First World War letter from Charles Frederick Alison to his [mother?] [no date]

The text reads as follows:

[Page 1]

"Started and it was like hell easy the heaviest I have seen since the Somme. The boys went as far as his second line and gave him a good thrashing. We took about forty-five prisoners & killed a few hundred. 55 out of 153 from our company were wounded, killed or missing.

It was cruel to see the boys coming out wounded, some of them very bad. I saw over 100 wounded men, I tell you there was some blood flying about. You have no idea of the pluck of most of them.

I got a bit of a knock when one of our first men to come out told me four of the boys that I have been with during training etc & with on the Somme were killed. They were all very decent sorts & were joking with me just before going into our front trench.

[Page 2]

The Captain [Hewett] had his right hand badly shattered & will lose the hand & part of his arm. He was only a young chap but a terribly decent sort. The Hun prisoners were pretty game, one old chap had his hand taken off and he walked along as if nothing was wrong. No doubt some of them are as game as they make them. Dad had bad luck not getting onto Ewen’s filly. I see by the papers that they won 4 races at the Shore. The weather is starting to improve now but it has been terribly cold. Ice on the water at 6 inches thick everywhere. The boys had great fun skating for a few weeks.

Just fancy I have been in France for 6 months. I am quite a veteran now alongside

[Page 3]

Jonny. I often think how lucky he was to escape from getting to France. It is much harder to get away now to what it was then. I heard that Cook was in the camel corps in Egypt. Have you heard from him at all. Len Smith is still in Sling and I do not think he is anxious to leave there. Bert Wells & Oatey Miller are still O.K. Is Blanche still going on with the AK.AK.AK.

Trusting everyone is still good & well with kindest regards to all,

Your loving Son

[Signed] Charley"