THE WORCESTERS KEEP ON SMILING
Corpl. Walter Moore writes to his mother, Mrs S. Moore, Aldington Siding, as follows:
“I hope this finds you all at home in the best of health, as I am A1 myself. In my last letter I told you I had been in heavy fighting. Well we took Neuve Chappelle very nicely, but it was a sight I don’t want to see many times. We started on the 10th and all went well that day, but the next day the word was passed down to get ready for a charge as soon as the guns had done their share towards it. So off we started from our trench, and as soon as we got up to the Huns, machine guns started pouring their shot upon us. It was like being in a hailstorm. I don’t know how I got through, but I shook hands with myself when I answered roll-call that night. There were only two privates and myself left in our section. We had a quiet night, and the next morning we were ordered to stand to just before it got light. We were pretty strong in the trench that morning, and the German’s thought they would make a counter-attack. They did so and I expect they regret it now, for all those who came near our trench with the exception of three were shot down. The three got back safely to their own trench but even then two were wounded. But it was only getting our own back for the day before. But we keep on smiling in the Worcesters; of course when we hear the Jack-Johnsons coming, we hold our breath till its busted and then smile again.”