Skegness Magazine

Source: Skegness, Mablethorpe and Alford News 1915

Experiences of Skegness men
The following are extracts from a letter received by the Rector and Mrs. Disney from their son on May 11th. 1915:
‘We had a very busy time in the trenches; we were in the support dugouts this time and out all night carrying stores etc. up to the fire trenches and working for the R.E. (Royal Engineers.) It is very tiring work indeed, making so many trips with heavy loads. Then in the day one generally has to get some digging done. I had a very rotten job one night; had to go up with a party of men – my own and some more – to put out wire in front of our most advanced trench. It is about 40 yards away from the Germans and we were ten yards or more out, so we had a pretty hot time. They were sending up flares and firing at us all the time. I walked into the German outside wire once and they fairly let fly….
Since we have been out of the trenches I have been very busy, getting the men cleaned and bathed etc…. we have had one night’s digging since we have been out – the whole night – so we get two good night’s rest. The weather has been ripping, so it hasn’t been so bad….yesterday I rode to the top of a hill a few mile’s away, from which you can see all over Flanders; it is quite a wonderful view and we could see all along the line for miles; the shells bursting and the dust of troops marching both in our lines and the Germans….I hear an aeroplane was brought down over our trenches yesterday. It will be quite a feather in the brigade’s cap – though I think it was actually brought down by one of our ‘planes. We go up again tonight. I am going up to a very advanced trench to start with, but I don’t anticipate any difficulty unless they sling a bomb in….have just been out watching three of our ‘planes being shelled. A huge cloud of smoke is coming over from a burning city to the north…thank you very much for the football, my platoon was extremely pleased with it, and I had a kick with them last night.All the platoons have got a ball now. Thank you, too, for all the stuff you sent today….I have divided up the cigarettes and chocolate amongst the Skegness men and I think they are very pleased with it. They like good chocolate. Cooper doesn’t smoke but I expect he will swap his baccy for something else. It went ’round very well and I had a bit for myself…..it would be rotten if one ran really short of cigarettes as you can’t get them out here. The chaps on the lines of communication get more than they can do with. These men can always go out with a shilling and get 200 of the best Bond Street cigs, so they tell me’