send back about four dozen into theirs, and they quickly stop it. We always get a few in every day, as they try to shell the crossroads in the middle of the town. I can hardly realize I have been out here nearly a month. I wish you would send me a diary for 1916, so that I can keep an account of my doings and also some phospherine tabloids. I am feeling pretty fit again and my cold has quite gone, while I find my horse and trap a great boom. Will you give my love to Dad and all.
Your loving son Jack

No 7

23rd Inf Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F
May 16th 1916
Probably Albert
My dear Mother
You always write as if you were doubtful as to whether I am getting your letters. I do not think I am missing any unless you are writing very frequently. The last one I got was dated the 12th, and you mention in that that you have received the Post cards. I hope you will not lose them as they are rather difficult to get hold of. Do let me know whether you now know where I am. I am in the same division I have always been in, but I do not put it on the envelope, or I may get into trouble, as the authorities do not want it to be known which brigades are in the various divisions and armies. They are always shifting the troops about so that the Germans do not know who they have against them. I see there has been a lot of fun about the Anzacs lately, but I never see anything about the English Regiments which were out at Anzac, and did just as well as any of the Australians. I am glad to say that everyone out here is thoroughly sick of all this hero-worship and talk about the magnificence of the British Soldier: We seem to be perpetually patting ourselves on the back and mutually congratulating each other. The English Tommy who knows he is no better than the French or German soldier, thinks all this talk about our wonderful army, absolute rubbish. . He reads about the sacrifices made at home about which there is so much self-praise, and then he compares it to the sacrifices made by the French, and then he realizes how silly and trivial all our sacrifices seem in comparison with theirs. Our officers and men return from leave are quite despondent about it, and cannot help feeling that the National Mirror would do a very great deal if it attacked and destroyed this false pride in our army and our national efforts, and showed the
nation that we, of all the allies, have least cause to be proud of our achievements both at home and abroad.
I must stop now as my supper is up.
Your loving son Jack

No 8

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.
Probably Albert
19th May 1916
My dear Mother,
The weather has suddenly turned very hot and I am sorry just for that reason that I am not going back into reserve with my two regiments. They go back today for an eight day rest from the trenches, but it is far from being a real rest as they are working all day on the roads and doing other necessary work. They are going six miles back into the woods and I shall have to go out and visit them most days. I am staying on here because my headquarters, which I started here, keeps on growing. I have now been given another big house in addition to my own to run as a soldier’s club. It has become the centre of all church life in the town and I have several hundred men in daily. I have a very a very nice chapel which will hold about sixty men, and we close every night with prayers. The chapel is constantly used by other chaplains for celebrations etc: as well as being used by the soldiers for their private prayers. Talbot, who is the senior chaplain of the Division, is so anxious to keep place running that he has asked me to leave my regiment for these eight days and stay on here.
Today week we have Bishop Gwyne coming here for a confirmation. There are about 50 to be confirmed and I am bringing eleven. Yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury came to see us but he never came nearer than 10 miles from the line. All the chaplains in the neighborhood went, but I did not, at present, like the idea of doing the 10 miles there and 10 miles back again on either a bicycle or horse, as I still feel a slight weakness in my stomach muscles, and so I missed it.
I expect before long that the Germans will make this town impossible to live in, and that we shall have to clear out into dug-outs, but I do not think that this will be for another six weeks or so. I hope you are still at Harrowgate getting rid of your rheumatism.
Your loving Son Jack

No 9

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.
Probably Albert
May 29th 1916
My dear Mother
Last Friday I had a very busy day as I had the confirmation in the little chapel in my house here. There were fifty confirmed and we had a very nice service indeed, but there was rather a squash as we had many visitors besides. After the service I gave them all tea in my club next door. Both the Army Corps Chaplain and Bishop Gwyne were very much taken with my club and the chapel. The Senior Army Corps Chaplain is sending me a little billiard table and a gramophone for the club. While the candidates were having tea in the club, the Bishop and the Divisional Chaplain had tea in my house and several visitors came in including General Gordon, one of the Brigadiers: he was at Cambridge with the Bishop.
I have got Edith’s diary all right. It is rather small, but I think it will be quite sufficient. I am glad to hear that Dick has now got 20 boys. I hope he has managed to keep his masters. I suppose you are now back at West Kirby again and much better, I hope , for the Harrowgate water. With my best love to you and Dad and Edith.
Your loving Son Jack

No 10

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
May 31st 1916
My dear Mother
I wonder if you have heard from Edward. I have written to him, but I have had no answer as yet. I expect he is some where fairly close here, as we are expecting reinforcements on rather a large scale, but , of course they will not come up to the front line for a bit, but will stay in reserve.
The Germans shelled this part of the town rather severely yesterday, and I am afraid we have had a good number of casualties. They luckily used only shrapnel and no high explosives. The house was hit three or four times, but the shrapnel bullets do not go through the roof, and merely break our slates. It is very stupid of them to do it, as they will get about six times as much back again onto their towns and villages behind their lines.
Everything goes on much the same as usual. We have not been quite so aggressive as we were about a month back, while the Germans seem to have got rather a surplus of ammunition which they want to get rid of. Consequently our lines have been pretty heavily bombarded, and while our casualties have not been heavy, they knock our trenches about a bit and keep our men pretty busy building them up again.
My club is going very strong and my chapel gets more and more used. I have rather deserted my regiments, but Talbot thinks this place is so important as a centre that he wants me to stay on.
Your loving Son Jack

No 11

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
1st June 1916
My dear Mother
I have managed to get another writing block from one of the canteens, and so I am writing my first letter in it to you .
Yesterday I got your letter dated 28th May, so they reach me in three days time. I was wondering whether you saw that notice in the Times about the Statue of the Virgin and Child. I saw a picture of it in one of the recent illustrated papers.
I have not seen Arthur, and I think his regiment has moved. I made enquires north of this place, but could not find any traces of him. I have heard nothing whatever from Edward and you do not say in your letter whether you have heard from him. Today is Ascension Day and I have had three Celebrations in my Chapel, at 7.30, 8.30 and 10.30. They were all well attended. There is, of course, no church or anything of that sort, but there is a very dilapidated cinema palace in which we hold our big services, and also a very large wine cellar, which is quite safe being underground. But neither of these places have, of course, the right atmosphere about them, and they are always full of troops who are billeted in them while my little chapel is the only place which is kept as a chapel and which has an altar in it. Both men and officers use it and they do so appreciate the quiet. Unfortunately the troops are always shifting. There are six lots of troops who come here for four days and then they leave again. Therefore I have a regiment here for four days and then they are away for 20, but the first of them are coming back again now, and do not have to be told about it again.
I have another chaplain living with me now. He looks after the gunners, and as we have the guns all around us here, it is an excellent centre for him, and it enables me to get away at times. The big guns are all behind us and they fire over our heads, while the field guns are just in front and on both sides of us. The noise at times is rather deafening. The next time my Brigade goes into reserve I am going with it. They go six miles back into a wood in about 10 days time, and I am rather looking forward to the quiet and rest, as I have never slept away from the town since I came here.
I am feeling very fit and well and I have plenty of work to do. I would very much like another bottle of those Phospherine Tabloids, the same as you sent me last time. Best love to you and Dad and Edith.
Your loving Son Jack

No 12

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
3rd June 1916
My dear Mother
We have been having a very busy time here lately, and my club is getting quite crowded out lately. Yesterday I suggested leaving it altogether and letting the Senior Chaplain of the Division, Talbot, come here to take my place. It is now the Divisional Centre for our work, and the Senior Chaplain really ought to be here to run it. All the orders come here now and officers who want services for
their men always come for directions here. Men also come about getting married, and I get frequent telegrams to send someone for funerals and also to visit the dying. There are innumerable other things they come for as well and I am beginning to find I am being kept so busy here that I am neglecting my regiments.
In the Brigade there are four regiments and two Church of England chaplains. My fellow Chaplain is a Devonshire vicar named Burnaby. He has two regiments and I have the other two. One of his is a Scottish Regiment, so they are nearly all Presbyterians, so he is consequently able to help me a lot. My predecessor was an excellent man, the Hon: Canon Twyrhett, one of the Canons of Windsor and a brother of the Naval Commodore, the Captain of the Arethusa. He worked the regiment up very well, but then, luckily for me, he got wounded. He was shot through the leg, but not badly wounded. He went home and is now quite recovered and is now Senior Chaplain to one of the new Divisions. I thought he might be in Edward’s Division, but I have made enquiries and I think he is with the 57th and not the 61st. Since I began this letter I have had visitors and also a letter from Edward. He says he is where Oswald was when he left for England, but as I don’t know where Oswald came from, it doesn’t help much. In your next letter you might perhaps say where Oswald did come from, mentioning that he returned from there sometime ago. I have been expecting that Edward’s lot would come up in reserve behind us, but he is apparently not there, but a good way off. It takes longer to get a letter from him than it does from you.
One of the most parts of my work is writing home to the parents and wives of those who have been killed. It is rather difficult to know what to say to them, as it is impossible to tell what sort of people they are. However I have had some very nice letters back, thanking me for writing.. Best love to all at home.
Your loving Son Jack

No 13

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
June 4th 1916
My dear Mother
It is Sunday afternoon and the mail has just gone so I shall not be able to send this letter till tomorrow evening. I may be very busy tomorrow so I am writing now instead.
The Germans have been most unpleasantly active during the last 24 hours, especially during last night. After writing to you yesterday morning, I went
out and heard two rapid explosions just ahead. I went round the corner and found three dead men, one dead horse and 7 wounded men. They were not men of my regiments. The Germans dropped two shells and did no more. In the afternoon I went out to some Transport lines. There a heavy dray horse suddenly went mad and stated going for everything. There was a rapid clearance made by all, including myself. It was lucky I did move, as the horse made straight for where I had been standing and then fell as if it had been shot. It fell right on my bicycle, which I had left in my hurried flight, and simply crumpled it up. It is broken to pieces and entirely past mending. I shall have to get another one which may be a rather difficult job.
On getting back home again, I found a poor fellow had died suddenly. He was brought in with just a slight wound, a bullet having gone through his hand. Why he died is a mystery. To end a trying day, just when I got off to sleep at 12 o’clock, the gas alarm sounded and also the ‘stand to’. That meant dressing and getting to our stations in gas helmets. The Germans then heavily shelled the lower part of the town, and kept it up until we let them have it back again with all our big guns. The gas did not reach us, but I think I would almost as soon have the gas as spend an hour in a gas helmet, heavily soaked with chemicals. It was not by any means a good preparation for Sunday.
I resume my letter on Monday morning. Last night was almost as unpleasant as the night before. There was a terrific bombardment but who started I have not yet heard. They dropt a lot of lacrimatory shells in the town, but not very close, although we got the fumes. They are weird things as they do you no damage. There is just a sickly sweet smell, some thing like chloroform, and not at all unpleasant. Then your eyes suddenly run with water so much so that you cannot see. We have tightly fitted masks, which render these fumes entirely useless. The idea is to more or less temporally blind the gunners, so that they cannot see to load.
I have had many interruptions with this letter and I have had to go to a hospital four miles back since I wrote the above. The Germans were sending shells right over this town about a mile beyond, onto one of our main roads. It was not the road I was on, and it was a rather fine sight. For every one that hit the road about nine landed on the fields on both sides and as the road was absolutely empty they wasted their shells. There are high canvas screens along the sides to stop the Germans seeing any movement on the road. I have heard that we did most of the attacking last night, and came out well on top. We raided their front trenches very successfully and when the Germans attacked in force, they got badly mown down and never reached our trenches. I think we have the upper hand all round here now.
Your writing pad has just arrived. Thank you so much for it. On reading my letter through, I see it is rather a gloomy one. But it conveys quite the wrong impression, as I am very happy and contented here and I love this life. There is no need to be anxious about me, as I have been under fire now long enough to know how to take care of myself, while no stray rifle bullets of machine guns can reach us here. We can always here the shells coming and usually can get under cover. The men, though, are so very careless that they will walk in the middle of the road and never keep under the shelter of the houses. As soon as one shell falls, they go out and get souvenirs and get caught by the next shell.
In a little over a month I shall be home again on my first leave, if all leave is not stopped by then. We have leave for 10 days after three months service out here. With best love to Dad and at home.
Your loving Son Jack

