THROUGH THE BIG BATTLE
Corporal W. Moore, of the 1st Worcesters, writes home to his mother at Aldington Siding:
“I suppose you have seen by the papers what we have been doing. I was in the big battle, and I am very pleased to say, I went through it without a scratch. We had some very hard fighting to do, and we did it with success, I am pleased to say, but it was terrible at times. I don’t know how I got through it, for in the charge we made on the 11th the German rifle and machine gun fire was like going through a hailstorm; but we routed them out, and wasn’t there some sights – too bad to tell you. We got what we all wanted, and we set to work at night to dig ourselves in the ground ready for the Huns to come to us for a change. They did so, and we cut them down the same as they cut us down the day before, and a bit worse. Well. I’ve had my own back for what I have been through this last winter, so I don’t mind much. You will see our roll of honour in the papers soon, so you will see how we were fixed. I must tell you I have just put another stripe on my arm, so I am corporal now instead of lance-corporal. I hope I have good luck. We are having about five days’ rest now after our hard fighting.”