Show Posts
1
World War One / Christmas 1917 near the front
« on: Tuesday 08 June 21 04:48 BST (UK) »
Christmas 1917 At the front.
2nd Lieut Harold Edgar arrived in France early November 1917. He had one period at the front and then went on a machine gun & mortar training course over Xmas. His fellow officers were New Zealanders and British from several different regiments.
This was Xmas Dinner in the snow
From his diary 23/12/1917.
”We are about 20 miles away from the line here & comparatively speaking are very comfortable. There is another N.Z. officer in the same hut with me, called Godfrey, & four Tommy officers, all very decent sorts. We have a fairly warm hut with a stove, real beds with spring mattresses & two washstands with ware complete (a wonderful sight in this benighted land). The only difficulty is that it is hard to get coal but we get over this by going out at night & stealing it. It has commenced to freeze here & though we haven't had any snow yet the cold is intense & it is hard work to keep warm. The ground is like iron & all the trees & hedges are a beautiful sight in the mornings.
We are about two miles from French town which Fritzy shells from 20 miles away with a naval gun but so far he hasn't commenced shelling this spot & the noise of the guns sounds very remote from here - more like carpet beating than anything else."
Menu front (attached)
Menu back (attached)
NZ
Harold. Edgar 2/Lt NZEF
Hugh. H. Godfrey NZEF
O. A. Andrews 1/Lt NZEF
W. Auckland [?NZEF]
UK
Bodwell Ysh Rgt 2/Lt
T. Booth Lt 1/6/West ------- att 147 T.M.B
M. W. Flower 2/Lt 2/4 E. Lan R
G. Lloyd-Jones Lanc Fus.
W. R.Oates 2/Lt 1/8 West Yorks
G. Matthews 1/8 West York R.
A. Paley 2/8 Lancashire Fusiliers
Any corrections to the names and further details of the Regiments would be much appreciated.
Harold's complete diary in the form of letters (irregular but almost weekly) to his wife, father and members of his Law firm from the day he left home, his training in New Zealand, the voyage to England, Brocton and Sling training camps in England and at the front till his return. All have been sorted, typed and prepared for publication. They cover a period from November 1917 to August 1919, as he served in Germany after conflict ceased. He has no living descendants.
2nd Lieut Harold Edgar arrived in France early November 1917. He had one period at the front and then went on a machine gun & mortar training course over Xmas. His fellow officers were New Zealanders and British from several different regiments.
This was Xmas Dinner in the snow
From his diary 23/12/1917.
”We are about 20 miles away from the line here & comparatively speaking are very comfortable. There is another N.Z. officer in the same hut with me, called Godfrey, & four Tommy officers, all very decent sorts. We have a fairly warm hut with a stove, real beds with spring mattresses & two washstands with ware complete (a wonderful sight in this benighted land). The only difficulty is that it is hard to get coal but we get over this by going out at night & stealing it. It has commenced to freeze here & though we haven't had any snow yet the cold is intense & it is hard work to keep warm. The ground is like iron & all the trees & hedges are a beautiful sight in the mornings.
We are about two miles from French town which Fritzy shells from 20 miles away with a naval gun but so far he hasn't commenced shelling this spot & the noise of the guns sounds very remote from here - more like carpet beating than anything else."
Menu front (attached)
Menu back (attached)
NZ
Harold. Edgar 2/Lt NZEF
Hugh. H. Godfrey NZEF
O. A. Andrews 1/Lt NZEF
W. Auckland [?NZEF]
UK
Bodwell Ysh Rgt 2/Lt
T. Booth Lt 1/6/West ------- att 147 T.M.B
M. W. Flower 2/Lt 2/4 E. Lan R
G. Lloyd-Jones Lanc Fus.
W. R.Oates 2/Lt 1/8 West Yorks
G. Matthews 1/8 West York R.
A. Paley 2/8 Lancashire Fusiliers
Any corrections to the names and further details of the Regiments would be much appreciated.
Harold's complete diary in the form of letters (irregular but almost weekly) to his wife, father and members of his Law firm from the day he left home, his training in New Zealand, the voyage to England, Brocton and Sling training camps in England and at the front till his return. All have been sorted, typed and prepared for publication. They cover a period from November 1917 to August 1919, as he served in Germany after conflict ceased. He has no living descendants.