No 14

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
June 7th 1916
My dear Mother
We have had a rather a lively time recently here lately, but we have achieved our object and I hope now that things will be a bit quieter. Matters terminated with a most terrific artillery bombardment starting at 11 o’clock on Monday night. The Germans retaliated briefly on our front expecting a raid from there. They sent a few shells into the town, but not a great number. We had previously moved many troops out of the town and everyone else had orders to get into the cellars. I was with the stretcher bearers to get the wounded out, but there was very little for us to do, as the Germans did not really retaliate on the town as we had expected. When we did move out from our front line, they found no one alive in the first and second German lines. They were all helplessly smashed up. Last night they were digging furiously repairing their trenches all through the night, hoping we would not bombard them. Much to their surprise we did not and we left them in peace to make their repairs. This morning they will have learnt the reason why with considerable dismay, for relying on the supposition that they would be busy all night mending their trenches, 900 of our men crept over the parapet. During the night without being seen and without a single casualty, they dug a fresh trench considerably in advance of out front line. It has straightened our line out and greatly strengthened our position.
Yesterday I buried seven of our men. It is rather strange taking some of these funerals. They are , of course, brought down just as they have fallen with a blanket over them and often covered with blood. What I mind most is having to bury just a bundle done up in a sack, the remains of some poor fellow who has been blown to bits.
I hope now that we shall have a more peaceful time. The Germans have had such a smashing that they may keep quiet for a bit, but one never can tell. In any case I hope to be put of here on Monday for a week’s rest in the woods with my regiments. I have been up a great part of the last four nights and I can’t sleet in the day as I have much to do.
I do not think you know from our official reports what fighting takes place round here as it is always called by the names of the three villages now in German hands in front of our lines. This place is never mentioned and they just say fighting round so and so, mentioning one of the three villages in front of our lines. (Would suggest the three villages are Ovillers, La Boisselle and Contalmaison – Ed.).
My work here is going well, but it is with such a large number of men. There are seven thousand here, always changing, and I am quite looking forward to getting my own men again back in the wood, instead of always seeing fresh faces. As I think I told you in my last letter a man is here for four days and then away for twenty and as they always keep up the 7000, you can imagine how many new faces I see coming into my club.
We have just heard a most unpleasant rumour, which I hope is not true, namely that Kitchener and his Staff have been sunk on their way to Russia. This would be a terrible loss if true. With best love.
Your loving Son Jack

A too familiar role for John was the burial of the fallen. Here a Chaplain presides over a field burial of a Soldier Photo IWM

No 15

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
June 11th 1916
My dear Mother
Today is Sunday and this afternoon I am free so I am writing a short letter to you. We have had a very quiet and peaceful morning and I had a glorious service with 1500 officers and men present and my regimental band out to play the hymns. We had to go back some way for it to find a really safe corner. Nothing came near us the whole service and we were quite undisturbed. I have not had an opportunity before of getting my two special battalions together.
Tonight I am starting something I do not much care about: namely an evening Communion. It is done throughout the Army now, because there are
such large numbers of men who never get off at all in the mornings. They have many times asked for this , but we have always managed to avoid it so far in this division. Today being Whitsunday, we are making a start.
I have not yet received the Phospherine. If by any chance you have not sent it, I hope you will send it at once as I am expecting a very trying time in a week or two. The noise gets rather on one’s nerves, when the heavy guns are firing and I find I can not sleep at night. The Phospherine helps me a lot and I can usually sleep after taking it. I hope the four nights in the wood will put me right in that respect.
Conrad is now in the \Belgian Army; I have yet not heard from him since he reached France, but he is sending me his address as soon as possible. I have been quite unable to get any letters through to his parents and Mrs Wright, who is in charge of all the Belgians in England, most strongly advised me to let him join now.
Your loving son Jack

No 16

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Probably Albert
June 10th 1916
My dear Mother
I am still at the same place (Albert), but I am hoping to move for four days next week- back to the woods. I cannot get away for the full eight days as I had hoped. In less than a month’s time. I hope to leave this place for good. On the tenth of next month I am due for a holiday, but I don’t think they will grant me leave then. There is not much news to tell you at present. The club is absolutely full up night after night. I have had a gramophone, deck-quoits, a ring board and many other games given me by the Senior Chaplain of this Army. My chapel is now the central place of worship, as I have thrown it open to all the chaplains of another Division which has joined us here. It is perpetually being used.
The last three days have been quiet. A few shells come into the town daily, but not much damage is done. In the event of a really big battle our plans have already been assigned to us. There are nine chaplains in the Division and there are nine stations for us to go to. There are three casualty clearing stations about 6 miles behind the lines, three advanced dressing stations about 2 miles behind and three stations in the trenches themselves, so I shall be with my regiment as I had wished. I shall be in the thick of it, but the modern dug-outs are thirty feet underground and we shall have very deep and safe ones for our
first-aid post, so you need not be anxious. The losses are nearly are all caused when the troops go over the top to attack their trenches.
How very sad it is about Lord Kitchener. There are to be memorial services throughout the Army on Tuesday. I doubt whether we shall be allowed to have one here as we have to be very careful about collecting large bodies of troops together. If it became known through spies or they were spotted by an enemy aeroplane, we should very soon get shelled.. I must stop now. With best love to you and Dad and Edith.
Your Loving Son Jack

No 17

23rd Inf: Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F.in France
Wed June 16th 1916.
Possibly Aveluy Wood
My dear Mother
I have been in this wood for two days and it has rained practically the whole time. Consequently the whole camp is in deep slush and mud, and it is anything but pleasant here with everything wringing wet. Today I am going back to pack up my things. I shall probably leave everything there in the cellar, although I expect to get back there in a few days. One can never tell what is going to happen next.
We had a very fine Memorial Service for Lord Kitchener yesterday. His death seems to have made a very great impression in England. Curiously it doesn’t seem to have affected the troops here at all. Even amongst the officers there is a general sort of feeling that, whereas last year or the year before his death would have been a tragedy, now it is not an event of very great importance from a military point of view, as all his plans are in working order, and will be carried out regardless of his death. Everyone, of course, regrets the loss of so fine and great a soldier, but the troops are so brimful of confidence and enthusiasm, and so tired of all the preparatory work, that nothing can check their longing for the great offensive and they seem to have perfect confidence in their leaders.
I wonder whether you have been having as wet a June as we have. I think it has rained every day for the last fortnight at least. It is curious to notice how the firing brings it down. If there are dark and lowering clouds about, and the heavy artillery starts a bombardment, it comes down in sheets almost at once.
I must stop this letter as my cart is round, with my love to you all at home. Your loving Son Jack
P.S. The phospherine has arrived. Thank you so much for it. I have slept excellently again since taking it.

No 18

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Probably Albert
17/6/16
My dear Mother,
I got back from the Woods yesterday and I am not really sorry to be back because we have had such terrible weather this week. The whole of our camp was deep slush and it rained a great part of the time. However I was able to get through quite a lot of work and I do not regret going in the least. The night before last I started out at half past ten with my regimental doctor and we rode at night back through this place on to the trenches. We left our homes and went up to just behind our front line, where we are building our regimental aid post. It is fairly deep down, and will keep out all shell splinters, and unless we get a shell directly on the top of it we shall be all right. I got back again at four o clock in the morning. I have slept so much better again since I have had the phospherine, and the 4 days in the wood have done me good. I leave here for good on Monday, and I expect to be sleeping with nothing above me except a waterproof sheet, for three or four nights, so it will be quite like old Gallipoli days.
I hope you are all well and that Dad is looking after himself properly and not doing to much work. I imagine you all in the garden today as it is the first really nice day we have had this June, with best love to all.
Your loving son Jack

No 19

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Probably Albert
18/6/16
My dear Mother,
I have been to Divisional Headquarters today to take the Senior Chaplain’s Services for him, as he is away on leave until Thursday. The Divisional General was there and also the Divisional Artillery General, with whom I stayed when I first came out here. Those two never miss the Celebration on Sunday morning, however busy they are. My own regiment is in the trenches and the other is scattered, so I am more or less free today and I am going back to Divisional Headquarters for a service this evening.
We have had so far a quiet day. Tomorrow is my last day in this place,
and I am very sorry to leave it. I am afraid there will not be much left of it shortly.
Monday morning
I have heard that I am now staying two or three days longer here for which I am very glad. The weather has turned wretched again and it is also very cold, so I was not looking forward to camping out in the fields with only my waterproof sheet for a roof.
The German airplanes were very active yesterday and they came over our lines in force, about nine coming over in one party and about six in another. They flew several miles inland and got a very hot reception. There were I think three brought down. We have the upper hand in the air, as ours go over every day, and it is very seldom that theirs ever come near our lines. Our shooting is twice as good and as rapid as theirs, and they nearly always turn and flee when our own aeroplanes appear. I think we have got them beaten in this neighbourhood, but one can never tell.
I regret leaving this place extremely. My home chapel and club, is now the centre of all our religious work here, and it will be a thousand pities if it is all destroyed. I do not in any case think that I should return here as I expect our troops will be several miles from here in a fortnight’s time, but it would have been very nice to have handed it over to incoming troops as a going concern.
I think of you often, enjoying the garden for the fist time in June, although the weather is anything but garden weather. I am due for leave about the 10th or 12th of next month, although I rather doubt whether they will grant leave then. I am so glad that you will be out of Chester for the hot weather. I suppose you are going there in September. Best love to all.
Your loving son Jack

No 20

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
24/6/16
Aveluy Wood Trenches in front of Ovillers
With 8th Div
My dear Mother,
We have all been out for the last two days rather roughing it in a field. The first night was all right but we had a bad storm yesterday afternoon and it has rained on and off ever since. With the storm there was a gale of wind which blew my waterproof sheet off and my blankets and clothes etc. got rather soaked.
I have left, I expect for good, my club and house, and I have sent all the
things five miles back, so that I shall have everything ready if I am able later on to start a similar club elsewhere.
We live from day to day in a state of greatest uncertainty, as we may shift at any time and we are certain to be moving forward in a few days time. The men are splendid and full of confidence.
I have not very much news to tell you, I am feeling very fit and sleeping in the open nights as well. I have never had any malaria at all, and I am hoping that it is now a thing of the past. I hope that you and Dad are not doing too much and that you are making the most of the garden.
With much love to all.
Your loving son Jack

The trench system that the 2nd Devons held the line before the attack on the Ovilliers spur

No 21

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Aveluy Wood Trenches in front of Ovillers
With 8th Div
29/6/16
My dear Mother,
This may possibly be the last time I can write to you, as I expect to be on the move again very shortly, and I have heard rumours that the mail is to be closed except for Service Post Cards.
It has been very wet here and windy. The men are in the best of spirits. This morning the Colonel spoke to them, and I closed with prayers. You will be reading in the papers of our bombardment. The noise is terrific. My old house has had a shell in it. It went through the stairs wrecking the kitchen, but beyond the hole in the wall of the house, and stray bricks knocked out and all the plaster down it has not done so very much damage, and the standing structure is quite strong. The Club next door had a lot of shrapnel bullets in, but otherwise it is untouched.
I must stop this letter now, as my servant is waiting to take it back to Headquarters. With much love to all.
Your loving son Jack
Like so many German-held front line villages, Ovillers and its close neighbour La Boisselle were situated on spurs with excellent observation over the British lines. Both were heavily fortified and were able to give each other supporting cross-fire.

No 22

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Barlin ?
July 10th 1916
My dear Mother,
We have had rather a rough time of it during the last week, but we are now withdrawn and in an entirely different part of the line, only about eight miles from the place where Oswald came from, when he last went on leave. I am this afternoon to make enquiries to see if I can find Edward. There is I am afraid little chance of my getting home while this fighting is still on.
Will you send me some more phospherine as soon as possible. I am quite well and fit but I should like a rest.
Your loving son Jack
P./S. I do not expect this letter will reach you and so I am sending one of the usual PCs as well.

War diary 1st Jul. The 8th Division of III Corps, put all its three brigades in the front line, to assault the Ovillers spur, the dominating feature immediately north of the Albert to Bapaume road. The 8th Div. objective was a line from north of La Boiselle past Ovillers. Attack on Ovillers failed due to failure to destroy enemy machine guns or adequately cut the barbed wire – 221 Killed in Action, 431 Wounded in Action. The 2nd Devons relieved and taken out of line that day.

No 23

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
My dear Mother
Your letters have been delayed even more than mine have. While we were in the thick of the fighting I sent you a card daily as I knew the letters would probably be held up. In your last letter dated July 3rd which I have just received you say nothing about having had any of my cards yet. I am sending one again today in case this letter does not reach you. I cannot of course say anything about the battle, but you can imagine what it must have been like for the troops who went over first, and began the attack.
We are right away now close to where I thought Edward was, in an entirely different part of the line. I do not think Edward ever had been there at all. There are no traces of his division there, and another army holds that area. I have been wondering whether there are two places with the same name. You need not be in the least anxious about me now. We are five miles from the line, and the Germans do not shell the place. We shall be here for some time awaiting new drafts of men from England.
Your loving son Jack
PS All here is closed, but as soon as it is open, I shall get a week’s leave.

