April 1915

A field post card sent from Frank to Ethel dated 21 st April 1915 indicating that all is well.


This was a post card sent by Ethel to Frank . On the reverse side she wrote, Frank I believe Neuve Chapelle was the first place you collected ( wounded) from was it
not


26 April 1915
Frank sends this card to Ethel he explains that the words inscribed on the front of the card are translated to "Altogether, or All for the native Country"


April 1915

2 Friday (Good Friday)

Finished with Mr Pratt.

3 Saturday

Left Outtersteene. Marched 9 miles. Arrived Neuve Eglise.

Billeted opposite Bulford Camp at Farm house.

4 Sunday Easter Day

Church Parade.

Good sermon by Mr Pratt under bad conditions of his cold.

5 Monday Easter Monday

Neuve Eglise.

Happy memories of last Easter Monday Sutton Park; Laurie Williams.

Saw H Fox junior.

[Sutton Park is a large park between Sutton Coldfield and Walsall]

6 Tuesday

Neuve Eglise.

Went at dark to fill water cart in the pouring rain.

7 Wednesday

Neuve Eglise.

Will Aston wounded; 2nd night in trenches there.

8 Thursday

Neuve Eglise.

Saw 2.6ins guns in action above dressing station.

9 Friday

Neuve Eglise.

Paid 10 Francs.

10 Saturday

Neuve Eglise.

Went at dark to our First Aid post up at trenches, under fire, arrived back at 2 o’clock Sunday morning.

11 Sunday

Neuve Eglise.

Staffs come out of trenches after 5 days. Casualties 7 killed 10 wounded.

Rest.

H Baker. Burrows. Welch.

[No indication of what the names mean]

12 Monday

Neuve Eglise.

13 Tuesday

Neuve Eglise.

Night raid by German Zeppelin. Bailleul 3 miles from us.

14 Wednesday

Neuve Eglise.

Zeppelin bomb raid on Bailleul. Houses wrecked, 2 lives lost.

15 Thursday

Bailleul.

Anti aircraft gun fires at Zep from our hospital.

16 Friday

Neuve Eglise.

17 Saturday

Neuve Eglise.

Severe battle at Ypres, our artillery drive Germans out of reserve trenches into the first line by firing at same and making them believe we are going to charge, our Engineers then blow up same. C 9000 [9000 casualties perhaps.]

The Royal Engineers were already tunneling under the German positions in order to lay explosives and blow them up. This was the ' underground war' ,little of which was known about till comparatively recent times. The 'C9000' probably means there were circa 9000 enemy casualites.

18 Sunday

Neuve Eglise.

No Church Parade.

Staffords come out of trenches after 5 days, second time. Casualties small.

19 Monday

Neuve Eglise.

Afternoon. Church parade and Holy Communion by Pratt.

20 Tuesday - 22 Thursday

Neuve Eglise.

23 Friday (St George)

Went up to North Staffords Dressing station at trenches at night as Waggon Orderly; back 1.30 next morning.

24 Saturday

Neuve Eglise.

Mem: Trenches. Collecting wounded nightly.

25 Sunday

Neuve Eglise.

No Church Parade.

26 Monday - 27 Tuesday

Neuve Eglise.

Went on duty on a British Red Cross motor coffee stall. Served out over 2,000 cups in one night, waited for Staffords return from trenches, 1 o’clock until 3 o’clock serving, went to bed at 4 o’clock.

28 Wednesday

Aldershot camp on motor stall, 1000 cups.

Confirmation service - Bishop of Pretoria.

29, 30 Thursday

Motor coffee stall.

Red Cross Motor Coffee Stall.

Frank had been serving coffee from a vehicle like this between the 26th & 30th April 1915