Letter to [Vera Holm Turnbull]

Contains photocopied material. Typed transcript (photocopy) of a letter from Reverend J.R. Young, France, to [Vera Holm Turnbull], dated 28 October 1918, regarding the death of her brother, 2/2780 Corporal Harold Holm Biss, from wounds received in France on the 19th instant. (3 leaves)

Text reads as follows:

"This is a sad letter I’m writing to you just to tell you what few particulars I can of the death of your brother, Harold Biss who, as you know was one of my gunners and a very good friend of mine. Words aren’t much good at a time like this, yet I’m writing in the hope that the few things I can tell you may be of some slight comfort to you & your people in your sorrow.

Harold Biss was one of the best gunners in the 1st Battery & was chosen to go up with a forward section of two guns to harass the enemy on the night of October 18th preparatory to a big push forward the next day. Harold was one of the most fearless fellows I ever met & he went up with the greatest delight. The guns were placed in front of a sunken road & in the sides of the road the gunners dug their bivvies. They were having a couple of hours rest in these when the enemy put down a very heavy counter bombardment and began enfilading right up the sunken road from away over the flank. About 2 a.m. on the 19th a shell struck right on the bivvie where Harold’s gun crew were lying. There were 4 of them in it. Corp Fordyce, Bombdr Hicks, Harold and another gunner called Wi. All 4 of them were very badly wounded. Lieut H.C. Nolan was in charge of the section ran along quite regardless of the heavy shell fire and did everything he possibly could for them staying beside them and caring for them until a Dr could be found and stretchers brought. Nolan is a delightful cultivated sensitive chap and he felt it all terribly and came and told me all about it in the evening and he kept saying over and over again that he never saw anything like Harold Biss’ bravery. He was very badly hit about the feet and legs but insisted that all the others should be attended to first, as he was sure their wound were worse. Corporal Fordyce and Bombdr Hicks died before the Dr came but the other two were got away safely to a dressing station. Mercifully as so often happens the shock of the wounds seemed to deaden the pain and their sufferings weren’t

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as bad as one would be inclined to fear, and of course when he reached the dressing station the Doctor gave him morphia. He went away down to the casualty clearing station as cheery as could be and we all hoped he would pull through though the Drs had shaken their heads over him. We heard nothing for about a week and then the official word came through from the 3rd Canadian Casualty clearing station that he had died at 2 p.m. on the 19th, the afternoon of the same day that he was hit. The news has cast a great gloom over the whole battery for everybody was very fond of him. I believe Lieut Nolan is writing to you. We haven’t got Mrs Biss’ address. (By the way the Major tells me in confidence that he was recommending Nolan for the M.C. I do hope he get it he earned it if ever any one did.)

I knew Harold by sight and to speak to for quite a while before I realised who he was. It was only when Mrs Turnbull told me that your brother was in the Artillery that I realised that Harold must be he. I’ve seen a lot of him since then and he has always been the greatest help to me. I’ve a very vivid memory of him which comes from a communion service I held one evening in the remains of a ruined building. Harold and another boy Horace Sadlier, son of the Bishop of Nelson, helped me to get things ready salved and arranged old boxes for seats and stuck candles in the crannies round the walls. We had a wonderful little service, one of those very perfect ones which are such a privilege when one feels in a very marked way the wonderful sense of a Presence with us, and there was a wonderful light in Harold’s face as I shook hands with him at the end of the service. That’s a picture which will stay with me.

Dear Mrs Turnbull’s words do seem such futile things yet I feel that those over here who are living so constantly in the presence of death have come to see it very much at it really is – not as a dreadful thing and the end of

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all things but just as an event in life, a gateway across our path through which we must all at some time pass to the greater, freer more wonderful life beyond but still no one knows better than I what a loneliness is left when one whom we love has vanished out of our sight, even though we know it is only for a time and so in sincerest sympathy I commend you all to the love of God, May he bless you and keep you.

Yours very sincerely,

James R. Young.

This is a copy of the Rev J.R. Young’s letter to Vera telling us of dear Harold’s death from wounds received in France on the 19th October 1918"