Jul. The Division left the Somme for First Army. Arrived billets at Barlin 7 Jul .

In trenches at Cuinchy from14th Jul. Billets also at Annequin and Vermelles in this period.

No 24

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France#
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
July 16th 1916
My dear Lucy,
To our great disgust we are back in the trenches again, although we are nowhere near where we were before. We are in a lively and well known part, but it is fairly quiet at present. When I mentioned the date on which my leave was due, I think I told you that leave would very probably then be closed for everyone; it is of course now closed and when it will be open again is uncertain, but they have put in my application, and I expect to get home as soon as it is open. In your last letter to me you say that nothing has been mentioned in the papers about our lorries, but you will realise by the casualties now what an appalling struggle it has been.
I was very interested in hearing about Charlie. I am so glad he has been mentioned. I saw General Munroe’s list from Gallipoli. There is not a single one of my former Brigade mentioned. We were of course with the Australians and they have recommended plenty of their own people, and not one out of the English regiment attached to their forces. They seem bent on claiming Anzac for themselves, and in the accounts of that Anzac Day a short time ago. I could not find any mention of the English or Indian regiments who were fighting alongside the Australians. There is rather a bitter feeling even here amongst the regulars. All the distinctions are going to Kitchener’s Army and Staff. The old infantry regiments who bear the brunt of all the fighting came off much the worst. It is as a matter of fact their own fault, because the commanding officers don’t recommend their men. The men all do magnificently and it must be very hard to choose between them. The choice is made by a committee to whom the recommendations are sent and they seem to know very little of the actual conditions. If you write a flowery account and put the butter on thick, as the soldier’s say, your man will get a reward. The Regulars won’t do that, but they write a simple official account, in an official manner, and consequently all the awards go to the new Army. I have heard from Conrad. He is on the coast training in the Belgian Artillery. He finds the work rather hard but he is getting used to it now. I have not heard from Edward for a long time now, I do so wish I knew where he was.
I must stop now with much love to you and Dad. I always address my letters to you knowing that you and Dad share them.
Yours affectionately J W Blencowe

5th Jul. The Division left the Somme for First Army. Arrived billets at Barlin 7th July.

No 25

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
July 20th 1916
My dear Mother,
We are still in the trenches and we are all very tired of it and wanting a rest. Both of my regiments are in and so I am in with them. In the past they have relieved each other, and when one has been in, the other has been out and so I have usually been chiefly with the one that has been out, just making journeys up to the trenches by day. As both of my regiments are now in and I have no club to live in, as at the last place we were in, I am living entirely with my regiments, sleeping etc. in the trenches.
I wonder if you understood my last letter which I addressed to Edith. My task at present is rather depressing. It is almost like starting again, as nearly every face I meet is a new one, and almost all my friends are gone. I am afraid that there is very little chance of my being able to get any leave yet, and in any case I think I shall wait until my regiments go back, as they must do soon, for a rest.
I should very much like to know where Edward is. The phospherine tablets came the other day and I was very glad indeed to get hold of them, as I had been out of them for some time. Give my love to Dad.
Your loving son Jack

No 26

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
July 23rd 1916
My dear Mother,
We are still in the trenches and likely to remain so as far as I can seen. We have really had rather a bad time of it lately, and it is rather a strain for the men who were through the other affair as well. They need a month’s rest, right away from all sound of the fighting. Today is Sunday, but it is impossible to have a service. I just go round and talk to the men, and we are so close to the Germans in places that we have to whisper. The other day the Germans blew up a mine burying four of our men. It was of course impossible to get them out and their captain and sergeant and I crawled over the top to the mound under which they were buried and I just whispered the words over them. This mine warfare is terrible. They blow us up, and then we blow them up, it is just a question who can be first. We blew up a very big mine just after theirs and must have killed many of
them. I am very glad I am in the trenches with the men. I have got to know them more in this last 10 days then in all the 3 previous months. I feel sure that it is the best way of working. I must stop now, with much love to all.
Your loving son Jack

No 27

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
9/8/16
My dear Mother,
I am afraid that it is very nearly a week ago or more since I last wrote to you. We have been constantly on the march shifting about from place to place all this last week, but we are now in the trenches again. I have been rather seedy for the least few days chiefly owing I think to a bad cold, so I am not in the trenches with my battalions, but I am in a village just behind the line. I am going up to them this afternoon but I am not going to stay the night there, as it means sleeping out in the open.
There is no prospect of leave at present but I live in hopes of getting home soon. I have filled in a contract to stay on in the Army for another year. I am entitled at the end of my first year to a fortnight’s holiday provided I have had no leave during the previous 3 months.
My year ends on Sept. 17th. If I take leave now I loose this fortnight, but if I can get 10 days now I shall take it. If only a week’s leave is given I think I shall wait as they really means only 4 days in England. Everyone advises me to take it at the first opportunity as one never knows how soon leave will be closing again, but it seems almost worth while for the sake of a fortnight to risk losing four days.
I make spasmodic efforts to find Edward. I found out where he was but he shifted before I could get to him, and I have no idea where he is now. I suppose he will be due for leave before long.
I am not allowed to give you any news. I hope you are enjoying this glorious weather at Nevin and that you and Dad are much the better for the change.
Your loving son Jack

No 28

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
13/8/16
My dear Mother,
I hope you are still at Nevin, enjoying this lovely weather and that both you and Dad are ever so much better for the change and rest. I am still in the same place as when I last wrote. I cannot get rid of my cold and cough, although it is certainly not the weather for such things. The Germans have been shelling this place today, but most of them went well over. In our Division there are eight chaplains and two of them had a very narrow escape, as the house they were in was hit. The roof and upper rooms were wrecked, but the house did not collapse, and they were all right in the room below. One of the two comes from something on the Mersey and he has often taken duty for Dad. His name is McCormack and he is greyhaired and elderly. I am hoping the Germans won’t shell us much, as the place is full of civilians who won’t leave their homes, and there are any amount of children about. I saw one little boy of nine brought into the hospital yesterday who had been hit by a bit of shell. He was badly marked up, and I should think dying, but it does not seem to make any difference to the rest of them, as they play about the street just the same, and then when a shell drops near the streets are empty , a few seconds as they all dive into the cellars.
I have been inundated with letters lately from mothers and wives of those who were killed in the push, so I will stop now to get on with them.
Your loving son Jack

No 29

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
16/8/16
My dear Mother,
I have received your last letter and I am glad to hear that you are sending out some more phospherine. I am also very short of socks (kaki) and I should be very glad if you could send some out as well as the phospherine. I spend more and more of my time writing letters and most of them are very unsatisfactory. In addition to letters addressed directly to me, both my Battalion Colonels have taken to handing over a lot of their letters of enquiry to me. There is such a tremendous number missing and the parents want enquiries made. We are right away now from the place, and it is very difficult to get any more information. In the noise and excitement of the advance some of those who came back have a very clear recollection of what happened to individuals and I get very conflicting reports. I think practically all of them are dead and we are by degrees getting bits sent up to men who have been reported missing, but whose bodies have now been found to be buried. The men are having a very hard time of it just at present and far worse than they have ever had before, with the exception of the actual push. I wish they could get right back for a month’s rest.
As far as I can see there is no prospect of leave starting again just as yet, and I expect I shall now wait in any case until September. From about a month today I am due for a fortnights holiday at the end of my first year, provided I have had no leave during the three previous months..I must stop this letter much love to you and Dad.
Your loving son Jack

No 30

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector
16/8/16
My dear Mother,
Both my battalions are out of the trenches at the present moment, and I am living not with the one I usually live with but with the other, as I have recently rather neglected this battalion for the sake of the other. Since we have been in this place we have been shelled every day always at different times. Last night they started between 12 and one, and they knocked the place about rather badly. It is rather disconcerting as it means a hasty retreat to cellars. They have not so far got many of our fellows, but I shall not be sorry to leave in two or three days time. It is rather difficult to give you any real news as we have been told to be very strict about censoring the men’s letters and so I have to be equally strict with my own.
My leave seems to be getting further away rather than closer, and it will be nearly the end of September before I can possibly get away but I am sure of getting a full fortnight when it does come, so I live in hopes. I had quite a big service this morning, and one of the principal generals came down and gave away military crosses and other decorations before the service. I hope Dad is all the better for his holiday at Nevin and that he is not so tired now as he was. I hope he won’t do to much over this National Mirror.
If you have any news of Edward, I should so like to hear what he says. I am afraid he must rather feel being away from the Regulars, and I should so like to know whether he writes hopefully of his new work. One hears all sorts of rumours out here.
I am quite fit again after a dose of flu. I had rather a temperature for two or three days, and I was very much afraid that I was not after all free from Malaria. But it turned out to be merely influenza which is rather prevalent just now.. Best love to all.
Your loving son Jack

No 31

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area
2/9/16
My dear Mother,
I have been travelling about a good deal during the last week, but I have got back again now. Both my battalions are in the trenches, but I am not with them this time as they are absolutely crowded out, and they are pulling down their headquarters and building new ones. I shall rejoin them when the new dug out is finished, as it is I am just behind them and I go in daily.
I am expecting now to get a fortnights leave on Wednesday September 27th, but one can never tell from day to day what we are likely to be doing the following week, or where we may be, and if we were in the course of moving, or had just moved I should not like to be away.
There is practically no news to tell you, and so I will stop now, hoping you have all come back from Nevin very much better for your holiday. I do hope Dad won’t do to much and overtax his strength in working for the National Mirror.
Your loving son Jack

No 32

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Near Hulluch (War Diary)
11/9/16
My dear Mother,
It is, I am afraid some time ago since I last wrote to you, but I have been rather overwhelmed with work lately owing to many of our chaplains leaving, and changing. Just at the present moment I am responsible for eight battalions instead of my usual two, but one of the chaplains is coming back on Thursday, and he will take four of them off my hands.
I have not had a letter from you for some time, and I am wondering whether your letters have gone astray. In your last letter you said somethingabout an officer meeting me named Porter from West Kirby. I wonder if you know what regiment he belongs to, as I do not remember seeing him at all. Judging by letters from Wokingham and other places lots of people have seen me, but I never seem to see them, and they never make themselves known to me. I am beginning to think that I must have a double in the Army.
I think I am at last going to get my leave at the end of this month. I have several things to do in London, but whether I do them last or first is at present uncertain, but I think I shall do them first. I think I get to England on Friday 29th. It is possible that I shall be able to get home on Saturday night, but it depends rather on when the boat leaves Boulogne, and how much time I have in London on the Friday. I think I shall probably have to stay until Monday. Well much love to all.
Your loving son Jack

War Diary 5th – 17th and 26th -39th Sept. 2nd Devons In the trenches including Hulluch Alley east of Hulluch. Casualties most days.

No 33

Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
14th Sept 1916?
My dear Mother,
I have not had a letter from you for quite a long time and I am wondering whether your letters can be going astray. I am much looking forward to getting a holiday in about a fortnight’s time, and there seems every prospect now of my getting it all right.
I wish you would send me some more phospherine, and also another writing block. I cannot get any decent paper to write on here. It is all so very thin.
I have been very busy lately and I shall be very glad to get away if only to escape the letters. I have written in the past week to nearly fifty homes of men belonging to my own and to other battalions, announcing the death of husbands and sons, and it is rather trying work answering their questions. I am moving back with my battalion for eight days on Sunday.
Your loving son Jack

No 33a

23rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters
B.E.F. France
Loos area (Cuinchy sector)
14/9/16
My dear Mother,
Just a line to let you know that I hope to get home rather earlier than I expected. I am now hoping to get to England on Tuesday Sept 26th so I shall be home well
before the end of the week. Best love to all.
Your loving son Jack

No 34

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
Trenches near Flers
22/10/16
My dear Mother,
I have been through rather arduous times since I saw you, and I have had hardly any opportunity for writing. I am lying now on a waterproof sheet very wet and cold in a sea of mud, in the midst of a most terrific din. I had great difficulty in finding my men as they had moved from where they were when I left them. I am now attached always to this battalion so will you address my letters as above. The fighting now is terrible and far worse than anything, I have seen before, but the men are cheerful and full of courage and hopes, and I am very glad now that I can be with them always in bad times as well as good. We shall be severely tested in the next few days but pray God that he will bring us safely through.
Your loving son Jack
PS Give my love to Dad and all at home, and tell Dad that I hope to see him next month.

War diary: 14  Oct. Returned to Somme area. At Montabaun camp by 21  Oct. 22  Oct. Took over Punch and Gap trenches south east of Flers as divisional reserve. 23  Oct. Moved forward to Needle Trench. 24  Oct. Attached to 25 Bde for attack on Zenith Trench but attack postponed to 29th Oct but cancelled after a bad relief of Misty Trench. 31 Oct. Moved back to rest near Meaulte.

No 35

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
In Citadel camp at Meaulte (War Diary)
2/11/16
My dear Mother,
I have just spent about the most unpleasant ten days I have ever spent in my life. It has been very cold and wet and we have been in up to our knees in mud and water most of the time in very bad trenches. I have got back now to a fairly comfortable billet and I have just had my first wash for over a week and it is the first time I have had my clothes and boots off for nearly a fortnight. Oswald’s grave is quite close and I shall try to go there, but just at present my feet are very sore and swollen ñùñù I have just spent about the most unpleasant ten days I have ever spent in my life. It has been very cold and wet and we have been in up to our knees in mud and water most of the time in very bad trenches. I have got back now to a fairly comfortable billet and I have just had my first wash for over a week and it is the first time I have had my clothes and boots off for nearly a fortnight. Oswald’s grave is quite close and I shall try to go there, but just at
present my feet are very sore and swollen ñùñù only my legs and feet that get really wet. I do not know what I should have done without that waistcoat.
I do not think that there is going to be any difficulty about my getting leave to go home for the Meeting. I think I can work it through the Divisional Commander. We are just off again at a moment’s notice. With much love to all.
Your loving son Jack

War Diary: 

7th Nov. Took over front line from 33rd Div. near Le Transloy. 8-9th Nov. Advanced to Autumn trench and dug Fall trench on crest of ridge.

No 36

Vargies
16/12/16
My dear Mother,
We are still in nice comfortable billets but not, I am afraid for long. I have been very busy both with correspondence and other matters. I have been able to do a lot of work amongst both officers and men, and I should very much like to stay longer here. My boots have never arrived and I have written to the Army and Navy Stores about them. With best love to Dad and all at home.
With the Season’s Greeting
And
Every Good Wish for a Happy Xmas
And
Prosperous New Year.
From your loving son Jack
2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment B.E.F. France

No 37

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
Vergies
4/1/17
My dear Mother,
I promised to write to Mr Wolcott and I started writing to him a long letter. I thought however that you might like to see it as well so I put two sheets of carbon reproducing paper under it, and I have sent the original to Mr Wolcott and one reproduction to you and the other to Aunt Polly. It is not I am afraid very legible.
When last back from leave I found my Battalion resting in a delightful village far from the sound of guns. ( Vargies ?) This village has never been in the war area and have consequently not been touched by shell fire, but with all the
population away for two years it has a distinctly dilapidated appearance. The mud walls of the barns have large gaping holes in them which makes them rather draughty for billets and there is a great lack of whitewash. The old people and children are all that is left but they carry on the work most spendidly.
You see boys of 13 and 14 at work on the roads – dressed in a rough sort of uniform and working hard entirely without supervision, doing their little bit for France. The old people both men and women are out early morning until late at night ploughing and working on the farms. The household work cooking and cleaning is done by little girls, too small to make themselves useful on the farm.
I was billeted in one of these farms with a delightful old couple. The man was 89 and incapable of work. He was full of reminiscences of 1870 and was muddled up in the siege of Paris. He used to sit in the kitchen – a rather poor, worn out old man with a weak and uncertain voice. Once he started talking he grew 20 years younger, his voice grew strong, his old eyes flashed, and with much gesture and waving of arms, he told his story. One by one he spoke of France’s wrongs and all that she had suffered from Germany and then he pictured his country ‘s triumph at the end of this war ending with a shout of “Vive La France.” Directly is was over he seemed to collapse and shrivel up into an old man again. The fact that I only understood about one word in every ten did not disturb him in the least.
Three days before Christmas they asked me to lunch together with the other officer billeted in the house. Two days before the old lady was shopping, driving off in a sort of large wooden box with perambulator wheels, and drawn by three patient and ancient dogs of a woolly sheepdog variety. The dogs in France are worked very hard and in a way which makes it clear that there is no Society for the Protection of Animals in France! The dinner talk was a great success. There were only four of us, but amongst many other things we had a rabbit and chicken and a round of beef all of which we had to eat, or grievously offend our hosts.
Directly Christmas was over we moved. Christmas itself was great like an old fashioned party with soldiers for children. In the morning we had our services in the village school. I had to have four company’s services to get them all in. I accompanied the Christmas carols on a harmonium and they went with a great swing, while afterwards we had a Celebration at which there were very large numbers present. In the middle of the day came dinner, just like a children’s Christmas dinner turkey, pork and Christmas puddings – the officers looking after the men. All went very merrily with much speechifying and songs. In the evening we had our Christmas dinner, and after one last visit to the men to say goodnight, we all turned in but 24 hours later in the hut where we had been
mainly bedding each other goodnight, the battalion was drawn up in the dark in perfect silence waiting for the order to march. ( marched to trenches in front of St Pierre Vaast Wood ) As they stood there with their steel helmets on carrying their rifles, ammunition, bayonets, gas marks and all other paraphanalia of war the day before – Christmas Day – all seemed a far off drama. Before the day had finished we were amongst all the noise of battle and the following night we were all at the front line. I started this letter at the bottom of a deep German dugout, which was by the side of a rather famous road. ( Albert to Bapaume ) In this dugout we had nearly fifty men all the headquarters staff. Pioneers, stretcher bearers, signallers and despatch runners made up this number, while the officers were the CO Adj, Doctor, Bombng Officer and myself. The duty hut itself was was all lined with wood and was between 30 and forty feet deep. The Germans who had built the place of course knew exactly where it was and plastered it rather badly. It was too deep for them to blow up, but we had six men hit on the stairs, though two well directed shells landing straight in the entrance. Two Germans, three days ago, lost their way while carrying rations and wandered up to our lines. They were called on to surrender, but they stood there in a dogged sort of fashion and then turned and walked leisurely back. There was of course nothing to do but to shoot, and they both fell. One was dead, and the other dying and we fetched him in. He was such a fine looking boy and so grateful. We made him as comfortable as possible and he just kept on murmering pardon, pardon and thank you very much, which seemed to be all the English he knew, until he died. He had such a nice group in his pocket of himself with his father and mother, and brothers and mates. These little incidents, which take place in the early morning and in cold blood are infinitely more trying, than by actions when many are killed. It all seems so beastly and trivial and wicked for a trenchful of men to kill one unarmed boy, but of course it is all necessary. I admire the pluck and courage of our men in action immensely but I love and admire them much more for the way they care for the wounded, both our men and our enemy. They do all they can to kill the Germans, but if they only half succeed the care they take of their wounded foes is quite extraordinary. You see them giving them their food and drink, and during all they can for them and this is I think one great point where the British soldier is so immeasureably superior to the Germans.
I am finishing this letter back from the line in a camp. We are crowded in tents with mud floors and thick mud outside. It is pouring with rain and awfully cold and windy. We are all pretty well we to the skin and we should be very wretched and miserable and half dead with influenza and pneumonia. But we are not in the least – everyone is hearty and well and half the camp is singing. I have run slap out of writing paper so I must stop now.
Your loving son Jack
P.S. This letter has got so wet and crushed on the march that it is almost unreadable and you must not try your eyes trying to make it out. Edith will read it for you.

An Army Chaplain of the Army Chaplains’ Department helping along a wounded German prisoner taken on the 13th of November 1916. Near Aveluy Wood. IWM

No 38

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F.
Trenches in front of St Pierre Vaast Wood
12/1/17
My dear Mother,
We have been in the trenches a great deal lately, and letter writing has consequently been very difficult. We are back out of the line, but not out of shell fire range, and at the present moment we are in a house again. The windows are marked, and there are holes in the roof and walls, and not a scrap of furniture, but it is a great relief to have a roof over one’s head again.
I was very glad to hear that Edward’s and Arthur’s names were mentioned in despatches. I expect that you looked to see if mine was there also, but it will never be as long as I remain with the regulars. We get practically no mentions or distinctions whatever. The people in for the duration of the war get them practically all, chiefly because several of the honours carry a pension or a yearly annuity. That drops when you leave the army, and so the unfortunate regular who is in for 21 years gets left out, to save money. They also I think expect a great deal more from the regulars than from Kitchener’s and what wins a distinction amongst them is passed over amongst us.
I sent you yesterday a long letter which I wrote to Mrs Woolest. You must not think that I find time to write to others and not home. I have very little chance of writing at all, but I got held up for two hours at the bottom of a dug out owing to a heavy bombardment, and I filled in the time by writing to him. He asked me to write when I went to see him that Sunday I was at West Kirby.
My work got increasingly difficult and we have had no services since Christmas and I am afraid we shall get none this next Sunday. Sunday does not exist when one is in the fighting area. Although we are in the reserve now and supposed to be resting, the troops have to work all day starting about half past eight until dark. They go off in parties some going six or seven miles to unload trains, carry up ammunition, wine and stores of all sorts, to dig new roads and repair old ones, and to do many other similar jobs. This of course must go on every day, Sundays included. Much love to all at home.
Your loving son Jack

No 39

2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
???
21/1/17
My dear Mother,
I am at present staying with my second battalion, but I am in the same neighborhood as before. We are resting at present, and I hope we shall continue to do so for another week, but everything is very uncertain.
The cold is rather trying. I am billeted in a tiny cottage, part of which has fallen down, stone floors and so very little glass left in the windows. There is no coal or coke to be got but with two others I have brought a tree, and we are burning that and so keep fairly warm. I sleep in a summer house and one of those octagonal ones thatched with straw which are so common in England. It has luckily a door and I have a mattress in there and so I am all right. There is not very much news to tell you. I hope after another three weeks we shall go away to another part of the line altogether. I think we have done our share here.
Everyone keeps well, but all are getting very war weary. We had got the Germans beaten now, and this year ought to see the finish, but I am afraid there will still be a lot more lives lost before the end.
Best love to all at home.
Your loving son Jack
My address is as before
2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France

No 39

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
14/2/17
My dear Mother
We are back at last for a week or ten days, and it is very nice to be back in a house again. I am billeted with a French family, who have a small farm. They have given me a very comfortable room with a bed in it. It is the first time I have slept in sheets this year.
There have been some big changes in our Division lately. Our Divisional general is new, while three out of the four brigadier generals are new also, my own brigadier general being the only one of the old ones left. He is a very fine man and I hope very much that he will not go. The staff has all been changed as well. Of the eight chaplains four have gone and another is going. It is the senior chaplain Talbot who is going and I am very sorry indeed that he is, as we shall never get another man as good. All these changes make me feel inclined transfer myself and I would do so if I wasn’t so attached to the Devons. The usual thing for chaplains to do is to spend their first six months at a base hospital, the next six months with the reserve troops and then come up to the line for another six months, after which they usually go back for a rest with the reserve troops behind the line, of which there are, of course, enormous numbers, and one has, in some ways, a better opportunity of getting hold of the men there. I believe there are six men behind the line for every one in it. When Talbot goes there will be only one chaplain left who has been with the Division as long as I have.
There has not been very much chance of doing very much work lately among the men. When we have not been in the line, we have been hard a work making roads, building dug-outs, digging new trenches, unloading trains, carrying up stores and ammunition, and even now we are back it appears we shall spend the whole time training. However I have got to know the men which is a great thing.
I suppose you have now got Edward back home again with you. I expect I will be back with you again at the end of next month if all goes well and if leave is open then.
There is no leave being given now from this part of the front, and I doubt whether there will be for some time. We are all living in hopes of moving elsewhere, after our next spell in the line.
You have not said recently in your letters how Dad has been lately or whether this weather has had any effect on your rheumatism.
Your loving son Jack

No 40

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
Bouchevesnes Section with 4 Div
SW Moislains Wood opp Pallas Trench
28/2/17
My dear Mother,
My sheets and a nice warm bed about which I wrote to you in my last letter were not mine for long, as after enjoying the rest and change for two or three days we were suddenly quite unexpectedly sent back again. Your last letter to me shows that you know what we have been doing since. We have been doing very well lately, and it has not been quite so unpleasantly cold, but we have had no blankets up with us and it has been very chilly at nights sleeping on the mud
floor of a dugout. We are all also getting rather dirty as quite apart from the mud, we hope not had our clothes off for the last eight days. However as long as things go well it does not much matter.
We have had no mail for the last five or six days and we have sent no letters. The mail which has now arrived is rather a big one and I have a lot of letters to answer so I will write no more now. Best love to all.
Your loving son
Jack
P.S. There has been rather a lot of sickness which of course is bound to be so under these conditions, but so far I have kept very well.

No 41

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
8/3/17
My dear Mother,
We have had a very strenuous and very successful week as you may have seen by the papers. We are now back in huts and dugouts resting for a few days.
Next week I am going to S. Omer for a Conference and a Retreat. I shall be away a week, and I shall very much enjoy the rest and quiet. I am now due for leave but no leave is being given from here at all, and there does not seem to be much prospect of it being granted for some time. However I live in hopes of getting home by Easter time.
I have had a letter from Edward saying that he is within 10 miles of me. After I get back from S. Omer, we are going to try to meet.
I have not had a letter from you for some time, but I expect you have written and your letter has been held up. We often go four or five days without a mail, as there are difficulties in getting them up to us.
I am very well but it is bitterly cold, living in a hole in the ground sleeping on the floor and being without fires, sounds very unpleasant, but one soon gets used to it, and it will make our home lives all the pleasanter when we get back to them.
Your loving son Jack

No 42

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
St Omer
18/3/17
My dear Mother,
I am having a most enjoyable week right away from the line with several other Chaplain’s who have been out here a long time. We are having discussions on various subjects and two quiet days. The weather also has been perfectly glorious for the last few days, and I am enjoying the change and rest immensely.
As you will see for yourself in the papers we are having a very busy and strenuous time. It is all very interesting but it makes our work extremely difficult, as everyone is hard at work the whole time. I am hoping that I may get leave soon, but it is very doubtful
Your loving son
Jack

No 43

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. Franc
( Lieramont)
26/3/17
My dear Mother,
I have had one of the most delightful weeks in my life, and I am now back again with the Battalion thoroughly rested and refreshed. The place ( Lieramont) where I am now is providing us with a new sort of billet in the shape of cellars, and we are all very pleased with them. There are five of us in my cellar, so we are rather crushed but the whole roof has fallen in on the top of the cellar, and so it keeps the rain out. The four walls of the house are still standing and as they may fall down any moment, we are going to empty our cellar, and then pull them over or blow them up. Then if the cellar does not collapse under the weight we are going to return, and make the place really comfortable.
The villages round here are an extraordinary sight. Most of the houses are down altogether, and those that are left just have the walls standing. What they will do with them after the War I cannot imagine as there are dead horses and men all over the place, – the men have just been lightly buried and the horses are not buried at all, and the stench is pretty bad now. What it will be like in the Summer I can’t imagine – the ground will be useless and poisonous for years.
I have written to Edward and tried to fix up a meeting place. I shall have to do six miles back, as he is coming by car and all the roads are smashed to pieces round here.
I have recently had another letter from Pyke. I showed you a former letter of his. He has been very ill indeed again, and is dying of consumption although he does not know it. He gets better and out of bed for a week or two, and then had another very bad turn. I want you to keep this letter for me. I am
trying to get leave, which will have to be special leave as there is no leave open, so that I can fix Robert up at Wokingham. I am going to apprentice him to a chemist as I think he ought to learn something about the work now, if he is going to take on his father’s business later on.
Someone is waiting for this letter to take it back so I will close now.
Your loving son Jack

No 44

2nd Devonshire Regiment
B.E.F. France
( Lieramont)
18/4/17
My dear Mother,
I have very little news to tell you although there is a great deal happening of interest, which I am not allowed to write about. My leave seems to grow further away rather than nearer, but I am hoping to get away before the end of the month. When I do get back I shall have to be two days in London and another day at Wokingham. I want to apprentice Robert to a chemist to learn something about medicines, and I have also to arrange about his lodgings etc. I am afraid it may be rather an expensive business as I shall of course have to pay the chemist as well.
We are all looking forward to the summer and to dry weather again. It keeps on alternatively snowing and raining, and as we are constantly on the move, and sleeping on the ground in holes in the ground or under a bit of corrugated iron, the weather makes a lot of difference to our comfort at night. Love to all at home.
Your loving son Jack

30th March 1917 2nd Devons attacked at Heudecourt successful. Could J W B have been buries alive in the action, some time after 18th April 1917 after which he was invalided back to Woolwich Hospital.

Letter written on May 2nd from Queen Mary’s Hospital
Further letters
The Queen’s Hospital
For Sailors and Soldiers suffering from Facial and Jaw Injuries
Frognal, Sidcup, Kent
Patroness:
Her Majesty The Queen


2nd May 1918
My dear Mother
We have been having rather a trying time lately. We have had to turn out all our old patients as we get two convoys in every day. Nearly every one has been just recently badly wounded, and practically all are in bed, and we have had a large number of deaths.
We have had a great number of distinguished visitors down here and it is always my job to receive them and take them round. Two days ago we had Queen Alexandria round. She is a most amusing old lady, very strong willed and quite deaf. The Colonel came round with her as well, for which I was rather thankful. She was always asking questions—————–2 lines of letter torn out—————–who is King Constantine’s sister. She ought to be interned ! I had a very nice letter the other day from Princess Helena Victoria. The last time she was here she asked me to go up and have lunch with her in London, and then go on with her to see some huts in which she is very much interested. I rather hope I shall be able to avoid that. I shall not mention it again, but I expect she will be down here tomorrow and if she says any more about it , I will have to go. Her mother , Princess Christian, sent me ten pounds at the beginning of the week for my chapel and I am hoping Queen Mary will send me something too. I have had Dartford Aerodrome taken from me, but there has been trouble down there and they have asked my senior to let me take it on again, which he has done. It is, I suppose, a great compliment, but it is a great nuisance. All the work I do is badly done, because I have not time to ———-2 lines of letter torn out ————for an early celebration at 6. The news has been rather better these last two days, but there is undoubtedly a very big battle coming on. The Germans are so badly places. They cannot stay where they are, and if they cannot go forward they must go back. I think it will be the beginning of the end. The men just back all say the German losses are appalling. I hope the waters are doing your rheumatism good and that you and Dad will be much better for the change.
Your Loving Son Jack

After surgery and a period of convalscence JW was sent to serve at St Mary’s Hospital Sidcup which had under the direction of Harold Gillies begun a new development in facial surgery.Photo The Plastic Theatre, Queen Mary’s Hospital, 1917. Harold Gillies is seated on the right.

JW’s son PJB Blencowe writes “After April 1917,after he was seriously wounded, J W B never returned to Flanders. After a number of operations, he was never pronounced fit enough. Instead he was appointed Chaplain to Queen Mary’s Hospital Frognal, where he administered to the sick, wounded and dying.”

P.J.B. December 2006

Note

Examination of the war diaries for 1917 of the 2nd devons cannot confirm the incident when JW Blencowe was buried and wounded. It entirely possible this incident was not reported in the diary at a very busy time or that he was attached to another Battalion at that very moment .

Letters home from the Western Front – John Walcot Blencowe 1916

Surprising Canadian WW1 history and the Blencowes

Canadians long known for their tolerance to and support of equality are surprised to learn that in WW1 there was intolerance and racial discrimination in the community even in a time when the nation needed to pull together. In 1871 Thomas Blencowe b.1838 Middleton Cheney and his wife Elizabeth (nee Ward) arrived on the “Prussian”in Quebec City Canada. They proceeded to Simcoe County on the shores of Lake Simcoe in Ontario to set up home and a living as Farmers.

Sometime between 1871 and 1883 Elizabeth died, there doesn’t appear to be any children from that marriage.

In 1883 Thomas married Hannah Lavinia Eddy (or Addy) age 19 a woman of African descent .

Hannah was no recent immigrant to Canada in fact she came from a rich history of Black Canadians who joined forces with the British in 1776 war of independence forming a ‘Black’ regiment and fighting on the British side. These soldiers and families settling in Nova Scotia in what was called Upper Canada .1


Hannah’s grandparents may well have again formed a part of the Black regiment that fought for Canada in the 1812 war between USA and Canada.

Interestingly whether they fought or were camp followers, they were the first black pioneers to the province of Ontario. From history of Simcoe County ‘The first black pioneers that settled in Simcoe County arrived as soldiers in the War of 1812. They were members of Capt. Runchey’s “ Company of Coloured Men”. “The company saw action at Stoney Creek, Queenston Heights, Lundy’s Lane and Saint David’s. After the War of 1812 some of the veterans settled in the Simcoe County area.“ 2

Thomas and Hannah had seven children between 1883-1900 they being Charlie (1883),William Edward,(1885), Frank (1888) Thomas (1894) Eda (1896), Edward James (1897) Nellie (1900)

Thomas and the family lived in a rural hamlet of Oro and likely farmed the land there between the current city of Barrie and the town of Orillia
When 1914 came round sons Frank, Thomas and Edward James wanted to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. There was a problem though (much to the surprise of some modern-day Canadians) segregation and discrimination was still being practised unofficially .

Canadians of African descent who volunteered were not getting accepted for the Army and reasons given were not acceptable.

Arthur Alexander a Black Leader from Buxton Ontario wrote to the Government to protest four months after the war began. The answer he received was “it was up to the Company Commanders who they selected”, the subsequent correspondence over the next year or so makes very sad reading and the rejection of able-bodied men on race only grounds was indefensible. The result was more protest from the Canadian Black Community and eventually, authorities agreed to a Black Battalion to be formed.

In July 1916 the battalion was formed and it was called No 2 Construction Company.

Photograph of some of the men of the No 2 Construction company in 1916

FRANK BLENCOWE,1888, ONTARIO, PRIVATE, 931604, CEF NO. 2 CONSTRUCTION BN.

Frank joined No.2 Construction Company in October 1916, and March 1917 embarked for England.After a period of training in England the No 2 Construction Coy. was to embark for the Western front and landed in France on 17 May 1917.

A photograph of Soldiers of the No 2 Construction company that likely includes Frank Blencowe. The Battalion departed from Halifax Nova Scotia on-board the SS Southland on March 28, 1917 and arrived at Liverpool ten days later.

In May 1917, the unit was downgraded in status to a company and attached to the Canadian Forestry Corps.By the fall of 1917, the unit was operating in the Jura mountains of France.

It was employed primarily in the production of timber for repairing roads. Members of the unit hoped to be able to take part in the action of the trenches but only a few eventually did. Even so, some were injured, and some lost their lives to artillery fire, poison gas, and construction accidents.4

Frank was in France through to the Armistice and on 11th Dec.1918 he was transported back to England and posted to Kinmel Park, Canadian Discharge Depot, Wales for a what turned out for him and most Canadian soldiers a long waiting period before shipping home. This long wait caused Canadian forces in general to be very frustrated and upset (see March 1919 riot of Canadian Soldiers) . Frank eventually was posted to Canada on 19th Jan. 1919 and on the 8th Feb. discharged at London Ontario.

While the story so far shows a racist selection environment existed in 1914/15, Frank’s brother Edward James joined a regular Canadian Regiment May 1916, showing the selection criteria was arbitrarily applied.

Edward James Blencowe, 1897, Edgar, Ontario, Sapper, 853472, 177th (Simcoe Foresters), 123rd (Pioneer) Bn CEF and 7th Engineers
177th Bn 123rd Pioneer Bn 7th Canadian Engineers

Edward served from 1916-1919 fighting at Passchendaele and other actions of the 123rd Bn in the war.4

In many cases the 123rd Battalion served with front line troops, and in fact, in front of the front line troops, to improve roads, and establish battlements, fortification and dugouts for the front-line infantry troops to use and occupy. They suffered many casualties. One of their principal roles was to build plank roads to facilitate movement of troops, artillery pieces, and supply columns, only to have the Germans shell the roads, requiring immense efforts to get Canadian forces to and from the front. In 1918 the 123rd was disbanded and men moved to battalions of the Canadian Engineers. Edward returned home to Toronto in Mar.1919.

THOMAS BLENCOWE, PRIVATE, 3108518, CEF NO. 2 CONSTRUCTION BN.

Thomas the youngest brother joined up with the No2 Construction Coy. in Nov. 1917 and was attested in March 1918, too late to be sent overseas by the time initial training had been completed.

At the end of the war the No. 2 Construction Company was given a heroes welcome as this photographed taken in post war Toronto attests.This maybe was an act of atonement for the disgraceful treatment at the beginning of the war.

This photograph was taken at the dedication of a plaque in memory of the members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, an all-Black non-combat battalion that served in World War I. The plaque was (and is) in the main hall of Queen’s Park.[/caption]

Thus three Black brothers Frank,Thomas and Edward James Blencowe, served their country and the Commonwealth repeating history from 1776 and 1812. All the brothers married and lived in Canada after the war.

Sources
  1. Wikipedia – Black Loyalists
  2. Extract from Wikipedia No. 2 Construction Battalion
  3. Black Pioneers – Simcoe County 1812 Vets
  4. Canada’s Black Battalion : No. 2 Construction, 1916-1920
  5. The Army records for FrankEdward James, and Thomas Blencowe 
Surprising Canadian WW1 history and the Blencowes

Letters from Gallipoli

LETTERS OF THE REV’D J.W. BLENCOWE
FROM GALLIPOLI 1915

The uniform of the Chaplaincy to the ForceLeft John in uniform

Right cap badge and brass Maltese Cross lapel badges

Letter instructing J W B to report for Chaplaincy duties

War Office London S W

14th September 1915

SIR,

I am directed to acquaint you that you have been selected for duty as Temporary Chaplain to the Forces, with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, for duty with the 1/1st Eastern mounted Brigade.

Your service will be governed by the conditions set out in the attached form of agreement, which should be signed and returned to me in duplicate, when one copy will be signed at this office and sent back to you for retention. A medical certificate by an officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps as to your fitness for general service under the conditions laid down in Appendix 16 of the Regulations for the Army Medical Service, should also be furnished, and the name and address of your next-of-kin should be reported, for record purposes.

Your pay will be issued to you through the Army Agents (Messr Sir C. R. McGrigor & Co., 39, Pauton Street, Haymarket, S W). who will be authorised to make you an advance equal to 30 days pay. An advance of 91 days’ Field Allowance may also be obtained on production of this letter, from the Command Paymaster, Eastern Command 91 York Street, Westminster S W , who will take the necessary steps to transfer you to the Paymaster oversea for subsequent issues of allowances. You should at once provide yourself with field service dress, kit,, etc. Allowances are granted for the provision of outfit as shewn in the attached Statement. Arrangements for the supply of service books, horse and saddlery (if required), batman, etc., will be made oversea. A field service communion set will, if possible, be supplied to you before your embarkation: should this not be practicable, application for one may be made to the Army Ordnance-Department overseas. Anti-typhoid inoculation is desirable.

Instructions as to passage will he sent to you as soon possible after the receipt of the signed agreements, etc. You should join this Brigade at Yoxford at once.

I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant.

PR Mitchily C. F.

Letter No 1

Mediterranean (aboard SS Olympic)

September 29th 1915

My Dear Mother

The censorship is so strict that it is quite impossible to tell you any real news. I am quite well in spite of rough weather in the Bay of Biscay, which proved too much for the majority. I have also had a large back tooth removed. I have been inoculated and thus have rather a painful arm while I share with others a substantial ship’s cold. But I am feeling wonderfully fit and quite rested. I had my first Church Parade on Sunday, but although there were five services only very few could attend as there are such enormous numbers on board. Also throughout the Service many members of the congregation had to make hurried bolts to the side which was rather disturbing. The wind also was so terrific that it entirely drowned my voice and the noise of my sea-sick congregation. Next Sunday we shall be on land. The question of lost kit does not matter as we can only land with what we can carry. I wish I could tell you some thing of the voyage and what we are to do, and also of the ship, the numbers and the individuals on board. We have many M.Ps and even more Members of the House of Lords so this journey will be quite historic. The officers of my special Regiment are extremely nice from the Colonel downwards, and I am specially attached to the Suffolk Yeomanry for both officers and men have given me a most hearty welcome. I also have to look after a regiment of Welsh Horse who are attached to our Brigade, but I have not seen much of them. It is impossible to tell you any of the really interesting things which have happened on board, but I am trying to keep a diary instead. Will you tell Dad that I will not be able to see Whitehead. I hope you had a good rest at Banbury and that Dad is all right.

Your loving Son Jack

PS Parcels of socks and handkerchiefs will be very welcome. We land with very little and there is practically no water. The dirt and filth is very bad and both officers and men on shore are alive with vermin.

My address is:

Rev J.W. Blencowe, Suffolk Yeomanry, Eastern Mounted Brigade, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force

Letter No 2

Sunday October 10th 1915

British Expeditionary Forces Mediterranean

(aboard SS Olympic)

My dear Mother

I find I have just time to write a line and tell you I am alright. We have not been to Egypt and although we are in sound of gunfire we have not yet landed. We go to rather a bad spot, (where the Australians and New Zealanders are). We first went there on Friday night, but a storm got up and we could not land. Although under fire we only had one man killed. Tonight we are going to try again. As you approach Gallipoli and our landing, there is a perfect blaze of light, which one does not expect. It is like a brilliantly lighted town. The lights, of course, only point to seaward so the Turks cannot see them. Today , Sunday, I had a parade service and a celebration which I had to divide into two as there were nearly 300 present. Everyone is in the best of spirits and eager to get ashore. The feeling amongst the troops is quite wonderful. All my officers, including the General and his staff come to the celebration and the men come in very large numbers. We may have quite a large number tonight if the Turks have any idea of our landing. Today we have had a fight between aeroplanes and a transport or ours was sunk. I expect you have read how nearly we came to grief coming out. A submarine suddenly appeared just ahead. We were armed with two guns and maxims and the torpedo missed us because we twisted right round, firing on them all the time. If we had gone down it would have been the greatest disaster of the war. When I land I will try to write again, but I am uncertain of the ports.

I hope you and Dad are well and that the Belgians are all right.

Your loving Son, Jack

10 Oct.  landed at Walkers Pier, under orders of 54th (East Anglian) Division. Chaplain at the Gallipoli landing attached to the Suffolk Yeomanry.

Letter no 3

October 15th 1915

Trenches on Gallipoli

My dear Dad

We left our base which was quite close to here (I wrote from there last time) and got to Anzac last Friday night. We were huddled together under fire on a small transport, but only one man was killed. A squall got up very quickly and we could not land on the lighters so we left for a neighbouring island. From the sea the shore presented an extraordinary sight, as it was, of course, night, and the whole place was lit up by innumerable lights. It looked just like Brighton must look from the sea at night. The lights, of course, were all in our trenches, and did not show to the Turks. We stayed on the island till Sunday night, and then had another attempt which was more successful. We got ashore without casualties and marched about five miles through trenches to our present position, which is in a valley and rather exposed. There are a lot of stray bullets flying about at night when their sniper get to work, but they have not yet located our position with their guns. The big guns, both theirs and ours, go over us incessantly, but we have dug ourselves in well into the side of the hill so we are quite safe. I have just got my own little dug-out where I sleep alone with my colonel, very well sand bagged. I am rather disappointed that we have just had orders to quit for the front line trenches. It is a most extraordinary thing that the nearer you get to the Turks the safer you are. Our trenches are up the side of a hill and all their shot and guns go over our heads and we are thus much better protected. There will be no advance made here as the Suvla line is behind ours and we have to wait before we advance until the line gets straight. We have chiefly Australians, New Zealanders and Indians fighting with us. Our three regimental squadrons have already moved up. They went yesterday. The Reserves go with me today. For every man wounded in this neighbourhood there are 10 down with dysentery, but we have not suffered much yet in that respect. The noise of the guns is terrific, but one of my fellow officers has given me a pair of ear protectors, which help immensely. It is very cold indeed at night as we are of course sleeping in the open. The aeroplanes, both theirs and ours, are often fighting overhead: only one of theirs has been brought down in a blazing mess, but they have previously lost so many, that now ours hold almost undisputed command. I was left yesterday in command of the camp as I was senior officer, the others being Lieutenants and subalterns. General Birdwood inspected our camp and seemed quite pleased with everything. He was also very optimistic, but the Bulgarian Question, of course, is rather serious for us here. The Colonel, the second in command, and myself seem to constitute the main headquarters for the regiment. It is rather nice in many ways as I hear everything that is going on and get better fed than I would otherwise. The officers here are all extremely nice, while they appreciate our work and so very much like to have a chaplain with them. It is very difficult in some ways. You must go by days of the week. Two squadrons out of three are in the trenches, while the other squadron is in reserve. And I have a service for them regardless of the day. Tomorrow, Sunday, I have a service for the General and his staff at Headquarters and then go back and have another service just behind the trenches for the squadron in reserve. As men are never allowed to congregate together for fear of shrapnel, we have to have many services with a few at each. I also see practically nothing of the wounded and sick as they are taken off at once to the clearing hospital and then sent direct to the neighbouring island, Alexandria or home. These clearing hospitals have their own chaplains, and as we cannot go anywhere without an escort, it is very difficult for me to get to the clearing hospitals and see my own sick and wounded.

I am fit and well and thoroughly enjoying the life. I find my Melanesian experience invaluable and find I can be of assistance consequently in many small ways to those who have never roughed it before.

I am looking forward to getting letters from home. The postal arrangements are hopeless and we do not expect letters for another fortnight. I hope you and mother are keeping well and that the news, when it does come, will be good.

Your Loving Son Jack

Gallipoli map
JW LANDED ON 10 OCT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO VICINITY OF ANAFARTA BIYUK SHOWN HERE ON A MAP OF OTHER BLENCOWES WHO WERE AT GALIPOLLI

Letter no 4

October 26th 1915

In Trenches Gallipoli

My dear Mother

I have not a great deal of news to tell you, but I expect you have been looking at the papers and wondering why there is so little about the Dardanelles in them. This campaign has really been a failure and I think they have given up the idea of getting across at once. We have far too troops out here, and the sickness is terrible. We have 302 now instead of 500, and although we shall get some back, they never stay long, as once you have dysentery your stomach does not get strong enough for some months to withstand the food, the water-which is very

bad- and the sleeping out on these cold and wet nights. Our position, too, renders it difficult to fight the dysentery. All this country is a mass of hills and gullies covered with a scrubby growth. There is nothing worth calling tree here.

A is the Turkish Hill with their trenches on the top. B is our hill with our trenches on the top. And our dug-outs just behind, and C is a hill covered with dead bodies of Turks and Indians. We can not bury them by day or night as the hill is completely covered by the Turks from their high position on A. All their high shots, which clear our trenches, come over our dug-outs and onto the hill C. As this place swarms with flies it is naturally not very healthy. The water too is very dirty. When we first landed, each man had so little that he drank it all. It is quite muddy but we have chlorates of lime to put into it and we then make it into tea. Now we are a little better off as we can most days each draw half a pail-full of very dirty water for washing purposes as well as our drinking water. We have, however, to sleep in our clothes and boots etc, for fear of a Turkish attack on our trenches, so we are rapidly become a very dirty and disreputable lot.

I went to Lemnos last Monday to see after some things we had left there as we came out. I was only there for one night. It was rather a relief to get away from the noise.

I am extraordinarily well and fit and love the life out here. Now that I am with people who have never been used to this sort of life, I find out what a great deal I learnt out in Melanesia. In many ways I am being constantly able to help.

My dug-out is so small that I have just got room to lie down and sleep in it. It is a Hole 4 feet deep, 3 feet across and 8 feet long. I have hollowed the earth out at the end, and I sleep with my head and chest underground, and the rest is covered with a waterproof sheet. It is rather primitive and like a rabbit hole, but it is quite sufficient and in time we shall get better dug-outs.

Letter ends here

Letter no 5

Extract from letter written in the trenches, probably between

October 26th and November 14th 1915

Next Sunday we move at about half past four in the morning to go to our rest camp for five days. It is far harder work there than here and we have just as many casualties from shrapnel and stray bullets. However I like it better as the men can sleep at night there and work in the day, while here it is the reverse way and consequently it is more difficult to get hold of them. You will be surprised to hear that we have a Confirmation Service in Sunday evening after dark: I have some candidates, including the regimental doctor, but preparation has been very difficult. Other chaplains till me that life itself out here is a preparation, and they only see their men once, but I don’t quite like that.

The ordinary service out here is, of course , a voluntary one. You could not possibly parade the whole regiment, as it would be highly unwise for a mass of troops to get together. When there is a lot, we have to have 2 or 3 services in succession. Even then, if shrapnel or high explosive shells burst near we have to disband. In the early morning though, we have a Celebration in peace, as the Turks will never fire their big guns at night, as the flash would give away their gun positions, and so we have our service before it is quite light.

I am glad to say our casualties have not been very frequent; practically no one has been hit in the trenches. They are frequently sending shrapnel over into our valley here and it is quite true, though it sounds a little curious, that the closer you are to the Turks the safer you are. We are supported by battleships which lie out at sea, and shoot just over our heads into the Turkish trenches, which are about 100 yards from where I am writing this in my little dug-out. At the present moment there is a vigorous bombardment going on, as a cruiser and two destroyers are bombarding their lines. The Turks are replying and both their shells and ours go with a curious droning sort of whistle over our heads. We have such a narrow strip of land that you can not possibly get out of range. The noise is rather trying but I have ear protectors which deadens the shock of the sound of the big guns. One gets so used to it that after a time you hardly notice it. I am very happy here and I love the life. Although it is hard it is not si hard as Santa Cruz and having so many friends around you makes such a difference. I am eagerly looking forward to a mail. I have had just a few letters, which you sent on 3 or 4 days after I left, but we are expecting another mail every day. I hope, if you forward letters, you will either send each separately or that you will put them in one envelope and tie it securely with string, as the last packet was open when I got it and I am so afraid that I lost some of the letters.

I hope you and Dad are well and not worried about any of us. Few mothers can have sons in France, the Dardanelles and East Africa. I wish there was more prospect of our succeeding here, but until they stop sending all the reinforcements to Salonika, and send them here instead, we have all we can do in just sticking to the little bit of land we have got. They reckon now that the regiment will not last till much after Christmas, as sickness and casualties will just about have used us all up. I hope that somehow or other the illness will be checked and our sick parade is already only half what it was, but , of course, we have only to lose 10 men a day to be pretty well finished by Christmas.

Your loving son Jack

Letter no 6

November 14th 1915

Anzac

My dear Mother

I hear that I have just time to write to you before a mail goes. I am still very well and I am glad to say that the regiment as a whole is better. There are not so many cases of dysentery now, but we have only 300 effective men left with over 180 in hospital. The weather has turned cold and killed some of the flies, although by no means all. Today we are in our rest camp; the first Sunday for some time that we have been able to have a service. I had over 50 at the celebration.

Tomorrow we go back into the trenches. Last Sunday morning, while you were at Holy Communion, I was lying at the bottom of a trench with two badly wounded men. The Turks got up close in the night and infiltrated a corner of our trench, and when daylight came they hit two of our men before we knew they were there. I looked after them and stayed with one other man for nearly two hours before we could move them. As long as we stayed at the bottom of the trench we were perfectly safe and \I was glad to be able to help them there, especially as there is very little hope of one getting over his wounds.

The next night we routed the Turks out, killing 6 and only three of our men were hit. I find the noise more trying than anything else. All these gullies magnify the sound so much. These are most bitter complaints about the mail. We have had two since we landed five weeks ago and today they came in the wrong order.

I should be most grateful for vests and socks and also for eatables, coffee, cakes and chocolate. They must be very well packed indeed. Our chances of getting them are not very bright but I wish you would try. Address my letters to Capt: J.W. Blencowe Suffolk Yeomanry British Expeditionary Forces in Med

Not to 1/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade.

With very best love and in great haste as I am keeping our postman waiting.

Your Loving son Jack

Letter no 7

November 23rd 1915

Malta

My dear Mother

You will be surprised to hear that I am now at Malta and in hospital. I have been rather bad but I am now much better, al though I expect it will be some time before I am all right again. I thought I had malaria 10 days ago, but I could do nothing with it and it got worse and worse and eventually they took me on a stretcher to the ship. What I thought was malaria, turned out to be both malaria and typhoid I was very bad for two days owing to the ague shaking up my stomach. Which was already very tender with the typhoid. Once I got clear of the malaria, I was much better and for the last four days I have been doing well. I think I shall be a couple of weeks or more still without solid food.

It is rather strange my getting typhoid as I have been doubly inoculated since joining the Army.I will write and let you know how I get on. Do not expect to hear too often as I think there is only one regular mail a week, although I hear there are some slow or irregular ones.

Just before coming away a list was sent us of both outgoing and incoming mails which have been lost for various reasons. There are a tremendous lot lost and I am afraid you must have missed many of my letters and I, many of yours.

Your loving son Jack

Letter no 8

December 3rd

St Andrew’s Hospital, Malta

My dear Mother

I am getting along by very slow degrees and my temperature is only about 100 now. When it is right down to normal they will give me some food. At present I have been for three weeks uncondensed milk and Bovril, with an occasional luxury like Bengers Food. The doctor is, however, very satisfied with my progress. It is quite possible that they will send me to England for a bit.

I am fairly comfortable here, but there are many too many patients for the number of nurses and orderlies and it is very difficult to get hold of anyone when you want them.

I am afraid there will be a tragedy in Gallipoli before long.

Your loving son Jack

Letter no 9

December 10th 1915

St Andrew’s Hospital, Malta

My dear Mother

You will be glad to know that I am getting along well, although my temperature still doesn’t behave as it should. However I have been allowed a little custard and toast which is a great advance. A week today, if everything goes very well, it is just possible that the Medical Board will come and inspect me. If they think I am strong enough, I shall go as a stretcher case some time following the following ten days to a hospital ship and then home to England where I shall, of course, go to another hospital. But I think the Board will probably see me in a fortnight and not a week today, and that will be just before Xmas.

I am now absolutely free from jaundice and dysentery , and out of all danger, but , of course. I am little more than a skeleton as I have had practically no food for a month. They are beginning to feed me up on all the most strengthening foods possible and they will give me more each day, as they want me to be on my legs if possible for a day or two before we go- just for an hour in the afternoon. Of course if my temperature rises I shall have to go back to my slops and wait some weeks longer.

I am longing to get away from this place. I am thoroughly tired of bed and I am in a bed with a broken back which has collapsed in the middle. There is not another as the hospital is always full. They are hopelessly short of nurses and

orderlies and there is only half enough crockery to go round. They bring you something to eat or drink and impatiently watch you drink and directly you have finished, they snatch up your things, wash them and take them off to some other patient who has been patiently waiting. Nearly half the staff have caught enteric fever and gone home, but the remainder are very cheerful and do their best in spite of the difficulties. Their one thought is to get rid of you as soon as they think it is safe for you to travel, out you go. They tell you the hospital is only a clearing hospital and they only keep people who are dangerously ill. Personally I am very glad indeed, as there is all the more chance of my getting away early and I should hate to stay here during convalescence.

I may be in England again before the year is out. I am longing to see you and Dad again, but I don’t think for one moment that you will be able to see me while I am in hospital in England as this enteric fever is very infectious. I shall, of course, go to an enteric hospital where it is almost certain no visitors will be allowed. But I expect I will be fit to travel home after aweek or a fortnight as the sea journey back to England is certain to do me a lot of good. With very best wishes to you all for Xmas.

Your loving son Jack

PS I do not know how you get my letters. There is apparently one regular mail a week on Monday and one irregularly, which if it goes at all goes on Thursday or Friday. I have had no letters from you yet.

Letter no 10

19th December 1915

St Andrew’s Hospital, Malta

My dear Mother

I hear that they are at last putting me down as a stretcher case for the next hospital ship sailing for England. That means that I may start any day during the next ten days. I think, judging by the times that letters usually take, that I shall be in England before you get this letter. My temperature has been more or less behaving itself; it is now usually a long way below normal, but it sometimes goes up to a hundred in the evenings. I have been up on four days- staying up for tea and staying up longer and longer each day. I already feel much stronger and better and after the voyage home, I ought to be quite strong again. I trust I shall not have to stay in hospital or a convalescent home in England for more than a few days, but you can never tell how long they will keep you, as they are always very careful of enteric cases.

I have at last had two letters from you. I wonder how many letters of yours have been lost and how many of mine have never arrived. I have never had any parcel of any description and what is more , I don’t expect ever to see them. I am extremely grateful to Mrs Ridley for the things she sent out, the sleeping bag and blankets and helmet. As a matter of fact I have them all and I don’t know what I should have done with hers. If they had ever arrived, which is very unlikely, I should have had to have given them away, as we can only take about with us what we can carry.

I am most awfully anxious about Anzac and Suvla. The condition get worse every day and men are brought in here in large numbers with frost bite and any amount have been drowned in their trenches. I don’t know whether I told you in my letters that practically everyone has bad diarrhoea, which often develops into dysentery and the soldiers with it are so weak that many of them can hardly stand. It is quite pitiable to see some of the battalions going up to the trenches. Men are frequently falling and they cannot get up again until two of their pals come along and pull them onto their feet again.

Before I came away, the Germans had got their ammunition and big guns down and they had started pounding our lines with 12 inch howitzers; much bigger guns than anything we have got. Just to our right they concentrated their fire on one of the Australian posts called Lone Pine, and their were 300 casualties in an hour and a half. If the Turks only knew how weakly our line is held they could easily drive us into the sea. I think myself they will have to give up the campaign and evacuate the Peninsular. Even if we do that, we shall lose quantities of men and guns and, of course, all stores. The last two or three thousand men who will be fighting a rearguard action to hold back the Turks, while the rest get away in transports, will, of course, never be able to get off alive. If they don’t evacuate and don’t send any more troops, we shall have a very big disaster there, as the Turks are bound to find out sooner or later how weak we are.

I am afraid you will think I am rather pessimistic, but I am only pessimistic about Gallipoli. I think the war as a whole is going right enough. I believe if Greece remains all right we can get large numbers of troops to Salonika. We should be able to strangle aa Germany’s Indian and Egyptian designs by cutting their railway in Bulgaria or Serbia. Edward is, I think, almost certain to go to Salonika and I am expecting to go there myself when I return as the probabilities are that they will want cavalry if the fighting is to be in Bulgaria.

The submarines are very active round here and round Lemnos. They are apparently growing in numbers rather than decreasing. Our losses in ships never seem to get into the English papers and nor does theirs. It has been discovered that many of their submarines have been towed out, submerged by neutral merchant vessels. I shall not write any more as quite possibly I shall be home as soon as this letter.

From your loving son Jack

Letter no 11

Jan 2nd 1916

3rd Northern General Hospital, Collegiate Hall, Sheffield

Add caption

My dear Mother

I was very glad to get your letter and Dad’s this morning, and to hear that you have got Edward at home for a bit. I was hoping very much that I should be able to see him before he leaves, and it is just possible that I may be able to get home tomorrow or Tuesday, on the strength of not having seen him for so long, and this being the last opportunity before he goes.

If I do get home it will only be for one or two nights, and then I shall have to return. I was very much disappointed with the doctor’s examination. At Malta, I had two very mild attacks of gastritis, and I thought I had escaped it. On board ship I kept it under by frequent doses of aperients, but they won’t allow me to use large quantities here with the result that I had rather a bad attack yesterday. The doctor of this part of the hospital sent for the Colonel of the whole hospital and told me I should have to stay here some time as my stomach is so very weak. I swell to a most unpleasant size and I had hot fermentations all night. I shall have to be anyway two or three weeks here.

I was hoping to get boarded (seen by the Medical Authorities) in a day or two, in which case I intended to say little and get home if possible, as I thought I would get right there just as quick with the help of Doctor King. Now I have been caught in this way by the Colonel, who is head of the Board, my chance of escape is gone. There is nothing organically wrong; I apparently only need a long rest and careful feeding. Curiously enough instead of starving you as they do for enteric, they are stuffing me with more food than I want.

This place is a wonderful change after Malta. We could not possibly be better cared for and looked after than we are here and I am very comfortable indeed. They let me get up so I am getting strong again on my legs and I managed this morning to get to a late celebration, that being the first time I have been inside a church since I left England.

I want to get home as soon as I can, whether Edward has gone or not, so please don’t telegraph, if he will not be there, as you will then leave me no official excuse for getting away.

I see on reading my letter that I have only written about myself, but I have written in the past as if I should be only here for a day or so. I thought that if they won’t let me go home tomorrow or Tuesday and kept me some weeks you might think I was much worse than I am. I am really quite as well as can be expected after a sharp bout of enteric as it always does leave one very weak in the stomach.

Edward I suppose goes to Salonika. When I rejoin my regiment I may see him, as the Cavalry may be used to try to cut the line in Bulgaria and join with the Russians. There will be a great effort made this summer, as if we get across, the Germans will be shut in all round and Egypt and India will then be safe.

I have been wondering whether you have any returned letters of mine from Gallipoli. Hoping to see you tomorrow or Tuesday.

Your loving son, Jack

PS I was given the official card to send to you yesterday morning. I suppose you got it all right.

Letter no 12

Jan 9th 1916

3rd Northern General Hospital, Collegiate Hall, Sheffield

My dear Mother

I was so sorry to let your birthday slip by without writing to you. I hope you did not have such a wretched day as we had here; incessant rain and snow.

We had Zeppelins within 6 miles of us, but none actually reached the city. All gas and electric light was cut off and the city was in almost complete darkness so they would have had difficulty in finding it. There are also innumerable works around here, but chiefly about a mile or two out of the city on the opposite side to the hospital. There are always furnaces going on there and the Zeppelins will probably go there if they ever get here.

For the last three days I have been up and I have been by car over the Derbyshire moors which lie within three miles of Sheffield. I went to two villages which had been bombed by the Zeppelins. Not much damage done and one man only was killed.

The Bishop sends his car down for me when he does not want it himself and I think he is going to send it down every morning this week. It is very nice

getting out this way as I cannot, of course, walk much yet. I am expecting to get home and it is just possible I may be back this week end, but all the muscles of my stomach are so weak that I have to have special treatment to strengthen them. I have not yet asked why they will not let me go, but I am feeling so much better in myself that I do not think they will keep me more than another week.

The Bishop and Archdeacon Gresford Jones would both put you and Dad up for the night if you are thinking of going to the York Convocation if I am still here. Will you thank Dad for his letter and tell him that those orders are now void, as I have not been discharged from here yet.

Your loving son Jack

(written in a very shaky handwriting)

Letter no 13

Jan 18th 1916

3rd Northern General Hospital, Collegiate Hall, Sheffield

Dear Mother

My operation took place Thursday morning 9.45. It proved to be very necessary indeed as I have been most fortunate to have escaped while I was walking about. There were innumerable adhesions, and not one as I had expected, and certain organs were very much misplaced.

I had a wretched night last night, but I am feeling rather better today. I have had considerably more pain over this than over any other operation.

Your loving son Jack

P.S. The doctor was very pleased with me today.

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank  Peter J Blencowe who provided all the letters to me to post on the internet . Peter went to Gallipoli in 2013 with his son Charlie to visit the sites and trace his fathers footsteps. Charlie took this photograph of Peter at Walkers Landing.

Peter Blencowe Gallipoli

Peter wrote of the trip ”

After my father died in 1966, I discovered a packet of letters that he had written to his mother dated between 1915 and 1918. Like many others he never spoke about his time in World War 1 though I vaguely knew he had been a chaplain in Gallipoli, and had sailed out in the ‘Olympic’, a sister ship of the ill fated ‘Titanic’, which had been converted into a troopship. I also knew that he had been invalided out from there with enteric fever to Malta, and eventually was appointed Chaplain to the 2nd Battalion, The Devonshire Regt , who were engaged at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. How I now wish I had been interested enough to get him to talk about those days !

My elder son, Charlie, and I had already been to the Battlefields of Flanders to try and discover the exact spot where he wrote these letters, but not till June 2014, had we been to Gallipoli. Armed with the letters written to his mother, (now published privately in a booklet entitled ‘Letters Home’ )and other documents including my father’s original map, we flew to Istanbul, visiting Troy en route. For me this was something of a pilgrimage, coming just 99 years after my father landed with the Suffolk Yeomanry at Walker’s Pier which is situated off the northern part of the ANZAC beaches. The night before our tour of the Gallipoli battlefields, I was able to spend an hour with our Turkish guide, Hasan, who took the letters away to read, and, in the early hours of the morning, drew out a plan for us to visit the area where my father spent 5 weeks or so in trenches, within a few yards of the Turkish defences. For those who know Gallipoli this was towards Aghyl Dere in the battle to take Hill 60 between the bridgeheads at ANZAC Cove and Suvla Bay. A hundred years ago it was open, barren land but today is thickly wooded and not an area which is usually visited by tourists. Knowing I was treading the paths that my father had walked over 99 years ago as a young chaplain, hardly trained for warfare, was an emotional experience.

Hasan also drove us to the Helles Peninsula, to see the beaches where the British 29th Division landed on the morning of April 25th 1915 , with terrible loss of life, then on to climb Achi Baba overlooking Krithia, which was never taken by the British and in the afternoon, in company with a group of young Australians, we explored the beaches further north where Australian and New Zealand troops landed on that same day. On the hills above we saw the Ottoman and Australian Trenches, where so many from both sides were killed as the Allies fought to get control of Chunuk Blair from which height you can see both the Dardanelles and the Aegean Sea. This was the key to the success of the whole campaign, but was never achieved by the Allies in spite of the charge of the Australian Light Horse at the Nek, featured in the film ‘Gallipoli'”

The Letters of Jack Blencowe were published in a book ‘Letters Home – Jack Blencowe 1909 – 18’ in 2006 by Peter J Blencowe.

Jack Blencowe died in 1964.

APPENDICES

A 1st SUFFOLK YEOMANRY

(THE DUKE OF YORK’S OWN LOYAL SUFFOLK HUSSARS)

Extract from “ British Regiments in Gallipoli by Ray Westlake

(ISBN 0 85052 511)

SEPTEMBER

Leiston, Suffolk. Part of Eastern Mounted Brigade, lst Mounted Division.

With Brigade left Division and to Liverpool (23rd). Embarked Olympic and sailed (25th) for Lemnos. Officers – Lieutenant-Colonel F.W. Jarvis (Commanding); Majors Hon. W.E. Guinness, J.W.R. Tomkin, F. Goldsmith, C.E. Pym; Captains Viscount Duncannon (Adjutant), E.A. Greene, T. de la G. Grissell, Hon. E.C.G. Cadogan, Lieutenants G.P. Barker, R.O.W. Pemberton, H. Musker, E.C.M. Flint, J.F. Crisp, G.R. Arbuthnot-Leslie; Second-Lieutenants C.B.A. Jackson, R.E. Eversden, A.C. McKelvie, D.E. Ginn, G.B. Horne, A.L. Martin-Linnington, R.P. Woodhouse, E.W. Tuttle (Quartermaster). Rev. J.W. Blencowe (Chaplain); Captain Taylor (R.A.M.C., Medical Officer).

OCTOBER

Arrived Mudros (1st) and remained on board. Sailed Abassieh for Anzac (8th). Unable to land due to weather conditions and put back to Imbros. Landed Walker’s Pier (10th) then to dug-outs at New Bedford Road. Attached to 54th (East Anglian) Division and began tours of duty in front line – Sandbag Ridge area. To New Bedford Road (21st). Relieved 1/5th Bedfordshire and 1/ll th London in front line – Aghyle Dere area (26th). Relieved by 1/5th Norfolk and 1/11 th London (31st) and to New Bedford Road.

NOVEMBER

To trenches left of Hill 60 crossing Kaiajik Dere (5th). Major Hon W.E. Guinness records (6th) how Captain Hon. E.C.G. Cadogan had received slight injuries to his face when a Turkish sniper hit the officer’s periscope. He also notes the use of a new catapult that had been manufactured by Harrods (see Staff Officer- The Diaries of Lord Moyne 1914-1918). High casualties from sickness recorded. Relieved by 1/11th London and to rest camp (10th).

Returned to front line (15th). Major Guinness records Turkish deserters coming in from their unit on Sandbag Ridge. They reported that one of the bombs fired from the catapult had hit one man on the head and that the Turks were looking forward to “annihilating” the British when guns and shells promised by the Germans arrived. Enemy noted improving their position and putting out wire at rear of Smythe’s spur. Major Guinness records the chance death of Private H.W. Day (16th), the case of a shell fired from an aeroplane coming through the roof of a dug out, hitting him between the shoulder blades and killing him instantly. ‘A’ squadron dug out in Aghyl Dere flooded (18th) – water knee deep. Reliever (20th). To front line (25th).

DECEMBER

First party evacuated to Mudros (14th). Remainder followed during the night (19th ).

Appendix B Staff Officer Suffolk Yeomanry

(ISBN 0-85052-053-3) pub Leo Cooper

Information obtained from a visit to the Imperial War Museum Reading Room September 2004

By Walter Guinness (later Lord Moyne)

W.G. was 2nd in command at Woodbridge. ‘ More volunteers than I could take’ Refers to ‘Mischievous chaplain’ Rev Ernest Powles

July 1915 Woodbridge - Leiston

September 23 1915 To Liverpool ‘ Olympic’ ( sistership of Titanic) 5000 troops on board, including large numbers of the House of Lords and members of the Commons.

German sub encountered off Gibraltar.

3rd-4th October arrived Mudros ( could hear shelling at Gallipoli.

13th October Walker Pier (Anzac) marched to Bedford Gully. Attached to 54th (East Anglian) Div. noted ‘Blencowe’ new Chaplain

Page 40 October 16th “ At last, having got my kit up from the beach, I moved up to join the regiment in the gully just west of the

Brighton Rd trenches. Jarvis and Grissell (who had succeeded Duncannon as Adjutant) had been sharing a little shelter built of reserve ration boxes, and we spent the afternoon in extending it to accommodate our larger men, which now consisted of Blencowe, the new chaplain, Musker, the Signal officer, and our three selves ( Self, Jarvis and Grissell )”.

16th Nov He writes about death and burial of his batman , Harry Day’.

20th December Regiment evacuated from Suvla

Other reading ‘ Some Chaplains in Kharki’ F.C. Spurr.

Appendix D

An account of conditions in Gallipoli by a fellow officer.

The ANZAC Home -and a contrast

Typical hillside dug outs.

I am sitting, at the moment of writing, in a dug-out, one of those dismal, dark, damp holes cut into the clay of the Dardanelles, serving us as a haven of refuge by day and by night from the ubiquitous Turkish bullet.

The proportions of this extemporized dwelling resemble those of an exceedingly small family tomb – one which might to belong to a family too proud not f,) possess a family tomb at all, but too poor to possess one of adequate size and comfort (if one can speak of comfort in such a connection). It’s dimensions be about ten feet by four, but I am not enthusiastic enough at the moment to ascertain them precisely. It’s three walls are of crumbling clay. Where the fourth wall strictly should be is an exit which lets in the draught.

Over my head are stretched waterproof sheets which let in the water. On the floor, in fine weather, is an inch of dust, and in bad weather a proportionate amount of slimy mud. A few sandbags ranged round the parapet threaten to tumble in and annihilate my existence. I am sitting on a roll of bedding. My haversack, water-bottle, field glasses, webbing, pistol, gas helmet and india-rubber basin are arranged round my feet like so many pet dogs begging for biscuit; and in such an entourage I think of my room at home – and that is where this matter of contrast comes in.

It was the same at dinner. We, that is to say, my brother officers and I – sat in another variety of dug-out; this time an open one-open to all that blows and falls. Our repast consisted of an exceedingly stringy rabbit, extracted from a tin of an ominous purple hue – an evil-looking dish eked out with somebody or other’s baked beans, which are all very well in their way, but when used as an unvarying vegetable at all meals begin to pall; bread with the crust like a cinder, to which fondly cling bits of sacking and mules’ whisker; the corpse of a cheese ; and the whole washed down with tea made in the stew dixie, and tasting more of dixie and stew than of tea.

As I lean back against the clay wall of my dug-out, and innumerable particles of dust cascade down my neck, a soft reverie steals over my senses. It seems to me to be about six or seven o’clock on a murky November afternoon in London. I have splashed home from my work in the wind- and rain-swept streets – the motor-buses have covered me with black mud-my umbrella has afforded Die the most inadequate shelter.

But these things seem of little account to me here in Gallipoli. I see myself reaching my home in the best of spirits, entering the hall, and shutting off the outer darkness. My sense of contrast gives me a lively notion of dry clothes, of a comfortable room, of a genial fire, and of an absorbing book. In future I shall be grateful for the rain and the mud and the murky streets for making these good things seem by contrast so much more valuable.

Think of it! To sink into a great arm-chair in front of my library fire, after a hard and anxious day’s work, and contemplate the near approach of an excellent evening meal. How comfortable and warm -and hospitable my room appears as I lean back and listen to the rather depressing, smothered rumble of the traffic in the street below. Thick curtains bide away the melancholy November London atmosphere. Sweet-smelling logs crackle cheerily on the hearth: a reading lamp by my side sheds subdued lustre on the immediate vicinity of my chair. My servant glides into the room noiselessly over the soft carpet, and places the evening paper by my side. I choose a cigar from my case, light it, and then I am perfectly content-and my contentment is due to contrast between my content with the existing situation and my past discontent with other situations at other times and in other places.

After a refreshing siesta I go upstairs, exchange my workaday clothes for a smoking-suit. Two or three bachelor friends are due to dine with me, and by the time I have dressed and descended again to the sitting-room they are there ready for my greeting,

And what a pleasant evening it is with their company. We talk of old times, old acquaintances, and old places. We talk of our big-game shoots, of our campaigns, and of our travels, the recollection of which seem so delightful now that distance lends enchantment to the view. Dinner is over; a glass of brandy and old port, some smokes, and we are just adjourning to the next room- “Wake up, old chap-three o’clock. Your turn for the trenches. It is snowing hard and the Turks are very active.”

Contrasts indeed!

Captain E. CADOGAN, 1/1 Suffolk Yeomanry.

Letters from Gallipoli